Expedition POSTPONED to mid-April

I went again to the hospital couples days ago and yesterday for a follow up. Whereas I should have got better, my health instead crashed: my tension dropped from 120/80 to 90/60, thus I feel very dizzy ; my weight keep dropping … Nothing life threatening, but just not good enough to go climbing. The doctors asked me to rest at least 2 weeks.

I think it is important to know to say Ok STOP, it is not working. Let’s step back and find another way to reach your goal.

I‘ve decided to fly back to USA to speed up my recovery. I will leave tomorrow. I will be back as soon as I got healthy again and got my strength …

NEWS: expedition departure postponed

I’m in Kathmandu; I went to see the doctor for follow up. He recommended me strongly to postpone my expedition departure to end of March. I will follow his advice indeed. Thus I got organized and I will leave March 30^th Kathmandu.  Unlike my team who will fly by helicopter to Base Camp, I will drive then trek to Base Camp. It puts me about 10 days behind the climbing group, but starting in a healthy body and healthy mind is very important.  

Journal - acclimtization trek - day 8

March 21st
From 3750m to 2840m - I trek from Kumchung to Luckla

Luckla Door - my trek is finished

I met great people along the way,

The view were stunning

The little down side of this week: I was stomach sick a lot. But the worth happened last night, I had a terrible food poisoning. I went to the hospital this morning at Kunde to be checked. I lost lots of fluide, electrolytes, .... he gave antibiotics.

Journal - acclimtization trek - day 7

March 20th
From 4250m to 3750m - I trek from Pheriche to Kumchung

Interview of Sophie in "La Rando, la rando du coeur"

http://www.larando.org/interview-de-lalpiniste-sophie-denis/

Sophie Denis est une alpiniste qui a plus de 4 sommets de plus de 8000m  en l’espace de 5 mois seulement, et cette année, elle part  pour enchaîner 6 de plus (rien que ça !). Sophie Denis vise les 14x8000m.
La Rando du cœur a eu le privilège d’interviewer cette alpiniste hors norme!

Journal - acclimatization trek - day 6

March 19h
From 5150m to 4240 - I hike up to Kala Patar then trek down to Pheriche

To see the sunrise on Mount Everest, I woke up at 5:30. It was a super cold morning, very windy. But it worth it ;-) Just beautiful !

Sunrise on Everest (view from Kala Patar)

I'm happy

Journal - acclimtization trek - day 5

March 18th
From 4910m to 5550 - I trek from Lobuche to Kala Patar to go down and sleep at Gora shep

Today was a stunning day. Thus, I took this opportunity to hike up to Kala Patar.
I've done Everest Base Camp Trek several times. It is as magic as the first time
As you climb up, the landscape open up to offer you a full panoramic view on the Himalayan mountains.
It is really breathtaking, it can't go better than that !

Journal - acclimatization trek - day 4

March 17h
From 4250m to 4910 - I trek from Pheriche to Lobuche

I took really easy today, and see how I feel.
So good so far, I'm heading tomorow to Kala Patar (5550m)

I’m thrilled I wrote my first words in Devanagari (Nepali Sanskrit)

Journal - acclimatization trek - day 3

March 16th
From 3950 to 4400m - I trek from Pangboche to Pheriche

I caught a stomach virus. That's sucks but it is always one less to catch. That is part as well of my acclimatization trek, get exposed to altitude as well as “small common diseases”. So today was a very short day, shorter than initially plan. I am staying at Pheriche tonight.

My O2 saturation level is at 96 out 100 at sea level, which is really excellent. In other words, my body feels like I was at sea level. I can’t quite explain my natural ability to altitude. Nevertheless, I know that AMS (Altitude Mountain Sickness) can happen to anyone, anytime, even if you never had before. So I stay cautious, I do my trek respecting altitude acclimatization threshold.

I’ve assist to a lecture about the AMS this afternoon given by the Himalayan Altitude Rescue Hospital. I was the only one there. It was very interesting. I took this opportunity to ask lots of very specific questions, such as: on the use of the VIAGRA to reduce Pulmonary Edema, or the chemical aspect of DIAMOX ….

I met Carlos Soria with his team. Carlos is a Spanish climber who going to climb as well Annapurna 1 and was doing as well an acclimatization trek. It seems really nice, such as his team.  I’m happy. I will visit them at Annapurna Base Camp

Tomorrow I will be at Lobuche and the day after at Kala Patar and sleep at Gorashep

Journal - acclimatization trek - day 2

March 15^th
from 3440m to 3950m

 I trek from Namche to Pangboche. It was snowing most day. Very cold day. I was happy to arrive at the Lodge to warm up. At the lodge I met Erin, and Page, her 13 year old daughter. They are from Australia. Erin did the Everest Base camp trek 10 years ago, and wanted to share with her daughter this magic experience: visit schools, monastery, views … Despite the bad weather, cold and covered, they enjoyed the trek, and so do I. After our dinner, Page taught me several card tricks ;-) I will teach them to my sister kids. They would love it.

I feel really good so on I will sleep tomorrow at Thula 4750m then go a Gorashep (where I will be able to go online)

Journal - acclimatization trek - day 1

March 14^th 

from 1250m to 3440m

As no flight took off yesterday, I had little hopes to fly to Luckla. Thus, I went at the airport with a Plan B, if no flight I will go to the Langtan region for my acclimatization trek.

Sky cleared up, and plane could fly. The fight Kathmandu-Luckla is very dangerous due to his extremely short run way and cancelled very often if weather condition are not optimal.

Once at Luckla, I was not sure where will be my stop of the day. I initially plan was to spend the night at Manjo, unless I was there before 3pm then I would go to Namche.

It took me about 6h from Luckla to Namche which a fairly fast pace. Lost in my thoughts, I walked too fast. I met Diany on the Namche last hill. She was a nepali porter, very friendly. . I spoke my few words of Sherpa. It seems we were both to meet each other and we walked a bite together.

Namche is a fast growing town. New lodges are built every year. I was there a year ago, but it seems so much bigger. I went the KAMAL lodge. There nothing fantastic about it beside the owner Nina who is nice. I enjoyed her, she is always very upbeat, wants to share piece of her story … I go there every year.

Around the fire, I met a couple and an English man on his way down. We talked a lot sharing point of views and stories. I love this kind of unexpected and rich meeting. Enjoying talking we lost track of time and we went to bed at 10:30pm.

It is a pretty day from n altitude gain point of you: +1200m. I am happy because I feel really good, no high altitude sign yet.

Acclimatization Trek Itinerary

Welcome to the Sherpa Land

I am doing the Everest Base Camp trek for 10days.

It is excellent for acclimatization.

My goal is spending few night at 5100m, 

including several hike up up to 5550m

Climbing Logistic

I arrived well in Kathmandu last night. I met Mingma, who's in charge of the 2 peaks logistic, and the logistic sounds really good.

Itinerary :

 - I am leaving tomorrow to do an acclimatization trek (to Everest Base Camp) and I will come back to Kathmandu March 22nd. 

March: 23,24: last minute shopping and rest days.

 - March 25: driving to Tatopani. March 26: flying to Annapurna BC. Mingma hoping for an early summit of Annapurna around April 20th, which is ~1week before I've initialy schedule it. Then we will fly (if possible) to Tatopani to rest 2-3 days at lower altitude before to go climbing Dhaulagiri. Once at Dhaulagiri Base Camp, I will try to do a direct summit push strategy on Dhaulagiri (eg: Base Camp, Camp 2, Camp 3, Summit). 

* That's the plan but I am sure that things will change. But I wanted to give you an idea of my climbing strategy and planing.

Then I will trek back to Pokara then drive to KTM - the expedition should be finish by the end of May. 

Please do not hesitate to log on to my blog to follow my climbs. Update will be provided on daily basis.

I'm in Kathmandu

I'm in Kathmandu

Long fly, a little tired, but so happy to be here

Inspirational Women - Sophie featured in Women in Sport (UK)

RADIO Interview: Sophie sur France Info (French)

Sophie sur France Info

Samedi 10 Mars 2012

à 5h51, 13h12, 15h49, 17h49, 20h19, 21h51, 23h19, 00h49

Interview par Marie Ameline

~ in english ~
Marie Ameline from the national radio, France Info, will interview Sophie the 03/08/12 - interview on air at 5h51am, 1h12pm, 3h49pm, 5h49pm, 8h19pm, 9h51pm, 11h19pm, 00h49