As most of you already know, my trip was cut short due to me collapsing 100m short of my goal at Pangpema at 5,100m due to altitude sickness.  Our Sherpas brought me back down to 4,800m and I spent the next two days recovering at Lhonak.  It was decided I could not physically climb over the 5,800 pass north west of Kanchenjunga and I joined our treking team and headed back down.  The remaining 6 members of the expedition team spent the night at Pangpema and only two members were able to join Jammie in climbing higher; the rest decended and came back with me - very disapointing; but hey, we're all alive!

The most wonderful country in the world and most amazing people, especially the Sherpas and porters who assisted us throughtout our journey.

Kanchenjunga Expedition

The expedition was a combination of two groups: six trekkers and eight expedition members.  We all planned to trek to Kanchenjunga Base Camp, then the trekkers were to return whilst the expedition team went further into the wilds climbing a number of 6000m peaks and exploring some unknown territory towards the Tibet border.  As it turned out, only two expedition members were able to continue after reaching Base Camp (they’re still out there somewhere) and everyone else returned on the planned route with the trekkers.

The Kanchenjunga region offers some of the best trekking and exploring in Nepal.  The region is unspoilt; and many areas are still unexplored.  It offers an outstanding cultural insight into the people, flora and fauna of the region.  The sight of Kanchenjunga, seen from Pangpema (the north base camp) is unforgettable, as is the north face of Jannu, Wedge Peak and Mera.  Kanchenjunga is the third highest mountain on the planet but unlike Everest and K2, the trek to its base camps has been strangely neglected.  It has not yet been fully commercialised and few organisations offer trekking/climbing packages for tourists.

My flight from Sydney, overnight in Bangkok, arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday 23 October 2005.  Jamie McGuinness (expedition leader) from Explore Himalaya and his team met us at the airport and escorted us to our hotel in the centre of Thamel.

Thamel is a mass of energy and chaos with a myriad of banners, signs, pumping music shops, bakeries, internet cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels and travellers.  Everyone shares the roadways (if you could call them that!); from trucks, cars, taxi’s, motorbikes (all 100cc jobs), rickshaws, bicycles and pedestrians – all vying for space.  There didn’t appear to be any road rules; and more amazing, no accidents.  Even through the constant tooting of horns, there was no such thing as road rage.

Day 2 Kathmandu 1350m

We explored the sights of Kathmandu and the valley; first visiting the monkey temple (Swayambhunath) with its commanding views of Kathmandu, its whitewashed stupas and its unique synthesis of Buddhist and Hindu religions and then exploring Durbar Square.  The rest of the day was taken up in checking our gear and shopping for that last minute essential.  We found a host of trekking shops all offering ‘genuine’ North Face and Lowe Alpine gear for a fraction of the price you would pay at home.

Day 3 Proposed flight to Suketar 2420m

We arrived at the airport ready for our charter flight to direct to Suketar, the airport for Taplejung, the district capital.  However, due to weather conditions, we spent nearly the whole day waiting to get out.  The weather at Suketar was not good.  The airport (a grass runway about 600m long atop of a 2500m hill) was shrouded in cloud and no planes could land; so we change to plan B; returned to Thamel and went to the pub.

Day 4-6 Fly from Kathmandu to Biratnagar and bus to Taplejung

Returning to Kathmandu airport with fingers crossed didn’t help.  Plan B came into play and we were able to catch a flight to Biratnagar in the south of eastern Nepal; a few hundred kilometres from our planned starting point at Suketar.

If you enjoy travelling by bus, the next day and a half will turn you off it forever!  We boarded the ’bus’ and hit the ‘road’.  After leaving the town and winding our way through the lower countryside; we started to climb and traverse the lower hills on a dirt road no wider than the bus itself; rock face on our right and a sheer 500m drop to our left – the bus bouncing and rolling along the roadway at an average speed of 5km/h.  Squeezing our way past a fallen tree, slipping and sliding in the mud, holding our breathe when the outside wheels were centimetres over the edge of the roadway, and muttering a few strategically placed prayers and a bucket load of curses; we make it to Taplejung.

Sorting our gear the next day, we hit the road and walked the 10km or so to our first camp at Phurumbu.  After traversing the hillside a short way, we descend, then ascended, then again, then again and then again; crossing suspension bridges before beginning the steep climb up to Phurumbu.

Day 7 Trek to Chhiruwa 1270m

From Phurumbu the path traversed steep hillsides through terraced fields and sub-tropical jungle.  The heat and humidity together with the constant 3-500m ascents and descents really got to me.  I drank 6 litres of water during the day and only had two pees – the rest was sweated out.  I arrived at camp absolutely stuffed.  The trail was extremely dangerous; sometimes only the width of my boot between me and a 500m fall into nothing!

Day 8 trek to Jonggim 1650m

Day seven wasn’t much better; constant up and down 5-800m hills.  But it was worth it; we had spam for diner!  Shouldn’t complain, the food our cooking crew prepared was excellent.  Three big square meals a day, mostly vegetarian, but with a heap of protein in the form of dahl bart (lentils).  Later on in the trek we dined on yak meat which was tough, but very tasty.

Day 9 Trek to Amjilosa 2510m

Biggest day yet; climbed around 900m through dense rainforest; trying to ward off ticks, mosquitoes and leaches.  But my reward was a bottle of warm Coke I purchased at the local village for about $2.00.  The days was hot but the nights are now starting to get cool.

Day 10 Trek to Gyabla 2730m

Another hard day, nothing new.

Day 11/12 Trek to Ghunsa 3595m

We climbed a real hill today, 3 hours of steep ascent saw us arrive at camp in the early afternoon and the temperature dropped dramatically; it was bitterly cold and out came the thermals.  We spent the following day relaxing and acclimatizing.  Ghunsa is set in a valley where the sun doesn’t rise till 10am and sets around 3pm.  Overnight temperatures dropped to below 0`.

We crossed a French expedition that were on their way back down from Kanchenjunga base camp.  They told us the temperature had dropped to -25`C and one of their Sherpas had died due to altitude sickness.

Day 13/14 Trek to Kambachen 4100m and acclimatisation

Another strenuous day and gain in altitude.  I didn’t sleep well last night; kept on waking up and forcing myself to breathe.  At this altitude there is about 60% oxygen.  The altitude is now starting to effect me; I have difficulty breathing and have very little stamina.  My heart rate on the trail is around 145 and 110 at rest.  My oxygen saturation has dropped to 82%.  I’m starting to think I might not make it to Base Camp.

We’ve been following the Ghunsa Khola river which flows directly from the Kanchenjunga glacier.  Finally finding our way through beautiful forests of conifers which gave way to rhododendron forests and bamboo where the Red Panda is suppose to live.  The valley climbed fairly steeply and as the days progressed the trees became more stunted and scattered, giving us glimpses of the snow-capped giants ahead.  We’re now camping in yak grazing paddocks.  There were several tricky sections across conglomerate landslides before the trail climbed and traversed to the summer village of Khambachen where we saw a magnificent view of Jannu.

Day 15 Trek to Lhonak 4785m

Magnificent view of Wedge Peak, Mera and Jannu.  The conditions are getting serious and oxygen is down to about 55%.  My stamina is just about depleted.  The campsite at Lhonak is on a grassy plain that overlooks the Kanchenjunga Glaciers and is opposite the spectacular Wedge Peak.  Snow leopard are suppose to live in this area, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any.

Day 16 Trek to Pangpema (Kanchenjunga Base Camp) 5100m

Setting off early we had our first close encounter with Kanchenjunga.  Following the ablation valley round its sweeping curve, we were suddenly confronted with the fearsome north face of Kanchenjunga.  This vast ridge forms a cirque over 15kms long, nowhere less than 7500m high and with the three main summits of Kanchenjunga at 8420m, 8586m, and 8474m! It was a breathtaking mountain panorama.

This was where my progress was suddenly stopped.  About 2 hours into the trek, I could feel myself going downhill fast.  Now at 53% oxygen in the air, my breathing became difficult and my heart rate went through he roof.  I started to get a major headache in the back of my head when the Sherpas came up and took my pack off me.  I downed a litre of water and scoffed a Mars bar for some energy.

Some 500m more saw me struggling to put one foot in front of the other.  I decided to sit down and have a rest, but that was the last thing I remember; I blacked out and fell to the ground, struggling for air with my heart pounding through my chest.  The Sherpas assisted me to regulate my breathing and we immediately turned around and headed back down to Lhonak.

By the time I reached Lhonak I was much better; 300m in altitude really made a big difference.  They sent my porter back down together with a cook and a Sherpa and I slept the rest of the day and all night.

Day 17 Rest at Lhonak 4785m

I spent the day resting and regaining my energy; which came back quickly after much water and some hearty meals.  Later that day, the rest of the team returned to camp.  After discussions with our expedition leader and the head Sherpa, it was decided I could not physically continue with the expedition which was to climb over a 5800m pass the following day to continue their climb to the 6500m peaks we were suppose to summit.

Altitude sickness is a serious problem.  If you don’t descend, your chances of getting a cerebral and pulmonary oedema and dying, is an absolute given.  Seeing I was pretty stuffed anyway; the choice was easy!  The following day I started my climb back to reality with the trekking team.

Due to other unforseen circumstances and other medical issues, five other members of the expedition also chose to return with the trekking team; leaving only two members to continue with Jammie over the pass and into history!

Day 18-25 Trek to Suketar 2420m

Over the next few days we retraced our steps and finally arrived at Suketar airport where we spent the night guarded by the Police and Army before our flight back to Kathmandu.

Day 26 Fly to Kathmandu

We returned to Kathmandu and had a night out eating pizza and drinking Everest beer followed by quite a large number of Black Russians and a not-so-early night.

Day 27 Kathmandu

Spent the day washing and re-packing then had a massage and shopped.

Day 28 Return home

Flew from Kathmandu to overnight in Bangkok, then Sydney, overnight and finally the three hour bus ride (not another bus!) back to Canberra.

Hope you enjoy the photos on the photo page.

Keep watching for my next stupid adventure!

Cheers to everyone.