Mt. Everest - A Family Expedition

DRONE PREP - DJI Mavic Air We purchased a drone to help us capture some of the majestic scenery, extraordinary people, and rich culture and traditions of Nepal, while on our trek to Mt Everest.  It is a DJI Mavic Air .  The Mavic Air produces 4k video. It has 21 minutes maximum air time.  (We have 3 batteries so we can just switch them out while on a longer trek.) It also works for us, because it flies reliably at 5000 meters.  We plan on hiking at 17,000 feet; (which is pretty darn close). This thing is compact - take a look. We are producing a few videos to help us prepare for the trip.  Playing with it gets us ready to fly the drone and editing gives us a better idea of what to collect and how much time it takes to pull it all together. DRONE PREP - BACKYARD VIDEO The drone does require a Federal Aviation Administration license and we got it. We agreed to fly responsibly. This includes not flying in a pilot's fly zone, airports, ...

Equipment (continued) There appears to be a lot of interest in hiking equipment.  This brief discussion builds on our early posting about equipment in an effort to respond to all of the inquires in an efficient manner.   Quick Overview of Equipment Cocoon - Sleeping Bag Liner This 100% silk.  It is 4.7 oz. and keeps your sleeping bag warm and clean. Medical Trauma Supplies It includes: antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, bandages, moleskin, clotting sponge, tick remover, bite sting relief pads, and so much more - for emergencies. Compact and Light Weight Quick Dry Towels This is a pretty big towel around 4 square feet.  You wash up with it and it dries quickly in climates that take other towels days to dry. Rab Jacket This electron jacket is designed for some of the most extreme conditions in the world.   The water and windproof resistant Pertex Endurance shell keeps the water, snow, and wind out, but breath...

Hiking to Prep for our Trek We are getting a fair amount of physical activity in preparation for our trek to Mt. Everest.  We are doing a lot of hiking, running, and walking. Summary of Our Preparations  We were hiking in Sonoma, but after the fires it became virtually impossible.  Now, we are hiking in nearby parks, including Alum Rock.  In some cases, the endurance part of our excursions is related to the heat, as much as the terrain. It will be the cold that we face at Mt. Everest. Alum Rock Park In addition to hiking, we are also doing a fair amount of running. For example, we just completed the 5K Courage Over Cancer run at Crissy Field in San Francisco.   It gave us a good work out and its a great cause.  We want David to view these activities as part of the norm of being a healthy and responsible human being.

Interval Hypoxic Training If my son David has to do this, then I guess I need to do it too. This is interval hypoxic training. We are using this and a tent to prepare for the altitude challenges connected with our trek to Mt. Everest. You put the mask on for 5 minutes, receiving reduced oxygen (the little pulse oximeter on my finger tells me I am getting around 80% to 84%). Interval Hypoxic Training You then take 5 minutes to breathe normally (about 95+ oxygen). You go back and forth for an hour and trust me you feel a little light headed but it seems to be a faster way to increase your red blood cell density. This will allow us to pull in more oxygen when we get way up there. Be sure to check with your physician before using any of these devices or medications. Also check with the High Altitude Physicians.

Meds We made sure we were up on all of immunizations.  Unfortunately, we had to have another tetanus shot, but other than that not too bad on the shots. (Of course, David was all caught up, so no shots for him - not totally fair - but the humor or irony of us having to get shots and not him, was not lost on him.) Meds - An Overview (click above) Typhoid Vaccine (Vivotif Berna) In any case, we are entering some serious terrain, where we might run into contaminated food or water. So we are all getting our typhoid vaccine. There are two kinds of vaccines to prevent typhoid.  One is a shot (with inactivated vaccine).  The other typhoid vaccine is taken orally and lasts a lot longer (if you take a booster in 6 months it can last almost forever).  You can guess which one we opted for - yes - the oral vaccine. We need to take one capsule every other night for four nights and then we are done.  Tonight is our second dose. (It should be taken 2 weeks b...

Altitude Acclimatization We are all using an altitude simulator to prepare us for the high altitudes we will be hiking at on route to Mt. Everest.  We are using a machine called Higher Peak Mag 20.  It generates low oxygen air for altitude acclimatization.  In essence, it simulates the high altitudes in which there is less oxygen, this prepares us by increasing our red blood cell density. David uses an interval hypoxic training approach - basically 5 minutes of breathing with a mask and the generator and 5 minutes off for about an hour each day. The interval approach is a bit of a pain or inconvenient, because it gets in the way of his gaming.  Following a 5 minute schedule is also inconvenient for us because we can not do anything else during that period of time. We have to be there to connect and disconnect the machine every 5 minutes.  ALTITUDE ACCLIMATIZATION   (interval hypoxic training) (click above) We sleep in a tent over ...

Hiking Equipment We are preparing for our trek to Mt. Everest base camp in September 2018.  Many colleagues and friends have been concerned because of all the stories they have read or heard about.  Don't worry! We are going with guides and sherpas and some other folks.  We will be fine.  However, we are not crazy.  We have some serious equipment.  Since many of you have asked me about the equipment I thought the fastest way to let all of you about it is to show you some of our cool and compact gear. This includes our Rab electron jacket for the most extreme conditions in the world (keeps the water, snow, and wind out but allows moisture to pass freely away from us).  Patagonia puff (or down) pants.  Recco detection clothing (part of an advanced rescue technology). We also have SteriPEN s to sterile our water - ultra-violet light tool ( Ultra's UV lamp treats up to 8,000 one-liter treatments and is proven to be safe and effective, e...

Mt. Everest - An Introduction The journey begins now, even though the formal expedition is in September (all of September). Many of you have been asking me about the trip, the equipment, and the preparation. So I have made a brief video to  highlight where we are going - Kathmandu , Nepal, Lukla Airport (one of the most dangerous airports in the world), Namcho Bazaar (11,280 feet), Deboche (12,530 feet), and Everest Base Camp at 17,594 feet (starting at dawn of course in the freezing cold) - and then hopefully back down.  Here is the intro video to give you a quick overview of the journey. INTRODUCTION TO OUR TREK (click here) A MAP OF THE JOURNEY (click here) This introductory blog is followed by another brief piece about our equipment.