“HIMALAYAS 2006 - LOBUCHE EAST 6119m”

-28.03.2006. "Lobuche East 6119m" expedition commences today.

Sixteen mounteneers led by Dragan Jaćimović are set to attempt summit Lobuche East 6119m. We’ll be informing you about the progress whenever we can and trying to conjure up the atmosphere from this expedition.   

-31.03.2006. Kathmandu - Lukla -Tok-Tok

We woke up at 5am. At 6.15am our plane took off to Lukla. I heard about this flight so many times. Yet, words cannot describe it. Airplanes line up and “let the break off” one after another one with 2-3 min distance. Some members who have already been at this flight overslept it. On the contrary, I like a boy in front of the sweets shopping window, could not stop staring at Himalayan summits.

Short runway in Lukla surely was another excitement. After short break in Lukla we left for Tok-tok. We followed risen river Dud koshi, crossed hanging bridges several times and enjoyed blooming cherries and rhododendrons. 45 min before we reached Tok-toka we had a break for our lunch in some lodge. Then we continued towards Tok-tok where kind Nima welcomed us. Trip has exhausted us. Immediately after dinner we went to sleep

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-01.04.2006. Tok-Tok - Namche Bazar

After we naturally woke up (first time after three days) and large breakfast, we commenced one of the most difficult phases of this expedition. We increased altitude for almost 800m. It was exhausting route since we had to go up and down the hills. At the end of the day we all took it well and got to  Namche Bazar by 16pm. We settled at lodge Kalapathar which now became a traditional for Jacim’s expeditions. It was raining this afternoon but we hope for better weather tomorrow since we’ll have our first acclimatization at 4100m. There we’ll see who is built of what :-)

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-02.04.2006.

On our way to hotel "Everest view" we had our first acclimatization. All expedition members feel well.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-03.04.2006. Namche bazar - Deboche

On our way to  Deboche          Monastery Tengboche

On our way to the base camp, tracking from Namche Bazar to Deboche is second difficult phase. To preserve energy, most members hired porters.

We made our first tea break at river Dud koshi. It took us 2.5 hours to get to Tengboche monastery. After we had stepped outside of conifer forest we clearly spotted Nuptse and Everest. It looked unreal, like the movie.

Tengboche monastery is situated at a plateau which gives a magnificent sight of the most colorful Himalayan summit Ama Dablam. When coming from the valley, Nuptse and Everest are just in front while monastery is on the left. It was my first serious contact with Buddhism and Buddhist monks. I was thinking on scenes from the film “7 years on Tibet” while Himalayas were getting deeper and deeper into my soul. After we had made short break there it took us further 15 min to Rododendron lodge where we stayed overnight.  

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-04.04.2006.

This morning we naturally woke up which wasn’t the case earlier days. From Rododendron lodge to Pangboche it took us about one hour. We had our lunch break there and then continued to Orsho.

Sherpas, yaks and expedition equipment were waiting in Orsho. From now onwards there will be no sleeping in lodges but tents and therefore we become a real expedition. If you ever watched some photographs from Himalayan expeditions you’ve certainly noticed famous yellow tents "THE NORTH FACE VE-25". These are going to be our home while all the other equipment will be carried by yaks.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-05.04.2006.

We set our trekking from Orsho to Dingboche at moderate pace. In order to get good acclimatization we’ll be staying at Dingboche for two days. Then, we’ll have a second acclimatization climb to Nangar Tsang peak at 5080m

-06.04.2006. Acclimatization climb to Nangar Tsang peak at 5080m

Today’s acclimatization climb to Nangar Tsang was taken well by all members let alone some minor stomach problems (consequence of adjusting the organism to current altitude). All members feel well.

Regards to all our countryman.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-07.04.2006.

Slowly but surely we are advancing towards our final destination - Lobuche base camp. A single step separates us from there. This is Lobuche village at which we arrived today. We left Ama Dablam behind. On our left Taboche and Cholatse have risen. Trekking wasn’t exhausting and we could certainly enjoy Himalayan beauty.

Tomorrow is our last acclimatization before we are setting out to the Base Camp

Nebojsa Stojancic, expedition member

-08.04.2006.

It was a perfect day for acclimatization. Morning was fairly worm and immediately after breakfast we were setting out to the Gorak shep at 5300m. Jacim reckoned that the initial idea to go to the Everest base camp was bad. It would have taken too long and we would have become unnecessarily exhausted now when we need to preserve the energy as much as possible. Same as before, our team has taken this acclimatization very well.

Nebojsa Stojancic, expedition member

-09.04.2006.

This morning we left Lobuche village and set out to the Lobuche East BC. It did not take much energy, the weather was nice and the whole route took about one hour. While crossing some frozen lake, we had another chance to clearly observe our summit.

Base camp is situated at a very nice location - at summit’s foothill from which one can have a beautiful sight at Cholatse summit. As the day “D” is coming closer, excitement within out team is rising. Immediately after lunch Jacim organized the equipment inspection which until now has been unpacked. If the weather looks nice, tomorrow after midnight (to be more precise at 02.00am) we will set out to the summit.

After the equipment inspection and several demonstrations on “how to use it” most members went to tents for a good sleep. Srdjan and I are adjusting satellite modem in order to place new information at our site. As soon as we finish that we are going to sleep until “tea time”.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-10.04.2006.

According to the old good tradition, Sherpas woke us up at about 07.00 by bringing tea to our tents. Base camp is at western side of summit’s foothill. Therefore it takes longer for the sun to warm us up. This is why Srdjan and Aca were not lazy to walk for about 150m away from the camp and have a nice chat while having their morning tea at the sun :-)

While sitting after breakfast and watching Sherpas packing and loading the equipment I am thinking about tonight’s climb. That moment has finally come. From some conversations with team members I conclude that regardless of how many times one has completed summit of this or higher altitude there is always the same worry: “ I’m I going to make it?”

Yak's caravan is off to C1 or to be more precise towards forward positioned base camp E. At this moment I realized that these yak's could go anywhere. I have a feeling that they would easily climb Everest if someone said so. I wish you could have seen them walking at rocky ground through a corridor between stones!. It took us about one hour to get to the place where our forward positioned base camp E was going to be situated. It was more beautiful than the previous one because it was next to the lake and the first thing to see when you get out from the tent is Ama Dablam. While we were at lunch, three Sherpas have gone to mark up part of our footpath that we were to cross during the night and to fix the rope at some more problematic sections. If everything works we are commencing tonight.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member 

-12.04.2006.

This morning, at 9.25 local time, the expedition „Lobuche East 2006“ reached the summit. One day earlier, due to health problems, Pavle Ferarinov gave up. Three more expedition members (Dragana Prosić, Slobodan Lalić and Srdjan Lorencicni) gave up during the climb. The summit reached: Dragan Jacimovic, Dusko Matic, Branislav Knezevic, Nebojsa Stojancic, Kokan Novovic, Sime Grdovic, Dobrica Dabovic, Suncica Cvetkovic, Aleksandar Urosevic, Basar Carovac, Slavica Cosic and Sead Muminovic.

Photographs from the final phase

-13.04.2006.

We left C1, passed former base camp and set out to the Orsho. We left Lobuche East to other expeditions that would hopefully improve the success score of climbing to the top (currently less than 50%). From today onwards there will be no sleeping in tents. In Orsho, we set at lodge with one of the most beautiful sights to Himalayan summits. Being a crossroad to many expeditions, it was interesting to observe other people and caravans of yak's from our glass covered dining room.

That silence was broken by the song "We are the champions" – a tape played by one of our sherpas. No doubt that it fit the situation perfectly.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member 

A t-shirt with the expedition members’ signatures hung in Orsho

-14.04.2006.

As before, one of the most difficult phases of this expedition was from Orsho to Namche Bazar. With some short breaks, it took us 7 hours. One was next to Tengboche monastery and there we had a chance to view it. Firs time I got fascinated by the place itself. This time I managed to see it inside.

Monks, mostly children were more than willing to show us inside and take photos with us. Of course we didn’t miss the opportunity to steer all prayer wheels that surround the main building. I do not know which prayers exactly we sent to Himalayan gods but hope that at least one was for me to return to this place. It is nice to believe that this is true and even nicer if it materializes.

Around 17 hours we finally arrived at Namche. We are looking forward for the big party to commence at Paradise café. If I manage to stand after this I’ll let you know how it was :-)

Nebojsa Stojancic, expedition member 

Monastery Tengboche

-15.04.2006. 08.25h

Yesterday’s party was amazing. Jacim was a DJ and so he begun with Red Hot Chilly Peppers while teams have been swapping at billiard table. In fact Basko and Sead remained while others have been swapping. Banchi and I lost twice with tiny difference. They were lucky, that’s all. Also, table was a little bit steeped :-) Party went on until early morning. I do not know if the rest of our team is awaken but who cares, we are not in rush. We stay here until lunch and then are setting out to some Base Camp that halves or tracking to Lukla. If God blesses us with some luck we will be in Kathmandu by 17.00.

All members are well.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

Paradise café: a celebration of successful expedition

-19.04.2006.

The last three days in Kathmandu were tense. You’ve probably heard that Maoists and seven united political parties are trying to get rid of the king (similar to our scenario from late 1990s).

However, we used spare time to buy some bits and pieces, souvenirs and to visit places of cultural importance such as Pashupatinat (a place where Indians perform “burials” of their relatives), old city and the palace, Monkey temple and Budha’s stupa. I nearly forgotten, the photograph above shows that all successful team members shaved to look like actor Burdush. Funny tradion that we do not intend to break. We expect the same from other expeditions yet to come in EST organization.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member

-20.04.2006.

A general strike was announced for today by all those against the king. However, he managed to impose a police curfew which meant that nobody was allowed to remain outside between 20.00 and 08.00 hours (not applicable to tourists). In the morning, similarly to the “underground resistance against the occupation” members we barely dragged ourselves to the ministry of tourism bus which in turn, took us to the airport, using some auxiliary streets. The moment we thought that the worst had been left behind, the airport staff sabotaged us by “go-slow” (announced) making our take off late for 2.5 hours. As a consequence we missed the flight from Doha to Athens. Luckily, we traveled by the top airliner (Qatar airways), who, at their expense, set us at a very good hotel in Doha. If everything works, we are continuing tomorrow. Expedition “Lobuche East 2006” traveling by JAT should land at Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade by 22.25h.

Otherwise, they really look after us here in this hotel. Some members who lost 6-7 kg during the expedition may even completely recover.

Regards from Qatar.

Nebojsa Stojancic,

expedition member  

Doha, capital of Qatar

-21.04.2006.

The expedition "Lobuche East 2006" has successfully ended. Tonight, at 22.30h members have landed at Belgrade airport completing a big adventure. 

Reception of the expedition at Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade