To the Roof of Africa and back

Posted on March 30, 2015 by joannesclimb

“So far the evidence that we have in the world points to Africa as the Cradle of Humankind.”
George Abungu, Director-General of the National Museums of Kenya.

It is in Africa that the oldest fossils of the early ancestors of humankind have been found, and it is the only continent that shows evidence of humans through the key stages of evolution. source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section1.shtml

Africa is the world’s second largest continent; the largest continent is Asia. The highest point on Africa is the Uhuru Peak at 5,895m above sea level in Tanzania, also known as Mt Kilimanjaro, and widely acclaimed as the Roof of Africa! Mt Kilimanjaro is a popular peak – it is not only the highest peak in Africa, it is also one of the Seven Summits (the highest peak of each continent). It is with the aim to climb Mt Kilimanjaro that brought me, and five other female trekkers, to Africa. As a first timer visiting Africa, I am intrigued by the fact that I am visiting a continent where human life first began. While the continent is still prone to all ills of humanity, I believe that an open mind will lead me to experience a new Africa.

We flew in to Moshi where Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is located. Before KIA opens more international flights to the world, tourists typically fly to Nairobi (Kenya) and take a 8hrs bus ride to Moshi. It is also possible to fly to Dar es Salaam (the largest city in Tanzania) and take a 7hrs bus ride to Moshi. As flying direct to Moshi is likely to be more expensive, tourists who want to save air flight cost can trade it with a bus ride (though I do not think it is a worthy trade off).

Visit where the locals will visit!

We arrived in Moshi in the early afternoon after 2 transits covering an average of 12hrs flight time. Tanzania is about 5hrs behind Singapore time; 12pm in Tanzania will be about 5pm in Singapore. We spent the remaining day resting in the resort. The next day, we visited Moshi town, about 20mins drive from the resort. The supermarket in town is quite similar to those we have here in Singapore.

You can buy mineral water from the supermarket, it is definitely cheaper than to buy it from the resort where we stay. It is worth to change some Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) to make purchases in a local store. Some shops/restaurants accept US dollars but it will be based on their exchange rate which can be really high.

Team members of the IWD Kilimanjaro Challenge

The following day, with much anticipation, we got ready to start our 8-days trek on Mt Kilimanjaro. We have prepared for the trek for almost six months; it was time to face the real challenge. We took the northern circuit which offered excellent views from all sides of the mountain, including the quiet, rarely visited northern slopes; a journey that covered 95km on foot, trekking from an elevation of 2,000m to 5,895m.

Expedition support crew were getting ready to weigh their expedition loads in an orderly manner

We arrived at the Londorossi Gate (2,250m) by vehicle. This is the place where we saw the support crew of various expedition groups gathered to sort out the logistics and distribution of loads. It was conducted very orderly, and impressively efficient. After another 15mins of drive, we arrived at the Lemosho Gate – we bid good-bye to our vehicle commander and were all ready to embrace the beauty of the African forest and the mythical of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Sign-in at Campsite

The first day of our trek saw us trekking through the rain forest zone; on the second day, after an hour leaving the campsite, the trail led us to a lower alpine zone trekking in an average elevation of 3,000m above sea level. The slopes were gradual, and hardly any steep ascent.

After 3 days of trekking, we arrived at Moir Hut which is at an elevation of 4,200m. It was from here that we felt the thin air taking a toll on our body. We took a short acclimatization hike to 4,370m then return to Moir Hut to rest for the evening.

Our first “WOW” moment view of Mt Kilimanjaro from the lower alpine zone

After leaving Moir Hut, we entered the northern circuit camping at Buffalo Camp (4,150m), and then moved on to Third Cave. Third Cave campsite is officially recorded at 3,800m, however, my altimeter read 4,050m. The air remained thin, we were careful not to exert unnecessarily.

The team arrived at the Third Cave Camp in high spirit

From Third Cave campsite, we trekked another 10km up the moraine slopes to School Hut at 4,800m. We were already experiencing breathlessness as we trek up the incline slopes; by then, we have moved on to a high alpine and glacier zone. We had already spotted Mawenzi Peak, standing proudly from a far distance to the south-east since the day we trekked to Baffalo Camp, it felt closer as we approached School Hut. Mawenzi Peak is the 3rd highest peak in Africa, Mt Kenya (Kenya) is the 2nd highest.

Mawenzi Peak (5149m), the 3rd highest peak in Africa

School Hut Camp at 4800m

We made our summit climb from the School Hut, leaving at about 12am after a light supper. The first 2 hours was a gradual slope, after about 4-5hrs, the climb became steeper as we approached Gilman’s Point (5,685m). From Gilman’s Point, we trekked along the crater rim that led us to Stella Point (5,756m), and from Stella Point, it would be about an hour to reach the Uhuru Peak.

Gilman’s Point at 5,685m

Stella Point at 5,756m

Uhuru Peak – 5,895m (Summit of Mt Kilimanjaro)

After our summit climb, we descent to Millennium Camp to rest. The following day, which was the 8th day of our trek, we descent to Mweka Gate. We ended our 8 days’ climb on Mt Kilimanjaro in high spirit but a tired body. In summary, the trek got tougher each day as we gained elevation and the thin air made breathing difficult on slopes causing each step heavier than the last. It was challenging for everyone, especially so that all the other ladies were climbing beyond 4,000m for the first time.

Apart for the scenic environment around Mt Kilimanjaro, the support crew who supported us the whole time had made our climb memorable and certainly felt like a queen in African style.

Post Climb Thoughts

The climb to the summit is not as technically demanding as when climbing the peaks in the Himalayas or Andes; but the high elevation, low temperature, and the occasional high winds make climbing Mt Kilimanjaro a difficult and dangerous attempt. An itinerary cater for acclimatization is essential, even the most experienced trekkers may suffer some degree of altitude sickness. The highest point on Mt Kilimanjaro is at an altitude which may cause water retention in the lungs leading to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), or swelling of the brain – high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). All trekkers will suffer considerable discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia, and headaches.

On my journey to the top plodding at an elevation between 5,700m and 5,800m – an elevation that is not new to me – my heart was working laboriously. Very often when we focus so much on keeping a pace, we often neglect that we may be pushing ourselves harder than necessary. It strike me that I am not immune to any high altitude risk, I too may be susceptible to a sudden cardiac arrest at high altitude. I began to slow down my pace; giving my heart a break, focusing on exhalation to slow down my heart rate.

Sammi Teh

Sammi who has only been up to 3,200m before climbing Mt Kilimanjaro was hit by altitude sickness that caused her to sink into fatigue earlier than expected. She recounted her thoughts on trekking above 5,000m for the first time. “I felt helpless, confused and kept questioning if there is any limit to the power of ‘mind over body‘ at that elevation; I knew that my body was tired, yet my mind remain determined.”

Liyana Low

The youngest among us is Liyana, and being young did not make her climb any less strenuous. She said “I was tired from the lack of oxygen – every step grew heavier. But each step I took was one step closer to the top, and that was what kept me going. Celebrating my 27th birthday at the top was the icing on the cake!”

Dominique caught flu and had fever the day when we trekked to Buffalo Camp. She managed to recover a little after taking a cocktail of medicines like anti-histamine, Panadol. She weren’t ready to give up yet. She recalled the midnight summit push that we took on a full-moon night “At

5,000m, you feel the biting cold in your bones. Your fingers and toes are numb. Breathing

is difficult, you are drowsy, and your eyes are half-closed. Each step takes a huge effort

Dominique Low

and muscle in your body tells you to stop. Then you hear a voice – one step at a time, if your mind is willing, your body will adapt – I stop to blow my nose, drink more water, take a deep breath then keep on walking.”

Veronica Lim

Talking about cold, Veronica has it all ready to battle it. From thermal base layer to down jacket to goretex outer-shell, she knew exactly how to keep her body warm with the gear she brought with her. That was not all, her mental strength was crucial in helping her to stay focus despite the cold and the seemingly endless ascent in the dark. She said “I told myself to think happy thoughts and keep going.”

Julia Chua

Each of us have different threshold to cold, and Julia is probably the one who has a higher threshold to cold among us. She would stroll around the campsite while most of us stayed in our tents. A highly positive trekker, she shared about her experience on the summit day. “At the beginning, I spent most of the climb looking at the moon. I thanked God for its light, its watchful presence over us. I liked the way it traced the outline of the terrain. As it got higher, music started to play in my head. From songs on the radio i heard a few days ago to the cheers of Swahili that we sang at camps, to which I’m sure i got every word wrong. When we have gone beyond the 5,000m mark, there was silence. No one spoke to each other for a long time. I didn’t know how long it was going to take for us to reach Gilman’s point or even to the summit, and at that point i was afraid to ask. How long are we going to stay on this side of the mountain? And then the sun came up, changing shifts with the moon, painting the rocks with gold. At that moment, a quote popped into my head, like my brain was trying to comfort my body. It goes

“I just want you to know,

That i would like you to stay.

No matter how hard this day gets on this mountain,

It’s okay. It’s okay…”

The Purpose of our climb to the Roof Of Africa

Trekking at high elevation is tough. We are not there to suffer, but to challenge personal limit, and to create an awareness to help the less fortunate. Life is meant to make beautiful and happier. If you wish to help a low-income family teenage girl’s life slightly better, you can help by making a cash donation.

Your donation will help secondary school girls to have proper meals and for transportation. Life skill programmes are conducted to help instill in the teenagers a sense of self-worth and to learn skills such as personal hygiene and financial management.

We are supporting Project Pari in small way – by undertaking a journey to scale Mt Kilimanjaro. Through our climb, we hope to create an awareness to all women, specially Singapore women, to get out of the traditional view that women are fragile physically and psychologically. Women can live our dreams, and we can help others live their dreams too. If you are reading this, do join us to support the efforts of Project Pari.

How to Donate?

Donation can be made online to: “Donate to Programme” , “Ace Adventure IWD Challenge 2015 for Project Pari” at this SGGives website link: https://www.sggives.org/SGGives_P_CharityDetails.aspx…

For more information on Project Pari: www.zonta-singapore.org/service-projects.html

Please send in your donation before 31 March 2015. Asante Sana! (Thank you very much).

And I shall end off with a Swahili phase:

Hakuna Matata!

It means Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Iran’s Highest Peak – Mt Damavand

Posted on June 23, 2014 by joannesclimb

We have just returned from Iran. It is considered a spring trek when I was there, and summer has just began when I flew back home. In the heart of Tehran city the weather had been dry and hot. It was not as humid as Singapore making it more bearable. Tehran’s climate can be generally described as mild in the spring and autumn, hot and dry in the summer, and cold in the winter.

Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran became an Islamic Republic. Iran is a country with a dress code and respecting Islamic rules including “Hijab” or the Islamic dress-code is a necessity. However such rules are not observed strictly, especially for tourists and foreigners. Basically, the rules are quite simple: for men, no short pants or extreme short sleeve and tight shirts. For women, head and hair must be covered, and it is also necessary to wear something loose to cover the body. The dress code for women made my trips to Iran more interesting, and this has been my 5th visit to Iran since 2002.

All “dressed up” at the Imam Khomeini International Airport.

Tehran is elevated at about 1170m above sea level. The base of Mount Damavand is at about 3000m, and the mountain hut is at 4250m. In view of the rapid altitude gain, we went for a day hike to reach 2700m, and stayed two nights at the base of the mountain before arriving at the mountain hut.

At the base of Shirpala (Touchal)

Overlooking the polluted Tehran city

Some parts of the trail is steep and requires scrambling on all four.

Arriving at a high point with Iran’s flag flying high.

Descending from Shirpala, looking forward to the climb ahead.

Mount Damavand is a volcano located in the central part of Alborz Mountain Range in north of Iran on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. It is the highest point of Iran, also the highest volcano in Asia, the highest summit in the Middle East and the second highest volcano in the northern hemisphere. (Kunlun Volcanic Group (China) is the highest volcano in the northern hemisphere, 130m higher than Damavand. Mt Damavand has the official title of being the highest volcano in Asia, not Kunlun as they are not considered as mountains.)

Mount Damavand in spring.

After spending two nights at the base of the mountain (Goosfan Sara) to acclimatize, we trekked up to the mountain hut (Barghahe Sevom) to prepare for the summit attempt.

Camping at Goosfan Sara

A panoramic view of Lar National Park, and Lar lake.

A good view of Lar National Park, and Lar lake.

The mountain hut at 4250m (Barghahe Sevom)

The mountain hut at 4250m a.s.l. (Barghahe Sevom)

From the mountain hut, it will be a 1360m grueling ascent to the top of Mt Damavand. The trail up was not difficult, but the altitude made it tough. The trail consist of some loose gravels, scree slopes, scrambling rocks, and snow trail left from the winter.

Leaving the mountain hut for the summit.

Walking on snow is part of the challenges on Mt Damavand.

On an average, it takes between 5 and 8 hours to reach the summit from the mountain hut. Ultimately, it is your fitness, acclimatization, attitude, and your determination to reach the summit and return safely; and of course a little luck for everything!

At the summit of Mt Damavand on 19th June 2014.

This has been my third successful ascent on Mt Damavand, once in spring, and twice in summer. Based on my observation, climbing in spring has more snow than in summer. Although we were already in the last week of spring, looks like the snow will only melt when summer is in full swing. The snow has not been a real threat to us, it is the altitude and the sulfuric filled environment that made climbing harder. To summit is a bonus, the real adventure lies in the journey and it is only in those who experienced it could relate to it.

The team arrived at Goosfan Sara in good spirit.

We were treated with sweet watermelon to quench our thirst.

If you are considering to trek to Mt Damavand, we will go back in June 2015 (http://aceadventure.org/)

4 Simple Tips to stay away from AMS

Posted on December 4, 2013 by joannesclimb

AMS = Acute Mountain Sickness

It really sucks to suffer from AMS during a high altitude trek/climb. As much as we want to accept that it is inevitable to be affected by altitude as we ascend, we want to avoid it since it can be managed. While I have been able to keep “AMS” in control during my climbs all these years, I had suffered from altitude sickness in my earlier climbing days. I will still be susceptible to AMS if I am not careful. I experienced mild headache when I was on Mt Damavand’s high camp at about 4600m some 4 months ago. The often you climb high, the better your body can manage at altitude. But no one is really immune to oxygen deficiency environment.

Moving slowly and feeling breathless on an ascend is normal. It is because the thin air makes you feel lethargic and prevent you from performing your best even when you have sufficient physical training prior to the climb. Therefore, feeling breathless and a bit of headache are norms, and almost always happen. What is crucial is to prevent these usual symptoms from acting up that may lead to life-threatening altitude sickness such as the Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), and Cerebral edema (swelling of the brain).

Here, I have 4 simple tips to help prevent altitude sickness:

Tip # 1 – Have sufficient sleep the week leading to your departure day

Because you are going on a 2-weeks leave, and you need to get your work done to hand over to your colleague(s). You feel bad that your colleagues have to cover your duties. So the last few days before you go on leave you spend most of your time working late into the night. You have little sleep. You think it is fine because you can catch up with your sleep on the plane. The strategy is TOTALLY WRONG! Sleep debt is hard to repay. It takes a long time to catch up with your lost sleep and before you know it you are already heading for the hills. Your chance of buying more sleep is slim. Lack of sleep is one of the reasons for having headache.

Tip # 2 – Drink enough water the week leading to your departure day

Staying hydrated during the trek/climb is important, even more so before you arrive at an elevation. Many people fail to take note of this aspect of a pre-climb preparation. We need to constantly feed our body with fluid to stay hydrated and healthy. Take extra care of your water intake. A person who perspires heavily will need to drink more than someone who doesn’t. Thirst isn’t the best indicator that you need to drink. If you get thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Well hydrated body don’t happen overnight.

Tip # 3 – Move like a Tortise when at an elevation

This tip is probably known by many already. But what is unknown is that a simple rush of time can cause a headache to act up. Examples – walking fast or running up/down the stairs in the guesthouses. Hopping from one rock to another during the trek. Getting up too fast from a squat. Treat yourself like an old fellow or like a tortise, avoid making drastic movement.

Tip # 4 – Drink 1 Litre of water every morning during the trek/climb

Dehydration can be a serious condition that can lead to problems ranging from swollen feet or a headache to life-threatening illnesses such as heat stroke. The risk of dehydration is higher when in cold and high places. So staying hydrated during a trek/climb is vital. Every night before you sleep, fill up your water bottle (1 litre preferred) with hot water and keep it with you in your sleeping bag. Drink up your water when you wake up in the morning. As you have kept your water in your sleeping bag, your body temperature will help prevent the water from turning too cold which makes it easy to drink.

As I have mentioned earlier, no one can fully immune to altitude sickness. But we can take preventive measures to reduce the risk of getting AMS. People who have anemia, and high/low blood pressure tend to suffer more at high elevation; consult your doctor before you travel.

Plan your schedule earlier so you don’t have to rush to go out to play. Try out the 4 simple tips, it will only make your next high adventure more enjoyable.

Island Peak turned Extreme Cold

Posted on November 1, 2013 by joannesclimb

It was supposed to be an autumn climb, but it turned out to be more like a climb in the winter. The weather was good when we started our trek from Lukla to Thengboche.

Everest view point near Namche

Clear day at Thengboche (3860m a.s.l.)

When the cyclone hit the Bay of Bengal which affected the eastern parts of Nepal, we had arrived at Pheriche (4200m a.s.l). According to the reports from The Himalayan Times , ” It rained at some places in the eastern Nepal, and the Kathmandu Valley also witnessed a drizzle this morning and afternoon.” The lower lands experienced long hours of rain, while at the Everest region, we experienced two full days of snow that painted the villages white. It was like a dream winter-land overnight and, Christmas arrived earlier than expected!

Pheriche on 14th Oct 2013, after more than 12 hours of snow fall.

Team posed outside the Himalayan Rescue Association and the Everest Memorial Monument at Pheriche (4200m a.s.l)

The journey after Pheriche was tougher than my previous climb. It was colder, and the trail was covered with icy snow that made every steps heavier on the legs. Our team wore the double boots to trek from Dingboche to the base camp.

The trail in Chhukung leading to Island Peak base camp

Trekking to the base camp

When I saw the snow field near Chhukkung, my heart sank. I had suspected that the summit climb could be impossible to even attempt. That night, a team that went ahead of us to the base camp had turned back to Chhukung, in view of that, we stayed at Chhukung for another night. When we eventually made our way to the base camp, we also met many disappointed climbers moving out of the base camp, most had barely gone beyond the high camp on their summit attempt.

Nevertheless, we made use of our rest day at the base camp to practice some rope works like abseiling and handling the ascenders.

Abseil practice at the base camp (5007m a.s.l.)

The base camp that filled with knee-deep snow, some of the tents were still buried in it.

The mood at the base camp was gloomy; we saw teams leaving with heavy hearts, and new teams arriving with much less hope. We certainly felt the depressing atmosphere, however, we still prepared ourselves for the not-so-hopeful summit attempt.

We left the base camp at 2.30am, aiming to get as far as we could.

The air was still, but it got colder as we moved away from the base camp. It was in fact a perfect morning for a summit climb. As we climbed towards the high camp, we noted that the teams ahead of us were not progressing any further. At this point, my hands were freezing cold; I had to change to my down mittens. I decided to turn around as I felt excruciating pain on my chest earlier, and as I ascent, the pain became more apparent and unbearable. So, I turned around while the rest proceed. After 30mins or so after I made my descent, our team also decided to return to the base camp as the teams ahead were making no progress. Our climbing guides eventually brought news to us that a team had arrived at the “crampon point’ but could not establish a decent trail up the glacier.

We gathered back at the base camp at 6am, after some rest and food, we made our way back to Dingboche. For me, it was a relieve to be able to descend soonest as I had feared that my chest pain would deteriorate if I stay any longer at that elevation.

Base camp at dawn after returning from the high camp

A group shot at the base camp before descent to Dingboche.

A group shot at the base camp before descending to Dingboche.

As we left Pangboche, the snow trail were melting and it brought out a majestic Ama Dablam in the background.

As we left Pangboche, the snow on the trail were melting and it brought out a majestic Ama Dablam in the background.

We stopped at Khumjung and Namche, then to Lukla to catch our flight back to Kathmandu. Though we did not get close to the summit, the trek had given my team the opportunity to practice snow walking with crampon and abseil on snow slopes, and to experience the extreme weather patterns in the Himalayas. There will always be another climb, because the mountain is always there.

View of Khumjung and Kunde

Khumjung Gompa

The newly wed couple jumping for joy!

NAMASTE.

Trekking Boots

Posted on August 7, 2013 by joannesclimb

This is a crampon compatible trekking boots. It is most suitable for trekking in the alps where crampons maybe required at elevations around 2000m and above. I will be using it for the upcoming climb on Stok Kangri. As this is now the summer season in the Stok Range, this boot will serve well at that elevation. It is waterproof and breathable. I have used it on my approach trek on Ama Dablam (6812m), Island Peak (6189m), Mt Damavand (5612m), and base camp treks. Attached to the boot is the very versatile Grivel G12 crampon. It has been up on Mt Everest, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Island Peak, and Ice climbing with me. Picking the right equipment will help you to avoid having to make unnecessary purchases.

Trek with Joanne to Everest Base Camp

Posted on January 12, 2013 by joannesclimb

View of Mt Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam enroute to Everest Base Camp

2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the first ascent on Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary. It was a momentous event in history when they took their triumphant steps onto the top of the world on the 29th May 1953. Since then many climbers have followed in their footsteps, including climbers from Singapore – a little red dot on the world map with no mountainous landscape.

Four years ago, together with a team of Singaporean women, I followed the path of many aspiring mountaineers to scale Mount Everest. The life at the base camp is still very vivid to me. At the base camp, we could hear the ice tumbling down to the glacier floor, and the noise of avalanches was blasted out like a home surround sound system. It was scary yet the environment emitted a surreal sensation that everything was under control. The glacier moved little by little, change was constant. The sleeping tent that I slept in was sinking into the shape of my back. I had to adjust my tent to avoid sleeping on hollows. Despite all these, Everest Base Camp remained to be an attractive place. The camp was filled with the voice of prayers, sherpas’ chirpy chats, and best of all, a common goal that all individuals shared – the summit, and a safe return.

I climbed up an ice wall to have a broader view of the Everest Base Camp

To commemorate the 60^th Anniversary of the memorable moment of the 1^st ascent of Mt Everest, I am reaching out to you to form a team with me to embark on a 20 days expedition to the Everest Base Camp (EBC). This expedition hopes to expand the story about ordinary people achieving extraordinary results by tracing the footsteps of the Everest climbers to the Base Camp.

The 20 days expedition will also give the team a rare chance to spend a night at the Everest Base Camp (approx 5300m a.s.l.) to experience life at the Base Camp where every Everest ascent expedition teams stay for 4 – 8 weeks to acclimatize to the altitude and prepare for their summit attempts.

Expedition Dates: Sun, 7 April to Fri, 26 April 2013

Everest Base Camp trek is one of the best adventure trekking destinations in Nepal. The experience on the trek is everything an adventure traveler could asked for. The breath taking views of the snow-capped mountain ranges are simply undeniably attractive, and the experience of the daily routine of high altitude living offers individual an opportunity to discover the inner strength hidden within. The unique one night stay at the Everest base camp will allow us to witness the life of an Everest climber, the support crew, and the climbing sherpas – the unsung heros of the world’s tallest mountain. We are expecting to arrive at the base camp on the 18th of April, it is exactly at the hype of Everest expeditions acclimatization phase . You get to witness climbers leaving the camp for their acclimatization climbs (or we called it the rotation climbs), and some would have returned to the camp to rest. By the early month of May, almost all climbers will be getting ready for the summit push. Guess what, this will also be the first time for me to return to the base camp after having spent a good 6 weeks of my Everest expedition there 4 years ago.

Brief Itinerary

Day	Dates	Location
1	Sun, 7 Apr	Singapore – Kathmandu
2	Mon, 8 Apr	Kathmandu
3-11	Tue, 9 Apr – Wed, 17 Apr	Trekking starts from Lukla
12	Thu, 18 Apr	Arrive at EBC
13-17	Fri, 19 Apr – Tue, 23 April	Leave EBC, return trek to Lukla
18	Wed, 24 Apr	Contingency day
19	Thu, 25 Apr	Kathmandu
20	Fri, 26 Apr	Kathmandu – Singapore

The expedition is also supported by some of the original local Nepalese crew of the Singapore Women’s Everest Team

The base camp came alive with the puja (prayers) ceremony. Climbers also brought out climbing gear for blessings.

Contact me at joannesclimb@gmail.com for details of the trek. Or, simply leave a message here.

Naya Kanga Next

Posted on August 13, 2012 by joannesclimb

I have made an attempt on Naya Kanga in December 2008, I didn’t reach the summit. I was just 200m below the peak, about 2hrs away. The main reason was we didn’t have sufficient rope to get up. I was confident to climb without rope, but I wasn’t confident that my climbing mates would be as competent without rope. So, I made the call to abort the climb. I didn’t want to summit by myself, as I fear that if I proceed, I would insinuate the rest to push on. I believe I made the right call. The mountain is always there. So, I am planning for a repeat climb. I hope to close up 2012 with a climb in Nepal, and Naya Kanga came to my mind.

Naya Kanga from Kyangjin Ri

Naya Kanga, also known as Ganjala Chuli, is situated in the region of Langtang, a beautiful remote valley north of Kathmandu, bordering Tibet . To get to the closest village to start our trek, we will need to take a bus ride from Kathmandu to Sybrus Bensi. The bus ride should take about 8hrs. In the same region, there is a popular lake called Gosainkund Lake. We will need about 18-20days to climb Naya Kanga (5,844m), and to include Gosainkund Lake, we will need another 3-4days.

Looking into the mountain range of Tibet, and Kyanjin Ri from the North-East ridge of Naya Kanga

The point on the North-East ridge where I had to turn around. Just about 2hrs away from the summit.

I am planning to climb it in December 2012, more like a winter ascend. Got to start my planning soon. Now I have a goal. Climb On! =)

Girls Who Climb (Part 1)

Posted on March 29, 2012 by joannesclimb

In most articles about climbing, some would comment that climbing is a male dominated sport. I used to think the same too. However, looking at my Facebook friends’ list, majority of my female friends are climbers (I shall leave my female schoolmates aside). In one way or another, my female friends would at least be a climber once, or be involved in climbing related activities at least once if not regularly.What constitute a climber? In my own opinion, anyone who scale heights is a climber.

Once a climber, always a climber. A rock climber is a climber, a mountain climber is a climber. Hmmm, so is a trekker a climber? Only you have the answer. What do I think, then? I say, yes.

Nevertheless, my purpose of putting up this post is to introduce a few new friends whom I have the opportunity to be connected with; they are girls who climb.

My first candidate of the few is Nur Hafiizah. Her group of friends in our recent Nepal trek to Annapurna Base Camp like to call her a Ninja. My primary understanding of this nick she has is probably because she wears a headscarf all the time. As I get to know this little angel more, I tend to agree with the Ninja persona she might have, hidden in her. Let’s put aside the folktales about the Japanese Ninjas who were supposedly specialized in unorthodox warfare. I am not referring to that.

Hafiizah, the little Ninja

Ninja did not always work alone, team work exist; they are highly skillful and independent. This is exactly what I perceived Hafiizah’s Ninja personal as. Throughout our entire 14days trek, she was highly independent. She knew how to manage her personal comfort in a hostile environment; I called this skills. She is a quiet and a good-natured girl.

I can’t help but to think about a question being posted to the group during our trek, it went something like:

Q:”At the end of the trek, guess who walks the furthest?”
A: “Ninja!”

Why so? Because this little Ninja is the shortest among the group, she probably needed to walk double the steps to cover the same distance as her group members. *EVIL THOUGHTS!* She is not called Ninja for nothing!

I see the inner strength in her and that she will probably be able to climb higher, a literal mountain and in all aspect of her life. Poised, is the word for her.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Posted on March 28, 2012 by joannesclimb

“We want to trek to the Annapurna base camp as a team and return…”

When I first heard about the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) Team Nepal’s goal on the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, I was confident, then, a little worried. I was confident because the goal is simple. I was worried because the one liner team goal is so achievable but yet it will not be easy, simply because we have a big team. We have 19 students (age between 18 and 23) and 3 adults (including me). The probability of someone falling sick or be unmotivated to push on will be high. I kept reminding myself, we must have a good strategy to support this feat.

First and foremost, the students had gone through two sessions of workshop conducted by Adventure Quests – the trek organiser. The workshop focused on two main topics – 1) the fundamentals of trekking in high altitude; 2) understanding the risks of acute mountain sickness (AMS). The workshops proved to have a great effect to the outcome of the trek. Mr Christopher Tan, Lecturer, who was part of the staff team on this trek had highlighted to me that he found the pre-trip briefing and the workshops helped him immensely in preparing for the trek. During the trek, students had also consistently reminded one another on the pertinent points raised and shared at the workshops. And so, the pre-trip preparation was crucial, and this included the physical conditioning and training.

We can never be fully prepared, but we want to avoid being ill-prepared. With some careful reminders of the dos and don’ts, good team work, and self motivation, the team of 22 made it up to Poon Hill (3210m) and the Annapurna Base Camp (4130m) as planned. The team returned with the goal met, and in good spirit.

The SP Team Nepal at the Annapurna Base Camp (with Annapurna South on the background)

Our Sirda, MB

Apart from the pre-trip training and preparation we have in Singapore, the team of Nepali guides and porters from Adventure Quests played significant roles to this highly successful trekking expedition. It will be harder without the guides and porters. They were professional at all times in the dealing with the students, ensuring that our trek schedule was timely, and our daily meals were well coordinated. Our Sirdar, we called him MB, had successfully made us understood what it means to trek on a “Nepali flat” ground – a little bit up, and a little bit down …

MB introducing the team of porters to us

Fixing a punctured tyre;
A common scene on the highway streets of Nepal

What constitute a good experience? A little hiccup would make the trek more memorable I would say. A few hours into our overland journey towards Pokhara, one of the tyres punctured. We took a pee break, took a stroll along the streets, and be happy to be able to pull away from the butt slumberous pose for a while. You can choose to be a whimpering kid, if you wish. Experience is not what happens to us; it is what we do with what happens to us.

When we finally arrived at Nayapul, it started to rain. We had our first taste of an erratic weather patterns within a span of 30mins; it was warm at first, then it became windy, and then it was wet wet wet.

Nothing beats being prepared!
L-R: Clement, Raman and Wai Heng (Habib and Adil the extraz :p)

We rested at Birenthanti for the night, and set off to Ulleri the next day. We had a good start, though we were a little late from our preferred set off time. Looking through my daily entries on my diary, I wrote a liner on Day 1: Their walking pace was good; but they took a loooong time to getting ready in the morning. I hope I don’t have to be a mother hen to these young trekkers.

On our way to experiencing the infamous 3000 steps of granite stairs

I wonder who actually did bother to count the number of steps leading to Ulleri. If I did, I would have lost count. The ascent was steep, but we remain at a comfortable elevation of about 2000m a.s.l. The altitude didn’t bother us much, rather it was the mid-day heat that affected some of us. For Azri, he had nagging headache that simply didn’t go away fast. Since we were at an elevation of 2000m, it was highly unlikely that he had been affected by the lack of oxygen; I reckoned that he was suffering from some heat exhaustion. To ensure that his condition didn’t snow ball down the days, Azri had been drinking diligently. He filled his water with isotonic drinks, and taking in electrolytes to replenish his fast losing sodium body in this hot-in-the-day-cold-in-the-night environment. His body was certainly working really hard. Apart from that, I was also wary about the others’ overly active behaviour. Especially for the boys, they tend to like to run up the stairs when in the lodge. I made a conscientious effort to remind everyone not to be complacent with their health condition. Good hygiene habits remained as the top priority to staying healthy when traveling in remote areas. Some of them get to enjoy a hot shower at Ulleri’s Meera Lodge, while some had to brave the cold water as the sun set. As usual, I didn’t bother to shower :p, well, I have my wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and powder.

@ Ulleri: Azri keeping up with a big smile despite suffering from some heat exhaustion

Cheryl aka the little chipmunk
stayed strong and bubbly
the whole time

Staying hydrated and eating well are the key factors to keeping good health at high elevation. My favorite combination had been Masala Tea, and Dhal Bhat for lunch and dinner. Somehow, I didn’t keep up with my Masala Tea this time; instead, Cheryl (I called her the little chipmunk) had been faithfully indulging in it.

Dhal Bhat 24hrs power!

The next best sort after lunch and dinner choices was Pizza. I was indeed impressed with the servings and its varieties of pizza fillings in all forms of combination. Spaghetti and cheese were our top choices too. But for me, I held on to Dhal Bhat, and on the descent, I chose fried noodles. The kitchen at Annapurna region served better food compared to those at the Khumbu region (Everest). I guess this could be due to the elevation of the villages. The food didn’t taste quite as good as we ascent beyond 3000m.

With Dhaulagiri (8167m) in the background,
the 7th highest peak in the world

Our itinerary was to climb up Poon Hill as part of our acclimatization in preparation for the Annapurna base camp at 4130m high. The highest point at Poon Hill has been recorded as 3210m. We made the ascent from Ghorephani (2840m) at 4.45am; it took us about 1.5hrs or less to reach the top of the hill. It was a cold morning; we wore our down jackets for the climb, and thankfully we did, it became very windy when we arrived at the top of the viewing tower.

The viewing tower did not look quite the same as the one I set foot on in 1998. The Poon Hill signs were new to me; and the idea of a makeshift drink stall was very enterprising; trekkers could conveniently buy hot drinks for a quick warm up, and to enjoy the scenic 360 degree view of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range.

The viewing tower (far left) on Poon Hill

The sun rises slowly over Machapuchare (6993m), aka Mt Fish Tail

The day we arrived at Ghorephani, we experienced some mini hail storm which got everyone excited about. Before we set off for Poon Hill, it rain and snow the entire night. That made the trail a little trickier to negotiate, especially so for our team when almost all were walking on snow trail for the first time. The descent was made slippery by the morning sun; I saw at least 4-5 of them slipped on their butt. I could see the fear in some of them, including the boys. Most were reluctant to fall, making each careful step that slowed down the descent. We needed to quickly return to the lodge, pack up a little and made our way to our next rest point, Tadapani, before dusk. About 30mins leaving Ghorepani, we were confronted with a series of slippery snow and muddy trails. It made the trek harder than expected. We took a long time to reach our lunch point, shortly after 3pm to be exact. Fatigue already set into some of us, and we had to fuel up fast and push on for another 2-3hrs to arrive at Tadapani.

Mud and snow, all mix up as if we were walking on Oreo land

It had proven to be true that once we had been recharged with food and water, our body performed better. We managed to reach Tadapani by 5pm. The team must have raced against time; our main motivation was not to walk into the cold and the darkness. This could only be possible when the team had good endurance fitness. This brought us back to how we had conditioned our body prior to the trip to prepare for this out-of-the-blue trail thrashing day. We did well; we had sufficient time to enjoy the beautiful mountain range of Machapuchare, Annapurna South, and Hunchuli from our lodge. That evening, I never felt so pleased ever, there was a sense of a little achievement for me, though tired.

A peep into the mountain range @ Tadapani

Leaving Chomrong, a steep ascent awaiting
us on our return journey

We already had 4 other members experiencing mild headaches (probably due to heat exhaustion and fatigue) and one losing appetite at Ghorephani. I have been keeping the team’s goal in mind, which was to have everyone arrived at ABC. By now, I was already sure that all had arrived at Poon Hill, but getting to ABC together remains questionable. The trek ahead would get tougher; we would have to trek longer hours each day with steep stairs to manage, and would be staying at higher elevation after Chomrong – our next destination after Tadapani. Chomrong was like a mini Namche Bazaar (Khumbu Region), it was bustled with trekkers and climbers, school children, and tea lodges. Like Namche, the village requires some steep ascend when approached from the last village. After leaving Chomrong, we made a descent and climbed up to the hill trekking along the Modi Khola (Modi River). We were making a gradual ascent of 300m towards Dovan (2500m) with what our Sirda, MB, would described the trail as, “Nepali Flat” – a little bit down and a little bit up.

After Dovan, our immediate destination would be the Machapuchare Base Camp (MBC) at 3700m. From Dovan, the trail was mainly a traverse, passing the iconic Hinko’s Cave before arriving at Deurali (3230m) for lunch. With mainly a traverse before lunch, the steep ascent happened after lunch with deep snow trail to battle with.

Traversing the Hinko’s Cave

Walking on snow trail is not exactly that difficult, but walking it for the first time and on a slope with a drop on one side can be very intimidating. That was exactly what happened to the team when heading towards MBC. The trail was not only slippery to walk on, the visibility had drop to less than 10m – not to mention that the team slowed down tremendously once again. When we arrived at MBC after 5pm, the sun set shortly. The cold set in, but the evening skyline that filled with stars was rewarding.

Jian Wei negotiating on the snow slope carefully, trekking poles became indispensable

Walking on near whiteout condition

The sun set casting a glow on Machapuchare (Mt Fish Tail)

Machapuchare Base Camp (MBC)

Yun Ting, a little tough cookie

My memories of the MBC had been that it was a huge snow field with little facilities, except for a big toilet container which I would need to climb up to. It was cold and unfriendly. Now, the MBC has 3-4 lodges, and even ABC has lodges that served meals. Good development indeed, at least it would not seem like a barren land.

We spent the cold night at MBC with temperature dipping to -5 degree celsius. After a check with the team, one of the girls, Yun Ting, had some terrible headache; she was feeling nausea, losing her appetite. It was definitely a symptom of high altitude sickness. We shared the same room, so it was convenient for me to monitor her condition. That night, I didn’t sleep much; I kept myself alert the whole time in case her condition got worst. In her midst of fighting to stay calm with her heavy head, she shared with me that she had suffered the same when she was in China, and that she felt very miserable back then. The next morning at 4am, I woke her up to check on her condition. I wondered if she even gets to sleep at all. Anyway, I would not want to decide for her if she should push the last bit, or to stay at the lodge while we moved on to ABC. I had wanted her to own the experience; she had to make her own decision. So I posted the question to her in my usual stern manner. I must say, she was one hell of a tough cookie. Or perhaps, my words were like a command to her, or somewhat very aggressive. Without much hesitation, she started to change into her trekking attire. Soon, she was ready to start her morning trek to ABC. I wasn’t sure if her decision was good, but I knew that she was better that way than to continue to sleep and rot her time away feeling miserable without the team.

The sun finally emerged behind us

We left MBC at 5.15am, and soon, we found ourselves plodding on the snow field. We had random stops as we breathe through the cold thin air. Our feet were dragging for sure, our breathing was heavy, but our goal was clear. We were so close to our destination, yet so far.

My last visit was in the autumn of 1998; I did not experience so much snow back then. Chatting with MB, our Sirda, he said that the last winter was a bad one in Nepal. There were pouring snow all over the Annapurna Region which caused the base camp and its trail to be piled up with deep snow. It was rather unusual.

The team finally saw the lodges that anchored the Annapurna Base Camp

As we moved higher, the team started to split into smaller groups; we arrived at ABC sporadically. There were no fanfare, but I could see the satisfaction in everyone’s face. As for Yun Ting, she was already in tears when I met up with her. I supposed it was her tears of joy, hardship and for the road to resilience.

Need not to say, the snow field behind the lodges soon became our battlefield for snowball fights.

My alti-meter (Polar )watch, last calibrated on Ama Dablam in Nov 2011, and
Clement, the Leader of the SP Team Nepal
(who enjoys giving out flatus on the go ..hiak)

Pang Chuen making a call home using the satellite phone provided by SP

Yun Ting, miserably surrounded by trekking poles, with her supportive
team mates, Hafiizah (L) and Sarina (R)
For Yun Ting ~ it takes courage to move beyond your comfort zone ~
Thank you, Yun Ting.

Reflection of lifes on Alvin’s shade

Azri jumping for joy – no more headaches

We have arrived at ABC, that was only half the journey;
the safe descent complete the program

Benjamin enjoying his coke of the day. One of the most popular cold drinks
that we all hit on with on our return journey.

Adil, I said you would last, but I was not sure about your shoes.
Bingo!

Dennis (L) and Christopher (R), thank you for your unwavering support
during the trek.

For me, I have made trekking and climbing as part of my life. Each journey marks a unique experience; it didn’t matter where I was going, what matters most was the people that came along with me. I have the privilege to be part of the SP Team Nepal expedition, I treasure every moment. Each of them gave me comfort and strength, and a chance to build on new friendship that would last a lifetime.

Last but not least, my greatest joy was to have seen the students falling on snow, sending their butt sledging stunts on the snow trail. From having the fear of falling to mastering the art of balancing on snow, I witnessed them trek with confidence day by day. Life is not about how fast you run, how high you climb or how hard you fall; it is how hard you bounce that makes your life purposeful.

Namaste.

The Singapore Polytechnic Annapurna Base Camp Trek was organised and managed by Adventure Quests. I would like to thank Ms. Vinnie Tan for her support in providing meaningful workshops to prepare the students for the trek; thank you Jerry for all the pre-trip administration work that contributed to the smooth operation of the trek; thank you AM (Amin) for coordinating the visa application that made things easy after, and the last minute training replacement for me.

ABC with SP

Posted on March 5, 2012 by joannesclimb

Aerial view of Annapurna Range

Source of photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Annapurna_Massif_Aerial_View.jpg

The trekking and climbing season in Nepal will start soon. And YES! I am going back to Nepal, the most beloved land of mountains by many – trekkers, mountaineers, backpackers.

This time, I will return to Annapurna region. My last visit to Annapurna region had been in 1998, which I led a group to the base camp. To get to the Annapurna region, we have to start from Pokhara – the second largest city in Nepal. Pokhara is situated about 190km west of Kathmandu – the capital of Nepal. I am sure things have changed much in Pokhara since my last visit had been more than 10yrs ago. One of the biggest draw for me had been to visit the International Mountain Museum – a cultural offering in Pokhara, a museum dedicated to the mountains and the mountaineers.

I will be traveling with the students from the Singapore Polytechnic (SP). The trek is organised by Adventure Quests, the appointed travel agency by SP. My adrenaline ran high when I met them at the Bukit Timah Hill for some trail training. What excite me was not only about their enthusiasm, but their discipline. Self leadership is a discipline I see in them. I am so looking forward to trek with them, to mingle with them, and to have many fun encounters together. The truth is, they made me feel young again! hohoho!

Team at the summit of Bukit Timah Hill (photo by Gregory Low, SP)

I have been to Annapurna twice, once in Spring, and another in Autumn. My personal view is that Autumn offers a more colorful landscape than in Spring. However, we are visiting Nepal, a place where any season will ink good memories to one’s traveling experience.

Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, also known as the Annapurna Sanctuary, is a perfect trek for a beginner who wants to venture into high altitude trekking. The trail is well paved, and offers sufficient challenges with all the up and down hill climbs on rock path. In the days of trekking, the magnificent views of the Annapurna range melt one’s tiring body and heart away, yet rejuvenate one’s mind and soul. An iconic view of Machapuchare at 6997m (aka Fish Tail peak because the peak looks like a fish tail) accompanies trekkers for almost the entire journey. The highest peak around the region is Annapurna I at 8091m, the 10th highest peak in the world.

To make a trip to ABC, trekkers do not need to invest much, here is a quick look at the gear requirement:

Attire

Comfortable quick dry shirt
Thermal wear (long johns)
Light weight fleece shirt
Down jacket (for the night) – goose down, duck down, polyester fill
Rain jacket (outer shell)
Trek pants (water repellent)
Thermal pants
Mid to high cut trekking shoes (water proof)

Head Wear

Beanie
Sun hat
Sunglasses

Equipment

Sturdy backpack (day pack, if you have a porter)
A pair of trekking poles
Head lights
Water bottle (Nalgene is highly recommended)

The above are the most essential items. There can be more added to it to enhance your trekking experience. If you are keen to participate in such a trek, contact Adventure Quests for more details and assistance.

Joanne's climb

Tales of a Mountain Tortoise

Category Archives: Trekking