October 29, 2007 – Arrival in Kathmandu, Pizza and Ice Cream

This is John Freeman reporting from Kathmandu.

It was a hot and hazy afternoon today when the Berg Adventures Ama Dablam 2007 team flew into Kathmandu. Don Morgan and Jack O'Donnell looked ready for the mountains after long travels from their homes in Utah and Colorado. Paul Stampon, who is part of BAI Everest base camp trek will be joining us for our Island Peak climb, also arrived today at Tribhuvan International Airport. It's always an exciting time for climbers and BAI staff alike when many of us meet for the first time.

Later in the day after settling in to comfortable rooms at the Yak and Yeti we met for the expedition briefing. This is the time that we get to go over some of the details of the upcoming days and weeks. This year is a little bit different because both Jack and Don have both been to Nepal before. It's that experience that will guide us in the upcoming weeks as we get closer to our objective.

With many of the details taken care of it was time to relax at one of the Kathmandu's most popular restaurants and a favorite with BAI travelers. The Fire and Ice is a great place to enjoy authentic Italian pizza. Almost anyone who has been to this city will have fond memories of relaxing times spent in this always busy place. We all enjoyed our meals before returning to the Yak & Yeti for the night.