Barbara's Experience

My experience has been tainted with disappointments but still it was wonderful and I am certainly glad that I did what I did.
First, my hike to base camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain was cancelled just before I left Canada.
Second, the guide I was supposed to hike with, Dan Mazur who is famous for rescuing Lincoln Hall in 2006, fell and broke his leg in 2 places 2 days prior to my departure.
Third, I was unable to spend as much time with the family or climb as high as I had hoped because of my injury.
On a positive note:
I met great people from all over the world and had some fascinating conversations
I climbed to Everest base camp at 5,380m/17,700 ft. saw the hustle and bustle of tents being set up, prayer flags flying and the famous Khumbu Icefall.
I climbed to Kala Pattar at 5,545m/18, 187 ft. where you get the first view of the summit of Mt. Everest and views of all the high 8000 meter peaks around Everest.
I climbed over 5700m/18,700 ft. in the dark with a torn Achilles tendon on Island Peak deciding to turn back when the climbing became too technical for me to trust my injury.
I experienced a new 3rd world country & learnt a lot about the Hindus & the Buddhists of Nepal and how they live and interact.
I also learnt first hand how super powers like China control smaller poorer nations like Nepal.
I learnt that I can survive on a mountain and in a 3rd world country on my own.

My injury was an accident. I stepped on a flat stone that was much like a teeter totter while crossing a river, my heel dropped down and I tore my Achilles. I had it bandaged and then I tore the muscle attached to the Achilles when I fell hiking down from Island Peak. The next few days were a real challenge for me both physically and mentally. The group I was with was hiking down off the mountain and I was hiking on my own with my porter Dawa to meet the family in Pheriche. What should have taken 3-4 hours took me 8 hours. The next day I met the family and saw the doctor. They hiked up and I hiked down.