Begining of Expedition: May 25, 2009

Chart of our Expedition: Besisahar to Pisang Peak



Today we start our expedition to Pisang Peak via the Annapurna Circuit. Until we reach Pisang Village a typical day of trekking will be: wake up at 6am, breakfast at 6:30am, begin trekking at 7am for approximately 7 to 8 hours per day.

The first part of our trip is by local bus from Kathmandu to Besishar and then by foot to Bhulebhule. I am accompanied by Ang Dendi Sherpa, the lead mountaineering guide, Dorgee Sherpa, the Annapurna guide, and Pisang Sherpa and Nima Sherpa, the porters who are carrying the ropes, harnesses, ice-axes, crampons, plastic boots, tents, stoves, cookware and all of the other equipment needed for our journey to Pisang. This is my second time climbing a peak over 6000 meters (my first was the Stok Kangri in India which we failed to summit by 15 meters), but it will be my first time attempting to summit a technically demanding climbing peak so I am a little nervous.

My previous attempt to summit a 6,000m peak (the Stok Kangri in India) was rather unplanned—in actuality I had signed up to “see a glacier” but, unbeknownst to me, the glacier happened to be at the top of a 6137 meter (20,135 feet) high peak. So when my non-English speaking Indian Sherpa pulled out plastic boots, an ice axe, and crampons somewhere around 18,000 feet I was rather taken aback. But at that point there was little I could do but put the things on and hope for the best. I do know that summiting the Stok Kangri should have required ropes and helmets, because the British team I passed when I was on my way down had lots of them. And when I asked them “Oh, was I supposed to have that?” I got a distinct “you must be a bloody idiot” look. But, the only rope we carried was a 15 footer that had previously been employed by our donkey as a bridle.

This time we are headed up with at least 40 pounds worth of climbing rope (the kind you see at the climbing wall, not on a donkey) and ironically, because of the equipment I find the whole thing rather intimidating. I have no point of reference to know whether the Stok Kangri was technical or not, but I guess I am about to find out how stupid I really was back then. Stay tuned. Don’t worry mom.