Learn to expect the unexpected. Things don't always work out as planned. You can't always get what you want. Man makes plans, God laughs...etc etc.

This is what happened today. After a leisurely morning we set off for what was meant to be a 3 hour hike. Most tour groups ascend from where we were, in Tengboche, to Dengboche in one day, a 6-7 hour hike and, most importantly, an ascent of 650m (3800m to 4450m). This is quick, unideal, and often when Trekkers feel the altitude headaches and other AMS ailments. When you have a strict time constraint it can be done but for the most part, one who is not acclimated should not ascend more than 500m in a day. We thought we'd be smart and go halfway, only a three hour hike and 250m ascent.

It started as a beautiful day, blue skies with gorgeous views of the main peaks, including Everest. Two hours into the hike we stopped for over an hour and had a snack, basking in the sunshine, thinking we only had another hour to go.

When we arrived in Samare, we believed we had the option to stay or continue another half hour to Orsho. Feeling good we continued to Orsho. But, Orsho was not a town. We went to the only guesthouse and only building within miles and they said they had no room (not sure why, it was deserted).

Oh, so I forgot to mention the most important part. After our snack break it started snowing. Light at first then progressively heavier and heavier to where the visibility, usually kilometres, was only about 50m in front. We were cold, wet and there was no sign of it abating. So there we were huddled together in the snow, trying to decide whether to continue another one and a half to two hours or turn back (downhill) back to Samare. We decided to press on.

In a hurry to get out of the snow I scampered up over 400m within an hour and boy oh boy am I paying for it. To say my head hurts is an understatement. To say there is a nail being drilled into the middle of my head may be more accurate.

There are several people here in the common room, bound for Everest. They had a pulse oximeter and were kind enough to let me use it. I knew it would be low but...my oxygen saturation (usually close to 100%) is 75%. Even with deep breaths I couldn't get it over 77%. No wonder my head hurts--by brain is starving for oxygen. This is actually not too surprising as the oxygen percentage in the air is 57% (sea level is near 100%). Once we get to Base Camp the oxygen level drops to 50%. The elitists assure me however that as long as my O2 saturation is over 65%, I'm good. Not reassuring says my pounding head. My pulse, which, by the time we left Namche, had gone down to 80, is back up to almost 100bpm!

It has now been two hours and the snow is falling falling falling. It is so cold. I am worried because I have everything on and I'm still cold. I can't wait to get to bed tonight, will aim for 7pm. It was a long day.

Tomorrow is an acclimitisation day which is reassuring to my brain but not to my cold extremities. How will I stay warm?