Updated
kac 4/23/09

Dear Friends and Family,

We are back in Namche. It's Sunday, April 19, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.—and that means we made it to Base Camp and back! And it was not easy . . . harder than we expected. The altitude really takes a toll, such that every step up sucks the air out of you. We were well prepared prior to ascending to Gorak Shep and Base Camp, but the trek was eight hours the day we went to Base Camp, rising close to 2,000 feet in elevation. Two of our group had to return to lower elevations because of headaches and an intestinal virus.

It is so hard to watch where you are stepping when your eyes are on the incredible snow capped peaks that surround you! The beauty of the Himalayas is beyond what our photos can capture—though we tried! And the energy expended while trekking is really considerable. This is the most difficult physical challenge we have ever undertaken—by far.

Maggie suffered from incredible physical fatigue the last three trekking days and Bob's hands are sore and weathered from the cold and the sun. It's surprising the impact that the bright sun has at high altitudes. But we are recovering quickly—we found a bakery that has cappuccinos and chocolate cake!

And wait till you hear our stories of our lodging at Gorak Shep. I think we slept in a refrigerator. Then we had a sudden snow storm—which Bob was in at 4:00 a.m. because we were to climb Kala Patar. So that climb was delayed for two hours. But to see the Himalaya Peaks gilded by the rising sun is simply breathtaking—whatever breath we had left! So we did see Everest and we did get to Base Camp and now we have a day of rest here in Namche before we continue our descent to Lukla for our flight to Kathmandu on Wednesday.