BC - My Birthday!

I’ve celebrated my birthday in some unusual places over the years but think that I will struggle to ever repeat today’s festivities at 5100m, Everest Base Camp. 34 years old… young..!!

Unfortunately my bruised rib is causing me quite a lot of pain so I am feeling more like I’m 60. 

I was serenaded at breakfast with a rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” by the boys before falling into the usual daily routine and banter. It was another gorgeous day - blue skies, sun and a hefty breeze. From the back of my tent I have a perfect view of Everest. Clearly the all too allusive ‘weather window’ is still far away as a huge, long plume of snow can be seen blowing from the summit. It’s fascinating how much the mountain and associated weather patterns has changed over the course of the past few weeks… even days… as the jet-stream has come in.

I’m thankful that we still have a few days of rest here at Base Camp on the cards as still feel as though I’m battling various ailments including a nasty cough, bruised rib, and sore throat. The discomfort from my rib(s) has now spread from my lower right side to my upper left side which makes sleeping propped up on down mitts and jackets a bit precarious. I've also wrapped my rib-cage in duct tape (something I dno't advocate for men with hairy chests). Having said that, I started on a new drug today called Tramadol... I'm definitely not advocating drug-addiction but it is absolutely marvellous - my pain has disappeared (as has all emotion, sense of time, sense of balance, concept of reality, short term memory...). Happy Birthday to Me... I can't believe I'm practically stoned on Everest.

A birthday treat…
While lounging in my tent enjoying the side-effects of Tramadol and trying to rearrange and reorganise what few clean clothes I have left, I heard a knock at my tent door.

Ian sang out, ‘Heather! Come outside..! There is a surprise waiting for you..!”

My initial reaction was that it was the boys playing a joke on me that had something to do with their most recent favourite topic - “Big Gav”, a 6’8” Australian coal-miner from the camp next door who had rather “eloquently” (much to the delight of the boys) expressed an interest in the ‘Sheila in their team’ (aka me). Nervously, I stuck my head outside of my tent…. I blinked once… I blinked twice…. Standing outside of my tent, in the shadow of Everest, in a florescent green mankini was Ian, beating his chest in the sunlight.

With a smile as big as the Cheshire Cat, he wished me “The Happiest of Birthdays”. Before I had time to react, he was gone and had run back into the comfort of the shower tent, the zippered door flapping in the breeze behind him. I looked over at the Mess Tents and the boys all stood there laughing hysterically and clapping at the performance. Brilliant…. A fantastic birthday present and one that I will not soon forget..!! Should Everest Summitteer not be sufficient on his CV, “Chip n’Dale” performer can always be added to the list…!! I have an incriminating photo but won't use it / sell it to 'The News of the World' unless Ian ever decides to run or Prime Minister.

That evening I was given a special birthday feast - “chicken sizzler” my absolute favourite. It was served with gusto by the sherpas to all of us on individual wooden platters and the mess tent was soon filled with the aroma of fried chicken and smoke. I was then presented with a huge birthday cake with 34 candles and bright green and red icing while everyone sang, “Happy Birthday”. As I was cutting the cake, ’Big Gav’, Laval and Mark from the Summit Climb team next door arrived with drinks. We cleared the table and sat down for an enjoyable evening of laughs and stories. I rolled into my sleeping bag at 11:00 - the latest I’d been up in ages. A fantastic birthday and the start of what I hope will be a year filled with continued health and happiness.