5/2/2007 8:44:05 PM -- Editor's Note: Apa Sherpa is not the only member of his family traveling from their current home in Salt Lake on grand adventures. This is a report of a trip taken by Yangji, Apa’s wife, and their daughter, Dawa, last weekend. This piece was written with the assistance of Paula Stout, a long-time friend of the Sherpa family who lives in Palo Alto, Calif., and helped make the trip possible. Stout was part of a 2005 Everest expedition with Apa.
   
    This past weekend, my daughter, Dawa, and I were honored to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama in San Francisco.
    For Sherpas, it is an honor to have a photograph of His Holiness. To see him on TV or hear him on the radio means good luck and prosperity will come to us. To see him in person is beyond all expectations. Even my husband, Apa, has never been so fortunate to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama in person. This was a rare and unique gift for our family and we are very grateful.
    The day had even more meaning to me because it was also the day that Apa’s team had their puja at Everest Base Camp. You may wonder why the puja is important to the Sherpas on Everest. We believe that a goddess by the name of Miyolangsangma lives on Chomolungma, the mountain you know as Everest. Miyolansangma, in our tradition, is the ultimate source of food and wealth and she can often be seen riding a tiger carrying in one hand a mongoose that spits out precious gems and in the other hand a bowl of food.
    Since Everest is her home, the puja ceremony is the time when Sherpas ask permission to step into her house. My family has been involved in these ceremonies for many decades, as my father was, in his day, a very respected sirdar for many expeditions. My brother, Ang Pasang, has been with Apa many times on Everest as well.
    My daily dedication is to bring peace and comfort to all sentient beings so each morning, I light incense and pour water into offering bowls. I have a picture of His Holiness on my altar and I chant “Om Mani Padme Hum” which is the most sacred of mantras for our people. During climbing season, I hold Apa and our friends in my heart and pray for their safety. I also try to find peace for my mind because I am so worried.
    At the talk on Sunday, His Holiness shared wisdom about how to cope with this worry. He said there is an 8th century Buddhist text that speaks in allegory about how a person can protect themselves from the worries and dangers of the world. There are two options. The first is that a person could try to carpet all the sharp objects— rocks, thorns, ect. —of the world so that when he walks upon it, it is smooth and not harmful. The other option is to put a piece of leather to the sole of the foot so no matter where the person steps, he is always protected and comforted.
    Just as the leather protects the sole of the foot, so then must we use comfort and compassion to protect our souls.
    For me the comfort for my soul comes from being blessed with many good friends in the United States, especially Salt Lake City and San Francisco. And, it comes from the very auspicious blessing of seeing His Holiness in person. Thank you to all of our friends who made that possible.
   
   
   

5/2/2007 8:43:11 AM -- From the Contact Everest File:
    I just got done reading "The Climb" by Anatoli Boukreev, and the work that the Sherpas do is certainly not appreciated as it should be. The work that these men do, carrying heavy loads in such a dangerous place, keeping all climbers as comfortable as they can, is incredible. They help others achieve their dream of getting to the top of this mountain, and that is something to be commended and appreciated.
   This climb is fascinating to me, and I am following it closely.
   When do you plan to summit?
   Keep up the good work and be safe!
   Christine
   Atlanta, Georgia
   
    Thanks for the well wishes Christine and thanks for appreciating what the Sherpas do. There are many things which weigh in when we make a summit attempt. Weather is the first thing. We need to wait for that small window of opportunity Mother Nature gives us to be safe. We will also try and avoid the crush of other climbers so we don't get stuck behind slow teams. That can be very dangerous.
    Jerry Mika, SuperSherpas base camp manager

5/2/2007 8:31:20 AM -- Day Log,
    May 2
    Last night we had about 7- to 8-inches of fresh snow. It was a very cold night and this morning is absolutely beautiful. Today is day of rest for the team. Apa and Lhakpa will go down to Gorakshep to make phone calls to their wives. The rest of the team is taking a rest. I will be working on our communications and making sure all the batteries and equipment is charged for a move to Camp 1 tomorrow. We visited the base camp clinic yesterday and the team members who have been sick seem to to be feeling better today. Thank you to the base camp medical facility.
    Jerry Mika, SuperSherpas base camp manager
   
    Jerry also took time answer some questions generated from Monday's blog.
   
    How many teams are in base camp and how many people?
    "Forty-five teams and very many people. It's a huge tent city. Kind of like New York on the lap of Mt. Everest. Today everyone is playing snowball fights."
   
   Do trekkers stop by to see you?
    "No because we are at the crampon point below the ice fall and no trekkers will come this far as Apa and Lhakpa have set the camp far away. We have had a few, but not many which is ok with us we have a job to do and trekkers can bring sickness."
   
   You mentioned giardia and the need to boil water. Where do you get your water?
    "The water comes from Khumbu ice fall, we will send a picture of collecting it."
   
   What do you do for bathroom facilities?
    "We have our own outhouse with barrels to catch the waste. There is a cleaning crew that goes from camp to camp and they haul the waste down. This is very important that people do this and it is a requirement that all waste is collected in 30 gallon barrels."