Kruger Park - Zebra

I made it through the night without any critters crawling or slithers around my cabin and before I hit the ground running, I checked my boots for any spiders making themselves at home in there.

As the gates opened just before daybreak, I headed north to Nhlowa Road (aka S28) with a brief stop at Gezantombi Watergat (waterhole). Scanning the area, I was hoping for a viewing, as animals are most active early in the morning or late afternoon, when the temperature is more palatable than the midday sun. The southern part of the park gets particularly hot during the summer season with temperatures soaring as high as 140°F (40°C) with a great deal of humidity.

Lucking out this time, I took a right turn onto the S28, a narrow gravel road and a mere 1.3mi (2km) later, I chanced upon my first sighting. To my left was a dazzle of zebras and to my right, albeit in the distance, was a herd of wildebeest. 

Commonly referred to as a ‘herd’ or ‘zeal’, a group of zebras is also known as a ‘dazzle’, which is a curious description with a very logical explanation. Apparently, it is due to the ‘dazzle motion effect’. When zebras move together, their pattern makes it difficult for a predator to focus on an individual target and thereby miscalculate the speed and direction taken by the prey. The military was quite fascinated with that theory, so much so that in the early 20th century (predominantly in WW1), US and UK warships were painted in ‘motion dazzle’ patterns in an attempt to confuse their enemies by making it difficult to gauge the ship’s size, speed, and direction. How effective they were remains questionable but by WW2 the practice began to fall out of favour.

Zebras are hard-wired to be wild, unlike their domesticated cousins, the horse and the donkey. Sometime in the late 19th century, humans attempted to domesticate zebras and use them for transportation, but the zebras continuously escaped their enclosures and thwarted their training. Clearly those strong survival instincts could not be tamed.

Of the three zebra species – Plains, Mountain and Grevy – the ‘Plains’ is the one most commonly found in the park. Its long distant relative, the quagga, was endemic to South Africa until it was hunted into extinction by 1878. The quagga was a fascinating species as its brown and white coat pattern was zebra-like at the front and horse-like at the back. This also raises the question whether a zebra’s stripe is black and white or white and black. Scientific research concluded that although a zebra’s belly is white, the skin beneath the hair is actually black. As such, the zebra is considered to be black with white stripes (although some debate continues) and the stripe patterns are like fingerprints because they are unique to each one of them.  

Moving on from the zebras, I kept my eyes peeled on these vast open plains and even up in the trees, seriously hoping I would see a big cat lazing on a branch. It wasn’t long though before I laid my eyes on a small herd of antelopes in the distance.

This was a good start to my safari experience. What’ll be next?


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Kruger Park - Crocodile Bridge

When I dream of being on a safari, I imagine wide open grassy plains, sweltering days and magnificent sunsets. I see big cats crouching, hiding in the grass, assessing their prey, or lounging on a tree branch, ever watchful of their surroundings. I can hear the mighty roar of the lion and I know why he is king of the jungle. I can picture a herd of elephants being led by its matriarch or zebras camouflaging themselves from colour-blind lions with their monochrome stripes. I could go on and on in my imagination, but a better experience is to journey through Kruger National Park (“Kruger”), one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa.

Shaped like an elongated, reversed “L” the park is located in the northeast corner of South Africa. Bordered by Zimbabwe to the north, Mozambique to the east, the Crocodile River to the south and several private lands to the west, Kruger is South Africa’s first national park. Its predecessor, the Sabie Game Reserve, was founded in 1898 by Paul Kruger, the President of South Africa, following grave concerns about the rapid decline of wildlife due to hunting and agricultural expansion. Unfortunately, the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) significantly reduced works around wildlife preservation. After the war, work resumed and in 1903, Shingwedzi Game Reserve was also created. By 1916 the two reserves were consolidated, creating the Transvaal Game Reserve and in 1926 it was renamed Kruger National Park.

Encompassing an area of nearly 7,600mi² (20,000km²), the park is home to 147 mammal species, 127 reptile species and over 500 species of birds. Kruger is widely popular for its Big 5 Game: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo and its Big 6 Birds: ground hornbill, Pel’s fishing owl, lappet-faced vulture, saddle-billed stork, martial eagle and kori bustard.

Kruger is teeming with wildlife amongst diverse vegetation and water sources, including big cats, big mammals, wolf-like canines, ungulates, antelopes, crocodiles, and plenty of small and unique looking animals like the pangolin, aardwolf and mongoose. Besides the Big 6 birds, keeping an eye on the sky can be just as wonderfully rewarding with birds such as the: Plum Coloured Starling with its iridescent purple upper body and pure white belly; Black Headed Oriole with its bright yellow body and black head; and a real delight is the Lilac Breasted Roller and its kaleidoscope of colour; pale green, lilac, greenish blue, black, off-white, brown and cobalt blue.

Wildlife faces various threats, from drought, urban development and mining to poaching and hunting. Rhinos, buffalos and elephants are especially at risk as they are hunted for their horns and tusks. Armed anti-poaching units patrol the park with help from specialist canine units and aerial support such as helicopters and drones.

This journey begins at the ring-fenced Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp, one of four original ranger posts in Sabie Reserve and one of the entrances to the park. Located north of Crocodile River, it has great views of the river and the farmland beyond. Nearby are the remnants of an old railway bridge that in the 1920s was used as a tourist attraction to visit the Sabie Reserve. Armed rangers would lead tourists on short bush hikes during their journey. The line became defunct, and the tracks removed when it was decided to expand the rail network around the park in order to keep the wildlife safe.

The gates at the rest camp close for the night to keep the wandering wildlife out. It’s at this point I make sure I’m safely tucked away in my cabin with mosquito repellent on, keeping an ear out for anything that slithers and check that uninvited critters are not roaming around in my sleeping quarters.

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Mt. Everest - The Summit

On the border of Nepal and Tibet (autonomous region of China), standing proudly at 29,032ft (8,848m) is Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world and crown jewel of the Himalayas. First summitted in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, Everest has since been summitted by over 5,700 people a staggering 10,000+ times. Of course like any high risk activity, accidents and deaths do occur and in the last century just over 300 people have lost their lives on Everest. Although Everest has 17 different routes to the summit, only two of them are primarily used: the North Ridge route from Tibet and Southeast Ridge from Nepal.
 

As the air continued to thin the remainder of the climb was done with supplemental oxygen, using a full face mask with a rubber tube that connected my mask to a metal cylinder that held the oxygen tucked inside my backpack. The cylinder had a regulator on top that controlled the flow of oxygen.

Heading out from Camp 3 at sunrise I made my way up steep terrain for about 500ft (150m), traversed to a strip of limestone known as Yellow Band, across a stratified (layered) rock-ledge and up a 200ft (60m) at 40 degree angle stepped rock cresting the Geneva Spur. Following a rocky path I arrived at South Col (Camp 4) and had my first view of Everest's peak. The true summit wasn't visible from here but I could see most of the route to the South Summit (the secondary summit).

South Col was a waypoint for the final stretch at an elevation of 26,000ft (7,925m). Here I ate what little I could ingest as my appetite waned (a common problem at high altitude as the body no longer metabolises food efficiently), rested and waited for the night to roll in. Most climbers will depart for the summit between 10pm and 2am and take anywhere between 8 to 12 hours to reach the summit.

Wanting to catch the sunrise just before 5am, I checked my gear, put my headlamp on and headed across a broad plateau before ascending the steep 40 degree Triangular Face to the Balcony, a resting platform at 27,500ft (8,380m). Many of the early climbing teams including Edmund Hillary, put in a higher camp here in order to give them a shorter time to the summit and more time to climb in the warmth of the sun. Nowadays it's rarely used. I took the opportunity to change my oxygen bottle, rest, eat and hydrate.

Once I crossed over 26,246ft (8,000m), I was technically in what is known as the "Death Zone", where the oxygen is so thin that it is unable to sustain human life. Up here the oxygen level is 33% of what is available at sea level. At this altitude the body uses up its oxygen stores faster than it can replenish and without supplemental oxygen the body deteriorates and shuts down. That is not to say that experienced climbers haven't succeeded in reaching the summit without supplemental oxygen. In 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first climbers to summit without bottled oxygen. A mere 0.02% have succeeded to summit without oxygen since.

From the Balcony the route took a slight left on gentle terrain till the route moved north and I was met with a 200ft (60m) slab of steep rock and snow terrain. Clipped into my fixed line, I pulled myself up using a jumar (ascending device) and in some exceptional steep sections my crampon points were precariously placed on jutting rock, strongly hoping they wouldn't slip. It didn't end here. When I made it above the slab, I was met with an even steeper section with a 60 degrees incline but thankfully it was shorter at around 100ft (30m).

Cresting the South Summit, I stopped for a short hydration break and a snack. From here the next section was a 20ft (6m) vertical drop, followed by the Cornice Traverse, a knife edge-like ridge-crossing to what was once known as Hillary Step. The Step was a nearly vertical rock face of 39ft (12m) and a technically difficult climb but it was destroyed when the region was struck by an earthquake in 2015. What was left were snow steps at 45 degree angles. It was debatable whether this was an easier way to climb but the real loss was the "Hillary Step monument", a testament to Hillary and Tenzing's success as the first summiteers.

With the end in sight, it took a further 20minutes to reach the pinnacle of the world. Adorned in prayer flags the summit at 29,032ft (8,848m) was a breathtaking 360 degree view of mountain peaks, glaciers and valleys. I watched the sun rise, casting an orange-red hue across the diminishing night sky as I reflected at the magnitude of this journey.

In Edmund Hillary's words: "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves."

To bring this journey into visual perspective you may wish to watch this YouTube video illustrating the climb from base camp to summit in 3D using GoogleEarth: Everest Base Camp to Summit in 3D

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Mt. Everest - Everest Base Camp

Starting out with an easy hike, I nearly missed the iconic yellow and red sign against a huge boulder simply stating "Way to Everest B.C." with a big red arrow beneath the words pointing towards base camp. At least I was certain I was on the right path.

After what felt like hours of trekking, the treacherous Khumbu Icefall loomed into view spilling its way down the valley between Everest and Nuptse. Khumbu Icefall sits at the head of Khumbu Glacier, a constantly moving sheet of compacted ice. As the glacier makes its way down the valley it fractures, creating deep crevasses that are always in motion and large towers of ice called seracs that are known to suddenly collapse.

Making the final ascent I arrived at the cairn adorned in prayer flags with its rudimentary sign signalling that I have arrived at Everest Base Camp (17,477ft/5,327m). It was located on a scree-covered section (loose broken stones) at the foot of Khumbu Icefall. I settled into one of the yellow tents and mentally prepared for the high altitude acclimatisation process I would begin to endure.

As sea-level dwellers our bodies are not designed to live at high altitude but we are certainly capable of adapting to it through appropriate acclimatisation. The higher we go, our bodies go through physiological changes by producing more red blood cells in order to carry more oxygen to our muscles and organs whilst combating the thinner air.

The acclimatisation process on Everest is lengthy taking up to a month and done by exposing the body to higher and higher altitude then descending to sleep, recover and overcome any signs of acute mountain sickness due to sudden changes in altitude.

High altitude sickness can affect any person regardless of fitness or age. Ignored or left untreated altitude sickness can have serious consequences including fatality by developing either into cerebral oedema or pulmonary oedema which is fluid build-up in the brain or lungs. Some of the immediate ways to treat altitude sickness is by taking specific medication, supplemental oxygen and/or descending.

During that month I climbed and returned to base camp three times with each climb going higher. It looked something like this:

1. Base camp to icefall, return to base camp. Have a day of rest.

2. Base camp across icefall to Camp 1 and stay; then Camp 2 return to Camp 1 for sleep; then Lohtse Face return to Camp 2 for sleep; and descend back to base camp. Have four days of rest.

3. Climb to Camp 1 and stay; then Camp 2 and rest the next day; then Camp 3 return to sleep at Camp 2; and descend back to base camp. Have five days of rest and wait for the right weather to summit.

The anticipation was over and the much awaited good-weather window presented itself for the final part of the expedition: Summitting Everest.

Starting in the wee hours of the morning, geared up and harness on I negotiated my way through the camp under the light of my headlamp to Crampon Point and attached my crampons to my boots.

Staring out at Khumbu Icefall with a good dose of mixed emotions I began the perilous yet now more familiar climb across. Crevasses were crossed on horizontal ladders and towering ice blocks on vertical ones. Some crevasses were so wide that more than one ladder had to be tied together to bridge the gap. For safety I was clipped into fixed lines. If I was to lose my footing on the ladders and fall the fixed lines would help break my fall. Climbs in some areas fluctuated between 20 to 60 degree angles but there was no time to dwell as the ongoing shifting and settling of the glacier and icefall was a constant reminder how unsafe the area was and moving quickly was necessary.

Several hours passed crossing the icefall till I made it to a large flat expanse of snow with more ladders to climb all the way to Camp 1. Situated at 19,390ft (5,910m), Camp 1 was in the middle of the Western Cwm (Cwm is Welsh for valley), a broad and flat glacial valley. From here I could see the Pumo Ri Mountain to the west and Lhotse Face straight up the valley. I then climbed on to Camp 2 about 1.74mi (2.8km) further up from Camp 1. Located at the base of a gully on scree, Camp 2 was well provisioned and is often considered as Advanced Base Camp. I stopped for a day of rest.

Early next morning I began making my way across the Western Cwm to the base of Lhotse Face where I had to cross a short ladder over a bergschrund (a deep crevasse where the steep slope meets the glacier). Lhotse Face is a 3,690ft (1,125m) glacial wall of blue ice. Sections of Lhotse Face average 40 degrees incline thereby needing to kick my crampon points into the ice to secure my footing. Throughout this climb I was clipped into a fixed line which was attached to the face with ice screws and anchors. I could feel the altitude change, my breathing labouring as I slowly and steadily climbed my way into Camp 3. I was now at 24,015ft (7,320m) gaining an elevation of 6,538ft (1,993m) from base camp. There were several camping spots here, essentially wherever one could find a flat spot to pitch a tent. I remained fixed to my safety line. The sun was up bestowing me with glorious views of the valley below, the peak of Pumo Ri and the others beyond.

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Mt. Everest - Gorak Shep

With the Himalayas towering on either side of the trail, I trudged on and I say trudged because as you may well imagine fatigue, high altitude, low oxygen level and the constantly changing terrain was having an impact but as you may also imagine the desire to climb Everest was even greater and gave me the impetus to carry on.

The terrain morphed from tundra with low level shrubs to rocks and boulders. It was rugged, remote and massive. Rounding the bend at Dughla, a small hamlet and resting point, I was confronted by a pile of rising rubble where high up on the hill at 16,100ft (4,900m) is the terminus of the Khumbu Glacier, the highest glacier in the world. To the right I could see the glacial meltwater as it was making its way down the hill into the Lobujya River flowing southward as the Imja River and into the Dhudh Kosi.

The next hour's climb was a steep 656ft (200m) trek to Chukpi Lhara. Set atop a large plateau, Chukpi Lhara is Everest's memorial ground. Monuments made of stone or cement, some covered in prayer flags were built to honour climbers and Sherpas who lost their lives on Everest. It was a sobering and reflective moment.

Located at the foot of the Khumbu Glacier to the east and the soaring peak of Mount Lobuche East to the west sits the seasonally busy village of Lobuche. The village is the second-last stop for overnight lodging before base camp. Mount Lobuche has two peaks and is differentiated by calling it East and West. Permits are required to climb the mountain with East (20,075ft/6,119m) being classed as a trekking peak, whereas West (20,160ft/6,145m) being classed as an expedition peak. The two peaks are connected by a long and deeply notched ridge with sheer drops on either side making the West peak inaccessible from the East but it can be climbed via the southern shoulder.

I didn't stop in Lobuche, I pressed on to Gorak Shep the absolutely last place to stay in a lodging. The village was buzzing with trekkers and climbers either coming or going. At an elevation of 16,942ft (5,164m), Gorak Shep was located at the base of Mount Pumo Ri on the edge of a frozen lakebed covered with sand with Khumbu Glacier to the east and Changri Shar Glacier to the west.

The village was completely barren and devoid of vegetation but the peaks were ever-present from every angle. The summit of Kala Patthar on the south ridge of Pumo Ri was a major landmark for any trekker who wanted a clear view of Everest and Nuptse's peaks. Because of Everest's structure view of its summit from base camp is blocked by Nuptse. Climbing Kala Patthar was another great way to acclimatise. With an elevation gain of 1,270ft (390m) it was a short-two hour return trip. After a hearty lunch of curry potato and paratha bread for dipping, I was ready for the last trek of the day.

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