Flying to Lukla

If all goes well we'll be on a plane tomorrow morning to Lukla to begin our trek to Everest base camp.  I say "if all goes well" because the huge Alpine Ascents International expedition, several members of which I know from my Aconcagua expedition several years ago, have been stranded for several days now.  That's one of the disadvantages of a large expedition: logistically it's more of a challenge to move people and gear, especially when airplanes are involved.  Even though there's a thunderstorm going on here in Kathmandu right now, the forecast for tomorrow is good, so I'm optimistic that we'll be able to fly.

Although it's possible to make the trek from Lukla to Everest base camp in a matter of three or four days, we plan to take 8-9 for purposes of acclimatization.  That's a process that simply can't be hurried, at least not safely.  Along the way we'll spend time at Namche Bazaar and Tenboche monastery.  (I'm guessing about the spelling of those by the way, so cut me some slack.  I'm sure I'll have it right once I've spent some time in each place.)

We've already got a couple of the Russian guides and some of our sherpas at Everest base camp.  Our camp should be well established by the time we get there.

I won't have access to the Internet while we're trekking to base camp, so this will be my last post for 8-9 days.  I'll be back online once we get to base camp.  Hopefully, our satellite uplink and wifi system will be operational by the time we arrive.

I'm getting to know the other members of the expedition better and better.  It's a very diverse, international group, with climbers from Russia, France, Holland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Canada, and then there's me from America.

I'm amazed at the technology that is available these days.  Earlier I was on a video call via Skype with a producer at Inside Edition.  Nothing is for sure until a segment actually appears on the broadcast--that's just the way that industry works--but it's all looking very positive in terms of doing some segments about my Everest expedition and the Arizona Dream House Raffle.  Who knows?  Soon I could be talking to Deborah Norville via Skype from Everest base camp with the spectacular Khumbu ice fall in the background.

Thanks as always for your support and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.