Trekking Mount Everest
Monique from our Kenmore (QLD) store on her big trip!
With life getting back to some normality this year post-covid, our Store Manager from Kenmore (QLD) Monique took the opportunity to jet-set with a friend and Fella Hamilton customer Jeannie. They headed to the ultimate trekking destination, Mount Everest, and we were eager to find out more about their big journey!
Monique and Jeannie making it to the Everest Base Camp. Monique wearing her woollen Hedrena Zip Polo.
How long were you trekking in Mount Everest & where did you go?
We trekked for about 10 days through Sagarmatha National Park and through the most beautiful villages from forest alpine to desert alpine. This included: - Phakding 2620 meters - Namche Bazar 3420 meters - Tengboche 3740 meters - Dingboche 4440 meters - Lobuche 4930 meters - Gorek shep 5170 meters - Base camp 5364 meters - Kala patthar 5545 meters. We made the decision before we even started that we would take the time to enjoy every experience that came our way. We stopped to pick apples from the apple trees, miniature pears, wild berries and we feasted on fresh fruit every morning.
Who was the lady you travelled with & how did you meet?
I went with my friend Jeannie; she was the perfect travel buddy. Jeannie is one of our customers at Fella Hamilton and has been a customer since the opening months of our beautiful store in Kenmore. Jeannie’s beautiful late mother introduced her to Fella Hamilton. They’ve loved our brand so much, that they’ve even travelled down to our Broadbeach store to experience more of Fella Hamilton. Jeannie was instore shopping up a storm one day and we got chatting about travel adventures and our bucket list. Jeannie was telling me about her upcoming trip to Mount Everest and it sounded so amazing that my face lite up like a Christmas tree. Jeannie sensed my excitement and offered for me to join her. By the end of that week, we had flights booked, holidays approved and we started training. What training?!... Yep, we had 3 months to get our bodies ready and in to shape Hahaha! Did we train every day? No! However, we did what we could do in our busy schedules.
What was your favourite part of the trip?
I can’t say that I had a favourite part of the trek as every day was different and I truly embraced each day. The last leg to Base Camp was very special - my friend Jeannie was extremely fatigued and we had very little oxygen. Every step needed to be taken with caution as the rocks rolled from under our feet, it was unsteady, uneven and very rocky. Our wonderful Guide offered to carry Jeannie in the last stretch as she wasn’t sure if she would be able to continue, and both the Porter and Guide took her arm in arm and supported her in every step. In the final few meters Jeannie and I supported each other as we took our final steps. I still to this day have the biggest smile on my face from this experience. Although I knew in my heart that we would reach our goal purely out of determination, the experience was still so surreal. This was not the end - we still even at this point had not seen Mount Everest as it could not be seen from this point. We were still experiencing monsoon weather and the changes of seeing the mountain with our own eyes was very poor. I don’t give in easily, so the next day I started my trek at 4am to Kala Patthar which is the view point to Mount Everest. It was dark and freezing cold. I trekked for up to 2 hours. Then I sat perched on a rock and just waited ready with my camera. All of a sudden, the clouds parted and Everest showed her face, then the clouds covered her back up. I felt as if I was the only person in the world and the clouds were parting just for me.
What were some of the challenges on the trip?
We definitely had challenges along the way. One was gastro after every meal, another one was no flushing toilets. I’d say the weather was our biggest challenge. Our flight from Kathmandu to Lukla was cancelled, so we booked a private helicopter which was also cancelled. The only other way into the National Park was via Jeep and the Jeep is a 19-hour off-road experience. If that is not enough to tease you, the next 2-day trek was through knee-high mud and leaches, so we took the helicopter of course. There were only 3 helicopter flights that day and we were in one of them. The clouds intensified as the days went on and there were no helicopter fights for 4 days. Our other main challenge was the lack of oxygen at high altitude and it was exhausting just to tie a shoe lace. Trekking with a backpack was crazy and exhilarating. Many trekkers got altitude sickness and needed to turn around and trek back down the mountain for safety. There were many times that I felt I may have had a touch of altitude. Our Guide took our oxygen levels and basically told us to suck it up, “you are fine, keep walking slowly, slowly”. Our slower pace was the key to our victory, and of course our determination to reach our goal. Jeannie did have an advantage I must admit.
We heard that Jeannie was wearing the Fella Hamilton Lakeshore Vest in Navy on this trip, can you tell us a bit about this vest as well as Jeannie's love of Fella Hamilton?
Jeannie brought her Fella Hamilton Lakeshore Zip Up Ruched Vest with her on the trip. She wore it through the rain, she wore it in the sunshine, she wore it in freezing temperatures - she actually wore it every day. My determination got me to Base Camp, and Jeannie’s Lakeshore Vest got her to Base Camp! If you ever go hiking or on a trek, my advice on personal experience, would be to take your Fella Hamilton Lakeshore Vest with you - it will be your lifesaver. We both brought our Hedrena Tops (Hedrena Zip Polo for me and Hedrena Classic Long Tee for Jeannie) and wore it a couple of times on the coldest of days so it was definitely a good idea to bring these along! For Jeannie’s next trip to Germany, she’s recently come in to store to buy our Bouquet Reversible Vest!
So what’s next for you now?
Uluru! with another of my favourite ladies from Fella Hamilton, Verl. I will ensure both Verl and I both pack our Lakeshore Vest - the question is which colour to bring? My parting words: “Anything is possible and dreams really do come true.” Walt Disney.
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