Acclimatisation day in Dingboche - and a head full of buffaloes!

Today we had a late start, meaning wake up call at 7am and breakfast at 7.30. Today we were going on a hike to acclimatise. This wasn't the easiest of them all, we went straight uphill for 2,5h! Lack of oxygen, heavy legs and buffaloes having a party in my head - no, it wasn't that pleasant.. It was so hard.. This is the first day I feel it really strongly, I had to focus on everything else than what I was doing but it's quite hard when I'm only capable of taking one step per breath.. Any bigger rock was just a mission. I so remember this from Kilimanjaro but that was on summit night.. 

We made it to 5000m but then the mist came and it got really cold so we went back down again. But we did it! The rest of the day we managed to find an Internet cafe and we also took a little nap. This hike this morning was hard..

Dingbouce is a small village up on 4410m and the people here are proper farmers. Everywhere we see people work on their fields with what ever vegetables or such they have. Really impressive! Prices are European up here for us, water, toilet paper and such are expensive. Food is again fantastic, I just can't eat it all, too much now.. But I need to keep my attitude and eat anyway as I need this for the next coming days, as in two days I will be at base camp. That is just unbelievable!

The group is sticking together with a few incidents, one is the girl who doesn't eat or drink even close to what she needs. Today I got both worried and angry with her. It doesn't really matter what routines you have at home, on the mountain you listen to the guides and do what you are told. You follow the rules. They brief us every night about the next day where they also talk about altitude sickness. Eating and drinking are the key things to avoid it. I drink 4 litre water per day on top of teas etc, and that is around 3-3,5 litre more than I think I drink at home, to be honest. I also never eat pasta, fried rice and chips at the same time, on the same plate.. But here I eat what I'm served and smile. Attitude is everything. I'm not sure if she has understood what she has signed up for though, and I personally think it will be too risky for her to go on. The higher we get, the harder it gets.. 

Today I have both had a head ache and felt a bit sick.. I haven't thrown up but felt like it a few times. With that the appetite kinda goes too, which makes it even harder.. Ah well, we made it today and tomorrow is close, will have to sleep now so I will be fine for the trek to Lobuche tomorrow. We start with 20 mins steep, then 2h Nepali flat, then tea break. Then 1h flat and then 45 mins steep again. Then we will get to go to a glacier up on 5300m, same altitude as base camp :) we will also see the monuments from climbers that have died in the mountains. One is our hero, he tried Everest 10 times, and summited with no extra oxygen during 21 hours.. He is a hero and I feel honoured to see his monument. 

Nite! Jen x