Veronica on the way from Namche Bazaar at the Sherpa settlement.
VERONICA Peter and her colleague Susan Chow braved the hazards of landing at Nepal’s tricky Tenzing-Hillary Airport in a small plane to fulfil a lifetime dream of climbing Mt Everest.
Veronica even gave this year’s Gawai celebration a miss to go on the trip. As Gawai and Hari Raya Aidilfitri were just days apart, she had enough time off to make the 17-day expedition.
She left Kuching for Kuala Lumpur on May 19, and from there flew to Kathmandu before taking a 45-minute flight in a light aircraft to Lukla, whose eponymous airport to the east of Nepal is dubbed the most dangerous in the world due to its short runway.
“It felt like a 45-minute rollercoaster in the 14-seater plane – real scary. After we landed, we saw another plane taking off. It was nerve-wracking to watch – with a sheer drop at the end of the short runway. Imagine if the pilot made a mistake in judging the distance,” she said.
Veronica said they barely managed to get to Lukla due a flight cancellation because of the monsoon weather and only made their trip to Nepal on May 21. The week they arrived also coincided with Everest Week with the Everest Marathon on May 29.
Veronica and Susan (left) at Lukla Airport in Nepal.
The duo had a mountaineering guide who speaks English and some Malay. They took one day to get to Namche and rested for two days before continuing to Tengboche-Dingboche on May 24. From there, it was one more day to reach Lobuche plus another day to make it to Gorak Shep.
On the afternoon of May 27, they ascended to the Everest Base Camp, enjoyed the view, then came back down to Gorak Shep to stay the night before continuing the rest of the descent. They reached Namche in the afternoon on May 29, went down to Lukla but got stranded there or two nights as the plane could not take off due to bad weather. They only managed to fly back on June 3.
On the two-day rest at Namche, Veronica said it was to acclimatise to the high altitude as the oxygen gets progressively thinner with the ascent. During the break, they visited a Sherpa settlement and the Namche Bazaar.
She advised those wanting to climb Mt Everest to be prepared for the unexpected.
Walking in the rain at Namche Bazaar.
“They should consider getting extra leave in case they get caught in bad weather and could not proceed. Climbing Mount Everest presents a daunting challenge which should never be underestimated even for seasoned jungle and mountain trekkers. Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Bear in mind it’s different from any trails even though the distance to the summit does not sound like it’s far.
“From Lukla onwards, the oxygen level drops bit by bit, so it’s important to take a few days to let the body get used to the change in altitude. Lukla is 2,651 metres above sea level while the Base Camp is 5,364 metres.”
The duo stopped to rest at the teahouses along the trail.
According to them, it’s advisable not to continue walking after 3pm as there will be strong winds and the temperature and oxygen levels will also drop. It’s good to reach all the teahouses by that time due to the strong winds.
Checking in at Lukla before heading to Phakding.
Training for the climb
Veronica trained for six months – running, swimming, weight, and cardio training – to ensure she was strong enough for the attempt. She also climbed the mountains around Kuching such as Mount Santubong and Mount Singai as part for her preparation, and Mount Kinabalu in Sabah for altitude-endurance training.
The other mountains she had climbed before are the Pinnacles Mulu in 2016 and the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) in 2017.
“I started mountaineering in 2016, fell in love with it and decided to conquer other mountains. This is because I love nature and can see things not seen at the ground level.
“My reward is the breathtaking view at the summit. For me, it’s worth the effort, energy and sweat,” she said.
Veronica and Susan became climbing buddies after ascending the Annapurna Base Camp together. Mount Everest is also a great way to challenge oneself in adapting to the change in altitude, the oxygen level and the temperature, often encountered in mountaineering, as the trail itself is not hard to follow.
“There is already a marked trail but as it’s rocky and dusty, climbers have to be very careful on their way up and down,” Veronica said, adding that it’s also important to pick a good time to climb Mount Everest. And she recommends summer for Asians as the oxygen level is better when the plants around the mountain start growing.
“It was early summer in our case. We saw a lot of blooming rhododendrons – the national flower of Nepal. It was beautiful, especially along Tengboche and Dingboche. So many lovely colours,” she recalled.
They also visited a memorial between Tengboche and Dingboche for the people who lost their lives on the mountain. There, they saw many colourful square cloths, strung on ropes, flapping in the wind. The scenery going upwards after Lobuche was less colourful without any vegetation.
Veronica during her acclimatising days in Namche.
Sight of hornbills
Being from the Land of the Hornbills, Veronica was surprised to see these birds in Namche.
“I used to think hornbills are only found back home. I was wrong. They look exactly like the ones we have,” she marvelled.
She also saw many yaks on the way up to the base camp, mostly used for transportation. The locals, she observed, keep dogs and horses as well. And buffaloes and yaks are crossbred to produce unique-looking hybrids.
Veronica said she wore four layers of clothing – down jacket, waterproof windbreaker, woollen attire, and base layer – topping that with gloves, earmuffs, scarfs, and goggles to keep warm as snow may fall any time.
“Keeping warm is very important to prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS),” she stressed.
She also carried a walking stick to avoid injuries and save energy for climbing.
There are toilets at teahouses although some of the teahouses take eight to nine hours of trekking to reach. Having wet tissues is a must. The used ones are not discarded on the trail so as not to litter the mountain.
In place of a shower, the duo wiped themselves with a towel to avoid catching a cold.
During the climb, they ate the local food at the teahouses, supplemented with their own rations like dates, peanuts and raisins. Usually, they were exhausted from the climb and did not have much of an appetite. They drank hot beverages to keep warm, and their best companion was a handy thermos flask which they could refill at the teahouses.
Water becomes scarcer on the way up the mountain and the price of water also increases at higher altitudes. Every teahouse has Wi-fi but like water, the price also increases as it gets higher.
“The point is to enjoy the scenery and experience a different environment. I went offline but informed my family of my whereabouts before the trip. There are telephones at the teahouses in case of emergencies. So we weren’t too worried,” Veronica said.
She added that she thoroughly enjoyed the trip and her handphone was on the verge of ‘bursting’ due the sheer numbers of photos and videos she took with it.
Once back in Kuching, she returned to work the next day.
She said so far, she had no plan to have a second crack at scaling Mount Everest.
“It requires three to six months of preparation,” she added.