Everest Base Camp Tibet

One of the most challenging parts of any expedition to the Himalaya, Karakoram, Andes or the other great rages of the world is staying comfortable and happy for those long periods of waiting at base camp. Regardless of the mountain, there is always a lot of time spent waiting in base camp and inevitably in your tent. 99% of expedition outfitters provide their members with a personal 3 man, North Face VE25 tent and a sleeping mat for base camp. the rest is up to you. Sure, there is always the dining tent with tables and chairs, maybe a heater, maybe some lights and if your lucky an insulated floor. I’ve led trips that have 30 inch flat street TVs and DVD players, generators, a dedicated communications tent with internet, phone and everything else under the sun. But when the lights go out and the day ends, do we really need to retire back to a cold tent with a sleeping mat, mummy bag and our down jacket for a pillow? No way! Here is the recipe for a super cozy and comfy personal sanctuary that will make life in your expedition base camp not only tolerable but enjoyable.

Keeping Your Tent Clean and Organized will make you happy

Be sure to find a way to keep everything organized in you home away from home. The reason for this is that it gives you something to do and also serves to help you find things when the lights go out. Instead of just dumping out your bag in your tent and finding somewhere to sleep, organize your things and keep them that way for the duration of the trip.

Living on a Glacier requires Constant landscaping

K2 8611M as seen from Broad Peak Base Camp 5000M

Life on a glacier like the Baltoro can be described as dynamic. K2 base camp moves many centimetres each day, especially at night during the freeze thaw cycles. A tent can melt out very quickly and during our 2008 K2 expedition, one member had to use his ice axe to climb up the 1.5 meters to get into his convex tent platform. This can easily be remedied by constantly adding rocks and sand around the outer edges of your tent and keeping any bare ice covered. Building wind breaking walls, patios and sidewalks is always fun too. Also, it is something to do.

 Shop locally and make your self a great bed and warm tent

No matter where you are, Kathmandu, Skardu or Zangmu, you can always get a few small items to make your sleeps at base camp perfect. For the cost of a case of beer one can change their house into a home. The following items are usually never mentioned on an expedition packing list but here they are:

• 3.5 meters of closed cell foam purchased locally ($4 usd)
• 2 pillows and pillow cases purchased locally ($5 usd)
• 1 or 2 synthetic fill duvet, comforter or thick blanket purchased locally ($10 usd)
• Hot water bag or bottle for your thermal enjoyment

All you need to do is lay down the foam, cut it to cover the entire floor of your tent, add the extra for under where you sleep and you are set. If you have 2 duvets use one on the floor and one to sleep under. A couple of pillows and you are will experience the pure ecstasy of a perfect base camp sleeping setup.

 Options for entertainment makes for a peaceful mind. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

Now days, it is so easy to keep your mind active and stimulated. Sitting and counting the little squares in the ripstop (85, 671 in a VE 25) will drive a person crazy and create a lot of stress. Keeping busy will also keep you relaxed. Although it is unlikely that you will have free reign to zone out on your Facebook page or constantly tweet your every move, you can still feel like you are close to home. Here are a few essential items to keep the brain happy on those bad weather days at base camp.

• iPod touch or iPad loaded with games, movies and music.
• world band radio for all you news junkies.
• Small battery powered speaker for music and movies.
• a battery or solar powered lantern to hang at the apex of your tent.
• books, magazines, kindle. It is always great to bring a lot of books and put them into the public library in the dining tent after you are finished.
• a small laptop computer is also an option. If you have your own Thuraya phone get it hooked up to your computer and enjoy surfing the web or in Nepal, check out this article on communications on the cheap in Nepal.
• Thuraya or Irridium phone if you have an extra $1000.00 lying around.

Keeping it clean, green and off the grid

Goal Zero Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit

One should never rely solely on a generator at base camps. The dirty fuel and high altitude wreak havoc on those little Hondas so lets just leave them at home for the next Y2K scare. Now days, solar technology is becoming so cheap and efficient there is really no excuse for not being totally green and clean, especially after flying half way around the world in a gas guzzling 747. Here is the ideal base camp power generation setup. It is a bit of an investment but in the end, it is an investment.

• I use the Goal Zero equipment and it is a near perfect solution. 27 watt solar, battery and power inverter. check out their website for all the specifics. They are a great little company and offer perfect service and friendly support. There are also many other options out there but try to have at least 20Watts of solar for yourself, just do it, its the 21st century.
• USB cables for charging.
• 12V car charger adapters for charging.
• wall socket chargers should be kept to a minimum(usually far less efficient), but the Goal Zero UI does a great job. My small setup charges my Macbook Air in 4 hours from a totally dead battery.
• rechargeable batteries & charger for your lantern and speaker.

 Attention to detail goes a long way, bring a little home with you.

Some people have a really hard time being away from their families, pets or girl/boyfriends. Combined with base camp lethargy and cold, it can really bring out the blues in anyone. Here are a few simple things to give you that warm cozy feeling when you need it most:

• photos of loved ones.
• small mementos that remind you of home.
• something from your daily life that uplifts your spirits.
• your favourite snack foods or drinks.
• writing letters to loved ones in a note book and giving it to them after.
• your lucky “rabbits foot” what ever it may be. (See Inception film)

 Wrapping it all up

Is closing, i want to reiterate how important the Mental Factor is on any extended expedition. The glamour and excitement of climbing in the Himalaya fades pretty quickly when you are shivering and bored for days on end. Reality hits you like a ton of bricks when a storm dumps 1 meter of snow at base camp and all you have to look forward to is playing cards and waiting for the next meal to come for the next 5 days. There is really no reasonwhy your time at base camp can’t be enjoyable. Take the time and make your little abode a place you enjoy setting up and maintaining throughout the expedition. I hope this article is helpful for those of you planning your next big adventure. Feel free to contact me any time for advice or questions.

Chris Szymiec, December 18, 2100

A clean up expedition of the South West Ridge on Ama Dablam in planned for 2012.

Sorry for the long hiatus of updates. The trip to Ama Dablam this year was a very complicated and challeSorry for the long hiatus of updates. The trip to Ama Dablam this year was a very complicated and challenging one. Needless to say, my team is all home safely, no injuries and we area all still friends. A success in my opinion.

The Boys are still at it

I would like to thank all of the great Sherpa people who went out of their way to help everyone out. You guys are amazing. Stay tuned for my huge rant and upcoming ‘cleanup’ expedition to Ama Dablam next season. It breaks my heart to see that route in the condition it is in.

We are looking for Partners, Sponsors and Great thinkers

There as been no official date set yet for the 2012 Ama Dablam clean up expedition but Ganesh Adventures is looking for support and expertise in the areas of waste management, of couse financial backing to make it all possible. The goal of the expedition will not be to summit the peak but rather to make it a better place for future ‘aspiring alpinists’  to experience hard alpinism up high. If you have any thoughts, ideas or interesting theories please feel free to contact us at info@ganeshadventures,com and be part of this great and lasting project.

Chris from Kathmandu.

Alex, Samira and I all arrived in the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar this afternoon. It was a great day of trekking and height gain up to the wonderful and bustling Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar. We will spend the next 48 or so hours acclimatizing to the increasingly thin air.

Namche Bazaar (also Nemche Bazaar or Namche Baza; Nepali: नाम्चे बजार)is a village and Village Development Committee (Namche) in Solukhumbu District in the Sagarmatha Zone of north-eastern Nepal. It is located within the Khumbu area at 3,440 metres (11,286 ft) (the low point that is), populating the sides of a hill. Namche is the main trading center for the Khumbu region with many Nepalese officials, a police check, post and a bank.

Namche Bazaar is popular with trekkers in the Khumbu region, especially for altitude acclimatization, and is the gateway to the highHimalaya. The town has a number of lodgings and stores catering to the needs of visitors as well as a number of internet cafés, making it one of the few places in the region where trekkers can access the internet.

Namche Market

On Saturday mornings, a weekly market is held in the center of the village while there may also be a daily Tibetan market where clothing and cheap Chinese consumer goods tend to be the main articles for sale.

The market is hardly something to get excited about but it is still something to see and a trip there always yields a great story or two.

After our time in Namche we will keep on trekking up the valley to Debouche. Located about 15 minutes past the famous Tengboche Monastery, Debouche is a cozy little settlement surrounded by rhododendron forest. It is quite amazing during the fall season. Thanks again for following along.

Chris from Namche Bazaar

Samira, Alex & I flew to Lukla today and have made the 4 hour, downhill trek to Phakding. As always, flying into Lukla is an experience that no one ever forgets. I’ve done it about 15 times now and each time feels like the first. It is such an amazing experience to leave behing the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and fly into the Khumbu region of Nepal. Home to Mt Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and so so many more peaks, this is truly one of the most amazing places on the planet.

The first day of the trek is quite easy. After the 1 hour flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, expedition teams need to trek to a small tranquil village named Phakding. We stay in a lovely tea house located right next to the Dud Khosi (Milk River) before making the big jump the next morning up to Namche Bazzar, the capital of the Sherpa community.

Everyone is feeling great and we are all getting along famously. No doubt, Samira and I are just recently married so our compatibility is a given but the quick talking Alex is proving tobe a challenge for Samira as she copes with his British accent and speedy diction. No matter, i am sure that in a few days we will all be babbling on like old friends.

Tomorrow we trek up the big hill to Namche Bazzar where we will rest & acclimatize for 2 full days. Life is good in the Himalaya.

Chris Szymiec from Phakding.

The 2011 Expedition team is as follows:

• Chris Szymiec – Leader
• Samira Szymiec – Assistant Leader
• Alex Williamson – Team member

Day 1: Arrive In Kathmandu

Members are met at the Kathmandu Airport by a one of the Ganesh Adventures expedition leaders and transferred to a five star hotel in Kathmandu. Each member will have his or her own room to unwind and relax after the long flight and time zone difference. The expedition leaders will also check out all of your equipment to ensure you have everything you need. If something is missing, we can plan an a shopping excursion for the next day.

I will do my very best to keep everyone updated on our progress. This year, I have upgraded the Ganesh Adventures Tech system to include some great new gadgets. Lots of solar power, a battery storage system and a power inverter to facilitate all of our charging needs. In addition, Samira and I have been hemorrhaging money geting ready for the expedition. We have brand new tents from Marmot, Reactor Stoves from MSR, Ice Tools & Packs from Black Diamond and of couse our excellent Intuition boot liners so generously provided by the great folks in Vancouver. It’s going to be a great trip!