You are here: Everest Home >>Khumbu Treks >>Dispatches

Khumbu Trek Dispatches
March 24 - April 24, 2000: First Trek to Base Camp
GO BACK TO CURRENT DISPATCHES

Berg

Download a FREE media player to listen or watch.

Observing Summit Efforts
Monday, April 24, 2000
"I watched Nigma go — she was a cook for us in 1989...and now this year she's going to attempt to climb Everest with some other Sherpa women...."

Berg Finally Part of Landmark
Sunday, April 23, 2000
"...back in 1992...one of our intentions was to go sign that display at the Rum Doodle. At that time, The Rum Doodle, which is a long-standing institution in Thamel, was temporarily closed...."

Kathmandu's Famous Thamel District
Saturday, April 22, 2000
"...Thamel is what you might call the trekking district in the north part of Kathmandu. It's grown up over the last 20 years...."

Why People Return to Nepal
Thursday, April 13, 2000
"...we also just had a nice quiet time with our staff, walking off and saying goodbye...we became very close on this trip, as we always do...."

Feasting in Namche Bazaar
Wednesday, April 12, 2000
"...pizza, cinnamon rolls, chocolate donuts, and I could just go on and on — all kinds of wonderful, civilized things down in the bustle of Namche Bazaar...."

Alpine Ascents Rendezvous
Monday, April 10, 2000
"But the best thing that happened was that our trekking team ran across the Alpine Ascents' expedition approaching Base Camp and it was really a great, great time...especially seeing Al Hanna..."

Surprised by Snow
Monday, April 10, 2000
"It snowed overnight a little bit of a surprise — quite a bit of new snow — and in the early morning from here in Pheriche the only sunlit peaks will be Kantega and Cho Oyu...."

Gorak Shep: What About the Trash?
Sunday, April 9, 2000
"...it occurred to me that people might be interested to know, 'what about the trash?' And I'll report to you that walking into the early stages of this season's climbs, that there is no extra trash at Base Camp..."

Illness Strikes Gorak Shep
Sunday, April 9, 2000
"Porters carry food up for yaks to eat and Kami was feeding his yaks yesterday and one turned his head quickly and grazed Kami's eye with his horn..."

Base Camp: Slightly Spacey
Saturday, April 8, 2000
"We got the altitude stuff going on and I think it makes an impression on everyone what it's like to just move into this camp knowing you are going to stay for seven weeks..."

The Big, Dark Pyramid
Friday, April 7, 2000
"...it's pretty intriguing to me to see after looking at this mountain season after season, year after year, for so long to see the Southwest Face as dry as it was made the mountain all the more imposing — this big, dark pyramid..."

Rooms Booked Six Months Ahead
Friday, April 7, 2000
"The thing about Lobuche is there is no middle ground, you're either up here at the Italian center in the nice lodge — it's quite small and very nice rooms, or you're down in Lobuche...which the soul of Lobuche over the years has been the smell of various human wastes and the tinkle of yak bells...."

Rendezvous with Russian-Georgia Team
Thursday, April 6, 2000
"They will be the first people who have actually gotten to the summit of Lhotse Middle, if they can do this. It's undoubtedly the highest named 8000-meter feature that's left unclimbed, I believe...."

Sherpa Friends at Pheriche
Wednesday, April 5, 2000
"A couple of generations now of Pheriche docs and climbers and trekkers coming through have known these guys. The doctors come and go but Namke and Ang Rita are always here keeping this place going...."

The Sounds of Thyangboche
Tuesday, April 4, 2000
"...you lay in your tent and you hear the tinkle of yak bells, the conversation of other trekkers, laughter of the Sherpa staff, and then you'll start to hear the conch shells blowing, perhaps the clang of symbols, and the guttural chanting of the monks coming from the monastery..."

Their Own Fame and Notoriety
Monday, April 3, 2000
"...one of the things that will be going on this year is the efforts of Nepalese, specifically mostly Sherpas, who are doing their own climbs with their own sponsorship. This is a trend that's been going on for a few years now and I find it really great..."

Thame: Rich in Climbing History
Sunday, April 2, 2000
"Lhakpa Rita who's the climbing Sirdar for this year's Alpine Ascents' Everest Expedition, as he has been for many of the past ones, is from this village. Many of you know historically, in terms of Sherpas and climbing on Everest, this is an important place..."

Hustle and Bustle of Market Day
Saturday, April 1, 2000
"We'll be walking down into the and bustle of the market, taking it in for a little while and then we'll be off for Thame..."

Realizing the Dream
Friday, March 31, 2000
"You come up here and look at Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and look all around at the Khumbu here and kind of let it sink in that we're finally where we've dreamed about being for so long..."

Khumbu's Tranquility
Thursday, March 30, 2000
"It is great to be out here in the Khumbu that first night sleep always goes really well, with the Dudh Kosi river singing in the background..."

Strike Quiets Kathmandu
Monday, March 27, 2000
"The reason it's so quiet is there is a strike today — an organized shutdown of vehicular traffic, motor traffic, in the Kathmandu Valley. It's going to mean there's a very pleasant feeling around town today because of the lack of traffic. It may involve some headaches getting in from the airport..."

Magical Place
Saturday, March 25, 2000
"...I'm the lucky guy that gets to wait in the Kathmandu Valley and tend to a little more business, but also just enjoy being in this magical place in a time like this...."

Mystery of Kathmandu
Friday, March 24, 2000
"I'm looking at the mystery of Kathmandu on a thick, foggy, cool morning. You can see very little as I look out across from the rooftop..."