It took us just shy of three hours to get from Pangboche to our Ama Dablam base camp. Furtenbach really laid down the best for us: lounging tent, ACTUAL bed, cruise standard towels, shower, hand wash, hand sanitizer, extra large tent, and more!
The camp layout was truly thoughtfully designed. The shower and toilet are a respectable distance but not too far away from the residential tents. The puja altar is further away from the residential tents as foreigners like us aren’t used to the juniper smoke every day. Hot showers are very hot. On sunny days, clean bodies do keep your spirits up.
The Sherpa team worked tirelessly to keep us comfortable, warm, and ready. As everyone knows, Himalayan expeditions only happen with them. Growing up in the region and doing manual labor hardened their bodies; Sherpas are incredibly strong. I am glad some of them are getting the opportunity to learn to be internationally qualified mountain guides. Their patience and perseverance will undoubtedly stand them apart.
Our internally credited guide accompanying the team is Herbert Wolfe, a former Austrian secret service agent, a guide with over 20 years of experience. I cannot recommend Herbert enough; he is patient, kind, careful, and professional.
We will go for one rotation to camp 1 around 5800-5900 meters. Then wait for a 24-hour window to push to the summit. The first reports of the condition look great. Solid footing up top, snow covering the rocky sections makes it safer for our ascend.Â
Rotation 1
Rotation 1 was rough. It took us 6 hours to get to camp 1. The route to camp 1 just felt so long with myself getting seriously sick again with the food and the dry wind. Sleeping at camp 1 proved very difficult for many people; some did not sleep at all. Despite the difficulty, this is an essential stop for us as this will be our last acclimatization run before the summit push. As the “Flash” team (my team) did not go through the Gokyo pass, this was our only chance to be physically above 5000 meters. The sun came up just after 6 am—finally, time to head down. We promptly packed up and rushed down for the Puja ceremony.
Puja
As is customary, we will have a puja ceremony before the summit push to appease the mountain gods. We, as well as our gears, get blessed alongside the various offerings. To many who are not actively part of the practice, pujas seem to be just a ceremonial part of the expedition. In reality, many of the Sherpas still very much believe in its powers. Lamas invites are noted for their ability to bring successful summits; junipers are lit and added each day; ashes are spread on the successful returns. Puja is still very much an active part of the Himalayan climbing life. Well, I sure hope this Puja will bring me some good luck!
