Here are a few of my favorite panorama photos that I have taken, along with a few stories about them!
Favourite Panorama’s
Basecamp Journey Video
Just thought I’d share a short video of my journey to basecamp & India afterwards.
Last day before the hike
So today is the last day before the hike, this morning I went out and organised my Jacket (i think its a bit too big!) and a sleeping bag. It was really cheap, around 160 nepal rupees per day for both. I got them from Shona’s which is in Thamel. Everything was super clean and i’d read a lot of good reviews. Hopefully everything holds up well.
I went to Patan this afternoon, it wasn’t too bad. A lot of the buildings in the square had been destroyed by the earth quake or were being held up by wood splints. It was worth the visit.
Welcome to Kathmandu
So I arrived in Kathmandu after about 24hours of flying. I’m not completely sure what I expected Kathmandu to be like, but it certainly took me by surprise. Chaos isnt a word I use lightly. There are cars, people and motorbikes everywhere.
The first thing that hit me was the amount of pollution in Kathmandu, unfortunately Kathmandu lies in a valley which makes it difficult for wind to clear the pollution, in addition to the daily power cuts that result in people turning on their diesel generators.
Kathmandu has a very different vibe to it, you certainly know its a gateway to trekking as there are trekking shops everywhere, they sells lots of knock-off brands and genuine brands. I found the owners to be very honest and up front about their products.
My first morning in Kathmandu I walked up to Swayambhunath, it was certainly worth the 4am wake up and walking in pitch black. There were monkeys, dogs and a fair few people – Exercising, playing instruments, praying & meditating.
The rest of the day I explored other temples, food and trekking shops organising last minute things for Everest. Tomorrow I have something special planned.
My 2016 Adventure
Over time we all tend to start creating some form of bucket list, this can be travel, life goals, achievements or even how we may picture out life in the future. One of my goals has always been to do Everest base camp, something about it appeals to me. The physical and mental challenge along with the rawness and unpredictability of the mountain is something that I just have to experience.
I have an aim that I want to complete it my the end of 2016, I’ve worked out it will either be March 2016 or December 2016. I have put it off for years and years, now is the time.
In my excitement over the weekend I have begun looking at trips (the easy part) and packing list recommendations (the hard part). I’ve seen that its easy to be taken away with ensuring everything is perfect and having the perfect equipment in the right quantities. I came across one simple forum post from a well seasoned veteran that read “3 merino wool shirts, a couple of pairs of pants and shorts, then a jacket”.
This was perfect, nice and concise and easy.I want this trip to be simple without the burden of carrying everything except the kitchen sink. As long as a don’t freeze to death, it’s not going to matter if I don’t have 4 Shirts, 4 Long shirts, 3 Jumpers, 5 Socks, 5 thermal socks etc. So with that in mind I’ve begun compiling my list.
I’ve seen that a lot of things can be hired in Kathmandu such as sleeping bags and jackets (around $1 a day). I don’t think this is such a bad option, as it’s unlikely I will need a -20c sleeping bag for a while or a few super thick down jackets (especially given that I normally travel to beach destinations).
So apart from the aforementioned items, I also need
- Windproof/Rainproof over layer
- Sandals
- Headlamp
- Sunglasses (x2)
- Hat – Winter & Thermal
- Headband
- Water Bottles (1x Metal & 1x 1x Hydration Bladder 2-3L)
- Balaclava
- Trekking Poles
- Waterproof Backpack cover
- Gloves and Liners
- Socks
- Day Pack
Along with some medicine supplies:
- Anti-Biotics
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Paracetamol / Cold and Flu’s
- Sunscreen
- Tiger Balm
- Cotton Tips
- Band Aids
- Bandage
- Tweezers
- Sunscreen
- Anti-Nausea
- Water Purifying tablets
- Baby wipes
- Talcum Powder
This list will evolve and change overtime, but I think it’s a good solid foundation.
Now the fun part is buying it all and keeping an eye out for sales!
The next part is to get into training specifically for the trek, i’ve upped my Yoga training to more strength based poses and I’m going to begin hiking around Victoria shortly. This is in addition to my usual – Hockey, Dodgeball, Running and swimming. I’m thinking I should be suitably fit enough regardless of when I go.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress! Do you have any tips or hints?
