For right now if you are following the blog we are going to direct you to: http://www.mountainguides.com/everest-south08.shtml
This is just until communications improve a bit. Mike is doing well although he still has his head cold. He is hoping that goes away soon! I will still be posting when I can, so be sure to check here every now and then, but at least we can keep up with their progress through the IMG updates.
Dyan

Hi everyone,
This is Dyan, Mikes wife. I will be taking over the blog now. Mike had been sending me emails to post on the blog for him. Internet access is a bit hard to come by now. I spoke to Mike on the phone. He says he has a bit of a head cold but otherwise is fine. They are in Loboche and will reach base camp in two more days. We didnt have much time to talk as the connection was bad. That is all I have for now and will probably talk to him in a day or so to post their progress.
Dyan

Greetings again from Namche Bazar! Well I broke a tooth last night on popcorn at Dingboche (14,450 feet) and returned here with Kurt to get it fixed toady. There is a woman here who does dental work and she fixed me up with some local anesthesia and a temporary filling! She said the Nepali people would think it funny that we did dental work on pets. I plan to send her supplies on my return. We will try and go all the way back up tomorrow, but will be moving with a different group. We are a bit tired but got a shower. Some folks have had GI troubles..sort of a fact of life. Altitude is beginning to make itself noticed. We move to Lobuje at over 16,000 two mornings from now. Everest is getting closer! That's all for now!
MPA

Deboche

Greetings from Nepal! We arrived in Deboche yesterday at about 12,000 feet elevation. Today we walked back up to the Tengboche monestery are received a blessing from the Rinpoche and had a chocolate donut at the bakery nearby! It snowed a bit last night but was warmer (50 degrees) today. Lots of Yak and treker traffic on the trail. Most of our small group is in good health, some mild upper respiratory ills, I may be getting also. No altitude problems for Kurt or I so far. They will have internet at Dingboche which is our next destination about 1500 feet higher. Incredible views of Everest and Lhotse plus Ama Dablam. Have to RUN back down the hill for dinner! That's all for now.
MPA

Update from Nanche Bazar

All goes well here. It is a bit cold but tolerable. We did another 4 hour acclimatization hike today. The Tea house here is very nice with good food. The bulk of the group, on a schedule one day ahead of us left today for the next stop a bit higher up. We will follow tomorrow. The look of the countryside (Khumbu region) here is much like Tibet. We see many rhododendrons but few blooming yet. Snow is evident on the big peaks, but none here. Most of the animals seem to be healthy, though many of the dogs look a bit thin. Nothing some good Veterinary care couldn't fix!That's all for now!
MPA

Greetings again from Namche Bazar! A group of us hiked us to Khunjung this morning...up to over 12,000 feet. We had great views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam among others. Had lunch at a great bakery/ restaurant, then descended back down the hill. A windy trip but fun never the less! That's all for now.
MPA

Day 2 in Kathmandu

Day 2 in Kathmandu! Continued good weather and time to adjust to the nearly 13 hour time difference.Most of the group left this morning to begin the trek in. Tomorrow, another part of our group fly to Lukla to begin the trek to base camp. The plan is to trek to Phakding or Monjo from Lukla then to Namche the following day. After 3 nights in Namche and some acclimatization hikes, we should move up to Tengboche and spend the next day there. From Tengboche, we will move up to Dingboche, spend the next day there then move to Lobuje. We will spend a day at Lobuje, again for acclimatizing, then trek to Gorakshep. The next day, we plan to arrive at Everest base camp. Arrival there should be around April 8. All this is based on everyone doing well, so plans could change slightly. I will include a group photo from our dinner last night. It is an interesting and impressive group. Thanks to Kurt for the use of his laptop!That's all for now!
MPA