Wednesday 26th Oct, 14000ft

Well Im now in seriously high altitude country now. Have seen a quite a few people walking around with masks carrying oxygen bottles with them. I gave these two little kids yesterday a couple of corgi type cars I had in the digs (if thats what you can call them) and there little faces were a picture as you have too understand this is one of the worlds most inhospitable places on earth too live and life as me and you know it simply does not exist. Lady ga ga xfactor etc is alien to these people. They are cut off from the outside world totally if the sun does not shine as the sun is the only form of electric up here. I picked these 2 little kids who cant have been more than 5 years old and squatted down son there feet touched the ground and then stood back up and did that 3 times, on the 3rd attempt I was totally out of breath. 53% LESS oxygen up here, windy does not come close to explaining it and cold, jesus H mary you aint kidding.
Below is how they transport the meat up here, no need to worry about flies etc as we are simply way way too high for flies and insects,

 

The porters carry absolutely everything, you name it, it goes up like this meat as there are no roads or airplanes this high up, no internet unless the suns out to provide electric as the internet is via satelitte. This place is one extremely harsh barren freezing cold place to live. The kids carry 25 gallon drums of water 6 miles to put in the toilets to allow you to use a pan to flush the toilets with a pan of water, thats if you dont get frostbite first that is, I kid you not.

Took the below shot of this Buddist Monk sat on a hill meditating with the mountain Ama Dablam behind him.

The below is not a cow shed or anything, its actually the house of Kalden our 2nd in charge sherpa who has never summited Everest as he always sits just below the summit at camp 4 as a last gasp emergency get out of jail for climbers who are in danger of death. He was telling me he has lost count of the amount of times he has climbed up Everest to camp4. I said how do you get these dieing mountaineers down then low enough for the chopper to evac them to hospital. He said by a rope until I can carry them on my back down. He is talking about people who have spent upwards of 30,000 pounds for the privilidge of climbing to the summit and he lives in the house below.

 

Me and my boy Kalden below with Ama Dablam behind us. And before anyone says why do I look like jessie james the outlaw, its because the air up here is so dry it dries your throat right out and you get whats called the Khumbo Cough, mixed with all the dust that flies around. However I have also managed to pick up a killer heady cold that down in Swinedon wouldnt be an issue but up at this altitude is an absolute crippler.