The meaning of life

Indeed, what is the meaning of life? In my first half century of this trek from here to there (I write casually, as if I'm saying say "the first of my three or four..."), I've asked this questions many times, and received myriad responses. Those who know me really well won't be surprised to hear me evoke Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which I first discovered on the bookshelf of the New Lenox, Illinois Public Library somewhere around eighth grade. (I almost didn't read it because it looked too silly. But pick it up—and read it—I did; I have always been—and remain—entirely and completely anything but far from unserious.)

Ask Siri "What is the meaning of life?"
and get back a surprising answer. 

So when I recently encountered Siri's response to this question (thanks to the interwebs, because I don't own an iPhone), I thought it both fitting and timely, at least in relation to this impending trek through Nepal. Here, Siri is conveniently giving us advice I'm already taking: "get some walking in." Indeed, Siri, Siriously?

But I'm not embarking on just any walking. I'm taking that walk idea, and turning it up, not just to 10, but all the way up to 11*.

But why stop there? No, I don't mean "turn it up to 12"; that would be utterly absurd. I mean the other points. Try and be nice to people. Let's turn that up to 11, too. Read a good book? Sure, turn that up to 11, and quality education for all, while we're at it. And that trying to live together in harmony? With people of all creeds and nations? Yes, let's turn that up to 11 as well.

It's easy to trivialize the writ and wit of Siri or even Douglas Adams (though the latter would get me more riled up; I mean the man was a genius...) If I were going for trivial, I'd have started with Monty Python.

Although I'm putting a light veneer on this topic, I'm honestly not trying to trivialize this topic. Several friends have told me that taking a trek like this is a life-changing experience. I hope so. However, I'm not sure in what dimension that change will turn out to be. My hope is that this experience will help me focus on those non-walking areas of my life as well. I think I've done a fair job of being a good husband, good father, good employee, good citizen. Things seem to be turning out quite well in all those areas... but none of us are ever really satisfied with our effort and contributions: there is always more to give. Have I turned that knob up to 11 on all of those measures? Have you? How has your journey from here to there helped you turn it up to 11?

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* From This is Spinal Tap, which is not really a favorite movie of mine, but which has defined the cultural touchpoint I need for this blog post. Unfortunately: "eleven, eleven, eleven".... it does not add up to 42.

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and... Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten? Nigel: Exactly. Marty: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder? Nigel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where? Marty: I don't know. Nigel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do? Marty: Put it up to eleven. Nigel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder. Marty: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder? Nigel: [pause] These go to eleven. 

These boots are made for...

As I noted in my first post, I don't have the gear I'll need for this trek. So the first thing I did was start shopping around for boots, as that will be (I'm told) the most important piece of gear for this type of trek. Mel at Tusker Trail was helpful in giving me guidelines on what I'd need: definitely waterproof and medium weight to support carrying a 20 to 30 lb backpack. She said I would not need full leather boots; they would probably be too heavy.

I went to REI a few times, trying on different boots and talking to the folks there (who at least appeared pretty knowledgeable). I also looked at their online reviews, and online reviews on L.L. Bean and other sources.

The boots meet the beach.

I ended up getting the Gore-Tex Asolo Drifters from REI, and three pair of REI Merina wool trekking socks. I wore the Drifters to work for a few days to see how the fit was, and they seemed fine. With no opportunity to do some real trail hiking—I was going to be in Wilmington NC Saturday and Sunday so Val could attend  a UNCW soccer camp—I decided to do a real break-in test as opposite from Everest Base Camp as I could get: Wrightsville Beach, NC. After getting Val to camp on a cold Saturday morning, I was on the beach about 9:40. I started at Johnny Mercer pier, headed around the south tip of the island near the inlet, then backtracked north against the wind and a couple miles past the pier and back - 9 miles in total.

I had Wrightsville Beach pretty much to myself on a 25 degree breezy morning.

I really like these boots. The reviews all said they did not need a break-in, and I think it's true. I finished with no blisters, no sore spots, no discomfort at all!

When I said “opposite of Everest Base Camp”, I meant it. Here is my Runkeeper elevation map of my nine mile hike that day:

Most of my time was spent at 0 feet above sea level,
with occasional excursions into that treacherous 3-to-4 foot elevation.

My next training hikes will (I hope) be on trails such as Umstead Park near Raleigh. But I know I've got a good pair of boots to get my through it. I think I'm off to a good start, even if it is “all uphill” from here!

Tusker itinerary

Here is the itinerary of the Tusker Trail Everest Base Camp trek. Our trek will be Nov 2 - Nov 18, 2013.

DAY 1-2: KATHMANDU  4,390-ft / 1,388-m After arriving at the airport you meet your Tusker guide at the well-known Shangri-La Hotel, one of the nicest hotels in the Kathmandu, a city renowned for its fantastic shopping, cultural wonders and fascinating markets. Your two days in Kathmandu are spent wandering the narrow streets of Thamel, the bustling center of town, and on a tour of old Kathmandu City, Durbar Square and Swayambunath Stupa, known as the “monkey temple”. This is one of Kathmandu’s oldest and most important Buddhist shrines, which scholars believe dates back to the 1st century.
DAY 3: FLY TO LUKLA / HIKE TO PHAKDING 8,702-ft / 2,652-m - 5 hours trekking  After a short flight through the Himalayas we land at Lukla. Here we meet our full crew of cooks and porters, and, after a cup of Nepalese tea, start our hike to Phakding, on the chalky Dudh Kosi River. Just before we arrive at our lodge, we cross one of the famous hanging bridges across the river. After this first day “downhill”, many a trekker has been fooled into thinking that the famed Everest Base Camp trek is a simple walk in the park.
DAY 4-5: NAAMCHE BAZAAR  11,306-ft / 3,446-m - 7.5 hours Nestled in a protected corner of the Himalayas, Naamche is a centuries-old trading center between Tibet and Nepal. As we arrive on the outskirts we get our first view of Mt. Everest. Quaint with cobblestone streets and little shops, it is the last town on the trek before reaching base camp. Naamche teems with Sherpa life, while yaks roam the streets, the sounds of their bells making beautiful music. Naamche is abuzz with excitement as people from all over the globe pass through, on their way to and from base camp. We spend two nights acclimatizing here. Views of Everest, Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Lhotse are spectacular as we view them from the top of the hillside town.
DAY 6: KHUM JUNG  12,300-ft / 3,750-m - 3 hours  Commonly called the green valley, the short trek to Khum Jung is one of the most interesting hikes of the trek. You will revel in fantastic views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Kangtega, Thamserku and Ama Dablam. We visit the Khumjung Gompa (monastery) which displays a skull that supposedly comes from a yeti.
DAY 7: TENGBOCHE  12,687-ft / 3,867-m - 4 hours  Tengboche Monastery sits on a hill at the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Imja Khola rivers, with a clear view of Everest. It’s a tough hike up to the hilltop to one of the most important spiritual centers for the Sherpas, with 35 monks residing in the monastery. With a little trekker luck, we will witness the Lama (high priest) perform a riveting ceremony accompanied by monks chanting their magical hypnotic songs. We spend the night at a lodge across from the monastery.
DAY 8-9: PHERICHE  14,200-ft / 4,328-m - 6.5 hours Pheriche is situated at a critical location just a few days from Everest Base Camp and at and altitude where mountain sickness begins to bite. That’s why we spend 2 days here – acclimatizing. Our two-day stops are designed to allow our trekkers to adjust to the thinning air and have proven very successful in helping Tusker bodies adjust to the altitude.
DAY 10: LOBUCHE 16,126-ft / 4,915-m - 6 hours After a good rest and breakfast, we head out on the trail and up the broad valley of Pheriche. At Dhukla you notice the big hills of rough rock piles, which is really the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. Further along the track we spend a quiet moment at the site of the stone memorials for fallen Everest climbers, called “chortens” in Tibetan.
DAY 11-12: BASE CAMP / GORAK SHEP / KALA PATTAR  Gorak Shep: 16,942-ft / 4,915-m - 3.5 hours Base Camp: 17,585-ft / 5,360-m - 2.5 hours Gorak Shep: 16,942-ft / 4,915-m - 2 hours Kala Pattar: 18,513-ft/5,643-m - 4 hours
On this exciting day up to Everest Base Camp, we stop at Gorak Shep to freshen up and have lunch. We hike along the Khumbu Glacier moraine to our goal – Everest Base Camp. After celebrating our success, we trek back down to Gorak Shep for the night. Back in 1952 Gorak Shep was used as the base camp for the Swiss Expedition up Everest.
Early in the following morning we take a 4-hour climb up Kala Pattar, at 18,513-ft/5,643-m. This climb gives us extraordinary views of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse. We may only spend one night at Gorak Shep, depending on how strong the group is. In this case we will spend an extra night on our descent, to be determined by our guide.
DAY 13: DINGBOCHE  14,114-ft / 4,302-m - 5.5 hours  We start our descent through the Khumbu Valley. DAY 14: PANGBOCHE  13,078-ft / 3,986-m - 3 hours  We spend the night to break up the long downhill trek to Namche.
DAY 15: NAAMCHE BAZAAR 11,306-ft / 3,446-m - 6.5 hours  It’s a full day hike, but you’ll appreciate the oxygen. You browse the maze of streets, picking your way through the local shops for Nepali handicrafts. DAY 16: LUKLA  9,384-ft / 2,860-m - 8 hours Our last day hike finds us back at Lukla for the night. DAY 17: KATHMANDU 4,390-ft / 1,388-m Check in to the Shangri-La hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or wander around town. Group dinner at our favorite restaurant. DAY 18: FLY HOME Transfer to Kathmandu airport.

Take a hike, Dave... a really long hike!

Ever have one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities? I've had several... and this is a blog about one of them.

In November of this year, I'm going on a trek. This is not just any trek, but a trek to Everest Base Camp. I'm not climbing Everest, but I'll be getting 3/5 of the way up its 29,028 foot elevation, reaching over 18,000 feet.

Lance Trumbull - EverestPeaceProject.org

I'm doing this trek with Tomas de Leon, a few of his friends (and a dozen strangers!) on an excursion organized by Tusker Trail.

Those who know me probably don't think of me as a huge outdoors kind of guy, or a world traveler, or an endurance athlete. And I'm not. But I'm not going to let that stop me... I do like the outdoors, I like traveling and different cultures, I love photography (especially scenic shots, culture), and I like a challenge.

You, my friendly reader, will probably find humor in my quest to prepare for this event. I'm starting with no real gear, no real experience beyond normal hiking, and not much else to prepare me. The humor potential is enormous, and I'm cool with laughing (with you) at myself.

But why am I doing this trek? Here's just a bit of background:

After being a runner for most of my life, I had a "career ending injury" while training for the Tobacco Road Marathon in 2010. With my knees telling me, "No more running, Dave, seriously", I took up biking in 2012. My longest ride prior to 2012 was about 30 miles. In May, I did my first metric century (100km) in the Ride for Life sponsored by The Spiritual Spinners (TSS). I started doing Monday evening rides with them, where I got reacquainted with Tomas de Leon, whom I knew from when our daughters played soccer together many years ago. Tomas was training for a Tusker Trail excursion to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. Wow, That sounded cool! I then rode with Tomas and other TSS riders at Bike MS New Bern in September 2012. Not long after Bike MS, Tomas started asking if anyone was interested in doing an Everest Base Camp trek.  Having done both my first century (100 miles) and double century (back to back 100 mile rides) that weekend, I thought I was up for the next challenge.

So, I got interested. Then I got really interested. Then I started to worry, what if I can't do this? This is a long trek (Nov 2 through Nov 18) at high altitude. I've never done anything like this before. But my hesitation was brief; I knew I'd regret if I didn't do this.

So now I'm committed. Stay tuned, and I'll share my experiences of this journey from here to there. I'd love to hear your comments, your encouragement, and, yes, even your laughter. Let's take this trek together.