Mt. Everest 2005: Four Friends To Climb Everest For A Cure: Robert Chang from Namche Bazaar

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Update: Hello, this is Rob Chang again from Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa cultural center of the Himalaya.  After our exciting flight into Lukla, all team members are well and we are finally getting closer to the mountain.

Paula, John and I had a great couple of days hiking to Phakding, spending a night at this quaint village and moving on.  We have fun once again going across the many foot bridges that span the Dudh Khosi river - some a few hundred feet long that are suspended an equal distance over the river.  Wind makes them sway and its an adventurous experience to say the least.  Our second day on trail we make our way up the Namche hill, a climb of almost 2000 feet that terminates at the footstep of Namche.  On the way up, we are treated to our first view of our objective, Mount Everest.  Its an awesome site even from some 30 miles away.  High winds blow massive cloud plumes over the summit.  Breath taking to say the least.  At the top of the hill,  we check in with the authorities to verify our climbing status as a team and stay at the Panorama Lodge, high up on the  hill above Namche affording us a great view of the village in its entirety.

We visit a few of our friends downtown - and arrange to drop off our toothbrush donation to the local dental clinic.  We have tea with our friends Pemba and Nawang at the Khumbu lodge and view the massive construction project they are doing in expanding their lodge.  Its always a good thing to see familiar faces in such a special place.

We have conversation with a few other teams again in passing and the memory of my sister remind me of how I will conserve my energy to get to the mountain to focus on the climb. 

More to come soon...... Rob

Rob Chang Everest Climber, author and motivational speaker. To book Rob e-mail

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