Julie's blog

Follow us on

Tuesday, September 21st, 2011

It was day 11 of our trek to the Everest base camp when we were finally able to communicate to the outside world again.

I am just recovering from altitude sickness. It kicked in on around day eight when we got between 4,000 and 5,000 metres above sea level and when it takes hold it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was like my brain was trying to get out of my skull!

I had no appetite, no energy, nausea, no sense of humour and a really dry cough. Youcouldn’t even lie down, because that made it worse.

Then, suddenly, it passed once I got to 5,000 metres and some of the other guys – who are half my age, I hasten to add – got it.

Even throughout all that, it’s been really enjoyable and I’ve tried to make it as much fun as possible by getting people to sing songs as we were trudging upsheer hills for hours at a time (as the sherpa called it, the Nepalese flat!). I’ve even had the sherpas singing too!

Because of the ages of the other walkers in our group, I am completely down with the kids now and I know all about the latest technology.

I’ve also been telling them all about the drilling industry and the fact that I’ve been striving to make D-Drill as eco friendly as possible. When you see an environment like this, it makes you realise just how important that is.

We’ve seen lots of people also chipping away at stones to create the buildings such as tea rooms that you see during the climb because they have no real tools to speak of up here.

I’ve mentioned to one of the sherpas that we might have to open a D-Drill office in Kathmandu so I can send all the best sawing equipment up to be used to cut the stone. He says he wants to run the operation!

We are now above the tree-lines and the scenery is quite barren and rocky – we’ve left the milk river and lush landscape behind. There are still very beautiful flowers, the like of which I’ve never seen and they all seem to be wearing fur coats.

There’s also a lot of bird life up here and they also have a version of a very fat pheasant, which runs around chirping a lot. I think they know they are not allowed to be killed up here because they are so loud and cocky!

But, in all seriousness, it’s been great fun and a real eye-opening experience and we have base camp – an even higher peak called Kalapatar – to conquer.

Julie White set for Mount Everest base camp

Julie White, who runs the UK concrete diamond drilling and sawing specialists D-Drill (Master Drillers) Ltd in Coventry has taken on a 11-day walk to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

The base camp is at an altitude of 5.5 km and will provide the managing director of D-Drill with one of her greatest ever challenges. Julie White agreed to take on the challenge after sponsoring explorer Mark Wood in his bid to be the first person to walk to the South Pole and North Pole back-to-back.
“If anyone buys and takes on and runs a business in the construction sector in the largest recession the UK has ever seen, they clearly enjoy a challenge. But this walk is going to be a really tough physical and mental challenge but one that I am really looking forward to,” says Julie White. Below you find Julie’s blog where you can follow her adventurous walk to the base camp. If you would like to comment on Julie’s blogs please send your comment to info@pdworld.com.

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
As many of you know, I am currently walking to the Everest base camp to help raise the profile of local explorer Mark Wood who is taking on a challenge of walking to the North and South Pole, back to back.

My challenge is nothing compared to his – but it’s still very hard work!

I am on day five of the walk today and we’ve had some free time so I have had chance to let people back home know how I am getting on.

When we first entered the National Park a few days ago there was sign up saying that you could now only feel love and not jealousy or anger – which was a nice touch. Our first sight of the ‘Milk River’ was breathtaking.

We’re now in a place called Namche Bazaar today and it’s absolutely beautiful - everywhere is so colourful and the people are so friendly. We are 3,400 metres high so we are at cloud level and we can see mountains and waterfalls. We also caught our first glimpse of Everest today.

It really is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. It’s been tough going because you are constantly going up and downhill – but you go uphill twice as much as you do downhill!

You have to spare a thought for the sherpas. Once you get to a certain height, items must be carried up – they can’t be brought up on transport.

You see the sherpas carrying up to 130 kilograms on their backs. We saw a boy of 15 the other day carrying five solid oak doors on his back – he was half the size of them!

It’s amazing how they do it but we saw lots of them waiting at the airport ready to carry goods up the mountains.

I think this is the last time I will be able to check-in for a few days as we lose signal from tomorrow and that’s also when the altitude sickness will kick-in.

But I am thoroughly enjoying it and I am so glad I have taken on this challenge.

Julie