Tag Archives: Nepal

Climbing Ama Dablam Day 17: Return to Base Camp and Rest

We pack the gear up and leave everything we can at C1. We descend, stash our climbing gear, and then drop back down to base camp. Did You Know? There are a lot of fast flowing rivers in Nepal which … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 16: Recce to Camp Two

Another easy start to the day. After breakfast and plenty of hot drinks, we’ll put the harnesses on and recce the route along towards Camp 2. The route is fabulous and is on great rock. The majority of the going … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 15: First Night at Camp One (5800 m.)

It’s now time to move and sleep further up the hill. We pack up and make our way up to the slabs below Camp 1 where we’ll have our harnesses, helmets, and climbing gear stashed. We’ll spend the rest of … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 14: Return to Advanced Base Camp

After a leisurely base camp breakfast, we rest for the morning. After an early lunch, we trek back up to ABC in the afternoon. It’s much easier the second time around because we will have left most of our gear … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 13: Find Your Fit Friday

It’s about a two hour descent back down to base camp so we may want to just pack and go have breakfast in the base camp. We rest and relax in the sun for the rest of the day and … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 12: Acclimatization Climb to Camp 1

Acclimatization day. The sun hits Advanced Base Cmap quite early and thankfully there is no rush to be up and about. So after a leisurely breakfast and having aired our sleeping bags we wander up to Camp 1. From ABC … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 11: First Climb to Advanced Base Camp (5350 m.)

After our final preparations for our first foray up the hill, we will have an early lunch at Base Camp. We start along the easy trail and then gradually gain height along the ridge as we pass the old airfield … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 10: Base Camp Puja

After the Base Camp Puja, which is conducted by a lama who visits from Pangboche, we will have time to start sorting the loads for our first carry. Did You Know? A popular fast food in Nepal are called Momo. … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 9: Rest and Technical Skills Day

This is a rest and technical training day. We have a very thorough session on the use of jumars, belay devices, prussiks and appropriate techniques for dealing with fixed ropes. It is very good to put all this in to … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 8: Reaching Ama Dablam Base Camp (4450 m.)

After breakfast, we visit the monastery at ‘Upper Pangboche.’ This is a beautiful quiet village just 15 minutes easy walking above Pangboche. After our first ‘puja’ (blessing) of the trip, we drop back down to Sonam Lodge for an early … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 7: Trek to Pangboche (3985 m.)

Today we drop all the way down to the Dudh Kosi to the village of Phunki Tenga, before making our way steadily back up to Tengboche where we stop for lunch. After visiting the monastery and looking around the visitor … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 6: Find Your Fit Friday

Today we’ll get our first proper view of Ama Dablam. We’ll trek up to the Everest View Hotel, a fantastic colonial style building, where we have tea on the veranda. The amazing view includes Taweche, Nuptse, Everest, Lhotse, Thamesurku, Kang … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 5: Trek to Kyanjuma (3450 m.)

After breakfast, we start on the trail alongside the Dudh Kosi (Milk River) which originates from the Khumbu Glacier some 50 kilometres away. We cross the river four times on the route today on some quite exciting (but very well … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 4: Fly to Lukla and Trek to Phak Ding (2650 m.)

We have an early morning flight to Lukla (2,800m). After arrival in Lukla, breakfast, and sorting the gear into loads, we will start trekking towards Ama Dablam. We will trek in and stay in a teahouse at Phak Ding (2,650m). … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 3: Sightseeing in Kathmandu

This morning we’ll be sightseeing and taking in key attractions in and around Kathmandu. The Kathmandu Valley has an amazing range of fascinating highlights. We will visit Pashupatinath and Boudhanath (two favourite places of mine). Did You Know? Kathmandu has … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 2: Arrival in Kathmandu

Today is arrival day in Kathmandu. It will be delightful to be back in this vibrant city, catch up with several friends, and start meeting my Ama Dablam teammates. Did You Know? The population of Nepal is approximately 27 million … Continue reading

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Climbing Ama Dablam Day 1: Leaving Home for Nepal

“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” ― Dr. Seuss Did You Know? Electric power load-shedding is a way of life in Nepal and power outages can last for … Continue reading

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We’ve All Got a Mountain: TA is Climbing Ama Dablam

I first saw Ama Dablam in 2002 and several times since then culminating this past spring, when I saw the peak from many new angles as I completed my Great Big Walk. It was then, that I knew that I truly … Continue reading

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M is for Managing Risk: Ama Dablam #15

Tragic events in Nepal over the past six months have showed us over and over again the many ways in which high mountains can kill and injure. Falling ice, rock, and snow, storms, landslides, falls, altitude illness, and more take … Continue reading

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D is for Dark & Deary: Ama Dablam #14

I am one of the few who are looking forward to having the clocks fall back this weekend. The morning training has started out in the pitch black these days and now the sunset doesn’t happen until after I’m done. … Continue reading

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A is for Anxiety: Ama Dablam #13

I am less than two weeks to Ama Dablam. As usual, I’m not sure where the time went in the lead up to the climb, I just know I don’t quite feel ready. Though, if I am honest, I suspect … Continue reading

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Visual Soliloquy #989 You may think I’m small, but I have a universe inside my mind. ..

You may think I’m small, but I have a universe inside my mind. ― Yoko Ono

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The Great Big Walk

By Michelle Osmond On March 5, Dr. TA Loeffler set out on a 600 kilometre traverse of the High Himalaya in Nepal. The HKR professor, along with her partner Marion Wissink from the Department of Computer Science, and two others … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk: Still Walking

It’s been a whirlwind since getting home ten days ago. I went right into teaching summer courses and the pictures I promised you are long/late in coming. The picture above is the team taking our first few steps west on … Continue reading

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Visual Soliloquy #957 Each evening, I ached for the shelter of my tent, for the smallest sense that something was shielding me from the entire rest of the world, keeping me safe not from danger, but from vastness itself…

Each evening, I ached for the shelter of my tent, for the smallest sense that something was shielding me from the entire rest of the world, keeping me safe not from danger, but from vastness itself. ― Cheryl Strayed

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Visual Soliloquy #954 A great person is always willing to be little…

A great person is always willing to be little. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Visual Soliloquy #952 We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls…

We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls. ― Anaïs Nin

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Visual Soliloquy #951 In every end, there is also a beginning…

In every end, there is also a beginning. ― Libba Bray

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A Great Big Bus Ride Brings the Great Big Walk Back to Kathmandu

Our first motorized seats in 65 days! The whole crew jumped aboard a public bus (we hiked down to its first stop) and loaded all our packs for a hair-raising (for TA) ride to Barabhise (where we would connect to … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Audio Update Day #66

Hey this is TA calling in from day 66 of the great big walk. At an elevation of 3230 or thereabouts, at a place called just below the tingsi la and the day was a little bit different than anticipated. … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Location Update Day #66

TA Latitude:27.83104 Longitude:86.00951 GPS location Date/Time:05/05/2014 08:43:24 NDT Message:Great Big Walk: This is TA & Marian’s location on the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal.Thanks for walking with us Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/GhkRX/27.83104N/86.00951E If … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Day 65: Bigu Gompa (2516m)

Bigu Gompa (2516m) Bigu Gompa is the exit point for our Rolwaling GHT stage. Bigu is a Sherpa village, and Bigu Gompa is a nunnery dedicated to Avalokiteshwara, the all seeing, all knowing remover of obstacles. Quote for the Day … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Audio Update Day #65

Hey this is TA calling in from Day 65 of the great big walk. We are located at 1659m above sea level at a place called Petti at the foot of a huge climb up to bigugampa which is where … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Location Update Day #65

TA Latitude:27.83282 Longitude:86.10162 GPS location Date/Time:05/04/2014 06:46:40 NDT Message:Great Big Walk: This is TA & Marian’s location on the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal.Thanks for walking with us Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/GgkUO/27.83282N/86.10162E If … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Day 64: To Bigu Gompa (2516m)

Trek down valley to Bigu Gompa (2516m)          Bigu Gompa is the exit point for our Great Big Walk. Bigu is a Sherpa village, and Bigu Gompa is a nunnery dedicated to Avalokiteshwara, the all seeing, all knowing remover of obstacles. … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Audio Update Day #64

Hey this is TA calling in from day 64. Can you believe it is day 64? May 3rd from a community called Laduk at 2025 m of elevation. We had a great walk today. Mostly sort of contouring. Some up … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Location Update Day #64

TA Latitude:27.77076 Longitude:86.16650 GPS location Date/Time:05/03/2014 05:48:22 NDT Message:Great Big Walk: This is TA & Marian’s location on the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal.Thanks for walking with us Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/Gfh4J/27.77076N/86.16650E If … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Audio Update Day #63

Hey this is TA calling in from day 63 of the great big walk. We are at an elevation of 1895m in a location called Karing, or at least thats what we think it is. We’ve had a day of … Continue reading

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It’s Find Your Fit Friday on the Great Big Walk Day 63: To Simigaon (2036m)

Find Your Fit! is a provincial physical activity promotions/communications campaign designed to get individuals motivated and moving towards healthy, active living.  The Find Your Fit! website is an excellent resource for physical activity throughout the lifespan.  You are also invited to … Continue reading

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Great Big Walk Location Update Day #63

TA Latitude:27.82292 Longitude:86.21275 GPS location Date/Time:05/02/2014 07:07:39 NDT Message:Great Big Walk: This is TA & Marian’s location on the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal.Thanks for walking with us Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/Geii6/27.82292N/86.21275E If … Continue reading

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