Welcome to Trailblazer author Jamie McGuinness' current trekkers updates.
As you may have guessed this is my site but you can easily return/head to Trailblazer.

This book is now in its fourth edition, the fifth edition will come out when I finish it.

New Trekker intention books

Now virtually all the lodges in the Khumbu above Lukla have a book inside where you can write where you have come from and where you are going to. This info should help in the event of a missing trekker, and indeed the effort was sparked by two trekkers going missing up there in two years. One is completely unexplained, the other was due to some over-ambitious climbing-exploring.

Machermo Rescue Post

During the main trekking seasons there is a medical post at Machermo in Namgyal Lodge run by the International Porter Protection Group - IPPG. They are able to assist in medical emergencies and also give doctor's consultations, for trekkers and locals, and porters especially are encouraged to visit. A service like this should not be taken for granted, please donate if you use the service. They have also built a large shelter for porters, very welcome.

Camera battery charging

Many places offer battery charging for a price; in Gokyo this was Rs300 per battery, in other high areas the price was Rs300 an hour, but expect this to change. In Namche the price is less than Rs100. Very useful! The voltage is 230v and they can normally take any plug.

Additional info

Here is a some useful and otherwise stuff that couldn't go in the book...

Steve Flower's web guide

Check out his diary and discussions on various details of the Everest trek.

Mera photo guide

Check it out for a good idea of what climbing the second most popular 'limited bureaucracy' peak entails.

Tenzing Norgay wasn't Nepali

Dec 2000: Tenzing was always coy about his childhood. It turns out that he was Tibetan, born at Ghang Monastery between Chomolungma and Makalu in Tibet.

Crossing the Cho La

One picture is worth an thousand words. The faint line is an actual trail and correct route across the pass, as seen from high on Lobuche East Peak. The approach from Dzonglha is bottom left. Pretty fearsome, but don't worry, it is not quite as bad as it looks - IN GOOD CONDITIONS.

knobby view above the fifth lake, Gokyo, Cho Oyu behind

I am not sure why this point is unmentioned else where in the literature, or why it took me until the third edition to mention it, for it is the most spectacular view point in the whole Khumbu, but it is a tough scramble to get to the top. (Thanks, Peter, for the pic...)

jdesign -- all rights reserved --  2008