My apologies for not posting yesterday but the day was long and I went to bed as early as I could! So here's a recap of what happened:
Day 3:
Cam and I started the day off in the bitter cold on the tandem and headed west from a small town just outside of Calgary. The roads were flat but there was a wicked headwind, something that I'm sure compares to the stories I've heard about Pemberton to Whistler... Our hour finished and I stayed out there. Getting onto my "Bumble Bee" I rode for another 3 hours until my next tandem shift. A solid performance from the other team members keeping a great pace and making great time through the foothills. Coming into Canmore was beautiful! The scenery is stunning and to have the time to glance around you on the bike makes you appreciate it that much more. Going into Banff there was a lot of construction so we slowed traffic to a crawl as there was only one lane open in each direction. That lasted 17 km's, all of which I was either on the tandem or solo! Finishing the leg into the BC border was pretty special. We met the new riders and were welcomed with some honking, cheering and lots of photos! After picking up the newbies, I had one more session on the tandem bike. They chose me for this section as it is one of the steepest hills on the BC trip. So for the next 45 minutes I guided our bike safely down the hills, maxing out around 65kph and into the final changeover for the day. 160km's isn't too bad for day one. Bring on day two!
Day 3: Golden to Salmon Arm - 250km's
The morning was laid back, people were in good spirits and the first team took off for what was going to be another great day on the bikes. The infamous Rogers Pass was just ahead and I wanted it - badly! On the 3rd shift I got onto my bike and started my day, pedalling for a good portion of today's ride I chose to begin a bit later. Up and up We all went and slogged out one helluva hill. 1330m elevation at the summit and from where we started it was about a 400 m gain in a short period of time. From that point the legs were warm and I was ready to ride for longer. Bombing down the pass was fun, then coming into Revelstoke was nice and relaxing. I took an hour break to calm down and eat some real food then prepared for my next 2 hours. So from revelstoke I rode to the
Shuswap Lake then up a monster hill similar to Seymour, only I was on the tandem! One pedal stroke after another and a few words of encouragement to my riding partner, we made it to the top and basically collapsed! We were exhausted, and I was totally fried. Today I clocked 170km's and 7 hours on a bike. 2 day total now is 330km's.
Tomorrow is the longest day for the BC team. 15 hours are planned to ride 355 km's from Salmon Arm to Hope. We have 2 major hills and lots of smaller ones. It should be exciting!
Next up, HOPE!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Day 1- Meet up with Team Cyclebetes in Calgary
This is the first post for the trip and it's coming via my iPhone... So bare with me in case things don't look pretty! As this is my second year with the team, seeing some old faces and reconnecting just made the day fly bye.
I was fortunately picked up by one of the support vehicles from the airport rather than biking to meet them, a good thing as my bag was fairly large and turning my head to check for traffic could have been tough. Once that was settled we drove to a park just outside of Calgary to set up a community bike ride and meet a local family to start a huge BBQ. I didn't get to ride today as it was only a 15km trip from the park to our campsite and changing into my gear for such a short ride wasn't worth it.
Tomorrow I'm slotted for the 7am ride on the tandem with my buddy Cam. Cam's a 19 year old professional downhill mountain biker and we rode together a lot last season so it should be a fast ride. Weather was good today but actually pretty cold. I'm expecting a chilly start to the day tomorrow however I brought all my winter riding gear which should keep me nice and warm.
And so the ride begins... 100km's tomorrow (or more)
On a side note, we stopped in to an awesome bike shop, Bow Cycles; this place was huge, had a wicked selection of equipment and the staff were very cool (didn't hold a candle to the Speed Theory team though). Check them out online as I can't upload my photo
I was fortunately picked up by one of the support vehicles from the airport rather than biking to meet them, a good thing as my bag was fairly large and turning my head to check for traffic could have been tough. Once that was settled we drove to a park just outside of Calgary to set up a community bike ride and meet a local family to start a huge BBQ. I didn't get to ride today as it was only a 15km trip from the park to our campsite and changing into my gear for such a short ride wasn't worth it.
Tomorrow I'm slotted for the 7am ride on the tandem with my buddy Cam. Cam's a 19 year old professional downhill mountain biker and we rode together a lot last season so it should be a fast ride. Weather was good today but actually pretty cold. I'm expecting a chilly start to the day tomorrow however I brought all my winter riding gear which should keep me nice and warm.
And so the ride begins... 100km's tomorrow (or more)
On a side note, we stopped in to an awesome bike shop, Bow Cycles; this place was huge, had a wicked selection of equipment and the staff were very cool (didn't hold a candle to the Speed Theory team though). Check them out online as I can't upload my photo
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
2010 has been one crazy ride!
I haven't written a blog in ages and so much has gone on. I've taken on a new job, had an amazing summer of training on my bike and competing in triathlons, been hiking all around Vancouver and even completed an insane one-day 14 hour total body exhaustion hike! So here we go...
Things in life happen for a reason - I'm a strong believer in that. I called up a friend to meet for coffee, show him my photos from travelling in Asia and the next thing I know, I've been offered an interview with someone in his company for a very coveted job. I went through the ranks of those applying for and got myself a great job, I'm even thinking career! I now work at TD Waterhouse as a Developing Investment Advisor. I say 'Developing" as it's a 3-year program training new hires to become a fully accredited investment advisor. Currently I'm half way through a 90-day training program, after which I begin building my books and acquiring assets to manage. I have always taken a keen interest in business and have loved being the centre of attention in social events so this position forces me to do both - and I will. Having passed my Canadian Securities Course and compliance programs, I am currently enrolled in Hedge Fund Management and BC Life Insurance courses, furthering my knowledge and ability to do the very best for my clients.
Training for triathlons this year has been totally awesome. With a few missed opportunities to compete in a few races, I only manged two all season. I did the North Shore sprint tri, finishing with a respectable time of 1:08 then trained very hard for my race of the season in Penticton, completing it in a personal best time of 2:26 (Olympic distance). What made that race so awesome was the support crew cheering me on. At almost every turn on the run, friends were rooting me on and on the bike course I would pass people I knew wishing them luck and then leave them in my dust!! haha!
The rest of my training this summer has been without a doubt the best times of my life. There were so many people around me to have fun with and so many good vibes always in the air, how could one not love getting on the bike or running in the trails for fun...
So here we go with the creme-de-la-creme of one day events... ok, it's not an ultra marathon or an ironman, but I'm working up to one of those... My buddy Ashley and I decided last year to 'up the ante' on our triple crown challenge to something insane this go around. On August 2nd, we set out at 6am from Park Royal and rode our bikes up Mount Seymour. At the top, we were met by Ashley's girlfriend and another friend to ditch the bikes and change into hiking gear. From there we all hiked to the 3rd peak of Seymour. Making our way back to the bikes, we saddled up and headed out to Cypress. The ride up Cypress Mountain was tough and we both could feel the grind coming before us. To the top we went and again, set out on foot to the peak of Mt. Strachan. A few photos later and a couple of high fives, we needed to high tail it to Grouse before the Grind gates closed at 7:30pm! Arriving by 7pm, we had done it - all we needed to do then was climb up a little trail. Bah... the Grind never felt so long in my life! We all slogged it up there and arrived at the top. We were pooped! All in all an amazing day with some great people. Next year is part 3 - what will be set out to do...?
Now with the summer wrapping up, a new chapter in my life is beginning. On September 1-5, I am once again riding my bike with the Cyclebetes team across BC. I am raising money for the ride and have recieved some great support from family and friends. This year's ride has more meaning that last year as I have been able to see exactly how diabetics live daily rather than just reading about it before last year's ride. They truely are inspirational people and the Cyclebetes group embraces that. We finish the ride in Cadboro Bay on September 5th and have a comunity ride in North Vancouver on September 4th. We're hoping for as many people as possible to come out and join in!
I have learned so much this year about myself, through challenges, emotions, setbacks and accomplishments and want thank those around me who have shared it. As I begin my professional career I will remind myself to take a step back, a moment out of each day, just to have a deep breath and enjoy what's going on! Carpe Diem.
Things in life happen for a reason - I'm a strong believer in that. I called up a friend to meet for coffee, show him my photos from travelling in Asia and the next thing I know, I've been offered an interview with someone in his company for a very coveted job. I went through the ranks of those applying for and got myself a great job, I'm even thinking career! I now work at TD Waterhouse as a Developing Investment Advisor. I say 'Developing" as it's a 3-year program training new hires to become a fully accredited investment advisor. Currently I'm half way through a 90-day training program, after which I begin building my books and acquiring assets to manage. I have always taken a keen interest in business and have loved being the centre of attention in social events so this position forces me to do both - and I will. Having passed my Canadian Securities Course and compliance programs, I am currently enrolled in Hedge Fund Management and BC Life Insurance courses, furthering my knowledge and ability to do the very best for my clients.
Training for triathlons this year has been totally awesome. With a few missed opportunities to compete in a few races, I only manged two all season. I did the North Shore sprint tri, finishing with a respectable time of 1:08 then trained very hard for my race of the season in Penticton, completing it in a personal best time of 2:26 (Olympic distance). What made that race so awesome was the support crew cheering me on. At almost every turn on the run, friends were rooting me on and on the bike course I would pass people I knew wishing them luck and then leave them in my dust!! haha!
The rest of my training this summer has been without a doubt the best times of my life. There were so many people around me to have fun with and so many good vibes always in the air, how could one not love getting on the bike or running in the trails for fun...
So here we go with the creme-de-la-creme of one day events... ok, it's not an ultra marathon or an ironman, but I'm working up to one of those... My buddy Ashley and I decided last year to 'up the ante' on our triple crown challenge to something insane this go around. On August 2nd, we set out at 6am from Park Royal and rode our bikes up Mount Seymour. At the top, we were met by Ashley's girlfriend and another friend to ditch the bikes and change into hiking gear. From there we all hiked to the 3rd peak of Seymour. Making our way back to the bikes, we saddled up and headed out to Cypress. The ride up Cypress Mountain was tough and we both could feel the grind coming before us. To the top we went and again, set out on foot to the peak of Mt. Strachan. A few photos later and a couple of high fives, we needed to high tail it to Grouse before the Grind gates closed at 7:30pm! Arriving by 7pm, we had done it - all we needed to do then was climb up a little trail. Bah... the Grind never felt so long in my life! We all slogged it up there and arrived at the top. We were pooped! All in all an amazing day with some great people. Next year is part 3 - what will be set out to do...?
Now with the summer wrapping up, a new chapter in my life is beginning. On September 1-5, I am once again riding my bike with the Cyclebetes team across BC. I am raising money for the ride and have recieved some great support from family and friends. This year's ride has more meaning that last year as I have been able to see exactly how diabetics live daily rather than just reading about it before last year's ride. They truely are inspirational people and the Cyclebetes group embraces that. We finish the ride in Cadboro Bay on September 5th and have a comunity ride in North Vancouver on September 4th. We're hoping for as many people as possible to come out and join in!
I have learned so much this year about myself, through challenges, emotions, setbacks and accomplishments and want thank those around me who have shared it. As I begin my professional career I will remind myself to take a step back, a moment out of each day, just to have a deep breath and enjoy what's going on! Carpe Diem.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Cyclebetes Fundraiser - ode to Speed Theory!
Last weekend I set things up at Speed Theory (amazing bike shop in Vancouver on 4th ave at Trafalger) and spun on my bike from 10:00am - 5:00pm to raise money for my Cyclebetes adventure this year. The day started off on a great note with my awesome girlfriend bringing two tupperware containers full of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to entice passer-byes to come on over. 
Once set up was done and the doors were open, I was on my bike spinning away at a constant 60 cadence. 60 is a very slow pace however when you're keeping it constant for 7 hours it begins to play games with your body! One of Speed Theory's Pro Riders, Facundo, spun with me for 4 hours! He did 3 of those at 93-98 rpm, putting me to shame. Nicole also got onto her bike, post 2 hour ride, for one more hour. Rob Herron, aka - The Door Man, bucked up and rode with me for an hour as well. He rode with me 2 weeks ago at Cap Mall and rocked it. People were really supportive throughout the day - I gotta give MAJOR props to the team at Speed Theory as they donated over $100 right at the start. They collected this money from running some spin classes over the past few weeks, charging $2 per person on a drop in basis. Overall, their contribution helped out big time.
People were dropping huge coin throughout the day. Mostly $10's and $20's and it stayed constant for the whole day bringing my grand total for the day to $365!
Thanks to all those that helped out and supported my ride that day making for a fun and supportive fundraiser.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Cyclebetes Capilano Mall & Speed Theory Fundraisers
To those that followed me last year, and those who are new to the scene this year, Cyclebetes 2010 is up and rolling bigger, stronger and with more people in 2010!I have planned 2 fundraising bike rides over the next 2 weeks to reach my goal of raising $2500 towards Juvenile Diabetes. So far I've had a positive response on these events but have lacked funds coming in. Here are the details for both bike rides:
Saturday, March 6th - 9:30am - 5:00pm - Capilano Mall
Located in the North East corner of Cap Mall, I will have lots of Cyclebetes signage set up, promotions from local stores and support from family and friends riding along side me all day long. This ride will engage as many of my North Shore friends and raise community awareness for our September 4th community Cyclebetes bike ride!
Saturday, March 13th - 10:00am - 5:00pm - Speed Theory Bike Shop - Vancouver
Speed Theory has jumped on board as a huge supporter of my Cyclebetes ride. On the 13th I will be riding all day long inside their store with support from other avid cyclists. The goal for this ride is to bring in new customers to their shop and show off the great gear and people inside! For the past year, Speed Theory has helped me SO much with all sorts of biking needs so if I can get YOU into their store so they can do the same for you then it's a match well made!
It'd be great to hear back from you if you're able to make it to either ride. You're more than welcome to jump onto a bike and ride with me at either location and I encourrage that you do so.
For more details on the entire Cyclebetes event and to support me in any way, check out:
http://jdrfca.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=803&participantID=44656
See you on the bikes!!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Cyclebetes 2010 - Team British Columbia
As most of you know, last year I was part of the Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta teams, riding over 800km's in 7 days, both on my personal bike and on the tandem bike donated by Norco. Last year's event opened my eyes to the world those with type 1 diabetes live in and the struggles they incur each day of their life. Riding for Cyclebetes was more than just getting on the bike and pedaling from point A to point B, it was symbolic of moving forward to raise money to find a cure. Over the three weeks groups rode across Canada, they raised over $400,000, brought awareness to many issues through the media and sparked a keen interest with communities to help bring people together for such a great cause. By using a bike as the catalyst to bring awareness to an issue, many people jumped on board to ride with us and donate.
This year, I will be riding my bike as part of Team BC for Cyclebetes. From September 1-5, 2010, myself along with 4 other pairs will ride the tandem bike across the province and finish in Victoria to wrap up the event. So now I turn to you - I am asking for your support and donations to make this ride possible. My goal is to raise $2500 (and hopefully more) by June, 2010. I am currently working out a schedule of rides that will have me spinning inside shopping malls all afternoon raising money towards my goal. I have other initiatives on the go and will keep you all posted when they get confirmed.
In the meantime, your support of my ride and Cyclebetes' event is greatly appreciated. Please check out my link and help in any way you can.
http://jdrfca.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=803&participantID=44656
Thank You.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Days 12 to 16 - Annapurna Circuit
Day 12: Kagbenni to Jomson
After such long days up to the Pass then what we encountered coming over it, having a second day of easy hiking wasn't such a bad idea. We were now totally walking on the road which was dusty, windy and didn't have the greatest of views. As we made it through the 4 or 5 hour walk, we came into this huge, open river delta that had endless amounts of rocks carrying fossils. For the next hour we all were picking up random rocks and smashing them open to find a treasure. Nic found an imprint of a plant but that was about it. It was fun but didn't show for anything. Into Jomsom it was - and Nic and mine's room even had a TV. I have to say that after eliminating that from my life for the past 3 1/2 months it was nice to wither away 2 hours of my life watching trash!! Good Times!
Day 13: Jomson to Kalopani
We were all very happy to get out of Jomsom as it was one of the least favourite places for each of us. There weren't really any places to see, the village seemed 'cold' and un-inviting and the people there never really peaked an interest for me. Take that experience then turn it around and show me the complete opposite - welcome to Marpha! This tiny little village in our journey to the next stop and we come across this small area with very old buildings, cobblestone walkways, a plethora of wood drying on house rooftops and so on... Marpha was a particularly quiet place and the locals were incredibly friendly and humble to have us walk through. We tasted some local apple brandy (of which I bought and now have in Vancouver if any of you would like to try some) and had a snack atop one of the residences. I highly recommend this place to future travellers as a place to stay a night or two instead of Jomsom as it's very close and you'll get a way better experience from the place.
Day 14: Kalopani to Tatopani
"Tato" means "hot" and "Pani" means "water" = Hot Water = Natural Hot Springs!! Oh ya, that's right... we were going to stay the night at a spot that has a natural hot spring for anyone passing by and with the few people on the trail at the time, we knew that it wouldn't be busy at all.
Passing though villages on the way we checked out a wedding ceremony. This must have been an arranged marriage as the bride was much younger than the groom. It was neat to see their traditions and how show respect and happiness for the couple. I would never go through with an arranged marriage so I can't say I was happy for these people, but hey, it's their system and their traditions so best of luck to them!
Day 15: Tatopani to Ghorepani
Up and up and up...and up some more! Today we began at the river's edge and we to climb for the entire leg of the day. It was switch back after switch back to get up the hillside and it was tough. With the past few days being very easy, I was excited to have another really tough day so on I went. The incline wasn't guelling but it was consistent. We agreed that today's hike was actually equivillant to FOUR Grouse Grinds. There were hundres of stairs, all uneven in length, height and distance apart from one another making for a tough few hours. We stopped in Sikha Valley for lunch. It's in the afternoon sunshine and was a great place to take off our boots and socks to dry them out while we ate. Of course I ordered Dal Bhat again and powered through it. I'm telling you that if any of you ever want to come over for dinner I will personally make and serve you this amazing dinner!
Into Ghorepani - done! We are just below 10,000 feet tonight and can see for miles from where we are. We have a spectacular view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South mountain ranges and the tea hut that we're staying at is like a tree house. The wall are paper thin plywood, the ceiling slopes to one side of the house so when you go to have a shower you need to duck down and hunch over to get through and the main room has an awesome fireplace that warms up everyone in it! Great day and we're all happy!
Day 16: Poon Hill / Rest Day
Up at 4:45am and with headlamps on we set out the door for a quick 2 hour hike up to Poon Hill (3210 meters - or just over 10,000 feet). The viewpoint offers panoramic shots of the entire valley, Pokhara area and beyond everything for miles and miles! There was a bit of morning fog in the valley but it set a mood for the photos. It really looked as if we were floating on clouds because they were below us and it was crystal clear higher up. There might have been 100 people there and that is pretty low considering at peak season they have 500 or so each morning!
More to come ...
Day 13: Jomson to Kalopani
We were all very happy to get out of Jomsom as it was one of the least favourite places for each of us. There weren't really any places to see, the village seemed 'cold' and un-inviting and the people there never really peaked an interest for me. Take that experience then turn it around and show me the complete opposite - welcome to Marpha! This tiny little village in our journey to the next stop and we come across this small area with very old buildings, cobblestone walkways, a plethora of wood drying on house rooftops and so on... Marpha was a particularly quiet place and the locals were incredibly friendly and humble to have us walk through. We tasted some local apple brandy (of which I bought and now have in Vancouver if any of you would like to try some) and had a snack atop one of the residences. I highly recommend this place to future travellers as a place to stay a night or two instead of Jomsom as it's very close and you'll get a way better experience from the place.
Day 14: Kalopani to Tatopani
"Tato" means "hot" and "Pani" means "water" = Hot Water = Natural Hot Springs!! Oh ya, that's right... we were going to stay the night at a spot that has a natural hot spring for anyone passing by and with the few people on the trail at the time, we knew that it wouldn't be busy at all. Passing though villages on the way we checked out a wedding ceremony. This must have been an arranged marriage as the bride was much younger than the groom. It was neat to see their traditions and how show respect and happiness for the couple. I would never go through with an arranged marriage so I can't say I was happy for these people, but hey, it's their system and their traditions so best of luck to them!
Day 15: Tatopani to Ghorepani
Up and up and up...and up some more! Today we began at the river's edge and we to climb for the entire leg of the day. It was switch back after switch back to get up the hillside and it was tough. With the past few days being very easy, I was excited to have another really tough day so on I went. The incline wasn't guelling but it was consistent. We agreed that today's hike was actually equivillant to FOUR Grouse Grinds. There were hundres of stairs, all uneven in length, height and distance apart from one another making for a tough few hours. We stopped in Sikha Valley for lunch. It's in the afternoon sunshine and was a great place to take off our boots and socks to dry them out while we ate. Of course I ordered Dal Bhat again and powered through it. I'm telling you that if any of you ever want to come over for dinner I will personally make and serve you this amazing dinner!
Into Ghorepani - done! We are just below 10,000 feet tonight and can see for miles from where we are. We have a spectacular view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna South mountain ranges and the tea hut that we're staying at is like a tree house. The wall are paper thin plywood, the ceiling slopes to one side of the house so when you go to have a shower you need to duck down and hunch over to get through and the main room has an awesome fireplace that warms up everyone in it! Great day and we're all happy!
Day 16: Poon Hill / Rest Day
Up at 4:45am and with headlamps on we set out the door for a quick 2 hour hike up to Poon Hill (3210 meters - or just over 10,000 feet). The viewpoint offers panoramic shots of the entire valley, Pokhara area and beyond everything for miles and miles! There was a bit of morning fog in the valley but it set a mood for the photos. It really looked as if we were floating on clouds because they were below us and it was crystal clear higher up. There might have been 100 people there and that is pretty low considering at peak season they have 500 or so each morning!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Days 9 - 11: Annapurna Circuit
Day 9: Yak Kharka to High Camp
The morning started off with a heated relationship argument but once that was out of the way things settled down and we got hiking. We walked high above the river making our way higher and higher in elevation towards High Camp where we'd stay the night. So far we've all had very little effect to the altitude and have kept moving fairly quickley but today was a different story. The pace was about normal however we all could feel the beginning effects of going higher up. At lunch in Thorong Phedi Nic was mentioning she had a pretty bad headache so she went right onto Diamox, the altitude drug that balances out the body's pH levels to minimize the effects of altitude. In an hour or so things were feeling much better and the group decided to make the trek higher up one more hour to the circuit's High Camp, lodging at 4800 meters (15,744 feet) to spend the night. At a moment's notice if someone from the group were to show major signs of high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) or high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) we would pack up and hike back down to the village below and stay the night.
At the High Camp, I began to feel nauseated and had a wicked-bad headache, something that I hadn't experienced in a long time. Nic and I had an agreement that for this trip there were to be no 'tough guys' who would try to baby their symptoms if shown so I was up front in telling the group how felt and was honest in my emotions. Bill gave me some Diamox and we set a deadline as to how I was feeling and whether or not to stay or go. At 7pm that night I made the decision to stay at high camp as my symptoms were fading and I was feeling much better. I still don't know how bad I really was feeling but reading my journal excerpt from that night today it was clear that I wasn't feeling good and that I was showing signs of the HACE. None-the-less, the drugs worked very well and I got a well-rested night.
Day 10: Thorong-La Pass to Muktinath (Elevation at pass: 17, 764 feet)
What a day! I will remember this one for the rest of my life! We woke up at 4:30am practically dressed in our hiking gear from the night before as it was just too cold through the night to stay in normal sleeping gear. The temperature inside our rooms read -11 on Dave's barometer and we knew that it was going to get colder at the pass. A quick breakfast and check that all parties were feeling good enough for a 10 hour day and we were off. It took us 2 1/2 hours to make the 616 meter elevation gain to the pass. The trail was icy for part of the way and the wind really made for a cold face. We wore down jackets, gloves, hoods and scarfs to block as much of the wind as possible but it still sent chills down through our bones! Hiking to the pass was tough as there were a lot of false summits. This means that you continuously make it up to a clearing atop a hill and think that it's the end only to find more trail in front of you. None of the group members had looked online to see what the summit looks like so none of us had a clue what to expect.
We finally made it to the summit and were welcomed by a barrage of prayer flags and a plaque that congrtulated us on the accomplishment. The sun was shining, skies were totally clear, wind HOWLING and temperature was as close to rediculous as I've ever experienced (must have been -20 with the wind!). The feeling of making this pass was amazing and was made that much better because I was with the girl I love and some great friends to share the moment! Never had I ever thought of hiking this high so to check this one off my bucket list was a really cool thing. Lots of photos were taken (and are shared on my PICASA webpage) and around 9:30am we were ready to leave. Just at the moment another few hikers arrived and we welcomed them and cheered them on. Unfortunatly, one of the guys totally had some bad luck, slipped and twisted his leg on a sheet of ice. Right away Bill concluded that this guy showed signs of a spiral fracture of the fibula! Crap! A fractured leg on an icy summit pass where there's no chance of getting a helicopter to pick you up - AND an 1800 metre decent to the next village. On the brighter side, this guy couldn't have been luckier in the fact that he just fractured his leg in the presence of an ER doctor with other strong men around to help him down the mountain! The next few hours for me were grueling as I helped carry this guy partially down the trail. It was very icy in some sections and the grade of decent was unforgiving. I had on a pair of "Yak Trax" (strap on metal and rubber coils the to souls of shoes to give better traction in icy and snowy conditions) and had I not had them, my decent with this guy could have been much worse. Because of the blisters on my heels I was luckily carrying a roll of duct tape and with the tea hut beside us, there was enough wood to make a splint.
We were able to move our broken-leg friend Costa down nearly 600 vertical meters in just over 2 hours. By now it's around 12:30pm and sunny but all of us moving him were totally exhausted! Try moving someone down very technical terrain at altitude and let me know how you feel!
It was decided upon to send for help and leave Costa with warm sleeping gear, an emergency blanket, some food and water. Nic and Bill went to the village and set up help to come back up the mountain to rescue Costa. They did a great job doing this and were able to get the help we needed. As I arrived in the next village close to 4:30pm I was starving and ready to just lay flat out and go to bed. I got some food in me and recharged for the next hour before moving to Muktinath. Just as we all were leaving, we saw the Nepali Army running (yes, running!) up the trail towards us, then past us and up the trail towards the summit. In our brief conversation with them, they said they would get Costa and bring him down by stretcher. What a day! At dinner that night we all looked back on what had happened that day and knew that it would be a lasting experience for all us of.
Day 11: Muktinath to Kagbeni
We needed to do our 'rounds' in the village to make sure all of Bill's patients were alive and well. We checked in on Costa and heard that he and his mates got to the village around midnight, were very cold and very hungry but were alive and well. There was a Korean man, about 25 years old, that had a seriously bad case of neumonia that Bill had diagnosed the night before and thought he might not make it through the night - he was alive and had an increased breathing rate and was being sent to Jomsom's hospital and eventually home to recover. Then his last patient was a British woman who Bill gave Diamox to as the altitude was really affecting her on the hike. She was good and was smiling. So, with the medical rounds done and our belly's full from breakfast, the hike must go on - so on we went!
Kagbeni is one of those villages that we thought would be just another place to see and another place to rest our heads for the night but as we got closer and more into the 'guts' of the village, all of us were very surprised and excited to explore more of its streets. The streets were amazing, the buildings from a few hundred years ago and the people very humble and helpful. There were rock terraces on each property and cows just roaming the streets in the middle of the day. Women were roasting seeds on an open fire in the road and monks were chanting in their monestaries above the houses, all giving the village a truely unique experience. Out of all of the villages so far, Kagbeni has been my favourite.
The morning started off with a heated relationship argument but once that was out of the way things settled down and we got hiking. We walked high above the river making our way higher and higher in elevation towards High Camp where we'd stay the night. So far we've all had very little effect to the altitude and have kept moving fairly quickley but today was a different story. The pace was about normal however we all could feel the beginning effects of going higher up. At lunch in Thorong Phedi Nic was mentioning she had a pretty bad headache so she went right onto Diamox, the altitude drug that balances out the body's pH levels to minimize the effects of altitude. In an hour or so things were feeling much better and the group decided to make the trek higher up one more hour to the circuit's High Camp, lodging at 4800 meters (15,744 feet) to spend the night. At a moment's notice if someone from the group were to show major signs of high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) or high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) we would pack up and hike back down to the village below and stay the night.
At the High Camp, I began to feel nauseated and had a wicked-bad headache, something that I hadn't experienced in a long time. Nic and I had an agreement that for this trip there were to be no 'tough guys' who would try to baby their symptoms if shown so I was up front in telling the group how felt and was honest in my emotions. Bill gave me some Diamox and we set a deadline as to how I was feeling and whether or not to stay or go. At 7pm that night I made the decision to stay at high camp as my symptoms were fading and I was feeling much better. I still don't know how bad I really was feeling but reading my journal excerpt from that night today it was clear that I wasn't feeling good and that I was showing signs of the HACE. None-the-less, the drugs worked very well and I got a well-rested night.
Day 10: Thorong-La Pass to Muktinath (Elevation at pass: 17, 764 feet)
We finally made it to the summit and were welcomed by a barrage of prayer flags and a plaque that congrtulated us on the accomplishment. The sun was shining, skies were totally clear, wind HOWLING and temperature was as close to rediculous as I've ever experienced (must have been -20 with the wind!). The feeling of making this pass was amazing and was made that much better because I was with the girl I love and some great friends to share the moment! Never had I ever thought of hiking this high so to check this one off my bucket list was a really cool thing. Lots of photos were taken (and are shared on my PICASA webpage) and around 9:30am we were ready to leave. Just at the moment another few hikers arrived and we welcomed them and cheered them on. Unfortunatly, one of the guys totally had some bad luck, slipped and twisted his leg on a sheet of ice. Right away Bill concluded that this guy showed signs of a spiral fracture of the fibula! Crap! A fractured leg on an icy summit pass where there's no chance of getting a helicopter to pick you up - AND an 1800 metre decent to the next village. On the brighter side, this guy couldn't have been luckier in the fact that he just fractured his leg in the presence of an ER doctor with other strong men around to help him down the mountain! The next few hours for me were grueling as I helped carry this guy partially down the trail. It was very icy in some sections and the grade of decent was unforgiving. I had on a pair of "Yak Trax" (strap on metal and rubber coils the to souls of shoes to give better traction in icy and snowy conditions) and had I not had them, my decent with this guy could have been much worse. Because of the blisters on my heels I was luckily carrying a roll of duct tape and with the tea hut beside us, there was enough wood to make a splint. 
It was decided upon to send for help and leave Costa with warm sleeping gear, an emergency blanket, some food and water. Nic and Bill went to the village and set up help to come back up the mountain to rescue Costa. They did a great job doing this and were able to get the help we needed. As I arrived in the next village close to 4:30pm I was starving and ready to just lay flat out and go to bed. I got some food in me and recharged for the next hour before moving to Muktinath. Just as we all were leaving, we saw the Nepali Army running (yes, running!) up the trail towards us, then past us and up the trail towards the summit. In our brief conversation with them, they said they would get Costa and bring him down by stretcher. What a day! At dinner that night we all looked back on what had happened that day and knew that it would be a lasting experience for all us of.
Day 11: Muktinath to Kagbeni
We needed to do our 'rounds' in the village to make sure all of Bill's patients were alive and well. We checked in on Costa and heard that he and his mates got to the village around midnight, were very cold and very hungry but were alive and well. There was a Korean man, about 25 years old, that had a seriously bad case of neumonia that Bill had diagnosed the night before and thought he might not make it through the night - he was alive and had an increased breathing rate and was being sent to Jomsom's hospital and eventually home to recover. Then his last patient was a British woman who Bill gave Diamox to as the altitude was really affecting her on the hike. She was good and was smiling. So, with the medical rounds done and our belly's full from breakfast, the hike must go on - so on we went!
Kagbeni is one of those villages that we thought would be just another place to see and another place to rest our heads for the night but as we got closer and more into the 'guts' of the village, all of us were very surprised and excited to explore more of its streets. The streets were amazing, the buildings from a few hundred years ago and the people very humble and helpful. There were rock terraces on each property and cows just roaming the streets in the middle of the day. Women were roasting seeds on an open fire in the road and monks were chanting in their monestaries above the houses, all giving the village a truely unique experience. Out of all of the villages so far, Kagbeni has been my favourite.
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