Page 111 - AGC_Journal 2018(FINAL)_Neat

A AGC JOURNAL 2018GC JOURNAL 2018

Mount

Everest 2018

By Lance Corporal Simon Richards

Arriving in Kathmandu in the early hours I
experienced fi rst hand the hustle and bustle
of a thriving city built on the history of
Mount Everest. Staying in the Summit Hotel
whilst there also gave me time to prepare
for the adventure ahead.

Lukla
The famous fl ight into the most dangerous airport in the world,
Lukla, was an experience I would never forget with the extremely
quick descent into a windswept valley.
The Trek
We began our trek in the village of Lukla at 2,860 metres heading
higher and further into the Khumbu Valley. Experiencing higher
altitudes can aff ect your body in many ways from headaches, View of
coughs and sickness. I was lucky enough not have any symptoms Mount
and acclimatised well. Along our climb we met many diff erent Everest
nationalities and I was fortunate enough to speak with many
Nepalese people who lived in the villages we went through. All were
very friendly and provided us with hydration and food, the staple
diet being Dal Bhat, a curried potato, soup and rice dish, washed
down with an urn of lemon tea.
Mount Everest

The views of Mount Everest were always rewarding and to see the
great mountain in the fl esh as it were, is an amazing sight. The
mountain itself gives off both an aura of wonder and a sense of
danger. It’s interesting to see the many other Himalayan mountain
ranges surrounding Everest herself, including Ama Dablam, Island
and Mera Peak.
To Base Camp

With temperatures often below freezing, knowing your kit and how
to use it is always important and this was put to the test many times
once we had reached the areas of Gorak Shep at some 5,164 metres.
Although our main aim was to reach Everest Base Camp we were
able to summit Kala Patthar at a height of 5,643 metres giving great
views of Mount Everest and the mountains surrounding her.
Arriving at Base Camp and seeing what is eff ectively a small village
of mess tents and shelters was awe inspiring, with views stretching
up through the Khumbu ice fall and beyond. It’s a busy place as
climbers from all nations are coming down from the mountain as
well as up.
Fantastic Experience

The whole experience has been fantastic and something that I
will never forget, with the help of funding through the Corps my
initial dream of visiting Nepal and indeed Mount Everest was made
possible. It is an area I will aspire to visit again and push myself a
little further and a little higher.

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