Day 3: May 20, 2018, as told by student Chad Althiser

 

Name: Chad Althiser
Age: 41
Home town: Worcester N.Y.
Area of Study: Exercise Science
Year in School: Junior

I joined the Everest Base Camp Expedition… for several reasons. First, I couldn’t believe that an opportunity to travel to Everest would be made available through a study abroad program. I have been fascinated with Everest for longer than I can remember. I have read many books and watched anything Everest related that I could get try hands on. The second reason I joined the expedition is because of the research and how it relates to my field of study and personal pursuits and interests.

I’m involved with the SU research studies by…I participated in the pre-departure studies, including hypoxia exposure during exercise, and baseline cognitive tests. while on the trek I will be participating in the brain blood flow study, I’ll be continuing to perform cognitive tests at the various altitudes including EBC. Along with everyone else, I will also have daily measurements taken. The measurements will include blood oxygen concentration levels, heart rate, and red blood cell content. These measurements will change as we increase altitude, and predictions about acute mountain sickness will be made. These measures serve to keep each participant safe, and will also contribute to a larger body of research regarding the human response to high altitude.

My favorite part of the trip so far has been…the completely majestic views of the Himalayan Mountains- first from the air on our flight in to Lukla, and then while we were trekking.

The worst part of the trip so far…The worst part of the trip for me so far was the 3+ hour delay on the airplane at JFK.

A few things I’ve thought were interesting…Certainly, the flight in to Lukla was “interesting”. It was interesting to witness stone masons, chipping raw granite into blocks and constructing immaculate structures. The close up view of the monkey playing on the power lines was also very interesting.

One thing most people don’t know about me…Most people don’t know that i earned a master’s degree in Military Studies.

Daily Recap

Today was a very busy and fascinating day. We made the much anticipated flight in to Lukla airport, which includes landing on a runway that is approximately 1/4 mile in length. The runway has a 12% grade to assist in arresting the aircraft after landing. Six people from our expedition had the opportunity to fly in on a helicopter. Needless to say, they were psyched, and haven’t stopped talking about the experience.

 

Once in Lukla, we had time for tea, and checked out a few local shops before beginning our trek. We started trekking at about 11:00AM and the first two hours flew by. We were all completely distracted from the trek itself because we were overwhelmed by the landscape and views, and so energized to be in the presence of these incredible mountains. After a stop for lunch and tea we continued up the Khumbu valley. We ultimately spent about 6.5 hours navigating the rocky route. We were in awe of the sherpas carrying 3 times their body weight in equipment and gear. They sped up and down the mountain, carrying loads in excess of 150 lbs.

We arrived at Monju around 5:00PM, and everyone was clearly fatigued, but still exhilirated. High fives were exchanged and the reality of what we’d accomplished to this point was apparent to all. The evening was slow- most retreated into a nap, emerging only for dinner, and then returning quickly to capitalize on sleep! A remarkably busy and amazing day. The outlook for tomorrow is extremely positive, and we have learned that if the weather is clear we will get our first glimpse of Everest from the ground.

(All photos by Andrew Burton, © 2018)