Sean Burch

Day 16 – 6Sep: Pheda to Balephi

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:10:00 +0000

After leaving our guests, the Magar tribe in Pheda, we hired 3 locals at various points to get to Khadichaur, so as not to waste any precious time. Received bad news that 35 people died this morning on the road to Tingre, a border town just across in China, where I stayed on my expedition to Shishapangma. Unfortunately this type of news is quite common here. We pass at least 7 landslides a day. Found 8 leeches sucking my blood at breakfast. You really don’t even feel them until they’ve taken a pint out of you. Every town we’ve stopped so far, Nepalis always ask 3 things - what’s my name, where am I from, and where am I going. No one believes me when I say Tibet, so I just started making stuff up. Most the time I don’t think they know what I’m saying anyway….no one speaks English in these villages. 99% of the Nepalese I’ve met have never been within a few days walk of their hut or village. They all seem content and happy though, and most provide a smile. A few times in the sketcher areas they seem to be curious for all the wrong reasons. The sidar never tells anyone exactly where I’m going because he says it’s too dangerous in some of the very remote areas. Biggest highlight - bought a bed sheet in the town we‘re staying at this evening…hopefully will keep away some of the mosquitoes from biting the heavens out of me. Had some monkeys cross our path the other day - does that mean good luck? Wired data Steps taken: 56,893 Hours: 12:09 Miles: 31.32 Gain/Loss Elevation: 10,002 HR l/m: 38/136

Landslide - We See 7+ A Day

Day 17 – 6Sep: Balephi to Melamchi

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:10:00 +0000

Good morning, I’ll have my usual 5,000ft of climbing before breakfast please. As the photo shows, the road aint pretty on you. Does get the heart pumpin though…earn your meal is what’s the rule. Back to feeling close to 100% besides the usual aches and pains. As usual, we had some locals who like to join in on the trek. Happens everyday…they just sidesaddle right behind you and before you know it, there are anywhere from 2 to 15 people following you…kids, teenagers, men, women, it doesn’t matter. I feel like Forrest Gump on his run across America. The kids are the most interesting. They get as close as they can to you, and just stare. I had about 10 kids walk over 8km with me today. They kept repeating the same ol questions you already know about. Not everyone is so cheery as mentioned…passed a town of drunks at 3:00pm, and 4 guys started following me for about 2 miles..sometimes they come up to you and try and get close, but usually never grab. Arrived in Melamchi where a fight had broken out right in the middle of town. Some man with no leg started to yell at the sidar if he was willing to be the next fighter. A swell bunch of chaps they were, yes sir. Wired data- Steps taken: 62,002 Hours: 14:07 Miles: 29.38 Gain/Loss Elevation: 9,811 HR l/m: 38/128

5,000FT+ Climbing for Breakfast

Day 15 – 5Sep: Busti to Pheda

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Everyday I’m awakened by nature’s alarm clock - the rooster. Today was no different. We don’t need no stinkin watch here in Nepal, the rooster will let you know when to wake up. Perfect timing…everyday at 5:15am. Still can’t breathe too well, but I feel Cipro has kicked in. The fever broke - I’m ready to roll. Breakfast in Kiratichhop…took a long-forgotten ancestor path to get there. Most people use the road to travel by bus, so the pass connecting Busti to Kiratichhop hasn’t been used much in the past 35 years until today. After lunch I praised the Cipro gods and the person who created it. It brought me back from death in 36 hours. And as if to show mercy, mother nature did not provide us with rain today…all day! A first so far. I landed in Pheda close to 7pm, and the townspeople came out to greet this most thankful, near-back-to-health guest. Wired data Steps taken: 50,409 Hours: 12:02 Miles: 23.89 Gain/Loss Elevation: 11,659 HR l/m: 51/122 Fever Recovery Room

Day 14 – 4Sep: Jiri to Busti

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Full-blown fever. I literally could not breathe. I had to take very shallow breaths in order to walk…no running please, I wanted to crawl. My breaths sounded as if I was a woman ready to have a baby. I’d never experienced this type of pain before. I was having a heart attack, I couldn‘t believe it. At around 11am, the fever started to kick in. During a late breakfast my sidar showed mercy on me and was able to wrangle someone in a small hut to let me pass out on their bed. I tried to throw in a few pitiful spoonfuls of porridge but that wasn’t flying. I managed to get in my stomach an AG energy bar and liter of Ka! Met some kids who showed me how to race their home-made go-karts which helped me forget the pain for about 5 minutes. I rallied for a pain in the butt rain-filled down climb, but could barely make it to the bottom of the mountain. That was it, I was dizzy, weaving back and forth, and felt as if I don’t lay down soon, I’m going to fall off the edge. Quick knock on a hut sitting all by itself near the river, and bam I’m in their ’master bedroom’ passed out. Only one solution to take care of this and come to the rescue - Cipro. It was a lesson in sufferfest. Just before passing out I heard the sweet words - Sir, there may be a red mouse that come visit you during the night. Wired data Steps taken: 49,014 Hours: 10:26 Miles: 24.33 Gain/Loss Elevation: 8,365 HR l/m: 63/151 Kids & Homemade Go-karts

Day 13 – 3Sep: Kinja to Jiri

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:25:00 +0000

I’m beginning to experience sharp stomach pains which lasted throughout the day. It felt as if a Nepal gorka knife was repeatedly stabbing me in the stomach and showing me no mercy. Each down climb step on ‘crazy paths’ were a punch to the navel. I can’t believe I reached my goal for the day - Jiri. Passed over from Solo into Ramechhap district. Dirty is when you can’t tell your sock is inside or out. Dirty is when your gray clothes have turned shades of green and brown and when you wake up in the morning, for some reason you have cut your hand and there is blood all over the bed. Dirty is putting back on the same smelly, grimy, drenched, sodden, blood-soaked, nauseating, clothes and boots everyday and not really giving two shakes and a Nepali about it because you’re going to trash your body on the trail this day again anyway. No reason to put on new clothes because they will be thrashed by the end of the day, and then I’m out two sets. Only have 3 sets for the entire expedition…it’s usually enough. Not anymore. It’s gotten so bad I actually don’t mind when a few of the porters smoke near me…that smell is better than wet stank. I should have bought stock in baby powder before I left the states, it’s my fresh maven. Wired data Steps taken: 60,952 Hours: 13:16 Miles: 28.88 Gain/Loss Elevation: 9,114 HR l/m: 46/149 Young Porter Man'in it Up

Day 12 – 2Sep: Phaplu to Kinja

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Those leeches love me, and I’m not flattered. Another full day of heavy rain that started almost immediately after breakfast. ‘Crazy path’ for 3.5 hours in the rain didn’t help things either for an afternoon delight. There is a change…although I don’t like downhills, I’ve come to accept them. You accept the things that are, and change the things you can. Since I’m not listening to any music there is ample time to be in the moment, be completely present with where I am at that time. I listen to the waterfalls, the rain splatter on my hat, the rivers rushing over the rocks, the dialogue of passing Nepalese, the birds chirping to one another. These expeditions make me feel like a completely different person than when I‘m back in the states. I feel like a ‘living’ human being, one who is learning, accepting, opening my eyes to the real world. Saw in the distance the Thuchuncheli Monestary in Junbesi (over one thousand years old), and took a picture with school children of the Tami tribe on their walk to school right after I finished breakfast in Tumbuk. I wish I could play the tourist and just stop and spend the day in an area, but I’m on a schedule, and I have a goal…one that I think about every moment, of every second, since I started running West from the Nepal/India border. Wired data Steps taken: 61,250 Hours: 12:25 Miles: 28.76 Gain/Loss Elevation: 11,762 HR l/m: 41/128 Breakfast Downtime Tumbuk

Day 11 – 1Sep: Budhidanda to Phaplu

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Well, I knew it was only a matter of time. - bacterial intestinal problems dropped it’s ugly head this morning. I try the best I can enforcing the ‘wash hands’ law, but there is only so much one can do. I’m eating local the entire way (besides AG and Ka!), so there’s bound to be some parasites that are going to get through. I’m in the Solo Khumbu region, which is home to the world’s strongest porters. They come from this district only. They start learning from an early age - 3 years old, from their parents by ‘carrying’ around the house grass for the cattle, wood for fires, etc. As they grow older, they begin to carry more kg and more kg. The minimum amount a porter must carry is around 60lbs. But almost all of them carry double so they can get paid more. My Sherpa porters are carrying between 35-45lbs, so they can travel fast and light. There is an actual tier system with trekking porters that has 10 classes. I’ll save the list for later. Today was a “rest day” and got into Phaplu semi-steady since the route didn’t have too many ‘crazy paths’. At the guesthouse there is electricity. Sweet! Still have yet to see a single westerner since starting at the border. Passed by 3 Buddhist monasteries and met some new friends. Wired data Steps taken: 43,852 Hours: 9:23 Miles: 20.78 Gain/Loss Elevation: 7,336 HR l/m: 41/123

Day 10 – 31Aug: Gudel to Budhidanda

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Here’s some slang for the day to digest - “Crazy path” - an insane steep as can be downhill with slippery rocks, rain, that bash your feet and destroy your knees. Arrived late in the evening with blood feet from the rock pounding and leeches…my feet have never looked better! People always ask what I eat on an expedition. Answer - whatever I can get my hands on. I must intake at least 6,000 calories a day or I’ll lose weight and strength. I have 2 huge meals a day (morning and night), and then snack on AG and Ka! while I’m trekking throughout the day. In Sotang Bazaar for lunch I met some pleasant children from the Chattri tribe. Wired data Steps taken: 56,011 Hours: 12:55 Miles: 26.54 Gain/Loss Elevation: 8,234 HR l/m: 44/134 Self Portrait Pointing to Gudel Rock Pounding, Leeches, Bites

Day 9 – 30Aug: Phedi to Gudel

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Long day of climbing, pushing upward over the Salpa Bhanjyang and onto Gudel. Arrived into the village tired, hungry, and once again descending the mountainside in pitch black due to the late hour. Leaves it tough to maneuver the rocks and steep incline/decline 40+. The inclines have become quite enjoyable, however, I have to wait a lot for logistics to gather steam. This is one frustrating aspect. I have to climb and trek as well as constantly organize the logistics daily with the sidar. The schedule drawn up has been changing, and always trying to push on as far as possible each day extending the evening endpoint. I slipped and fell on slippery rocks today twice during the rain. I let my mind wander for brief seconds, and paid the price. Once again, focus and concentration are critical, and must be maintained daily all the time. It has become frustrating sometimes to always eat alone, or drink water alone at a reststop. No one speaks English in the areas I’ve been so far, so I just sit there quietly , smile, while people stare at me. Jeroen at the Nepal Trust just organized 3 new porters who are ready to roll….be good to get new blood in on the fun. Entered the Solo Khumbu district today (5 total so far I‘ve been in). This evening’s fare had popcorn (corn on the cob), soup, chicken momo from freshly killed rooster minutes beforehand by the neck once again from a porter (for the school kids following - that means the chicken is being put to sleep nicely), veg curry made from the garden, and banana. Thanks much to USSecurenet for allowing me to relay these dispatches - they are keeping me sane. Wired data Steps taken: 57,229 Hours: 12:50 Miles: 27.12 Gain/Loss Elevation: 15,293 HR l/m: 45/132

Day 8- 29Aug: Chalise to Phedi

Sean Burch Nepal 2010 RSS Dispatch Feeds — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:25:00 +0000

I left today determined to stay ahead of schedule because in 60 days, a lot can go wrong. Walking along a ridge came a huge clan of langur monkeys. They are white with brown noses and very distinct features. They were flying and by the time I could get my camera out they were jumping from tree to tree and blended right back into their environment. I did manage to get a few photos of a monkeys but nothing as spectacular as the langur. I was so dehydrated from yesterday’s outing I downed 3 liters of water, but still felt parched. It’s very hot here in this region of the Himalaya and the obstacles are a plenty. Passed by the Tsaru people who’s homes contain very unique Architecture specific to their culture and region. Entered Maoist territory for the first time. These are Maoists who believe in their cause and want to make sure you know…the area I passed had a red flag flying (it‘s in the lower right-hand side of the photo). Counted over 30 mosquito bites on my hands and over 40 on my ankles. Arrived in Phedi at around 5pm feeling like I had taken a stroll for the day…be it a very humid, boot soaking, and extremely sweaty outing, but my body is feeling strong. Phedi used to be a popular stop off for trekkers years ago. The guesthouse where we stayed was plenty busy. Now, we’re it’s only customers in months. Why? Maoists have been scaring tourists away from this region the past years. This is a major reason why I’m crossing the country…to show tourists around the world Nepal’s diversity, cultures, architecture, tribes, and that it’s all a safe and beautiful country to explore. The best thing about the long days is you can never zone off. You have to be focused every single second of the day because there are so many obstacles to overcome. I don’t listen to music, don’t worry about the rise and fall of western civilization, just think about the GHT. There are rivers to pass, slippery rocks a plenty to maneuver, steep ridges, muddy lanes….all can cause harm if you do not pay attention, if your mind is not in the game. Wired data Steps taken: 42,379 Hours: 10:37 Miles: 20.19 Gain/Loss Elevation: 8,010 HR l/m: 46/128 Monkey Road to Phedi Maoist Country