: everest space camp :

So, a very long time ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about how I wanted to go to Everest Base Camp and while I was rambling on about how amazing it would be, she asked "So, do you get to go into one of those gravity-defying domes and dress like an astronaut or something?". It's BASE CAMP, not SPACE CAMP, I laughed! Although, it would be pretty cool to go to a space camp on Everest...but in any respect, when I tell people now about my adventure, I say Everest [pause] Base [pause] Camp. Make no mistake.

I thought I would share a few comparisons between our 2006 Kilimanjaro climb and this trek.

Altitude at Kilimanjaro trailhead: Machame Gate 5,904 feet
Altitude at EBC trailhead: Lukla 9,383 feet

Roundtrip miles Kilimanjaro: 62 miles
Roundtrip miles EBC: 70 miles

Highest point reached Kilimanjaro: Summit 19,341 feet
Highest point reached EBC: Kala Patthar 18,514

Total number of days trekking Kilimanjaro: 5 days
Total number of days trekking EBC: 13-14 days

Months spent training for Kilimanjaro: 6 months
Months spent training for EBC: um, >1 month

Looks like I will be catching a ride on a yak.

: not if, but when :

These four words have been my mantra for the last three years.

We are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime - a seventeen day trek to Everest Base Camp (17,590 ft/5360 m), with a climb up Kala Patthar (18,514 feet/5643 m). We have been planning on this trek since 2007, and after various setbacks, we have finalized all travel arrangements and will leave on May 8th for Delhi, India, and then onward to Kathmandu, Nepal.

For those who know me, you are aware of my love of culture and adventure. My fear of flying, as well as other random fears that occasionally pop up out of the blue. My current obsession with the yeti. My desire to conquer mountains - both literal and physical.

And so the insanity begins.