Dave’s Blog

Day 9.
Thought we’d share some daily facts (read challenges!).
Most nights we have small pot belly in mess tent. This is powered by Yak Dung! Which is very acrid and slightly nauseating. If staying in tea house price for a bunk is between 1.50 – $2 per night! Charging phones/ camera batts/ iPod etc is about $3 per hour. No electricity anywhere but lots of solar panels. Bottled water started at 50c a litre in kathmandu then $1 in lukla. 2.50 in namche bazaar. 3.50 in dingboche and will surely keep going up the further we trek. All goods are manually brought up by porter. There are no roads. No cars bike bicycles tractors in fact nothing with wheels at all. The trails are simply too steep and rugged for wheeled vehicles.
The food well there is plenty of it but it all seems to taste the same. Soup, rice and potatoes in dozens of styles. All carbs and starch but not much protein.
Cold. It is quiet nippy. Nights down to minus 20 which makes going to whizz a major exercise. Getting out of lukewarm sleeping bag in tent and getting footwear on somehow gets the heart rate up to 200!
Clothing. We are all wearing thermal baselayer or 2 short fleece/ soft shell, goretex outer layer. You feel like the Michelin man! I’d real cold the down jacket goes over top. Interesting to note that toothpaste, wet ones and sun cream freezes!
Porters carry about 50 kg which is 2 of our bags plus their own gear. Some porters from other companies carry 75kg which is nuts!
2 days to go to EBC and summiting kala pattar! We are keen and ready! Love to all. Sherpa Dave