Now Ye're Talking - to a Boardsie climbing to Everest Base Camp

Cork Lass

Bhutan is on my bucket list so it would be great if you went there to give me a bit of a run down. I actually spent 2 months traveling through Nepal back in 1990 so you brought back some great memories for me. We never went to base camp but did some small treks and got to see some amazing scenery and meet some wonderful people. Thanks again and let me know when you're heading to Bhutan :P

itac

No questions, just want to say failte romhat abhaile! And thank you for a fascinatingly honest AMA-felt like I could see a lot of what you saw, which doesn't always happen when someobe writes about travel experiences; well done!

Purple Mountain

When can we expect your travel blog?!!
#ad #spon

jordata

Been following this thread with great interest (and worrying about OP when there were no updates for a few days!!) and I just wanted to add my congratulations on a very informative and entertaining AMA. Thank you for taking the time to share your adventure. I wish you many many more in the future.

Sabre0001

For those wondering about trying to get around the permit issue: http://www.ladbible.com/more/viral-man-found-hiding-in-cave-on-everest-to-avoid-paying-fee-20170509

Great AMA - really enjoyed the journey and the amazing pictures!

What made you first decide to trek to EBC (especially via less conventional routes)?

Would you ever see yourself guiding a group (not necessarily the out and out tourists, but ones who are willing to explore different areas and paths)?

How is it readjusting to daily life and all that goes with it (technology, commitments, etc.)?

After this and your previous AMA, do you ever take a run of the mill / lazy holiday?

Looking forward to the next adventure!

I'm climbing to Everest Base Camp, AMA

Cork Lass wrote: »

Bhutan is on my bucket list so it would be great if you went there to give me a bit of a run down. I actually spent 2 months traveling through Nepal back in 1990 so you brought back some great memories for me. We never went to base camp but did some small treks and got to see some amazing scenery and meet some wonderful people. Thanks again and let me know when you're heading to Bhutan :P

I actually almost accepted a job in Bhutan a couple of years ago, nd if it came up again, I more than likely would accept it this time round. So you never know....

jordata wrote: »

Been following this thread with great interest (and worrying about OP when there were no updates for a few days!!) and I just wanted to add my congratulations on a very informative and entertaining AMA. Thank you for taking the time to share your adventure. I wish you many many more in the future.

itac wrote: »

No questions, just want to say failte romhat abhaile! And thank you for a fascinatingly honest AMA-felt like I could see a lot of what you saw, which doesn't always happen when someobe writes about travel experiences; well done!

Muchas Gracias

Purple Mountain wrote: »

When can we expect your travel blog?!!
#ad #spon

Who knows - I'm kind of lazy when it comes to the upkeep of blogs and such. You may have to wait for my memoirs!

Sabre0001 wrote: »

For those wondering about trying to get around the permit issue: http://www.ladbible.com/more/viral-man-found-hiding-in-cave-on-everest-to-avoid-paying-fee-20170509

Great AMA - really enjoyed the journey and the amazing pictures!

What made you first decide to trek to EBC (especially via less conventional routes)?

Would you ever see yourself guiding a group (not necessarily the out and out tourists, but ones who are willing to explore different areas and paths)?

How is it readjusting to daily life and all that goes with it (technology, commitments, etc.)?

After this and your previous AMA, do you ever take a run of the mill / lazy holiday?

Looking forward to the next adventure!

Why I chose EBC? Well, originally, for the same reason as everybody else I suppose - It's widely recognised and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Why I keep returning though - as I mentioned earlier, I really do like the area, and the lifestyle of the people there, and it keeps drawing me back. I always thought that if one had a career as a writer or similar, it would be a great place to get away from the rest of the world for six months or a year, and do some work.

As for guiding a group, yeah, I wouldn't have any issue with that - I've guided groups in other mountains in the past. Though when you're with a group of like minded people, it's less guiding, and more hiking together in the same region, which makes things infinitely easier.

I wouldn't necessarily call it readjusting - that sounds more like I was just released from Shawshank - but after a few weeks of solitude, you do realise just how noisy our world is when you step back into it. Even moreso in the past, where once you left Jiri, you saw very little in the lines fo electricity, let alone mechanical equipment. I remember the first time I hiked here, coming back to Jiri late in the evening, and being in awe at how many lightbulbs were on at the same time, having spent most of the previous months in villages where there might be a handful of 12v bulbs spread throughout, or most houses simply operated by the light of the fire within. Technology has become more prevalent in the mountains in recent years, especially with the advent of 3G and such. People can now communicate with their families in Kathmandu or lowland villages in a way that simply wasn't possible in the past.

AS for lazy holidays - probably not. I get bored quite easily

Wellyd

Thanks so much for allowing us to follow along on your adventure. By coincidence, the week after I started reading this AMA a reading comprehension popped up in a 6th Class English book about mountain climbing. So I've been reading your posts out to a literacy group I work with. (They all think you're a madman btw!). Your adventure has really piqued their interest so as a project we've started planning an imaginary trip to EBC! The only question a group of boys could come up with that may have not been asked before was do you need to bring any form of weapon for protection?

Thanks again from a teacher struggling to keep kids interested in the latter part of a school year!

I'm climbing to Everest Base Camp, AMA

Wellyd wrote: »

Thanks so much for allowing us to follow along on your adventure. By coincidence, the week after I started reading this AMA a reading comprehension popped up in a 6th Class English book about mountain climbing. So I've been reading your posts out to a literacy group I work with. (They all think you're a madman btw!). Your adventure has really piqued their interest so as a project we've started planning an imaginary trip to EBC! The only question a group of boys could come up with that may have not been asked before was do you need to bring any form of weapon for protection?

Thanks again from a teacher struggling to keep kids interested in the latter part of a school year!

Sounds like a great use of an AMA Weapons, not here. I carry a decent knife, but that's more fro general utility. In the past though, hiking in the Caucasus, I'd sometimes carry a rifle, as wolves were pretty rampant in certain areas.

If they need a weapon for their story, an ice axe seems pretty fitting

Purple Mountain

Wellyd wrote: »

Thanks so much for allowing us to follow along on your adventure. By coincidence, the week after I started reading this AMA a reading comprehension popped up in a 6th Class English book about mountain climbing. So I've been reading your posts out to a literacy group I work with. (They all think you're a madman btw!). Your adventure has really piqued their interest so as a project we've started planning an imaginary trip to EBC! The only question a group of boys could come up with that may have not been asked before was do you need to bring any form of weapon for protection?

Thanks again from a teacher struggling to keep kids interested in the latter part of a school year!

For the weapons in their story- they could take one of those fidget spinners!
If any wolves come a callin', they could just toss one off like a frizbee, right between the eyes..:pac:
Edit- OP has been out of civilization for three weeks now, he might have to Google fidget spinners!!

Kat1170

Well that gives a good indication of what to expect if caught trying to climb Mt Everest without the required paperwork.

The climber said he could expect to spend time in jail in addition to a fine of $22,000.

Link to story on BBC

Rex Manning

Great read, was interesting to follow your progress
what sort of fitness levels would you need for a hike like that? how hard going is it in comparison to say Croagh Patrick?

Rex Manning

Great read, was interesting to follow your progress
what sort of fitness levels would you need for a hike like that? how hard going is it in comparison to say Croagh Patrick?

I'm climbing to Everest Base Camp, AMA

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Would you mind posting a photo of the gear you went up with?

Apologies for the delay in this - being back home for the first time in a year took up more time than I expected. Got my gear clean, and finally got around to getting it all in the same room again today.



From Left to right:

• Rucksack and rain cover
• dry bag (for washing clothes)
• Assortment of zip lock bags
• Hiking pants & shorts
• 3 quickdry hiking t-shirts
• long-sleeved hiking shirt
• sling
• Koala (has travelled with me for years)
• Knives
• Disinfectant soap
• Head torch & spare batteries
• Map, TIMS Card
• Superglue & suture kit
• Phone charger and phone (phone used to take pic)
• Nikon d750
• 14-24mm lens
• 24-70mm lens
• Tripod
• Windproof jacket
• Sleeping Bag
• Lightweight tent
• Flip-flops (to wear in the evening)
• Hiking shoes

Missing from the photo

• Washing powder
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Socks & jocks
• Small towel
• jacket and gloves that were nicked

Had I not decided to camp now and again, I could have left the tent behind, and the camera gear was obviously a luxury (and additional weight).

I'm climbing to Everest Base Camp, AMA

Rex Manning wrote: »

Great read, was interesting to follow your progress
what sort of fitness levels would you need for a hike like that? how hard going is it in comparison to say Croagh Patrick?

I think it's fair to say that a reasonable level of fitness should be expected. Given that from Jiri to EBC you climb one and a half times the height of Everest, using Croagh Patrick as an example, that's the same as climbing Croagh Patrick nearly twenty-one times consecutively, and that's before you take into account the effects of altitude. It's a decent hike, to say the least.

quadrifoglio verde

Thanks for posting. Really is amazing what you need for such a long hike.
I've seen people go up the willow mountains with more

I'm climbing to Everest Base Camp, AMA

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Thanks for posting. Really is amazing what you need for such a long hike.
I've seen people go up the willow mountains with more

I forgot to mention the hat and gloves that someone nicked, and there's a basic first aid kit stitched into the rucksack.

As for it being minimalist - that's from years of slowly but surely learning to differentiate between what I want, and what I need. That gets tailored to where I go, obviously. In more serious locations, that can quite easily get topped off with rope, ice axe, helmet, harness etc. And travelling alone, I generally end up carrying less gear than when I'm with a group.

Purple Mountain

I'll miss your thread and 'blog'.
I really admire your energy and clear carpe diem mentality, it's been a blast!
Enjoy your break at home and I must pop over to your previous AMA.
Big love to the koala.
Purple Mountain.

smurfjed

Based on your limited diet of Dhal and exercise level, how did your weight work out?

Boards.ie: Niamh

Guys we're going to close this one up now, I think our adventurer has spent long enough answering questions - however if he wants it re-opened to add anything more, that is no problem at all. Thanks so much OP for coming to us with this idea to share the trip with us as it happened, for carrying the extra equipment needed to do so and also for answering questions along the way!

It's been a really fun and interesting AMA