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BLOG : Kay Mitchell
9th Mar 2013

The start of the XE2 expedtion (an EBC team member̢۪s perspective)

XE2 lab at KTM is located at Summit Hotel

The first two days that the XE2 team spent in Kathmandu (KTM) in the Summit Hotel were fast paced but lots of fun, each member of the team working really hard to set up the Kathamndu lab ready for the Sherpa study. After the first day, the Namche team were off to set up the lab for the studies on investigators, trekkers and Sherpas at Namche, with the Base Camp team following them up the day after for their first tests.

The Everest Base Camp (EBC) team were up at 4 a.m, completing their daily diaries before departing for the airport to catch the first flight to Lukla. As for the flight, it was an exciting experience, and the views flying parallel to the mighty Himalayas were just indescribable. Approaching the mountains, the sky cleared and the team were treated to some glorious views. The landing procedure was simply spectacular. The plane passed through a valley, banking left, and then the runway appeared.

The arrival of the EBC team in Lukla marked the beginning of their trek. The equipment was loaded onto a yak train and the team weaved through imposing cliff edges, waterfalls and across swinging suspension bridges on the way to Monjo (2509 m). The trek to Namche from Monjo offered breath-taking views. Nestled along the crescent shaped slopes of the Khumbu Valley, Namche Bazaar is both charming and exhausting at the same time. Tiredness was soothed by the first spectacular view of Mount Everest.

Namche Bazaar is located at 3440 meters and has a population of around 1500 people. The village is the main trade and administrative centre for the entire Solu Khumbu region, and outdoor gear shops, restaurants and bakeries line the narrow alleyways shared by people and yaks alike. Spectacular high mountain scenery, traditional Sherpa culture and views of beautiful Mt Ama Dablam were the highlights of our the EBCteam̢۪s acclimatisation days at Namche. The Namche laboratory is located at the Sherwi Khangba Lodge, where Prof. Monty Mythen is running the science (and the nightlife) seamlessly. The first days of testing went really well, despite some challenges with the electricity supply!

The Base Camp are now back on the trail, to ever higher and ever smaller villages. Each step will bring the team closer to their final goal - Everest Base Camp, where they will stay for two months and deliver scientific experiments to improve our understanding of critical illness.

Aleksandra Kotwica (EBC investigator)

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