The Five Peaks Expedition is over and was a resounding success. All members are now home and adjusting to daily showers and wearing cotton again. We had some notable accomplishments to recognize on this trip:
1) Ade and Doug reached the summit of Lobuche East. This was the first Himalayan summit for both climbers and was a truly hard climb that they should be proud of.
2) When we climbed Pokalde we invited one of our porters to come with us and it was Nima Sherpa’s first Himalayan summit – hopefully they’ll be many more for Nima.
3) Doug summited Island Peak, the biggest and most difficult of the peaks.
4) The entire team climbed two high and spectacular passes, the Cho La and Kongma La.
5) Everyone came home healthy and happy.
It seemed to be the consensus of the team members that more recognition should be given to the passes. In the future we will be calling this trip the “Peaks & Passes Expedition.” It was also the consensus that Chukkung Ri was not worth climbing on this trip. For trekkers arriving in the village of Chukkung, the nearby hill, Chukkung Ri, offers a great viewpoint for the suurrounding mountains and is reccommended. However, when you climb two mountains that are thousands of feet higher and right next to Chukkung Ri, the peak loses some of its appeal. On future trips we will not be making time to climb Chukkung Ri.
Our local partners: Happy Feet Mountaineers, once again showed how they are the premier company in Nepal for staff, organization and logistics. Thanks to Dendi, Gyalzey, Lakpa, Nima, Karma and the great kitchen staff: you made this expedition the success that it was.
Watch this space for upcoming information on our next adventure: Mt Everest 2014