20.01.10 – 7.25pm (1.45pm UK)

Sadly, I’ve managed to get food poisoning. I went to bed feeling none too well last night & within hours was more than a little ‘worse for wear’. It carried on through the day today & when I wasn’t sleeping was ‘indisposed’. This carried on through the night too & after a steady stream of rehydration sachets (thanks Rob) & some tablets I was feeling very weak but certainly a chunk better by the morning. I’ve asked John to write today’s blog long hand for me to copy out when I have a moment as the other guys did do some activities which are well worth sharing.

Written by John:

Today is designated a rest day, but for those who have acclimatised well there is the possibility of climbing Nangkar Tshang, at 5100m (16800ft) it overlooks the summer settlement of Dingboche. It’s an attractive proposition, not only for the great views, but also to employ the principal of climb high, sleep low. Dingboche is an attractive village set on a wide shelf above the Imja Khala River. Most villagers are at present earning a living in Kathmandu, but will return to sow seed in the small fields in March & stay until harvesting in September.

The fields are sometimes terraced but all are attractively bordered with dry stone walls. The other commercial activity is trekking lodges & the main season for this seems to be March to May & September to November.

So, at 7.00am two porter Sherpas knock on the door with ‘bed tea’, a ritual which goes back many years & expeditions. There’s now a frantic rush to dress for the climb & use the moderate facilities. There are two toilets, one conventional & the other the squat style. It’s a dubious decision to use the latter as the floor is concrete, somewhat damp & is frozen. One even needs to hack through the ice on the water bucket in order to ‘hand flush’ the toilet.

There is one sink situated at the foot of the stairs leading to the common room. The tap for the sink is frozen & so water is provided by a plastic container at the side. The common room where we dine is of a design found everywhere: in the centre is a stove, the fuel for which is either wood or yak dung. Needless to say there is competition for the seats around this feature!

Breakfast is served at 7.30am & at 8.30am we’re off, leaving poor Tim behind with his version of the Khumbu Quickstep!

We climb steadily past two stupas – Buddhist monuments – & by half way our numbers have dwindled from 12 to 6. It’s hard going, but the ever widening views are encouraging & the six make it to the summit; a rocky outcrop with a drop of about 200ft on its eastern face. There’s much photography of the surrounding mountains, particularly Lhotse to the north & new views to the east along the Imja Khola Valley. Island Peak stands alone in the distance & behind a beautiful ridge which has a perfectly symmetrical peak at its northern end, the Holy Mountain of Cho Polu. Behind the ridge in the far distance is another 8000m peak, Makalu.

The group returns to the lodge about 2.00pm & after lunch some rest in their rooms. It’s been an exhausting exercise, though bound to have done some good on altitude acclimatisation. The good news back at the lodge is that Tim is feeling a little better & for once takes advice to eat only dry biscuits. He’ll soon be back to his bouncy self.

Most of us go to bed at about 8.30pm. Tomorrow is another big day, along the terrace above the Lobuche Khola which flows out of the Khumbu Glacier. It’s getting very exciting!