Accompanied by their guide teams from Sightless Summits and Choosing To See, BVA members Lonnie Bedwell and Shawn Cheshire arrived safely in Lukla, Nepal, on Thursday, April 6. The teams headed out on foot the very next day to Namche Bazaar, which, as they described it, is the last “big” town on the way to Everest Base Camp.

From that point, the group reported, helpful resources became much less abundant as they also entered rougher terrain. To get to Namche, the team had a 6.5-mile walk, gaining about 3,000 feet and maxing out around 11,500 feet. The final hill into Namche offered a challenge to even the most experienced mountaineer, they said. Over the weekend they reached the village of Deboche.

On Monday (April 10) of this week, the group left Deboche and took a six-mile walk to the town of Dingboche at an elevation of 14,000 feet. They reported feeling the effects of altitude and purposely moved slowly.  Along the way to Dingboche they explored a monastery, where they received a blessing from a lama for safe passage as they move higher into the Khumbu valley. The team was still feeling strong and enjoying the views of the valley as they moved higher toward the Everest Base Camp.  

For the time being, at least, the team is posting daily updates. To access them, click here and here.