Still recovering
News from the rest of the team. More than a week after we hit the summit, we finally feel like recovering. Only now, we realise how exhausted we were.
This last part to Tilicho lake is really fun, even tough sometimes we have some heavy climbs. The weather is mega and everyyone is doing fine. The main stress in our life is stuffing our thermarest and our sleeping bag, day after day. Try doing that with cold hands...
We jump into bed at 7.30 pm and get up at 7am. Yep, even on saturday night.
And no, we still haven't had that shower...
- posted by lieve @ 11:49 PM

 
Yannick is doing fine
It’s been almost a week now since we reached the summit, and maybe it’s time now to tell you something that we kept silent this week, because we didn’t want to cause any panic, and because we wanted to get in touch with Yannicks familie first. But since the situation is rather stable now, we can go ahead.
The thing is: shortly after we left the Himlung Summit, Yannick got in trouble: snowblindness and frostbite at his toes and fingers. At that moment, we still had to return to basecamp, and Yannicks condition wasn’t upto it. Fortunately, we got lots of support from the climbing sherpas and we made it. Immediately after the arrival at basecamp, a heli brought Yannick to the hospital in Kathmandu, where he got the necessary medical care.
For the moment, he’s staying at the Garden Home Hotel in Kathmandu, where Jo Logghe and Betty (anders reizen) take care of him.
He wrote me (= Lieve) this mail to let everyone know that he's doing fine.

- posted by lieve @ 2:31 PM

 
yihaaaa!
We did it. The first flemish- belgian team at the top of the Himlung!
Christel, Herman, Yannick, Geert, Davy and Johan did it. It all happened on saturday. That day, we left at camp 3, at 6.30 am. The climb was heavy, really heavy. You can't believe how much wind we had in the last part. The wind literally smashed us to the ground. Sometimes, it even made us laugh. Standing up and.. hop.. there we were again, back down to earth. All of us, we had this constant struggle between our bodies begging us to stop and our minds, eager to reach the summit. Halfway, Kris turned back, the rest went on.
at 3.30pm, we reached the top, after 9 hours of suffering.
Far too late, indeed. So, we had to hurry to get back to camp 3, where we arrived at 8 pm.
Yesterday we went whole the way back to base camp. Right now, we're giving our bodies some rest. Recovering and thinking back about that climb.
Now we understand why so many people we met told us that they had been climbing 8000's, but never the Himlung. Because The Himlung, they said, is something different. And now, we understand what they mean.

- posted by lieve @ 8:54 AM

 
Summit attempt one
Friday night. After that horrible superwindy night in camp 2, we took all our remaining strength for the climb to camp 3. Meanwhile Davy and Kris joined us. Jordaan went back to base camp, tough.
That makes seven of us (Christel, Herman, Johan, Davy, Geert, Kris and Yannick) preparing for the final climb: straight to the summit! The weather is ok. Cold - allright, tell us something new - but not too windy.
So, thumbs up! Hope to get back soon with really good news.
- posted by lieve @ 4:10 PM

 
Exhaustion
At this very moment, exhaustion is our middle name. No kidding.
Yesterday, Johan, Geert, Herman, Yannick and Christel climbed from camp 1 to camp 2. In other words: from 5600m to 6300m. That took us eight (8!) hours.
It was killing. Almost literally, even. Well, we don't wanna be dramatic, but when Christel lost balance and found herself hanging in full emptiness, we sure didn't laugh. It took her a while to regain balance (the heavy backback didn't help) and in her attempts to get on shore, the edges of the mountain got a bit damaged, what gave the others even more trouble to cross over. So we had to establish a more systematic approach and first pass the backpacks and then the humans...
We were nearly dead when we,finally, arrrived at camp 2.
We intended to head further to camp 3 today, but we don't know if that's going to work. Our physical condition isn't optimal. And the wind is still making life & climbing very difficult. We didn't sleep for 24 hours now. This gigantic blast wind makes so much noise that we simply couldn't keep our eyes closed.
The cold and the lack of oxygene are exhausting us by the minute. Even closing a sleeping bag seems to take too much energy now.
At this very moment, we are sitting in the tent, without saying a word. Talking is useless. The wind makes it impossible to understand what someone says.
Our plans? Hesitation. some of us want to go back down, the others want to get up. So, we decided to stay here today, and see how things are tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Kris, Jordaan and Davy should be back in camp 1 by now. If they are courageous enough to face the wind, they might arrive here, at camp two, this evening. They should have news from the third group too.
- posted by lieve @ 9:27 AM

 
Blown by the wind
Monday. message from Camp One. And why not start with the predictable news? Bare slash stone slash fu**ing cold here!
Today, there were three groups of Himlungies. Since Frank, Omer and Hedwig stayed at base camp yesterday, they were still there today. And while Christel, Herman, Johan and Herlinde decided to regain some forces at camp 1 today, the others climbed towards camp 2. They didn't get really far, tough. Cause they were - literally - blown from the moutain. You can not believe how much wind we're having. Really! Even the sherpas, who went upthere to set up camp 2, had to come back.
Bottomline: it's not looking good. At this moment, we can't tell for sure if we're ever going to get up there. But we keep trying!
Anyway, our plans for the next days: after their attempt, Davy, Kris and Jordaan went down to base camp. They need some recuperation. After a recovery day tomorrow, Herman, Christel, Johan and Yannick intend to give it another try on wednesday.
Apart from the wind and the cold, everything is going fine here. No big accidents or deseases. Only that freeze dried food is starting to bothbothbother us.

- posted by lieve @ 10:24 PM

 
Elegance lost
Sunday today. But we didn't see much sun. While we were climbing from base camp to camp one, we were surrounded by clouds. It even snowed this morning. Only an hour, tough.
Omer, Frank and Hedwig stayed at base camp, They didn't feel fit enough to do the climb. And honestly, It wasn't easy. Not only because we had to carry the rest of our material up, but on top of that, some of us involuntarily took the wrong way. Getting lost, that's what they call this phenomenon, no?
The circuit itself was rather tricky, too, and was partly covered with ice. And, euh, one thing is sure: we definitely weren't the worlds most elegantly moving climbing team today. Improvisation was our middle name. But finally, we arrived safe and well at the campsite.
For the first time, we cooked in the tents. Our delicious freeze dried food, remember? And yep, as to be expected, Kris had to endure all the tent-burning jokes.
Talking about jokes, it was Jordaans birthday today. Up he goes!
Anyway, going to bed now. In this camp, we sleep two by two in the tents. There is one tent for three. A warm and cosy night is awaiting us.
- posted by lieve @ 7:03 PM

 
Camp 1
Saturday night. We carried some loads to camp one today. Camp 1 is situated at 5575 m, a bit higher than we expected. It was hard work. The first part of the climb went over a moraine. After that we did our first steps on the glacier, but euh... without crampons at our feet. Talking about a thrilling experience.!
And again: it's really cccccold here. Minus seven in the tent, tells the thermometer, while our common sense tells us that it wont get any warmer the next days... So, we're mentally prepared for a big freezing Minus.
We just had a meeting with the sherpas to set out the planning for the following days. We intend to stay two days at camp one, and then we move on. Since most teammembers are still in good shape, we are optimistic.

- posted by lieve @ 3:44 PM

 
Base camp
Yihaa. We arrived at base camp. It took us a 800 meter climb. And we felt that. Herman, Frank & Hedwig are suffering from a Major Headache. Nothing dramatic or unexpected, just the altitude knocking on their brains.
Saturday, after an hindou ceremony, we intend to carry some of our stuff to high camp one, and come back to sleep at base camp, still following the "climb high, sleep low principle" - acclimatization, remember?
Camp I is close to a glacier at 5.300 m and is about 3 to 4 hours away from the base camp. From the base camp at 4.854 m to camp I, we only need to follow a moraine and we don't need technical alpinist equipment.
Nevertheless, we're at the start of our "Big Twelve": the next 12 days we have to get this 7.126 m high mountain under our feet...
- posted by lieve @ 3:25 PM

 
No shit!
Everything ok here. We just left the last inhabited regions behind us and prepare ourselves for the "real work". Base camp, here we come!
Don't get the wrong idea, tough. Before you start seeing us as lazy sundaywalkers-with-a-backpack: we definitely had some doses of physical activity allready. Like yesterday, we climbed a small mountaintop of 4480 m. It was a good exercise, especially to acclimatize and adjust ourselves to the heights.
But the well-known mountaineering principle of "climb high, sleep low" couldn't prevent that some of us already are suffering from "the" altitude-headache. And those who didn't have a heavy head by then, got one yesterday, after a visit to a buddhistic shelter, where the lama blessed our heads a bit too enthusiastic.
Anyway, luxury is far away. cold, fatigue, wind and altitude sickness are starting to torture us. In the tent, it's not warmer than -6°, and we're not even up yet. We met the Belgian-Portugese team yesterday - they're on their way back - and they told us that in the high camps, they got minus 15 degrees in the tent.
And off course every day brings a new little story. Take Herman for instance, the guy is definitely losing touch with breakfast table habits (or is it degeneration?). He starts mixing his porridge with cacaopowder ("strange milkpowder they sell here, guys!"). And for Geert, he scared the hell out of our sherpas while burning his "output and accessories". They were convinced there were Maoists in those bushes.. no shit!

- posted by lieve @ 10:54 PM

 
Happy B
Wigs birthday today. Yihaaa. Turning 33 mountainhigh!

- posted by lieve @ 3:08 PM

 
We tourists, we no balloon
Friday , we bumped ito the local police. Undercover. They were looking for some maoists, who were said to be hanging around here. Apart from that, everything is going fine. BTW, did we tell you already that our cargo and material arrived safe and well?!
We're still in a real holliday spirit. We even had some warm applecake, today. Well, not all of us, because there are some people having problems with the output - if you know what I mean...
Our hikingcircuit is rather touristic too these days. And we're not the only ones noticing that. In every village, we're in no time surrounded by local kids, begging for candy and balloons. When they realize that we don't have what they want, they don't hesitate to use the word "SHIT!"
Saturday was our last day "off". Today - sunday - we're into some heavier climbing. We leave the Annapurna trail in the direction of Dharmasala.
And since last night the temperatures went far beyond zero, we're definitely getting in the right mood.
Yesterday, we met Paulo Grobel, the French mountainguide who climbed the Himlung last year. He gave us some tips and we exchanged stories. interesting.
So up we are now!
Oh yeah, dixit Kris, another comforting tought for the homefront: when Christel takes the lead, there is no risk of us getting lost. Cause she doesn't stop chatting, cackling and giggling :-).

- posted by lieve @ 12:06 PM

 
Technical problems
Due to network maintenance at the VUB, the mainpage http://www.himlung2003.org wasn't accessible last night and today.
- posted by lieve @ 2:27 PM

 
On the mule
So, where were we..? Oh yep, "on the road". And on the road we were indeed, last tuesday. In a kind of wee truck. Not less than six hours. And all we did was... 100 kilometers. Horror. Complete insanity. We met lots of military checkpoints while driving. But finally, we arrived safe and well in Besi Sahar.
Wednesday was our first big day, then. Hiking was its middle name. Quite relax and easy walking. That is... for us. The mules - replacing some of the sixty porters - felt less relaxed, tough. One of them got really sick. Coincidently or not, it was the one who was carrying Kris' luggage. The poor animal didn't arrive before 9pm. Meanwhile, our panic grew. Someone told a story about stolen sleeping bags during a former expedition and on top of that, Kris was sure that he left our climbing permit in his mule-bag. Anyway, a bit later, he found the permit - and the copies! - in the bag he was carrying himself. Yeah right.
No happy end for the mule, sadly enough. He died from a bladder explosion...
But despite the panic, we enjoyed the hiking. The trail was really beautiful. We met lots of waterfalls and the climate is nice, subtropic even. We can hardly imagine that in a week from now, we'll find ourselves in a snowy and icy environment..

- posted by lieve @ 11:35 PM

 
Look at us!
Last weekend, WTV/Focus, two local television stations in West-Vlaanderen, broadcasted an issue on our expedition. Really good. They had some basic background information larded by an interview with Kris. He surely gave color to the thing. He explained how to light a fire at great heights - no comment - and told a story about the pee-bottle. Anyway, good news for those who don't live in West-Vlaanderen: you can watch the video on line. Here's the link! Get that Mediaplayer running!
- posted by lieve @ 8:30 PM

 
In good company
Yesterday, we got our climbing permit, without any problem.
Our permitseekers Kris and Davy had a long talk with Gotz Wiegand and Frank Mautznered, two guys of the German expedition. If you're into climbing, their names surely ring a bell. They climbed the Everest and Dhaulaghiri and are definitely no wussies. Well, even those guys warned us for the extreme cold upthere. Apparently, we're up for the Himlung's northface. So, that's why we went for the extra clothes, especially the hand-warmers should come in handy (we bought the complete Kathmandu stock!).

Talking about good company and people-watching: we just saw sherpa Appa (world record Everest climbs: 13!) and Stephane Shaefer (he just came back from Cho Oyu and Shisenpahgma).

Other news from "the" mountain reached us today: from the Belgian-Portugese (Belgians from the French speaking part of the country) team, that started their expedition a few weeks ago, five people made it to the top. That means that we still will be the first flemisch team on the Himlung top.
The French expedition came back, tough. Too cold..
So that's why there were still so many handwarmers left in Kathmandu.

On the road now! >>> check out that permit
- posted by lieve @ 12:30 AM

 
Kathmandu, here we are
No more panic. After all the airline fuzz, we finally arrived! All twelve of us are strolling around in Kathmandu at this very moment.

We still had one emotional moment tough. Just when we were about to get the last missing seat in London, long Geert (2 m) smashed his head into a not-that-long info-display (1,90m). But he forgot his tears when the stewards came to tell him that his long leggs were really too long for economy class, and that they couldn't do anything else than pushing him in a business seat.
Some hilaric scenes at the Britisch security check too. Our shoes definitely showed signs of metal-overdose and needed an extra check-up and Herman - the man with the beard - apparently had too much shaving ambitions. His shaving blades never saw Kathmandu.
A funny thing happened there too. In the middle of our shoe- and shavinggear inspection, we suddenly were recognized by a guy from West-Vlaanderen. He had read an article that Jordaan had written about our expedition in a small local journal.


Anyway, Kathmandu is were we are today. Kris and Davy are up to the ministery of
mountainering to get our climbing permit. Yesterday we got a briefing from our sirdar. Seems that the guy has climbed the Everest not less than five times. Knowhow is on our sides... Oh yeah, and we allready have 60 (sixty!!) carriers to take all our luggage upto basecamp.

We have been talking to the German expedition too. They warned us for the cold. Extremely cold up there, that's what they said. That's why Herlinde, Johan, Geert and Christel just did some last minute shopping. They came back with bags full of warm clothes. Christel wanted to wear them all on top of one another, but she found out that that doesn't facilitate walking, let alone climbing.

Tomorrow at dawn, we take the bus to besi sahar. Talking about differences. Right now, we are at 1300 m, 31°C. So, we need to get up 6000 meter higher and and more than 65 degrees lower!!

Meanwhile, we try to escape death in Kathmandu's traffic, engage in some last minute fattening and laugh ourselves completely fluffy with Kris' stories about his former expedition experiences. Last night, he described the frostbite he once got at his toe as "a hump of hamburgermeat just getting out of the fridge". Yeah right..

- posted by lieve @ 10:52 AM

 
Take off!
Allrightie! We left. That's one thing we know for sure. No idea when we'll arrive, tough. Because leaving seemed as hard as climbing the Himlung barefoot.
Despite the endless phonecalls with travelagencies and airline companies, there were some problems with the flight. For some strange reason, only five tickets were confirmed. "uh, you guys are twelve?!" And on top of that, the London-Abu Dhabi flight was overbooked. No panic! A couple phonecalls later, only Frank and Kris had to plea for a seat. On their knees. Since they were alphabetically the last ones in the line...
Anyway, in the end, everybody got his ticket to London. Up to Gulf Air now to match far too little - seats with - far too many - people. Worst case scenario: we build a lap-tower in the plane... >>look at the pictures
- posted by lieve @ 6:38 PM