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Our rations on the mountain were to be centered on three dehydrated meals daily. Our breakfast, dinner and dessert would yield around 2700 calories, with the remainder of daily intact made up of snacks throughout the day and beverages. We sourced a wide range of meals in order to allow for personal taste and for the most part these were highly palatable and well received. Snacks were purchased in country albeit one member suffered from acute Jelly Baby deficiency. Symptoms include child-like behaviour, moaning (about Jelly Babies) and mathematical confusion.
Other members of the expedition pulled together the specialist kit, communications equipment, camera gear, medical supplies and assorted paraphernalia which would allow us to operate in a remote area for the several weeks necessary to ascend the mountain. It was therefore a well prepared team which gathered at Heathrow to start the long journey to Kathmandu. Suddenly, preparation was over and the adventure began!
I had never previously been to Nepal but it shares many attributes with our recent theatres of operation in being hot, sweaty and chaotic. In-country we were extremely fortunate to be under the wing of Himalayan Ecstasy, the trekking company charged with getting us and our not inconsiderable amount of baggage to base camp. Endra, one of the founder members of the company, proved invaluable throughout our trip. Nothing was ever too much trouble and in the best traditions of Nepali culture there never seemed to be a problem which was insurmountable. In a feat which was to be emulated time and time again we were smoothly transported from the airport to our modest accommodation in Kathmandu’s Thamel area. Tired after a long trip we immediately reconnoitred the immediate area for liquid refreshment. Such refreshment is to be easily found in Thamel. In fact, so much so, that overindulgence is not uncommon amongst visitors to the area. Obviously, our military discipline meant that we were almost unaffected by that particular problem. The following day was spent buying last minute items of equipment and ensuring we were well fed prior to further evening of cultural reconnaissance.
During our short admin phase in Kathmandu, our solar power equipment was set up on the roof of the hotel in the blazing Nepalese sun. ‘Comms’, our naval equivalent of Star Trek’s Lt. Ohura was interested to note that the cumulative output of our entire solar array was approximately zero Volts, with a current of zero Amps, giving us a total power generating capacity of zero Watts. No amount of disbelief on Colin’s part could rectify the problem. Unfortunately we were to be plagued throughout the trip by difficulty in getting enough power to keep our IT equipment functioning. We were saved only by the provision of a generator by Himalayan Ecstasy. The moral of the story is that all equipment must be tested prior to departure, preferably with any dependent paraphernalia, to ensure compatibility in a timely fashion. In our defence, much of the equipment was only available shortly prior to our departure.
Due to bureaucratic barriers imposed by Nepali customs our freight was not released prior to our departure for base camp.
Fortunately we had packed it with such an eventuality in mind and so we began the journey to base camp, leaving it to follow on in the capable hands of our trekking agent. We were also lucky that our climbing leader, Dick Gale, was scheduled to leave Kathmandu later due to other responsibilities. He was therefore well placed to ensure the smooth forwarding of our vital equipment.
Our journey began with a short internal flight to the airstrip at Tumlingtar (400m), before travelling by truck to the road head at Num. The road to Num is not yet fully prepared and as a result the journey was bone-jarring. On arrival in Num our evening meal was the ubiquitous ‘dhal bhat’, rice with a lentil soup and vegetables, a dish that became our staple food throughout the walk-in. Whilst perhaps a little bland by our usual standards, rice was always served in enormous quantity and chilli sauce was always on hand to enhance the flavour. Our diet was probably as healthy as any of us have ever eaten.
After overnighting in Num we commenced the ten-day approach march. On waking for breakfast we were greeted with a spectacular view of the surrounding hills which were covered in verdant jungle, interrupted by terraced farmland and small hamlets. We had only just started our journey and yet already the terrain was incredibly breathtaking.
Before setting off we had a quick tour of Num’s shops which sold an astonishing variety of goods.
As we left the trading centre we witnessed some pack animals (mules) being loaded up with goods to be traded further up the trail. Immediately descending 3000ft to the Arun Khola River before ascending the far side of the valley the trail from Num to Sedua was reasonably well prepared and well used by locals and trekkers. Though a remote part of Nepal, the Makalu-Barun National Park was clearly seeing an increased level of tourism.
As our journey progressed the trail grew narrower, the terrain more rugged and the vegetation more alpine. However, what remained unchanged throughout was the friendly nature of the locals and their willingness to help. Our porters were locally sourced and it was impossible not to admire their fortitude. Young, old, male and female alike carried our baggage. Often when negotiating a steep slope you would be somewhat embarrassed when an elderly local would trot past carrying twice as much, either barefoot or in flip-flops. It was truly humbling. Much is made of the physical adaptations of the peoples of the Himalaya but in both the porters and the Sherpa alike physical toughness and the need to earn an income appear to play a far greater role in their capacity for work than any genetic adaptation. In short, we’ve gone a bit soft.
On arrival in base camp we were greeted by the sight of our objective, towering over our partially constructed base camp. The word ‘massive’ hardly does the mountain justice and breathless from the altitude at 4800m, the scale of the task we had set ourselves was suddenly apparent. Fortunately we were also greeted with a superb lunch, including chips, which instantly
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