Everest 2012: pre-trek primer

A blanket of cloud hides the upper pyramid of Mount Everest, in this image from our 2009 film Maldivians on Mountains. After seeing a preview of our film, my friend Elvis, in the spring of 2010, trekked to Mount Everest base camp with eight other Maldivians and crossed the 5,300-metre mountain pass of Cho La. But persistent symptoms of what was probably altitude sickness prevented him from summiting Kala Pattar, which at 5,600 metres is the highest point of the Everest trek. It is considered by many to have the best view of Mount Everest. Across the mountains and in the Gokyo valley, Elvis was unable to summit the Gokyo Ri, which has a panoramic view of four of the world's 8,000-metre mountain and stunning high-altitude lakes.

Now, Elvis is back in Nepal again for a re-try and I'm joining him for what's going to be a month-long trek because we decided to walk all the way from Jiri rather than fly to Lukla, thereby adding about 10 more days to the trek.

The emphasis this time around will be to ascend gradually from about 2,000 metres to 5,600 metres to allow Elvis to acclimatise at his own pace to successfully summit Kala Pattar and Gokyo Ri, perhaps even hike to valleys neither of us have been to, and enjoy the trek without the pressure of having to maintain an itinerary.

We'll do our best to update the blog with images and dispatches as we hike the well-worn mountain paths.

BACKGROUND: Maldivians 5,000 metres above sea-level in the Nepal Himalaya

A female trekker from Maldives has already hiked in the Everest region  this autumn, however I have yet to get confirmation from her whether she reached the 5,000 metre mark.

Since 1990, at least seventeen Maldivians have trekked on the Everest trek to an altitude of above 5,000 metres, including six women. Of these, 14 trekked to Everest base camp, 12 summited Kala Pattar, 10 summited Gokyo Ri, and 11  crossed the Cho La mountain pass.

At least three (other) Maldivians have completed the Annapurna Circuit trek, which involves crossing the 5,400-metre Thorang La mountain pass.