The dusty path of the Cherish Trek

Posted 5 years ago by Andreas Obermair

As a gynaecological oncologist, I’m used to working in a sterile environment. After all, in surgery, the place has got to be clean! It’s going to be such a contrast to hiking the Cherish Trek in Nepal. One of the things I’ve heard again and again from travellers who’ve made it to Everest Base Camp is that we’re going to eat a lot of dust along the way. Hence my new look – the Cherish face buff!

The buff is a lightweight face/mouth mask that we’re giving to the bold team who have stepped up for the Cherish Trek. It’s not usually worn with surgical scrubs, but I was just testing it out while I got a chance.

On the Cherish Trek, we’ll be walking along paths that throw up a lot of dust. The buff covers your mouth, so you don’t breathe in muck as you walk. Aside from having an unpleasant taste, the risk of eating dust is that you can develop ‘Khumbu cough’ – a high altitude hacking cough. The buff helps to keep your neck and face warm and protects you from the cold, dry air and particulates that might irritate your lungs.

You can support this masked man (aka me) and the #CherishTrek team raising funds for vital gynaecological research.