Mt. Everest 2010 #15 - Phortse

Gabcast! Mt. Everest 2010 #15



Namaste everybody.

I am here in, Phortse, I think I am ??? from the rest of the group because I met Dawa Sherpa yesterday, and so he invited me to come and stay at his home, so here I am in Phortse. Had a great day, took about three and a half hours of walking here and I'm at about 4000m of altitude so I'm a little bit short of breath, but everything is going well, everybody is feeling good, ?we have? a beautiful view. So ?I will? call you again tomorrow. Oh, and Happy Easter everybody. Alright, talk to you tomorrow. Bye.

Ted's note.
Dawa Nuru Sherpa is a friend of Lucille's that we met about three years ago in Golden, BC. He has been a long time friend of John MacIsaac from the time they were on an Everest expedition years ago. The summer we met Dawa, he had travelled to Canada and was working for John for the summer. We know John through the sport of Paragliding (remember that bucket list?), and it was at a Hang Gliding and Paragliding meet that we all met Dawa.

So now that the three degrees of separation are explained, I will go on to say that at the time they met, I was encouraging Lucille to go to Nepal and trek to Everest base camp. I just knew that it would be an incredibly meaningful trip for her. But it was through speaking with Dawa that her desire to go was really sparked, and events since that summer have led Lucille to the Everest expedition she is undertaking this year. To say that Dawa was an important person in Lucille's life would be an understatement.

Now, Dawa has been on the summit of Everest seven times as a climbing Sherpa. He is working at building a tea house in Phortse so he can retire from climbing. The gliding community has held fundraisers in support of this in the past, and has also had a lot of support from John MacIsaac as well. Lucille reported via email that the outside walls and structure are complete, but he still needs to make the inside rooms. She should have pictures when she returns.

Before Lucille left, the same gliding community had a social and fundraiser for Lucille where more than $2,000 was raised. With that money, she purchased the Satellite phone she used to make this posting, plus solar charging equipment, and some air time. With the remainder, she has donated $500.00 to her chosen charity, Learn for Life, and $500.00 to Dawa in support of his tea house. She was able to give Dawa this money yesterday, and he was very
thankful for it, and passes on his thanks to all who contributed to Lucille's fundraiser.


Dawa is the sherpa on the left in the yellow suit in the attached picture, and it shows him on the summit of Mt. Everest for his sixth time in 2008. He summitted again in 2009. The picture is credited to International Mountain Guides for whom Dawa works as a climbing sherpa.