THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, NEW FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD

Trekking Team of Sherpas:

NAWANG, Sherpa Sirdar (leader and guide) for out trek, 52 years old with many years of experience.  He was Sirdar for the Canadian’s successful summit bid in 1982 where the first two Canadians summated Mt. Everest.  He and his Sherpas also fixed the ropes/ladders/trail through the deadly Khumbu Ice Fall and 3 Sherpas and 1 Canadian were lost here during an avalanche.  Nawang has climbed as high as 8000 meters (26,240 feet).  He owns a home in Kundhe which we visited, Snow Land Lodge in Pheriche, which we visited and spent one night, and has another lodge in Dingboche he built for his son to run, where we spent two nights.  He is highly respected and known everywhere we go.

PEMBA, Sherpa Cook, was cook for the same 1982 Canadian expedition, lives near Nawang, and they have known each other most of their lives.  Pemba has summited Mt. Everest two times and climbed Lhotse, Pumo Ri, Nuptse, and many others.  I asked him why he stopped climbing and he said, “I got married, had children, and wife said no more climb”!!  So he stopped and concentrated on cooking (head cook is what he does, organizes, etc.).  And, I might add, he is a very good cook, runs a great kitchen!

 Mema (23), Ray (20), Bobby (30), were our cook boys.  They helped with cooking and meal preparation and carried our entire kitchen, food, etc. on their back.  We also had two porters who sort of stayed to themselves, who carried rest of camp on their backs, tents, sleeping bags, etc.

TIGER MOUNTAIN was the company I arranged trip through and they did a great job, everything they advertised.  When other 3 members of our scheduled trek canceled, they could have canceled my trip but did not.  I had the entire trek to myself.  TM met me at the airport, delivered me to hotel, arranged my hotel nights at Kathmandu Guest House, very nice place, and in general took care of the business of our trek.  I worked with Binod and Bynesh there.

Kylie and Troy were two Aussies I met in Lobuche.  Troy is an indigenous Aborigine from the Outback.  They both are game wardens at a big park in the Outback of Australia.  Saw them a number of times during our trek.  “Prince” was their guide, a Gurka from Kathmandu who ran a music mixer at a club when he was not guiding.  They were a fun group together all in their mid twenties.

Group of three Americans I saw often:  PAT from Phoenix who I saw more than others.  First met him during his 3 day war with diarrhea.  He is with Ping Company;  Scott from Albuquerque, 70 YO, plodding on what he says is “my last long trek”;  Mike from Albuquerque, friend of Scott’s who talked him into coming.  They were with an REI sponsored trip and were not happy.  They had poor camp locations, not much attention to detail, always outside with no restaurant priviledges at lodges like I had.  We all were at Nawang’s lodge one night and had a great time talking at and after supper with Nawang and Pemba about their climbing and in particular that Canadian Expedition.  Nawang even showed us his expedition coat he had not worn after the expedition, saved as a souvenir.  Put it on for us and the picture will be on my web site soon.

Erin, a 23 YO REI store worker from Lansing Michigan.  Met him at Pangboche at lodge.  He has been to base camp and is waiting to meet a Norwegian group of 12 to climb Ama Dablam, a 3 week snow and ice climb.  He doesn’t know these guys and he still plans to climb with them.  His climbing group canceled so he hooked up with them.  He loves the cold and does have ice experience---He will need it!  Just graduated college.

Rob in mid 30’s, in Great Brittan Army in logistics, pretty high up.  He has been stationed in San Francisco, Ft. Polk, La. (punishment must have been!!), and Washington DC.  Did a tour in Iraq where he made many American friends.  We talked politics, world situation while drinking tea in lodge at Lobuche, and agreed on most things.  A good man and patriot to his country.  Stationed in Kathmandu about to be transferred home to England but doesn’t want to go---wants to spend few more years in Kathmandu.

Kim, mid 30’s, attractive blond trek leader I met in Gorak Shep.  Only neat, clean, dressed-up person I have seen!!  She was seated next to me in the lodge restaurant, decked out in 10 silver bracelets on each writs, silver earrings, silver rings on all fingers and toes—The Silver Queen of the Khumbu!  She and two friends just started their own trekking company, KAMZANG I think, and stuck stickers on every lodge house in the Khumbu.  Brought much of her own food:  Fresh black pepper in grinder, garlic cloves, Coffee and coffee press, tomatoes, other spices, yak cheese, etc.  She says she likes certain things and hires one extra porter to bring her stuff!!   OK!

American Group I spent 2-3 days with:  Lila was their leader with lots of climbing and trekking experience in US, Europe, and Asia, probably in mid 30’s, stronger built person kind of like my SUSIE in Wyoming!!  David from Indiana;  Ian from Seattle (a relocated Brit); Rene’ from Gaithersburg MD, and Michael from Portland who was overweight and had to go back on the third day.    We actually trekked 2 days together and met several other times since our schedules were similar.  They are trekking 3 weeks.  All except Ian have been sick with stomach and the “runs”. When I visited them for tea in Dingboche, Lila said she was fighting the flu, might have to stay behind several days.  We say her on the way down and she had not the flu but some infection that caused diarrhea 35-40 times a day---un real!  She has much experience with sickness in mountains, but never anything like this.  She was better and going to rejoin group in another day or so.  Good people—I really enjoyed being with them!  Ian might do my annual September adventure with me in California.  Pasang was Sirdar for Lila’s group.

SUE GULCHER and her husband.  He is an Anglican Church pastor and she sponsors “Free Spirit Adventures”  which are mission related trips---goes into Kenya also.  They have trekked Kilmanjaro.  Another couple with them---I did not get their names---he was a Methodist Preacher.  The Gulchers can give me good info on trekking Kilmanjaro if I decide to do so. 

JOHN GULLY of New Zealand, a “Kiwi”, sponsors yearly trips to Khumbu with teens to help at local schools.  He finances these trips himself and recruits people to go.  He had a group of about 20 teens and several adults from New Zealand and Australia, all good people.  We trekked with them for a ways our last day and I saw John later in Kathmandu at the book store. He may be a good man to hook up with on a mission trip to Nepal.