This is the last day up, although in this country there are ups and downs to get to wherever one wants to go, even if it across a small town. I will break this entry into at least 2 posts to let you follow my day.
Today, we start at Lobouche and are to trek to Gorak Shep for lunch than on to Everest Base Camp after a rest break and lunch. The overnight at the Oxygen Lodge in LoBouche was really pretty comfortable for so few amenities. One thing I have been very grateful for is the availability of western style toilets at most overnight stops. For one as inflexible as me, that just makes life a little easier. I know, way too much info, but go try a squatty potty or the woods when you are not used to it and you learn to appreciate the simpler things in life. Also, as the temperatures have dropped, I have been able to control the comfort pretty easily. The 4 season sleeping bag provided is a wonderful way to keep warm at night. I have learned to keep closed in the sleeping bag and then sleep with a fleece coat puled over the head and face. That method keeps me pretty toasty at night, even as the temperatures hover at or below freezing, remember, no heat beyond the dinner hall at dinner time. The problems happen when you have to get up in the night to meet a natural calling, everyone does this when you are drinking over 4 liters of water a day, it only takes a second for all to cool off, than it takes 5 minutes or so for your body heat to warm everything back up.
As we started today’s trek, I felt pretty good and excited to be started, the weather cleared pretty quick and we began the push for the 4 plus miles. Early in the trek, I began to feel lightheaded. I had felt a similar feeling yesterday, but today was just a little more intense and troublesome. I slowed some to compensate for the feeling, but also the general feeling of tiredness and quite honestly, a lack of ability to recover on my oxygen levels and my heart rate. My heart rate has moved to an evening resting rate of mid 60’s after the first day of trekking to right at 100. My oxygen levels have moved from 98 to mid 70’s. You can see the toll this trek is taking, not just on me, but everyone who accepts this challenge. Some deal better than others. About half way through the trek to Gorak Shp, I started noticing I was taking about a half a step shorter than I thought, this was definitely a sign I was experiencing a little bit of Altitude Sickness. After about another hour and half of trekking, we reached Gorak Shep, I had struggled to reach here and my body was talking to me, decision time.
I will address that decision in the next post, I will let you know it was one of the toughest mental decisions I have ever had to make.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I love you