During March 2008, we went for a trek in a group of 22. The plan was to cover the Everest base camp (EBC), for which we choose to travel through the cheapest way possible, reaching the border town by train & crossing border on a horse cart. There was no better way of doing it, as we were completely cash strapped. So it wasn't surprising that we opted for no frill trip. Insurance was also out of question as it meant additional cost. We were betting on our luck & our 'fitness' :)
We had done our research on altitude sickness, and made a note of basic precautionary measures like drinking loads of water, taking acclimatization walks, drinking garlic soup, etc. The main objective behind all these precautions was to avoid the cost of helicopter rescue. Without insurance the cost was around 1 lac.
Anyways, so after the adventurous journey & going for the local sightseeing organized by the agency, we started on the trail. We kept ourselves busy with uno, cards, bakar during the evenings, as trek took all of our time during the day. On the way up we also celebrated supro's b'day at Namche bazaar (3440m) with a cake baked at a local cafe, which wasn't before me & jap used our persuasive skill to the maximum possible extent on the chef to make something off the menu. And we had pizzas here, which was the best meal on the way up for most & best meal for the trip for me.
A few of us had breathing problems post Dingboche (4350m) but it was manageable & would only bother during nights. Gorakshep was fun as we decided to sleep in the common area; it was only to stay as close as possible to the furnace. And post that it was a combination of some awesome views, bad weather, avalanche, snowy tracks, etc. And then we started descending, but not before we took loads of pictures clicked here, there & everywhere.
I was pretty happy on the way down, thinking that now I would have better sleep instead of staying awake throughout the night, downhill walks instead of dreary uphill climbs, good food instead of uncooked rice & tasteless water passed off as dal (evidence suggests quality of food is inversely proportional to altitude). But I didn’t knew what was in store for me. On the way back at Thyangboche, we were taken to cafe Tengboche, and for the first time in the trip given an option to select the food ourselves. That day since morning I was not feeling well but couldn't have given up on this opportunity. Hence even I ordered a grilled sandwich. After taking a single bite, I started throwing up. That bite also led to stomach pain. Post that whatever I would try to eat or drink, within a minute I will vomit it out. Stomach pain increased to such an extent I couldn't even walk. My buddy (yes, we had a buddy system for the trek), Jap & DRDO decided to stay with me, as others moved on. I was taken (literally) to Khunde hospital, but they only understood & treated altitude related sickness. Hence without thinking twice they decided to move me to Kathmandu, assumption being that facilities would be better there. Hence 4 porters were arranged, and from Khunde I was taken to Namche where the rest of the group was waiting for 4 of us.
During this period every single medicine was tried, but what went in came out the same way. And the time lag between anything 'going in' & 'coming out' was reducing with time. So after reaching Namche bazaar, post walking throughout the day, guides assess the situation and told the group that I need to be taken to Kathmandu by next day. That means porter would have to carry me throughout the night and reach Lukla by morning so as to catch the first flight to Kathmandu. 5 of my friends including 3 who stayed back with me, decided to come with me. Walking throughout the night, with just torch/headlamp, is not easy in that terrain. And from Phakding to Lukla it was a steep climb up. Hence without taking much rest all of them, 4 porters, 1 guide & 5 of my friends, reached Lukla on time. I was so blinded by the pain that I didn't even think of the ordeal suffered by my friends. And I was shouting in pain throughout, more so when they would stop for some much deserved rest. We had cover the same journey in two days on the way up, and covering the same within a day is still acceptable and many does it on a regular basis. But covering it in a night was a great achievement, especially when 3 of them had walked down from Khunde to Namche during the same day.
So to cut the long story short I reach Kathmandu on time, got admitted to hospital without any improvement, took first flight to Kolkata, got admitted to a hospital for 22 days after landing, missed my convocation, had to survive on food which made me miss uncooked rice & watery dal of mountains, etc.
But this trip made me realize a few things,
1. Friends would go all the way for you when they think your life is at stake. Rest of the times they will keep thinking of ways to have fun at your expense.
2. They didn't name the trek, E'BC' for no reason :)
3. You would need insurance only when you don't have it and vice versa
4. 'Jo gir-gir karta hai, wohi girta hai' :P
We had done our research on altitude sickness, and made a note of basic precautionary measures like drinking loads of water, taking acclimatization walks, drinking garlic soup, etc. The main objective behind all these precautions was to avoid the cost of helicopter rescue. Without insurance the cost was around 1 lac.
Anyways, so after the adventurous journey & going for the local sightseeing organized by the agency, we started on the trail. We kept ourselves busy with uno, cards, bakar during the evenings, as trek took all of our time during the day. On the way up we also celebrated supro's b'day at Namche bazaar (3440m) with a cake baked at a local cafe, which wasn't before me & jap used our persuasive skill to the maximum possible extent on the chef to make something off the menu. And we had pizzas here, which was the best meal on the way up for most & best meal for the trip for me.
A few of us had breathing problems post Dingboche (4350m) but it was manageable & would only bother during nights. Gorakshep was fun as we decided to sleep in the common area; it was only to stay as close as possible to the furnace. And post that it was a combination of some awesome views, bad weather, avalanche, snowy tracks, etc. And then we started descending, but not before we took loads of pictures clicked here, there & everywhere.
I was pretty happy on the way down, thinking that now I would have better sleep instead of staying awake throughout the night, downhill walks instead of dreary uphill climbs, good food instead of uncooked rice & tasteless water passed off as dal (evidence suggests quality of food is inversely proportional to altitude). But I didn’t knew what was in store for me. On the way back at Thyangboche, we were taken to cafe Tengboche, and for the first time in the trip given an option to select the food ourselves. That day since morning I was not feeling well but couldn't have given up on this opportunity. Hence even I ordered a grilled sandwich. After taking a single bite, I started throwing up. That bite also led to stomach pain. Post that whatever I would try to eat or drink, within a minute I will vomit it out. Stomach pain increased to such an extent I couldn't even walk. My buddy (yes, we had a buddy system for the trek), Jap & DRDO decided to stay with me, as others moved on. I was taken (literally) to Khunde hospital, but they only understood & treated altitude related sickness. Hence without thinking twice they decided to move me to Kathmandu, assumption being that facilities would be better there. Hence 4 porters were arranged, and from Khunde I was taken to Namche where the rest of the group was waiting for 4 of us.
During this period every single medicine was tried, but what went in came out the same way. And the time lag between anything 'going in' & 'coming out' was reducing with time. So after reaching Namche bazaar, post walking throughout the day, guides assess the situation and told the group that I need to be taken to Kathmandu by next day. That means porter would have to carry me throughout the night and reach Lukla by morning so as to catch the first flight to Kathmandu. 5 of my friends including 3 who stayed back with me, decided to come with me. Walking throughout the night, with just torch/headlamp, is not easy in that terrain. And from Phakding to Lukla it was a steep climb up. Hence without taking much rest all of them, 4 porters, 1 guide & 5 of my friends, reached Lukla on time. I was so blinded by the pain that I didn't even think of the ordeal suffered by my friends. And I was shouting in pain throughout, more so when they would stop for some much deserved rest. We had cover the same journey in two days on the way up, and covering the same within a day is still acceptable and many does it on a regular basis. But covering it in a night was a great achievement, especially when 3 of them had walked down from Khunde to Namche during the same day.
So to cut the long story short I reach Kathmandu on time, got admitted to hospital without any improvement, took first flight to Kolkata, got admitted to a hospital for 22 days after landing, missed my convocation, had to survive on food which made me miss uncooked rice & watery dal of mountains, etc.
But this trip made me realize a few things,
1. Friends would go all the way for you when they think your life is at stake. Rest of the times they will keep thinking of ways to have fun at your expense.
2. They didn't name the trek, E'BC' for no reason :)
3. You would need insurance only when you don't have it and vice versa
4. 'Jo gir-gir karta hai, wohi girta hai' :P
nice to finally read an account of the escapade from the horse's mouth... ;)
ReplyDelete"We were betting on our luck & our 'fitness'" - more ominous words were never spoken!
JoJo