Quaking in my kevlar boots... Welcome to the Khumbu Icefall

The main differentiator between the North (Tibet / China) and South (Nepal) routes to the 8848m summit Mount Everest is where the main ‘challenges’ are located along the way – on the North side, it’s the ‘second step’ – a steep rock wall now ‘simplified’ through a ladder at circ 8500m. On the South side of Everest it’s the notorious Khumbu Icefall which begins just outside of base camp at around 5400m.   Seeing photographs of climbers on...

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The People You Meet: Lama Geshi - a blessing for the adventure ahead....

We left the comforts of our lodge in Deboche and slowly made our way along the dusty trail toward our home for the next two days – Pheriche. It was a gloriously sunny day and we ambled through the barren terrain and along the beautifully engraved mani walls taking in the stunning peaks which put the challenge of what lays ahead well and truly into perspective..! Beautiful snow capped mountains including views of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. The...

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The People You Meet: The Lhotse 2013 Climbing Team..!

What I love about expeditions is the experience of meeting new people, with an often similar sense of adventure and enjoyment of a 'challenge', and the evolution of the team. When signing up for an expedition I generally look at the reputation and quality of the guide and the company itself and the pricing of the overall package then becomes a secondary consideration - the rule of thumb, 'you get what you pay for' generally rings true! The composition...

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The People You Meet: Himalayan Healers – the Diva in Down’s (slight) Diversion from ‘The Hardcore”

Despite this blog’s ‘title’, “The Diva in Down”, I *try* not to be a ‘diva’ on expedition. I generally *try* and stay away from worries about ‘hair and makeup’, brightly coloured nail polish, conversations about designer handbags, and the latest fashion tips offered by Maire-Claire magazine… So, it was a bit ‘out of character’ (ah hem) to cut my ‘team coffee’ short yesterday because I had to get a massage.... Needless to say, this raised a few...

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The long hot slog up to the Sherpa Capital of Namche Bazaar

Blue skies and a sunny morning greeted us as we awoke in Monjo and began our plod up Namche Hill to the town of Namche, the ‘Gateway to the Himalaya’ and the first major stepping stone on any trek into the Khumbu region of Nepal. We made good time up the hill and arrived at 10am which gave us the luxury of the day to acclimatise and allow our bodies to respond to the lack of oxygen at 3200m by producing more red blood cells.  It’s great...

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An up-close & personal tour of every air pocket between Kathmandu & Lukla: Flying into the most dangerous airport in the world

 At 2860m Tenzing-Hillary Airport (better known as Lukla airport) bears the infamous title of being the ‘most dangerous airport in the world’. At the end of the short and abrupt runway (angled at a ‘gentle’ 30 degree upward slope) is a very large and very solid unforgiving mountain and the dangers in landing are often compounded by hazardous weather. The airport is ‘overlooked’ by the mountain village of Lukla which is the starting point...

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Kathmandu - 'Home away from Home' & Packing... again!

There’s something about the city of Kathmandu which heightens the senses. A city where chaos rules. Where life slows down a gear and ‘life’  - well, London - seems like a whole other world away.  It’s easy to ‘lose’ yourself in the chaos… It’s hard to believe that less than 48 hours ago I was still sat behind my desk at work..! Dust clouds swirling around in the sticky heat, bumper-to-bumper traffic crawling at a snails pace accompanied...

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"You're off to great places, Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so... get on your way. Oh the places you'll go" (Dr. Seuss)

You're off to great places, Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting,  So... get on your way..! -Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You'll Go A few final thoughts as the count-down well and truly begins..! I've put my finely tuned project management skills into overdrive and my two bags are already parked at the front door waiting to whisked away on yet another this great adventure..! I have a number of different emotions and thoughts going around...

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An Unconventional Blog about my Unconventional Bedroom - Altitude Training

One of the most rewarding 'side effects' of my high altitude experiences has been the opportunities it's presented to better understand my own physiology and the changes that are taking place within my body as I 'go to altitude'. The body's response to altitude proves, once again, what an incredible and resilient machine the human body is. One of the key 'tools' which I've been using in preparation for expeditions to 8000m peaks including both...

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The People You Meet: Danielle Sweeney - friendships & jewellery design reaching new heights...

University seems like ages ago. Having said that, over the course of those years-gone-by – through moves from country to country, through travel adventures, job changes, fashion changes, boyfriend changes, and all of the ups and downs that life has to offer, one thing has remained constant – and that is the friendships forged on the snow-covered campus of McGill University, Montreal. I’m so excited to share a little story about how I’ll be taking...

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"After this my first mountain ascent..." (Re)introducing mountaineering pioneer, explorer, adventurer George Ingle Finch

I love this quote by the legendary George Ingle Finch... It captures the passion and ingenuity behind the tremendous achievements of early Everest pioneers. My personal all-time favourite character is George Ingle Finch of the 1922 Everest expedition under General Charles Granville Bruce to Mount Everest.  I'm reminded of Finchs' antics, achievements, creativity and the history of mountaineering on a regular basis thanks to the inside label...

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