Nepal’s worst weather for 68 years. Diabetes at altitude. Landing at the world’s most dangerous airport. Just some of the challenges facing our business development manager, Alan Shand, when he took his charity fundraising to new heights on a trek to Everest Base Camp.
We asked Alan to tell us more about his trip. Here’s his story…..
Scaling new heights
Trekking to Everest Base Camp was never on my bucket list, but my partner, Nicola invited me to join her after signing up for the trip.
This was my fourth charity fundraising adventure, having previously completed challenges in the Lake District and Edinburgh, and the eighth for Nicola. Together, we’ve now completed 12 charity fundraising events in just 16 months, raising thousands of pounds for various charities.
On this self-funded trip, Nicola and I decided to donate to Cancer Research UK.
As a type 1 diabetic, I knew I needed to take the right precautions from the get-go. Diabetes sensors stop working at 10,000 feet, so I knew I would need to return to traditional finger-pricking methods. At home, I take insulin 10-15 minutes before meals, but at high altitudes, it takes longer to act, requiring me to inject 1-2 hours before eating.
Although my blood sugar levels were likely to be higher than ideal during the trip, I accepted this as part of the Everest experience.
The world’s most dangerous airport
After leaving Aberdeen on Tuesday, September 17th, we spent the night in London before finally arriving in Katmandu via Doha on Thursday, September 19th, where the temperature was around 30°C.
We enjoyed our last shower for two weeks in a comfortable local hotel and boarded our Tara Airways flight to Lukla.
Lukla is known as the most dangerous airport in the world due to its short runway and challenging location. I was nervous!
Thankfully, after a safe landing, we met our guides and team leader over a cup of local tea. Then it was time to set off on our 14-day adventure to Everest base camp.
Holes in the ground. Wi-Fi in the clouds.
With no roads, everything you need for your journey must be carried by yak, donkey, horse, or human. It’s no wonder, the average life expectancy there is 56!
Surprisingly, there is excellent Wi-Fi access throughout the mountains, and we only had three to four days without connectivity the entire time.
During the trek, we carried our clothes and snacks in day rucksacks, while our main duffle bags were transported by five yaks to our accommodation each night.
The lodgings were very basic, lacking heating and built with thin materials, making it increasingly cold as we neared our destination.
If fortunate, we might find a western-style toilet, but more often than not, it was a simple hole in the ground.
The guides in Nepal are all cheerful characters, filled with knowledge and great stories about climbing Everest. They were incredibly hardworking and cheerful. Our young porter would run ahead with equipment to prepare hot drinks, welcoming us with tea or coffee and biscuits upon arrival at each stop. We spent every day with them from 6:30 am until bedtime at 8 pm, forming close bonds throughout the trek.
We made steady progress, intentionally moving slowly to avoid altitude sickness, which included two acclimatisation days where we would ascend to a higher altitude but return to a lower one for the night.
The following towns were part of our ascent to Base Camp:
- Phakding (2,650mtrs)
- Namche Bazar (3,440mtrs)
- Deboche (3,800mtrs)
- Dingboche (4,358mtrs)
- Loboche (4,928mtrs)
- Gorakshep (5,160mtrs)
The worst weather for 68 years
We planned to stay just one night at Gorakshep, but on arrival in the afternoon, heavy snow began to fall—unusual for this time of year. The next morning, we awoke to about 3-4 feet of snow, which continued throughout the day.
Our final trek to Everest Base Camp was postponed to monitor the weather.
Unfortunately, conditions did not improve, and with reports of five feet of snow higher up the trail, our team leader decided against the last 3km to Everest Base Camp.
It was disappointing that we were so close from the current Everest Base Camp when we had to turn back but we did make it to the Base Camp that Sir Edmund Hillary used back in 1953 expedition.
Although this decision was difficult, it was the right one. We later learned that others attempting the trek the following day got lost in the poor visibility and tragically perished. Their bodies were found two days later. Other incidents occurred in the Gorakshep area, including a Malaysian group that lost a member and a Chinese gentleman who died in his accommodation due to complications from High Altitude Sickness.
After spending two nights in Gorakshep, we began our return journey, needing to cover 45 miles back to Lukla for our flight to Kathmandu.
The return trek was breathtaking, with freshly fallen snow creating stunning scenery, a rarity below 6,000 meters at this time of year. We also witnessed two avalanches which were amazing to see and hear. A definite trip highlight!
We reached Lukla a day ahead of our scheduled return flight to Kathmandu, but fog and mist grounded our flight.
Subsequently, we were rerouted to a smaller airport, Ramechhap, leading to an epic bus ride over poorly maintained roads, some paved and others just muddy with massive potholes. The aftermath of heavy rain and flooding meant that many roads, bridges and house were wiped out, so it took us ten hours to cover 190 kilometres.
Finally, we arrived back in Kathmandu, where I enjoyed my first beer in 17 days, along with my first shower!
Some statistics from the trip:
- Steps: 270,166
- Elevation Gained: 19,478 feet
- Distance Covered: 145km
Climb every mountain…….again!
Even though some of the conditions we faced were challenging, we both thought that Nepal and the Himalayan region was breathtaking. It is such an amazing country with the nicest, friendliest and most resourceful people I have ever met.
Due to not actually making Everest Base Camp, we have already decided to return in November 2025 to complete the following:
- Gokyo Lake (4,700mtrs)
- Kalapathar (5,644mtrs)
- Everest Base Camp (5,364mtrs)
- Island Peak (6,189mtrs)