Pumori Climbing Expedition Dispatch

October 15, 2009 – Team Is Blessed By Lama Geshi

This is Leila Silveira reporting from Pheriche. It feels like we are having a rest day. We woke up and had a relaxing breakfast in Pangboche knowing that we had an easy morning schedule.

It was another day with clear skies and beautiful views all around us. Everest, together with Nuptse and Lhotse stands on one side, Ama Dablam and Thamserku on the other. It is an amazing 360-degree view of the most famous mountains in the world. It’s impossible to describe how lucky we are.

Lovinder sat down in the sun-room with the editing task of lots of the filming that has been done; he had lots of work on his hands. David, Ken and Paul were out and about with Jamie doing some filming around Pangboche.

Lama Geshi’s blessing for the Pumori expedition

Later in the morning, the entire team went up to Lama Geshi’s home where we were scheduled to meet him and have a special blessing. It was a special moment for all of us. The climbing team sat down right across from Lama Geshi. Sara was quite surprised that we were all seated together; she thought that maybe male and female might sit separately.

We had a quick lunch and soon started our trek to Pheriche where we had a rest day. We also met Wally who is hiking with the medical group and will join us for dinner.

Needless to say when both teams got together in Pheriche, it was a great party. Dr. Luanne Freer, who is doing the lectures together with Dr. Eric Johnson, had a surprise for us: she placed tika on everyone’s forehead. Our team went to bed quite late, around 8:30 pm; the latest yet!

Tomorrow is a rest day, but we have a lot of errands to do and of course we will use this extra day for acclimatization.

Pheriche is at 4280m/14,042ft and it is also where the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) is located.

HRA was established in 1973 to provide education and medical support for foreign visitors to the high altitude trails of the Everest region. Fees paid by foreign trekkers allow the clinic to provide valuable medical services to the Nepalese porters and guides free of charge.

Tomorrow we will attend the 3pm daily lecture on altitude sickness at HRA.