Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Kathmandu
Astrid's flight arrived at Kathmandu Airport today. Apparently it's raining there so waiting for word if her flight to Lukla is delayed due to weather. Apparently Lukla is rated the "most challenging" airport in the world. The airport's runway is only accessible to helicopters and small fixed-wing short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft. The single runway is 1,500 feet (very short) and has a 12% gradient. There's mountainside immediately next to one end of the runway and a steeply angled drop of about 2,000 feet at the other end of the runway into the valley below. Add thin air, high winds, cloud cover and changing visibility. Niiice.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Chocks Away!
Right then, I've ha my hair cornrowed so I don't have to deal with washing and drying it while I'm away and I've put all of my stuff into compression sacks and repacked. Now I'm at my mother's place having a drink before I head over to Heathrow which is only a short drive away.
This is it folks!
This is it folks!
Monday, 15 August 2011
Supplies!
This blog post title is dedicated to my little bro' Andrew. Love ya kiddo!
Well I've been running around like a blue-arsed fly today. Apart from doing handover to my team so that, hopefully, everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing while I'm away, I've also run to the dentist to get my teeth checked, got my snacks for the trip, got my watch, and repacked the rucksack.
WRT yesterday's post, I give you the list of food supplies...
1. 3 tubes of homemade cookies
2. 20 sachets - instant arizona iced green tea w/ginseng for boring old water
3. 18 Eat Natural GORP Bars
4. 250g - marrons glace
5. 14 sachets - instant hot chocolate mix
6. 1 bag mini-marchmallows
7. 20 sachets instant oatmeal
8. 2x450g - squeezy condensed milk for tea and oatmeal (to avoid yak milk)
9. 1 kilo GORP
10. 800g chocolate covered raisins
11. 500g dried apricots
12. 20 snack size snickers
I've also switched over from my regular jewelry to inexpensive jewelry. AND learned how to run my new watch with altimeter. 88 bloody pages of reference manual that was!
I also invested in 2 dynamo flashlights and a few more pairs of socks.
And my honey-bunny brought home a going away gift for me. A lovely little passport cover from Aspinal. Squee!
Right then, now to organise the daypack.
Well I've been running around like a blue-arsed fly today. Apart from doing handover to my team so that, hopefully, everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing while I'm away, I've also run to the dentist to get my teeth checked, got my snacks for the trip, got my watch, and repacked the rucksack.
WRT yesterday's post, I give you the list of food supplies...
1. 3 tubes of homemade cookies
2. 20 sachets - instant arizona iced green tea w/ginseng for boring old water
3. 18 Eat Natural GORP Bars
4. 250g - marrons glace
5. 14 sachets - instant hot chocolate mix
6. 1 bag mini-marchmallows
7. 20 sachets instant oatmeal
8. 2x450g - squeezy condensed milk for tea and oatmeal (to avoid yak milk)
9. 1 kilo GORP
10. 800g chocolate covered raisins
11. 500g dried apricots
12. 20 snack size snickers
I've also switched over from my regular jewelry to inexpensive jewelry. AND learned how to run my new watch with altimeter. 88 bloody pages of reference manual that was!
I also invested in 2 dynamo flashlights and a few more pairs of socks.
And my honey-bunny brought home a going away gift for me. A lovely little passport cover from Aspinal. Squee!
Right then, now to organise the daypack.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Trekking Nutrition
First of all, thanks to everyone who came out last night for the last drinks of the condemned woman. ;-)
As the departure draws closer, I've been considering what to bring along in the way of foodstuffs. While my meals are covered by the travel package, a bit of research has revealed that my nutritional and caloric (or should that be calorific?) needs will be altered for the duration of the trek.
For one thing, there's going to be a lot of exercise. Based on my height, weight, and the steepness fo the terrain plus the fact that I will be carrying a day pack and using walking poles, it is not unreasonable to estimate that I will burn 500-550 calories per hour while actively trekking. If we then extrapolate based on an average 6 hours trekking per day we get a conservative increase of ~3000 calories per day needed to maintain my weight in addition to normal caloric needs.
If you're eyes haven't glazed over yet, that means I will need ~5000 calories per day. I honestly don't see how it is physically possible for me to eat more than about half that amount but that's ok as I'm looking forward to a trimmer figure when this is done. ;-)
In addition, altitude does strange things to digestion. The higher I get the less appetite I'll have and it also becomes more difficult to digest things like proteins. People who actually summit come down flabby because it's easier for their bodies to live off of their muscle than to either digest food or to burn fat! I, sadly, will not be attempting to summit but the point is that I need to make sure that not only do I have enough calories to function but also must ensure that the calories that I do consume are digestible.
To complicate matters, I don't like chocolate -or- mint (so no kendal mint cake for me!). So to supplement the endless dal bhat I will be bringing instant hot chocolate sachets, instant oatmeal sachets, instant miso soup sachets (for when I get to the point where I totally don't want to eat at least it will help to keep me hydrated), fun-size snickers bars and homemade cookies from my mother. :-). I've asked for her Neiman Marcus Million Dollar cookies (which she really ought to post the recipe for on the family cooking blog - hint, hint) and her oatmeal raisin cookies (with raisins soaked in brandy.
You can see that oatmeal features heavily in my plans and this is for several reasons:
1. I really like it
2. It's a more complex carbohydrate and so will release it's energy slowly instead of as a sugar rush.
3. Apparently carbs should comprise 60% of my diet during the trek (sorry Dr. Atkins!)
If anyone else has suggestions that are polite and do not include chocolate or mint, I'd be VERY happy to receive advice!
As the departure draws closer, I've been considering what to bring along in the way of foodstuffs. While my meals are covered by the travel package, a bit of research has revealed that my nutritional and caloric (or should that be calorific?) needs will be altered for the duration of the trek.
For one thing, there's going to be a lot of exercise. Based on my height, weight, and the steepness fo the terrain plus the fact that I will be carrying a day pack and using walking poles, it is not unreasonable to estimate that I will burn 500-550 calories per hour while actively trekking. If we then extrapolate based on an average 6 hours trekking per day we get a conservative increase of ~3000 calories per day needed to maintain my weight in addition to normal caloric needs.
If you're eyes haven't glazed over yet, that means I will need ~5000 calories per day. I honestly don't see how it is physically possible for me to eat more than about half that amount but that's ok as I'm looking forward to a trimmer figure when this is done. ;-)
In addition, altitude does strange things to digestion. The higher I get the less appetite I'll have and it also becomes more difficult to digest things like proteins. People who actually summit come down flabby because it's easier for their bodies to live off of their muscle than to either digest food or to burn fat! I, sadly, will not be attempting to summit but the point is that I need to make sure that not only do I have enough calories to function but also must ensure that the calories that I do consume are digestible.
To complicate matters, I don't like chocolate -or- mint (so no kendal mint cake for me!). So to supplement the endless dal bhat I will be bringing instant hot chocolate sachets, instant oatmeal sachets, instant miso soup sachets (for when I get to the point where I totally don't want to eat at least it will help to keep me hydrated), fun-size snickers bars and homemade cookies from my mother. :-). I've asked for her Neiman Marcus Million Dollar cookies (which she really ought to post the recipe for on the family cooking blog - hint, hint) and her oatmeal raisin cookies (with raisins soaked in brandy.
You can see that oatmeal features heavily in my plans and this is for several reasons:
1. I really like it
2. It's a more complex carbohydrate and so will release it's energy slowly instead of as a sugar rush.
3. Apparently carbs should comprise 60% of my diet during the trek (sorry Dr. Atkins!)
If anyone else has suggestions that are polite and do not include chocolate or mint, I'd be VERY happy to receive advice!
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Weather in Nepal - Mid August
I've just realised that the trip is close enough that the weather reports will cover he beginning of my trip. Yay! So I've checked the forecast and it looks like, as I predicted \o/ , the monsoon will be tapering off when I arrive. It will be down to only 50% chance for rain and I'll take those odds.
Really. If it rains for an hour or two or three, do I care? Nah. I'll just pull up my big girlie nickers, slap on my rain hat, and carry on.
I'll tell you the truth my friends, I actually look forward to it. How neat will it be to walk through the streets of Kathmandu in the monsoon?
The interesting thing is that it's the very north of the monsoon so while it rains a great deal, it's not actually hot. The forecast says it will run about 76F (which I think is a bit over 24C) which isn't bad at all. Of course the temperature will drop as I gain altitude so what I'm really interested in is the weather in Lukla (where I will land in the mountains), Namche Bazaar (last certain internet connection) and of course Everest Base Camp.
Base Camp at the moment is running -24C, snowing, and 35cm of snow is expected between now and Friday. Glad I bought those foot warmers to put in my boots!
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
T-7 Days and counting!
It's the final week of countdown before I head off to do this thing! And I now have my new passport thanks to a miserable day at the Passport office. At least I was able to bring my laptop and work from the St. George Tavern and the charming barman was kind enough to produce an impromptu ale tasting so I could decide what I would like to drink. I reccommend The Young Rev.
And on the topic of beer, there' a change to the plans for the leaving drinks as I have learned that The George is closed for renovations. ::sigh:: So instead we will be convening at The Mayflower !!! I suppose that it's appropriate as it's the place where the pilgrim fathers convened before they so rashly threw themselves at a foreign land. I just hope that I'm a bit more prepared than they were.
Anyway so it's the same date and time (August 13th from 6pm onwards) but at the new location. All sponsors are very welcome to come and raise a glass. And if you haven't sponsored me yet, it's not too late! http://www.justgiving.com/Astrid-Byro
And on the topic of beer, there' a change to the plans for the leaving drinks as I have learned that The George is closed for renovations. ::sigh:: So instead we will be convening at The Mayflower !!! I suppose that it's appropriate as it's the place where the pilgrim fathers convened before they so rashly threw themselves at a foreign land. I just hope that I'm a bit more prepared than they were.
Anyway so it's the same date and time (August 13th from 6pm onwards) but at the new location. All sponsors are very welcome to come and raise a glass. And if you haven't sponsored me yet, it's not too late! http://www.justgiving.com/Astrid-Byro
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