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As Summer turns to Fall, Mark Allen and myself once again prepare for departure into the greater ranges. The warm months have been spent in the mountains and crags of the Western US, training, sending and working. We find ourselves with strength and psyche to burn, ready to head into the big mountains.

Mark is headed to Ama Dablam (6812m). Considered one of the most beautiful peaks on the planet and the ‘Gem of the Khumbu’ it is a striking series of ridges and faces culminating in a steep icy summit. Mark will be guiding the SouthWest Ridge, a route that requires technical climbing skills on rock, ice and snow.

Mark has just joined the elite ranks of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, a process requiring years of dedication and work towards courses, exams and personal and professional progression. The SW ridge will be an excellent arena in which Mark can show these skill as a mountain guide.  The route will require his endurance and technical abilities to a level far exceeding what it would take to get himself safely up the route.  While on the mountain he will be responsible for the safety and comfort of his clients as well; a challenge that Mark is well suited for both in his personal climbing and guiding abilities.

I will be joined by Hayden Kennedy in the Gokyo Valley where we will be pushing our limits on the surrounding ‘trekking peaks’. Opened to climbing in 2003 Kyajo Ri (6186m) and Phari Lapcha (6017m) both offer a plethora of new route potential. Phari’s kilometer long NorthEast face is a series of steep couloirs and spines many of which are unclimbed.  Those that have been climbed have presented consistent highly technical climbing and as we venture onto others, the challenges are expected to increase significantly.  The massive Northern and Eastern aspects of  Kyajo Ri hold a series of large unclimbed features including steep ice and an extremely aesthetic rock buttress. Hayden and I are prepared for technical ice, mixed and rock terrain any of which may be encountered depending on the conditions found upon arrival.

Follow Mark and me here on VertiCulture as we go to Nepal on these parallel trips to test out limits in the Khumbu Himalaya.  We will be updating from locations along the approach and from basecamp, reporting in on our cultural experiences, thoughts on expeditions and of course climbing.

POST 1: Seattle
By Graham

Mark flies out tomorrow.  I have another week. He wanders around the living room of a house that neither of us own, making last minute arrangements. Climbing gear is EVERYWHERE.

The madness of planning seems to be nearly dealt with, but it might also just be beginning. We won’t be in the mountains until we are there, all of our energy is focused on reducing pit falls and excuses and making sure that nothing is forgotten.

Constant transition is a theme in our lives. Moving to where the work and goals take us.  Prioritizing these goals over a more ‘stable’ lifestyle. Skiers gravitate to the Chugach, Surfers to Indo, we are headed to the Himalaya.

Training ended last week and now we eat.  Trying to bulk up on the energy reserves that will get us through the exertion of the next few months in the mountains.

The plane rides will be the calm before the storm.  Then we will be on the ground headed for the hills, getting acclimatized our bodies to the altitude and our minds to the relief.

We are psyched to get underway.

POST 2: Kathmandu to Lukla, 10/13
By Mark

I wait in the stone path next to a large boulder with Tibetan mantras chiseled into the rock by the small plywood police hut. It is the fourth time my expedition permit has been checked in the last two days. I don’t mind. I think it is the circa-cold-war, semi-automatic rifle acting as a stop gate at my waist that has me chilled out. My clients chuckle at the posturing solder that appears uncertain of his role. The Nepalese love paper work. It seems most things that you apply for require a color mug photo, detailed personal information, and finger prints. An expedition climbing permit is no exception. For example on my first day in Nepal, I spent four hours in the ministry of tourism office in Kathmandu which included four cups of tea, lots of hand shakes, and 13 detailed biographies of the participants which finally allowed my group access in to the Khumbu valley of the Himalaya, Nepal. After completing the paper work, all of the agents stood up and shook my hand again, congratulated me, and wished me luck.

I felt like I had just received a massive loan or been part of a business merger. Now, a day and a half on the trail up the Dudh Koshi River, my group of 11 clients, my co-guide Max Bunce, and I are stopped for yet another check post; this time at gun point. Our Sherpa Guide Phu Tashi Sherpa of Khunde takes the helm and negotiates in Nepali. Within minutes the riffle barrel is lifted and we continue on.

We are 13 members of the 2010 International Mountain Guides (IMG) expedition to Everest Base Camp, a trek followed by an ascent of 6815m Ama Dablam  and I am the lead. The group has already bonded after surviving three days in the chaotic labyrinth of Kathmandu prepping for our 30-day expedition. Breathing smog, dodging crazed drivers, getting ripped off, and not getting immovably ill have been daily tasks. The traffic laden streets flow in random patterns but somehow have a dissonant melody that works out like salmon swimming up river. Thousands of shops line the narrow, dusty, stone streets. Several sell cheap knock-off outdoor brands with comically misspelled brand names. The grocery stores are strangely stocked and getting last minute provisions can be quite a quandary.  Some of my clients are here prepping to trek to see Everest, a few to climb 5900m Lobuche Peak, and the others are focusing on the 6815m summit of Ama Dablam known as the “Gem of the Himalaya”.

Logistically, prepping for this expedition is rather simple for us.  Eric Simonson’s (co-owner of IMG) coordination of the expedition via a local network in Nepal has set us up very well. He arranged an extremely well-connected Sherpa Sridhar to organize all our supplies, transportation, and on-mountain logistics. But I still find myself fatigued by the tasks that remain. Thoughts of negotiating the depths of Kathmandu to personally prep for the trip, meet with all government powers-that-be, and get permissions to run such a trip are exhausting.

With the help from our Sridhar Ang Jangbu Sherpa and his staff at Beyul Adventures we had a rather smooth day getting into the Dudh Koshi River Valley to start the trip to the Khumbu. At 6:00am the group of trekkers and climbers traveled with all our gear to the domestic airport to catch our flight to Lukla and start the trek. This airport is a true expression of Nepali chaos and constantly has you on your toes; it would be easy to lose a duffle. Over 100 people in an airport lobby suited for 70 all trying to check in at the same time makes for an abrupt wake up. Things can get confusing quick. A one hour flight in a twin otter prop plane to the “run way in the sky” entertains us with cloudy sights of the Himalaya and the Annapurna group.

After the plane touched down on the narrow, slanted runway of Lukla, engineered to allow for shorter landings, we met our Sherpa guide Phu Tashi Sherpa and his team of assistant guides, Karma Sherpa and Chewang Lendu Sherpa.  We see the front range peaks for the first time. After a plate of veggie Momos, the group enters the world of Sherpa populations, stone villages, and Tibetan Buddhist monuments.

We walk the 250year-old road to Namche Bazaar, the main trading village. The tempo of the trip has become more vacation-like, a counter to the chaos of the bustling Kathmandu. Porters with basket loads and yak trains pass us in both directions adding novelty to the rustic route of commerce.  Sanskrit Buddhist mantras carved in rock (mani stone) line the path with prayer flags reminding us of local traditions. Namche’s significance is understood, for it is the largest trading village and is at the confluence of the two main rivers; Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi. Tibet is a two-day trek and every Saturday Tibetan traders come down from Nang Pola Pass near 8000m peak Cho Oyu to do business. This is same pass the Tibetans ancestors of the Sherpa used to populate the area and where we are now passing our fourth “checkpoint.”

POST 3: Lukla to Namche Bazaar, 10/14
By Mark

It is good to be back here. I am seeing it takes a certain type of personality to really appreciate the simplicity here. I get lost dreaming of future lines on the peaks dwarfing the villages. Some folks find this culture and valley too primitive and unaccommodating. They tend to get frustrated when there isn’t a privet room or the internet doesn’t work or get bored on the second visit to a monastery.  I hope that they are not missing what I find so fascinating here. We are surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful mountains and least tainted cultures. We are acclimatizing for an epic climb and get to journey with a culture while we window shop our next dream climb. I find it easy to love the moment, learn the names of the Sherpa, and feel the power and magnitude of these massive peaks, and then later summit one.

Sherpa people are a hardy ethnicity originally from Tibet 250-300 year ago. The story they tell is of ancestors inhabiting the Khumbu valley to seek a better life and lush terrain for their yaks and farms. They became their own people in these valleys. Climbers became introduced to this group during early 1920s Everest attempts and commercial expeditions have employed them since the 1990s. Sherpa is the last name of every family. Typically men and some women are named after the day they were born; for example Lakpa Sherpa is Wednesday Sherpa. You are set a part from what village you come from.  Porter, Trekking guide, or Climbing Sherpa are all professions to the Sherpa. It appears that skill, personality, education, and language skills will determine how successful they are in ascending the ranks to Climbing Sherpa.

Our lead climbing Sherpas are Ang Passang and Panuru Sherpa. Watching the younger climbing Sherpa interact indicates a massive level of respect and authority. They will be working with me as guides on Ama Dablam. As a guide here, I have to let go of the climber in me. For the most part the Sherpa guides take care of fixing the route; for they are infinitely stronger than any western guide at this altitude. Counter to a personal climb, I am not responsible for the fixing or putting up the rope. My attention goes to my clients to provide coaching through the terrain and to be there when needed. The Sherpas will be fixing most of the lines before the western guides arrive putting us in a good position before the climbers get to base camp. My group will show up at Base camp acclimatized after our two weeks of trekking and climbing in the Khumbu and ascent of Lobuche East. We will be ready to climb at an accelerated schedule during good weather minimizing our exposure to the mountain.  I appreciate what the Sherpas have done for commercial guiding. Without them these trips would not be possible in this time frame. It is easy to put my personal desires to be free on the mountain in alpine style aside. This is a different goal. A “100% to the top of our objective” and back in one piece is the goal. This climb belongs not to me but my clients and their progression as climbers. For now we focus on acclimatizing and getting fit for the climb and advance up the Khumbu. We will be arriving in Ama Base camp near the end of the month.

POST 4: Flying to Lukla, 10/20
By Graham

It seems the the climatic changes that have been taking place the world over have also been affecting the Nepali Himal…  During this time of season the Monsoon would normally be long gone but it is still hanging around by bits and pieces. This has meant that we have had to hang in Kathmandu for 2 days more than expected waiting for a flight to Lukla. Most of this time has been spent hanging out in the airport, trying to get out, goofing around, listening to music, and being mellow. In the evenings we have been hanging with our man Jiban from Sherpa ShangriLa, eating good food, and generally causing a ruckus.

But it seems that at long last we are getting out of here and into the mountains. Psyched!

Below are links where our general weather forecast can be checked:

http://www.meteoexploration.com/mountain/peaksHimalayas.html?CHO
http://www.yr.no/place/Nepal/Other/Peak_XV/

Keep track as we are in there trying to send on the beautiful Kyajo Ri and PhariLapcha.

POST 5: Namche Bazaar, 10/23
By Graham

We have reached Namche Bazaar, in the heart of the Khumbu.  Today we headed up to a view point from where we got our first real views of the mountains.

Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Themserku, Tawoche…

I feel as though I am an individual who has seen and appreciated many mountains and I have spent years reading about, looking at, and researching these mountains of Nepal,  I still find myself floored by their beauty.

Our bodies feel good and we are psyched to crush in the mountains! This will be the last post before we return from the Khumbu so wish us luck!

POST 6: Lobuche Update, 10/28
By VertiCulture

From the IMG blog,

“Lobuche Climbers On Top!

IMG guide Mark Allen called on the sat phone to report that the team had a nice climb of Lobuche Peak today, followed by a safe descent back to Base Camp.  It was a long hard day, but everyone is back down and doing well.  Tomorrow the plan is to descend to Dingboche, where they will have a well earned rest day.  Congrats to the guides, climbers and sherpas for a job well done!”

Great news to hear – continue having a safe, successful journey, Mark and team!  Check back for more from these guys here and on the IMG blog.

POST 7: Gokyo, 11/3
By Graham

Alone, walking through the Khumbu twilight;  Cho Oyo ahead, Chalotse Behind. The sun is long gone from the valley but the fresh snow on the high peaks reflects it down around me.

My day has been spent attempting a push on the SE face of Phari Lapcha. Hayden came down sick on the last attempt requiring a run of antibiotics and a drop in elevation.  So while he recovers in Namche I am left to climb alone.

The attempt had started in the early morning walking from basecamp in Gokyo down to the village of Machermo and up a valley above town.  The attempt had been thwarted by a broken glacier covered in the same fresh snow now shining light on my evening path.  It was terrain that would have been appropriate for a climber with a partner and a rope but not for a soloist.

So I was turned around… Well before the technical terrain that would have brought comfort, speed and the joy of physical exertion.

A few hours later in the darkness I reach Gokyo once again.  The stars are exploding above; before heading into the teahouse I sit and look upon them.  Happy to be safe and finished walking.

Inside I sit by the fire, the matriarch of the teahouse brings me milktea and is very happy to see me back safe and sound.  I am eternally grateful for her friendship and motherly instincts towards me, the lone climber living in the tent outside.

Tomorrow is another day.

POST 8: Lukla, 11/12
By Graham

I lay on the teahouse bed admiring the beautiful and well varnished carpentry that composes so many of these amazing mountain structures. I am back in Lukla the location of the predominate airstrip in the Khumbu. Bathing and chores completed, I  left to hang about in another tea house.

I ponder the last couple of weeks. In the past I have been on expeditions which have come out unsuccessful but this is different. For days I sat in my tent looking upon beautiful skies but was withheld from soloing by dangerous snow conditions over crevasses (not good terrain for a soloist) and the lack of a partner.

Hayden is very strong and motivated, but this time the developing world got the best of him.  Even after a retreat to Namche he was still not in shape to climb. So after 2 solo attempts I packed our gear and went trekking.  While wandering I saw many beautiful mountains and devised many plans for future attempts.  But alas the trip in the Gokyo has come to an end.

But! The main event is yet to come! A recovered Hayden and Mr. Cory Richards arrive today in and we will head back into the mountains.  With all of our combined strength, psyche and knowledge regarding conditions in these mountains I feel excellent about the coming weeks.

But for now I am left to hang out and ponder.

Follow Mark and Graham’s journey’s here on VertiCulture as they update from the field. You can also follow Mark and his team’s story and progress via spot tracker on the International Mountain Guides blog. More from Graham can be found on his blog.