Page 20 - 2005 AMA Winter

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Level 3 unit expedition to the Solukhumbu region of Nepal conducted by the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment between 14 April and 19
expedition members the greatest possible chance of reaching all three summits. As over half the team had little or no experience of moun­ taineering other than some summer hillwalking, a com­ prehensive training programme was put in place over the preceding six
rush hour traffic to the Summit Hotel the base of Summit Trekking who would provide us with full logistical support throughout the expedition. The following morning we took the infamous Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Lukla to meet up with our Sirdar and porters and start the trekking
Exercise
May 2004. Following a period of acclimatisation spent trekking along the Everest Base Camp trail, the entire team successfully reached the summits of three peaks; Kala Pattar (5545m), Pokalde (5806m) and Island Peak (6189m).
By Mark Kenyon and Ashley Stevens
On 14 April2004 seven Lancastrian had been months. All expedition and acclimatisation phase.
members of the 1st Battalion The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment departed Cyprus for Brize Norton on the first leg of the journey to Nepal. Following a day at Regimental Headquarters in Preston during which press and radio interviews were given, the team collected final items of equipment from Bicester and boarded a Qatar Airways flight to Kathmandu. En route we were joined by two other AMA members John Tolan and John Owens who provided the necessary instructor student
ratios and a great deal of useful experience.
Exercise Shabash
planned during the previous members attended lectures eighteen months by the expe­ on High Altitude Medicine,
The flight into Lukla was an interesting experience for many of the team involving a steep approach and then an equally steep uphill landing! Those at the front of the aircraft were soon very much in credit on their ‘Scares per day percentages'
After the first of many cups of lemon tea we met our Sirdar, Dawa Tshiring Sherpa, and started off northwards towards Phakding, through rhododendron lined valleys in temperatures akin to those of Cyprus. The day would set the pattern for the rest of the trek with early starts heralding perhaps 5-6 hours walking
18 AHMY MOUMTfllHIEB )
dition leader, Mark Kenyon. OP FRESCO, a deployment on OP TELIC and an arms plot to Cyprus had all served to threaten the expedition’s survival but fortunately by a dint of good luck and strong regimental support the plans remained intact. The aim was to provide the members with a “once in a lifetime’’ experience that they could draw on throughout their army career.
The intended itinerary was to steadily acclimatise through a combination of trekking days, rest days and day excursions to higher altitudes to give
received practical instruction in first aid for mountaineers and completed a minimum of a Winter Mountain Proficiency Course. Full use was made of the loan pool stores from DLO Bicester which in almost all cases proved to be of high quality and fit for purpose, Expedition members supplied their own trekking boots and some personal clothing along with aqua pure water bottles which were purchased from expedition funds.
Upon arrival at Kathmandu we were greeted by rain and a white-knuckle transfer through
Below the summit of Kala Pattar, Everest and Lhotse behind