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A friend of mine just made it to base camp as part of a trek for Cancer. The pictures she took were incredible and it was a pretty interesting journey with a blizzard and one or two avalanches. Weather went from 70degrees to sub zero within a few hours on the last part of the trail.
Can anyone recommend any good books or documentaries on the subject? I've become fascinated with some of the stories. Would love to do the base camp trek one day but not so sure of that scary airport at Lukla
Not just about Everest but any book written by Joe Simpson like Touching the Void. This Game of Ghosts is great. Really demonstrates how dangerous climbing is. Really, really experienced mountaineers swept away in an instant but what majesty is in the heavens!!
I trekked to Base Camp at the end of last November/start of December and it was phenomenal-one of the best things I've ever done. It was a good time to do it-blue sky (don't think I saw a cloud for 10 days) and sunshine in the day and right at the end of peak season so not too busy. Very cold at night but thermals, blankets and sleeping bags see you through. The guesthouses aren't well insulated but they burn dried yak shit in the main area for some heat...
As for Lukla, it's the second shortest airport in the world and supposedly the most dangerous as pilots can't abort landing attempts once they begin due to promxity of surrounding mountains but in reality they've only had a couple of major accidents in over 50 years. The pilots walk round in their aviators and leather jackets like they own the place and really, it's fair enough as they're highly trained. The flight itself is incredible and you don't really feel that nervous once you get going. They don't fly in any kind of poor weather conditions either due to the risk. Can mean you get stranded by the airport for days...
Everest is a great film too, I saw it in the cinema and watched it again after doing the Base Camp trek.
I trekked to Base Camp at the end of last November/start of December and it was phenomenal-one of the best things I've ever done. It was a good time to do it-blue sky (don't think I saw a cloud for 10 days) and sunshine in the day and right at the end of peak season so not too busy. Very cold at night but thermals, blankets and sleeping bags see you through. The guesthouses aren't well insulated but they burn dried yak shit in the main area for some heat...
As for Lukla, it's the second shortest airport in the world and supposedly the most dangerous as pilots can't abort landing attempts once they begin due to promxity of surrounding mountains but in reality they've only had a couple of major accidents in over 50 years. The pilots walk round in their aviators and leather jackets like they own the place and really, it's fair enough as they're highly trained. The flight itself is incredible and you don't really feel that nervous once you get going. They don't fly in any kind of poor weather conditions either due to the risk. Can mean you get stranded by the airport for days...
Everest is a great film too, I saw it in the cinema and watched it again after doing the Base Camp trek.
Great stuff Tom!
You went in the dry season so you picked a good time to go.
Was it an expensive trip> How long was you out there for?
I'm 50 in 2 years and thinking of dong it around then.