Enduring almost 20 hours of flight time from San Francisco, the American part of our expedition team arrived in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. Just east of Kathmandu, we caught a tantalizing glimpse of the high peaks of the Khumbu region. Also on our Bangkok to Kathmandu flight was the renowned American alpinist Ed Viesturs of Seattle and others from the film group (headed by "Everest" IMAX director David Breashears) that plans to shoot footage for an upcoming movie about the 1996 climbing tragedy on Mt. Everest.

We were greeted at the airport by our Nepali teammate Nawang Sherpa.

Once settled in Kathmandu, we began preparations for the trek and climb: checking the sturdiness of the climbing gear, testing the warmth of the sleeping bags and down suits, buying any last minute items that were needed, then safely packing all for transport via small airplane, yak, and human porters.

We also had obligatory meetings with press and officials: first of all with Miss Liz Hawley, who has chronicled and interviewed all climbing expeditions in Nepal for the past 40 years; then with top officials at the US Embassy; then with local press corps to introduce our unique expedition, its members, and its goals. At the press meeting, some of the top disabled athletes in Nepal attended. Among them was an incredible young man who had cycled the length of Nepal, with only one leg, a set of crutches, and a cleverly-designed bicycle.

After squeezing all that into a fast-paced four days, we boarded a flight to Lukla--the starting point for our trek to Everest.