The challenge8000 team, which is climbing Cho Oyu in the Himalayas ahead of a planned expedition to Mt Everest, has managed to climb up to camp 1 at 6,400 metres and back down again to advanced base camp where the three team members will be spending the next four weeks of acclimatisation.
The expedition is progressing according to the original schedule. This is the first time that a Maltese team is sleeping at that altitude and none of the team members has as yet reported any major issues of sickness.
"From now onwards this is bound to change as the expedition includes an almost daily 6-7 hour acclimatization trek taking them higher up the mountain. As they move closer to camp 2, it is almost guaranteed that they are hit by some sort of sickness related to altitude," a team spokesman said.
The challenge8000 team are, however, very well prepared and have the support of fellow team member and medical doctor Gregory Attard to deal with such eventualities.
‘We are being urged to drink a lot to avoid dehydration as much as possible. We're having lots of teas and water, even during the night, to keep the body hydrated and minimize risks. Over here, the temperature in the tent during the night has been in the -10degrees Celsius and we've been having continuous snow up until Saturday morning. So, one tends to be more concerned with the cold, the difficulty to sleep and the altitude-related headaches rather than thirst. But remembering to hydrate is crucial to our survival here.' team member Marco Cremona said.
A typical day starts at around 6.30 or 7.00am with breakfast and a briefing followed by an acclimatisation trek taking the expedition higher than the previous trek and then back to advanced base camp where the team rests and spends the night. The weather has been bleak and mostly snowy with little or no sun making it almost impossible for the team to re-charge their phones from the solar panels at their disposal.
The menu on the mountain has until now included mostly rice, biscuits and yak meat. This provides a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat.
Asked whether they are missing any culinary delights, they only said that a good hobza biz-zejt would definitely brighten their day, otherwise they are well-fed and satisfied with the food.
The climbers were surprised to find that the powder juice they were provided with was a Maltese export. On Sunday, the Sherpa support team is planning to conduct the ceremonial puja, prayer service, which marks their commitment to ‘tackle' the mountain. In the next few days the team will be moving their gear up to camp 1 in preparation for the higher climbs.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/life/feats-and-challenges/challenge-8000
www.challenge8000.net