He likes blogging... a Watt.
Name: Anthony Watt
Age: 26
Hometown: Meeker, CO
Area of study: Bioengineering
Year in school: Senior
**A note from the editor, we are running out of allocated memory on the blog, so there will be less photos than I'd like. Apologies for the technical difficulties.
Daily Recap
One of the biggest difficulties with having a 4am departure time is debating when to set the alarm. Do you set it for as close as possible to get as much precious sleep as you can, or do you set the alarm to a very conservative amount of time before to ensure that you do not miss the departure? My decision was not as difficult because of the difficulty sleeping at elevation combined with the excitement of the day in front of me. I was up and ready hours before we had to depart.
Kala Patthar is going to be the highest elevation many of us reach in our hiking careers. The (~5600m) peak is cradled in between some of the largest mountains in the world, and reaching the summit before sunrise is no easy task. The hike starts with a very non-intimidating jaunt toward a false summit, but the elevation was not going to be cooperative. The hike looks like anything that you would expect for a simple day trek, but the lack of oxygen turns the simple and easy into exhausting and slow. Everyone was cheering each other on toward the top, and we all had a great time at the summit taking pictures, and having the celebratory drink of choice. The feeling of standing in the shadow of giants when the sun rose will not soon be forgotten.
As soon as the sun crept low enough on Everest, we began our descent back into Gorak Shep for some much needed food. Breakfast was very standard, but much needed for the long hike back into Pheriche. With the fatigue of the previous days and the knowledge that metaphorically and physically “it’s all downhill from here”, the hike was going to be a slog. Fortunately, we had been blessed with gorgeous weather. It was almost trance-like walking through valleys and trails and seeing sights that had been previously covered by clouds on our ascent hike.
Pheriche was a familiar home to us now, and we thoroughly enjoyed the return to lower altitude. Because of the drop in elevation, the increase in oxygen saturation, and the ability to breathe somewhat normally in comparison to Gorak Shep, people were getting increasingly happy. However, because of the taxing nature of 6 hour hikes, a nap was required by all after we arrived. After my short nap, I went to Café Altitude with the group and we enjoyed a lovely meal and some cake.
It is probably immediately apparent that the fatigue is affecting my ability to recall events and create entertaining stories about our adventures. The experience of trekking through the Himalayas is nearly religious and I am doing my best to immerse myself in the environment every chance I get. I know that everyone else is doing the same to appreciate the views and the experience of pushing our legs to the limit every day. This has been a great opportunity and I will be sad when we have to return from the mountains.
