Everest Base Camp Trek
| Nepal - Mt Everest Base Camp - Trip Preparation |
March 11, 2009 …
We are now exactly two weeks away from our departure to Nepal. This trip is in celebration of my 50th birthday and our 25th anniversary. Some would rather go on a romantic cruise - but then, why cruise when you can climb!
It was -27C last night here in Calgary. It will be -7C today with the sun shinning brightly. In two weeks we will find temperatures in the high twenties in Kathmandu, and possibly above 30. But higher in the Himalaya, it will be cold. The weather forecast for Everest Base Camp this week is calling for -20C at night and -6C during the day. Not much of a change for us.
It is very difficult to prepare for the high altitude we will be trekking at, up to 5600m on top of the Kalapattar hill, the highest point of the trek. And yes, they call some of these highest points on earth hills over there! The risk of Acute Mountain Sickness is real and life threatening if not recognized in time. The only remedy is a drug called Diamox, which has some serious side effects. It can be taken as prevention 24 to 48 hours before starting the trek. After doing some research and talking to our naturopathic doctor, for three weeks before departure, we have been taking the following vitamins to help our body prepare for the reduced oxygen level:
- Vitamin C 1000mg/day
- Vitamin E 400IU/day
- Lipoic acid 600mg/day
The treatment becomes less effective as acclimatization takes over. It was tested on a team of 18 Everest climbers and showed good results for most of them. We shall see.
We have remained active through this particularly cold winter. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing on the weekend, walking during the week whatever the temperature, have kept us in reasonable shape. Reasonable might not be enough though to enjoy the trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC) so we have climbed stairs in office towers on a daily basis to get our hearts and legs in top shape. Again we will see if that was good enough.
One aspect of the preparation that was difficult for me was deciding what photographic equipment to take along. On the trek we will be limited to 10Kg per person to be carried by a porter (Sherpa defines an ethnic group) including sleeping bag, change of clothes, etc, plus whatever we want to carry ourselves during the day. Electricity in Nepal is unreliable at best with 12-hour outages in Kathmandu, and only a few hours of power in some of the lodges on the trek, making recharging batteries a challenge. So here is a list of what I will be taking:
- Nikon D80 body
- Nikon 18-70 as primary lens
- Nikon 70-300 VR for close-up portraits in Kathmandu, close-ups of the summits
- Nikon 50mm f1.8 for dark streets, interiors
- Polarizing filter (1)
- 2-stop grad filter (1)
- 3-stop ND filter (1)
- 2 spare Nikkon batteries (total of 3)
- 18 GB of Sandisk Extreme III memory cards
- Rain sleeve for body and lens
- Lens pen
- Battery charger
- Wired remote
- Spare lens cap
- Spare camera (film point and shoot with 2 rolls of film)
- Manfrotto 718B lightweight tripod
- 2 Lowepro camera bags
All that totals about 4 Kilos. I decided to leave behind the super wide-angle 12-24 zoom (too heavy), and my usual Manfrotto tripod and head (too heavy), as well as the other filters and accessories that I don’t use often enough.
| Departure |
March 25, 2009
We flew from Calgary to Vancouver late in the day, then boarded the 14-hour flight to Hong Kong. We arrived there at 7:00AM, then took the express train to Kowloon. The weather was mainly cloudy with intermittent fog and light rain showers. The temperature was a pleasant 20 degrees. We visited the jade market, and the Kowloon Gardens. We returned to the airport mid-afternoon to catch our 5 and 1/2 hour flight to Kathmandu.
The arrival in Kathmandu was a cultural shock. We had just entered the terminal building and changed our money that, as we waited in line to get our entry visas, the power went out and we were in complete darkness. Catty thought it was all planned to steal all the local money we had just got! The power came back quickly and nobody had attempted to rob us. We paid the fee and collected our passports and visas. A gentleman from Imaginative-Traveller (our tour company) was waiting for us outside with a driver. The ride to the hotel was a new experience, driving the pot-holed streets of Kathmandu in the dark, with army men with machine guns at many of the intersections. We made it safely to the hotel, got our room, and crashed for the night. We were tired but didn't feel too jetlagged. I guess that the no-jet-lag pills we took during the flights helped.
| Day 1 & 2 - Kathmandu |
For our first morning in Kathmandu we had breakfast outside in the hotel courtyard. What a nice change for us. We left the cold and snow behind, to have breakfast outside among trees and flowers. We spent the rest of the day visiting Durbar Square, looking at the stores along New Road, checking the street markets at Asan Tole, Tahiti Tole, and the mountain gear stores in Thamel. With 24 degrees, walking around Kathmandu was very pleasant. At 18:00 we met our tour guide and the rest of the group.
Our nepalese tour guide, a strong-looking 40-year-old named Santosh, speaks excellent english and seems like a very nice person. He also looks very professional to me. He briefs us on the trek, equipment, permits and formalities, etc.
The other trekkers are mostly from the UK:
Lynn is in her late fifties, thin and athletic-looking. She has climbed Kilimajaro, and has done two trips around the world.
Sian is the youngest of the group and she seems like a determined person
Bernie is tall and he looks fit. He runs every day at home, enjoys mountain biking and camping.
George was born in the UK but now lives on Vancouver Island, a proud fellow Canadian. He has traveled a fair bit, arrives straight from a trip to India. He is an easy talker and looks like he will keep us entertained.
Phil is also from the UK. He is the quite type so we don't know much about him yet.
Then there's Catty and I. Catty appears unusually quite to me during the briefing. I suppose, like everyone else, she is studying the others, wondering where she fits on the fitness and capabilities scale of the group. I always thought we have as much of a chance as anybody else of making it to base camp. I still think the same now. Nobody in the group stands out as a super-fit mountaineer, and nobody seems out of place and totally unqualified either. We will find out what we are all made of once we start trekking.
The group age is between 40 and 60, four men, three women. Once we start trekking, we will have Santosh at the rear, making sure nobody gets left behind. In front will be Maila, our lead Sherpa, to set the pace for us. Santosh made clear that we are not allowed to pass Maila and go in front. Once we reach the higher altitudes near base camp, another Sherpa will joins us for two or three days, in case someone needs to turn around.
After the meeting the group separates for the night.
The next morning the group meets after breakfast for a guided tour of Kathmandu. We walk (better get used to it) to Swayambhunath, Durbar Square, and then return to the hotel by the market streets around Asan Tole. Catty and I have lunch at the New-Orleans Café, a nice café-restaurant with a courtyeard, that plays jazz most of the time. We have our first daal-bhaat-tarkari (rice with lentil soup and curried vegetables, the number-one nepalese dish), better get used to that too. We also try the momos. Everything tastes great to us, it doesn't seem like food will be a problem. We have an espresso, made with nepalese-grown coffee, not bad at all.
| Day 3 - Phakding 2600m |
Today we start the serious stuff. We get up at 4:30 to go back to the airport and catch the first flight out to Lukla. Aboard the Yeti Airlines 18-passenger Twin-Otter, we take-off at 7:00 sharp for the 40-minute flight. We fly along the foothills and then mountains of the Himalaya range. As I have a seat right behing the co-pilot, I try to look for the Lukla airstrip in front of us but can't seem to find it. Suddenly here it is. Not so much in front, but rather below us. The runway is only 527m long and 20m wide, with an impressive-looking 12% slope. The landing looks a lot like an aircraft carrier landing, high approach, firm touch-down, and rapid deceleration. There are no landing aids at Lukla and all flights are visual only. It is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Flights come in only until 11:00AM. Later the updrafts from the valley and clouds make it unusable. Everyone is relieved to walk on the tarmac and see our porters waiting.
We don't stay in Lukla. We just go in town for lunch, then start trekking toward Phakding. It's a pleasant walk though a green countryside with blooming trees. At first the trail is wide with many stone steps (we'll have to get used to that too). Later the trail gets a little narrower. We meet the first porters and nepalese villagers. We also realize quickly that we are not the only trekkers. It is at times a constant stream of people walking in both directions, those starting (clean and shaved), and those returning (dirty, smelly, and men with a ten-day beard).
In Phakding, we stay at the Prince of Everest Hotel. Don't get fooled by the name: it is a typical Himalayan tea house, very basic and family run. The main room has a wood stove for heating and looks nice and cosy with locally-made furniture. The rooms upstairs are nice but very simple. Constructed of plywood, with the glass of the windows just held against the frames with small nails, they are not heated, and the temperature overnight will drop near zero. The beds are also home-made, narrow, but comfortable. All the beds are single, not that with the temperature we'd feel like doing anything crazy!
Since we got to Phakding for lunch, Catty and I decided to go out for a walk around the area. Bernie joined us, and we hiked up to the Pema Choling monastery. We got there just as it started to rain. The weather is often clear in the morning in the Himalaya, but the clouds roll in in the afternoon, sometimes bringing rain or snow - Then the weather clears overnight and the cycle repeats. While poking inside the monastery, a young man came to talk to us. He turned out to be a young Canadian from Toronto who is spending several months in Nepal, teaching English to the monks. He opened the temple for us and I was able to take a few photos.
Because of the altitude, the trekking, and the cold, it's hard to stay up late in the evening. By 21:00 we all retreat to the warmth of our sleeping bag. I fell asleep right away, but woke up at 1:30. 4 1/2 hours of sleep will do to keep me going the next day.
| Day 4 & 5 - Namche Bazaar 3440m |
Today we start the routine of trekking, up at 6:00, breakfast at 7:00, and out the door and start walking at 8:00. We don't feel the need yet but still have a harty breafast of eggs, bread, hash browns, hot orange juice, and lemon tea. It seems like too much now, but in a few days we'll down all this and more with amazing appetite.
Today's trek will take us from 2600m to Namche Bazaar at 3440m. The difficulty of this section is that the trail goes up and down most of the way until the last hill. We will climb, then descend to the river to cross it on suspension bridges, then climb again, then descend and cross the river again, and so on. Along the way we enter the Sagamartha National Park. Sagamartha is the nepalese name for Everest (called Chomolungma in Tibetan). Finally, it's a steep climb of 440m from the river to Namche, with many steps of unequal height.
We are all very satisfied at 16:00 when we reach Namche Bazaar, and we are glad to be done with trekking for today. It's been a long day. Several in the group suffered in the climb, it was the first real test of strength. For many too it was the first time above 3000m. Santosh ketp us all together nicely, thanks also to Maila who set a nice slow pace in front. The message is clear: we all move together, nobody gets left behind. It gives me the strong feeling that we are in good hands with Santosh and Maila, and that our chances of reaching our goal are very good with them.
Our lodge is similar to the last one, with a heated communal room, but no heat in the bedrooms, oh well. There is a hot shower, electricity 24 hours a day (good for recharging batteries), and an internet provider next door. Namche is a charming town set in a half-circle against the steep slopes.
We are staying two nights in Namche to start our acclimatisation. That does not mean that we are resting. The next day, we get up at 6:30 and Santosh takes us to the museum above town for our first view of Everest in the distance, behind the Nuptse/Lotse wall. Closer is Ama Dablam (6850m), Kangtega (6650m), Thamserku (6608m), and others spread around us in a 270-degree amazing view. This is our first real view of the Himalayan mountains, and we all start to appreciate where we are, and what we are accomplishing.
From the museum we trek above Namche to Syangboche at 3720m, and above the airstrip where we stop and rest for an hour to acclimatise. The Syangboche airstrip is a very short dirt strip that is no longer used by fixed-wing aircraft (too dangerous). Only the russian-made Mi-17 helicopters use it.
We are back at our lodge in Namche for lunch. We all spend the afternoon in the streets, shopping. Namche is a paradise for trekkers, with many mountain gear stores offering any brand you can dream of, at prices unheard of at home. You could pretty much purchase all your trekking gear here. There are also a couple of very nice bakeries in Namche, and we can't resist a pastry and espresso. Did I already mention our growing appetite?
Catty and I feel great so far. Lynn didn't feel so good, so she started taking Diamox. She is apparently sensitive to high altitude, she knows that from her experience with Kilimanjaro. She doesn't seem worried, she seems very determined to go all the way, and she probably will.
| Day 6 - Tengboche 3860m |
I slept well last night, got six hours of deep sleep. I got up early and walked back up to the museum, hoping for a nice sunrise on Everest. I walked faster by myself and was surprised how quickly I got out of breath. A short climb, a few stairs, and I was panting, lesson learned. Unfortunately the sun rises right behind Everest at this time of year so there wasn't any photo to be made there. The light was much better the other way around and I got a couple of nice shots of Namche and Kongde (6187m) in the background.
Today we trek toward Tengboche. Again the toughest part will be the 400m hill after lunch, from the river to Tengboche at 3860m. Again we cross the river several times, but now we are used to the suspensions bridges. We stop in Kyangjuma for tea. Catty buys bracelets, and pastries. Later, while waiting for lunch I go down to the river and take a few photos. For lunch I have chow mein coocked on a yak-dung-fired stove. Very tasty! Clouds come in during lunch and then fog. We reach Tengboche in clouds and intermittent fog. After dropping our bags in our rooms, Santosh takes us to the monastery for the evening prayer. Tengboche is a monastery town (village, hamlet?). I am allowed to use my tripod inside the monastery and that helps get a few clear images of the ceremony. Once that is over, as we walk out of the monastery, what do we discover? A bakery with an espresso machine. So guess where we spent the next hour. There is no inside toilet, nor heat in the rooms in the lodge, but there is good espresso in Tengboche. Can't have it all I guess. And thank god for solar power.
During dinner, we met a group of four trekkers who spoke French. They turned out to be from Grenoble, our home town. They traveled by themselves with a french-speaking local guide, had crossed four passes above 5000m, and some of them looked dead. They were so tired that they didn't make it to EBC, even their guide refused to go because he was too tired. One lady in their group was all puffed up from the high altitude, and even though she was taking Diamox, she looked like she needed to go down quick. They were on their way down the next morning. At this altitude it's easy to do too much and get in trouble.
| Day 7 & 8 - Dingboche 4300m |
It was still cloudy in the morning and I could only get a photo of Tengboche at dawn, no sunrise on the summits. The weather cleared later and we got nice views of Ama Dablam. We had lunch in Orsho at 4100m. We are now above 4000m and Maila is keeping a nice steady pace. Today it's a pleasant trail with few ups and downs, mostly a gentle climb. We arrive in Dinboche at 15:00.
4300m and so far so good. Catty and I feel really good, no shortness of breath, no sleepless nights, no cramps, like we've been doing this all our life. We keep our fingers crossed that we'll keep feeling this good all the way to 5550m. But it's still a long way and too early to claim victory.
Even though I keep making notes in my diary, I realize that I have totally lost track of time. I write the day in my book but it means nothing. What is a wednesday or a friday, and why would it matter? Life here is simple. There is no TV or radio, or newspaper. News from far away would be unnecessary and meaningless anyway. We get up, have breakfast, and walk the whole day. We meet nice people who always smile if they can's speak english. We see beautiful scenery. We stop, eat, and go to bed. We have all we need: a roof at night, food and water, nice company, and nice views. Anything else would be superfluous. It seems like we could go on like this forever. Trekking eight hours a day doesn't feel so hard once you're doing it here. Every day is new and yet the same as the one before. The mind is clear of all the distracting noise from the modern life that prevents us from really enjoying life. Here there is only peace and silence. Here I don't think - I am.
The daily life of a trekker is simple. We don't count how many hours we will walk in any one day. When our Sherpa says "zoom, zoom" we go. When he stops, we stop. When he walks, we walk in a single line, each looking at the back of the boots of the one in front. We are not much unlike the djopkes and the yaks we meet on the trails all the time. We are sort of a human herd, disciplined and responsive to our guide. Every two hours or so we take a break and stop for tea, lunch, or a rest. There are hamlets, tea houses, and rest stops along the way quite frequently. If someone wants to stop for a photo (usually myself or Sian), the whole group stops and waits. Though I have noticed that now, Santosh will sometimes leave me behind, knowing that I will be quick and shortly catch up with the group.
Bernie, Catty, and I team up again this afternoon to hike above Dingboche, to the stupa we saw when we arrived. It's only 100m above town, but now that we are well above 4000m, we can feel each additional hundred. It's well worth the effort though, as we get amazing views of Ama Dablam through breaks in the clouds. I can't help take photo after photo.
After dinner, Santosh says that if the night is clear, we can go out and watch the stars over the summits. Catty and I are the only ones out behind the lodge, not only watching but taking photos of the Himalayan night sky. It's cold, but it is beautiful.
For the first time Catty and I experience slight breathing irregularities last night. It seemed that just turning around inside the sleeping bag required effort and put us out of breath, a weird feeling. Despite that, we slept well most of the night.
I was up again early this morning and hiked back to the stupa above town, just in time for sunrise. There were breathtaking views of the sun touching the summit of Ama Dablam, Kangtega, Thamserku, and Taboche Peak (6367m) behind me. Later the whole valley became bathed in sunlight, and what a glorious view: not a single cloud, and the sky to the west a deep blue like I have never seen before. Those who stayed in bed have no idea what they are missing.
Today is another acclimatisation day. We had one at 3440m at Namche Bazaar, and this one at 4410m, so every 1000m. Santosh is taking us on the ridge above the stupa to 4800m. It is only another 400m above Dingboche but we will all feel them because the climb is very steep and we are now pretty high. The risk of altitude sickness is now very real and Maila maintains his usual very slow pace. Catty and I are right behind him all along, sharing the spot with Bernie on and off. It is a tough climb but, to us, it doesn't feel any harder than some climbs we've done in the Rockies. I suppose that Mila's pace keeps us from going too fast and exhausting ourselves. When we reach the top most are now out of breath. I feel great, loving every minute of it. Too bad we didn't push to 5000m today, but Santosh knows what he is doing and I'm sure he wants everyone present at base camp the day after tomorrow. The descent back to Dingboche gives us an idea of what it will be like to trek down to Lukla in a few days. I am not looking forward to the descent as we will cover the distance in only three days, and I am afraid my knees won't like it.
We have the afternoon off in Dingboche. One more time Bernie, Catty, and I head out for a walk around town. We actually head out of town in the direction of Chhukhung, the village at the end of the valley. It's also the way towards the base camp for Island Peak, a trekking peak at 6189m (an idea for next time?). I stop at the river and let Bernie and Catty continue a while without me. I want to take photos of porters who follow the trail. On the way back I photograph among a herd yaks. I also make a few images of people working in the fields.
| Day 9 - Lobuche 4900m |
This morning we have breakfast outside, in the sun, at 4400m, what a feeling. I had a super night last night, slept like a baby, my best night in Nepal yet. I didn't go out for photos this morning.
Today should be fairly easy, I think! We will follow the contour lines to Lobuche. Another Sherpa is joining us, in case someone needs to descend in a hurry because of altitude sickness. Maila carries a gamow bag but descending is always the best course of action. The gamow bag is a sealed chamber where the affected person is put in. Then a foot pump is used to bring the pressure up in the chamber and simulate an increase in pressure equivalent to a decrease in altitude.
We drink more water now, two to three liters a day each, plus teas, and soups. Catty seems happy with two liters but I definitely need at least three to keep the headaches away. We eat a lot more too. We have such appetite that we devoure breakfast, lunch and dinner as if we haden't eaten in days. Studies show that while trekking at that altitude you can burn up to 6000 calories a day, three times normal. To the omelette, bread, chapatis, jams in the morning, to the full plate of daal bhaat at lunch and dinner, we have added apple pie for desert. They are home-made, deep fried dough pockets, filled with shredded apples. They are pretty big and delicious. We also eat chocolate bars and fruit bars often between meals. We need fast-burning sugar constantly while walking, and it seems like not much gets accumulated inside. It all gets burnt right away. In fact, despite eating a lot more than we normally do, we both lost weight during the trek.
On our way this morning we have gorgeous views of the village of Pheriche below us, and above us Taboche Peak and Cholatse at 6335m (which I renamed Chocolatse for Catty). We have lunch at Duhgla at 4620m. Again the lunch stop is at the bottom of a nasty 350m hill, so much for an easy day.
At the top of the hill, we came to the stone memorials for all the people who died attempting the summit of Everest. I knew it was there but had forgotten about it. Santosh stopped to give us time to walk around, read the names, some well known, some unknown to us. I photographed the memorial of Scott Fisher who died on Everest in the freak storm of 1996. I had just reread "Into thin air" before the trip, so the story was fresh in my mind. Walking among these memorials, I couldn't help thinking how many people risk and lose their lives in pursuit of a dream, and how many more lose theirs helping others reach their dreams. Is it better to live your dream and maybe lose your life doing so, or is it better to dream of something you'll never attempt? My answer is obvious as I stand among the memorials. I can't keep the tears inside as I think of all these people who walked right where I am standing now, on their way to their dream, on their way to the top of the world. On their way to the end.
These memorials are aslo a reminder that many find their death on the mountain while doing a job. Many porters and Sherpas die every year on Everest, many Sherpas have summited Everest many times, but we rarely hear their story in the west. The climbers seem to get all the glory because they came from far away to conquer the mountain, but they would not be able to do it without the help of the local people who risk their lives just the same. Here is a short list of Sherpa accomplishments:
Apa Sherpa has reached the top of Mount Everest 17 times -- more than anyone else in the world.
Babu Chhiri Sherpa camped on the peak of Mount Everest for 21 hours without oxygen.
Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa holds the world record for the fastest Mount Everest ascent in 10 hours, 56 minutes and 46 seconds.
Ming Kipa Sherpa is the youngest person to summit at 15 years old.
On the way to Lobuche we had great views of Pumori (7165m) for the first time. I stopped and took a photo of the tents at the Lobuche East (6119m) Base Camp with Pumori in the background. Santosh said that Lobuche East is often climbed as a training peak before Everest. Once in Lobuche (4910m), Santosh took us for a short acclimatisation walk up a ridge along the Khumbu glacier. For the first time we were proudly standing above 5000m. Unfortunately the weather was cloudy and the views not very good. Still, it was cool to see the glacier and finally Everest Base Camp within reach in the distance. At the same time we all felt the same feeling of sadness, we were getting close to our goal and turnaround point, and the way out.
5000m and we are both doing fine, not tired, no altitude sickness, no blisters, just a slight headache that comes and goes for me, but nothing serious. If it persists after dinner, I'll take an Ibuprofen. So far we have not taken Diamox and we'll do our best to avoid taking it, though we are prepared to take it if necessary. As usual we order dinner at 17:00 to give time to the cooks to prepare it for 19:00. We also order breakfast for the next morning at the same time. The kitchens are equipped with several liquid-fuel camping stoves and it takes a while to cook for all the trekkers. Prices are significantly higher up here. A plate of fried noodles costs around CA$6.00, at least twice as much as at lower elevations. Every time we see porters on the trail, we know it could be our food for dinner that they are carrying on their back, and we pay the prices of the food happily.
The lodge is comfortable, with a very warm communal room heated with a stove and yak dung. There is no firewood this high since there are no trees. The lodge has solar power and electricity in the rooms, thanks to a low power fluorescent bulb. The indoor toilet is rather disgusting and I'd rather use the outdoor one.
| Day 10 - Mt Everest Base Camp 5300m |
I slept with my earplugs on last night and had a good sleep despite the altitude. Today is the big day, Gorak Shep at 5125m and Everest Base Camp at 5364m. It's not the highest point of the trek but the most symbolic one as we will stand as close as we can get to the highest mountain in the world. Catty and I are both feeling good and now confident that we can make it. Everyone else in our group is on Diamox, except George and us. We start early for Gorak Shep where we will have a quick lunch, then on to EBC, and then back to Gorak Shep. It will be a long day as progress is fairly slow at that altitude. It is possible that we will return to Gorak Shep in the dark. We carry all our warmest clothes with us today, as we can't take the risk of getting caught in bad weather unprepared.
On our way up we can see Kalla Pattar, which we will climb tomorrow to 5550m for views of Everest. The mountain remains hidden from us, we can just see the summit behind the Nupse/Lotse wall. Pumori though fills the view all the way, a white summit in the blue sky. EBC had seemed within close range yesterday from the ridge above Lobuche, it doesn't seem so close today, neither does it seem as flat of a trail as it did from a distance. We are all amazed at how many uphills and downhills there are to get there. It's a difficult terrain too, all along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier. It's nothing but boulders and rocks we have to go over and down, and around. The views on the way up were breathtaking, no photo can give them justice. Unfortunately, the clouds moved in in the afternoon and obscured the summits.
The trail is very busy with many trekkers, and many porters taking supplies to the expeditions at base camp, and also taking down all the garbage created by the human activity up there. Some porters carry drums full of human excrements, what a job, but somebody has to do it. Everest is no longer the dump it used to be, though there is still a lot of cleaning to be done. It isn't easy considering the number of trekkers who come to the Khumbu region every season. Even though, due to the global slowdown, the number of visitors is sharply down this year, I felt at times like I was part of an invading army. It seems that every day the number of trekkers going through each village is higher than the number of local inhabitants. Behind us we leave plastic water bottles, candy wrappers, and all sorts of detritus that the local population has to get rid of somehow. The only way to dipose of it is to carry it down the mountain on someone's back. And this isn't happening yet along the trekking route. So each village has an ugly dump site, usually along the river.
We finally reach the monument and prayer flags telling us that this is the end of the road for us: Everest Base Camp. We are not alone, other groups are savouring the moment and taking photos. Lynn has been on Diamox since Namche Bazaar, and not feeling really well since. Today she had a real hard time and didn't look happy until she made it to EBC. Sian was not doing too badly but looks very tired. Catty was at the front, just behind Maila all the time. I've never seen her so pumped up. We exchanged congratulations, and thanked our Sherpas for helping us get there.
I had brought a banner for the event and Catty and I unfolded it to take a picture of ourselves. We did it, and we did it together. We have been married twenty five years and have accomplished a lot in that time. It now seems like that there isn't anything we can't accomplish together. It's hard to enjoy this special moment intimately with all the other trekkers around us, so we exchange a quick kiss and take the photo. Now that the camera is set up on the tripod, we take a couple of group photos around the banner. Everyone thinks the banner was a great idea, so much so that we end up lending it to other groups for their photos.
I had dreamt of this moment for years, now that I stand here I am not sure how I feel. Everest is not visible from here, and its summit is still three vertical kilometres higher. It was an accomplishment to get here, but it seems very small in comparison to what would be needed to get to the top of the world. I can understand the attraction of attempting the summit, I have the feeling of leaving with the job half done.
We arrive back at Gorak Shep in a snow storm. We are all wiped after this long day. We only had a quick light lunch today, Sherpa soup for myself, and I didn't have enough calories to carry me back from EBC. I ate several chocolate and fruit bars on the way up, but I was sick of them this afternoon and didn't eat enough. My backpack was killing my shoulders too. It's only 4.5 degrees in our room and it's only late afternoon. The communal room is warm and we are all happy to sit down and order dinner. The lodge is very busy so we'll have to wait two hours before dinner is ready. I can't wait for my daal-bhaat. The snow is coming down pretty good outside and I photograph the yaks in the storm, through our bedroom window. The snow will make climbing Kalla Pattar tomorrow even more difficult. I hope we can still make it. EBC was our goal and motivation from the beginning. Now that we are back, there is a certain drop in motivation. Kalla Pattar tomorrow is the last challenge, then we start the long walk out.
Tonight we are all in our sleeping bags by eight thirty. It is the first time we are sleeping at over 5000m. Catty and I are still doing fine without Diamox. We'll see how well we'll sleep tonight. We are so tired that we don't need to count yaks to fall asleep. Tomorrow night we'll be in Pheriche at 4240m and we'll all feel better.
| Day 11 - Kalapattar 5550m |
It is only 2 degrees in the room when we wake up this morning. It's 5:30 and we have to have packed, have breakfast, and to be ready to walk by 6:30. Other groups are already on the trail. I can see the headlamps lined up at the bottom of Kalla Pattar through the windows of the lodge. The snow stopped overnight and the sky looks clear. The kitchen is alarmingly dark and empty. Even though we ordered breakfast last night, the kitchen staff is still asleep. I think of the sun about to rise on Kalla Pattar and us waiting here for breakfast.
Finally breakfast is ready and eaten, and we are out the door ready to get going. Sian decided she needed to rest and will not do Kalla Pattar. I admire her for having the strenght of mind to make the safe choice, so close to the goal. Santosh will stay here with her and wait for us. We still have Maila to lead and the new Sherpa Puri, at the rear.
Kalla Pattar is a relentless 450m climg right out the door from the lodge. No chance to warm up. It should take us about two hours to get to the top, then an hour to come back down. Then we walk down to Pheriche.
There is about 10 to 15 cm of fresh snow covering the trail and it is very cold. We all feel the cold through our gloves. Progress is slow but we keep moving. It isn't very long until the sun comes up and now we are too warm, and we have to stop to remove a few layers. The view is fantastic, now that the sun is out. Everything is under a blanket of pure-white fresh snow. Pumori shines against the blue sky, towering in front of us. To the right we have so close it feels we can touch them: Nuptse, Lotse, Khunbutse, and Everest slowing appearing, then getting bigger and bigger, to the left of Nuptse.
We all reach the top of Kalla Pattar as advertised, in two hours. And we are alone, here at 5550m! The other groups have already started down, so we have the summit to ourselves. Once again Santosh knew what he was doing by planning a later departure. The view from here is stunning, spreading around us on all 360 degrees. The snow against the blue sky is magical. We take photos of each other but group photos are difficult because the summit is really small. It's easy to loose track of time up here but we must have stayed close to an hour.
Reluctantly, we start the descent. We have a quick rest at Gorak Shep, then head down to Lobuche where we have lunch. This afternoon we have another three hours down to Pheriche.
Now that the goals have been reached, I can feel my energy decreasing a bit. It's also been a lot of walking every day and maybe I'm feeling the fatigue. Regardless, Catty and I were the only ones who had 100% energy at Gorak Shep at 5100m, to EBC, and Kalla Pattar. And, with George, we were the only ones who never took Diamox in our group. Plus with all the trekkers sneezing and coughing in the lodges, it's amazing we haven't caught anything, yet. I am convinced that the vitamins we took before and during the trip helped us both stay in top shape, and helped us avoid taking Diamox.
| Day 12 - Namche Bazaar |
We get up for another long day today. Before leaving Pheriche we visit the hospital that treats altitude sickness. Then we start the long walk down to Tengboche for lunch, then to Namche Bazaar. Along the way we saw a 15-year old running down the hill in flip-flops, carrying five full sheets of plywood on his back. We saw some porters carrying eight-foot lengths of one-foot-diameter flanged steel pipes. I don't think I could even lift one, yet these people carry them up and down the mountains. They carry wood to make door frames or windows, beams, slates, steel roofing panels, and anything you can't even think of.
The trail is not a steady descent, but an endless succession of uphills and downhills. At the end, behind every turn we hope to see Namche Bazaar, and behind every turn we find another stretch of dusty trail with more steps, and another corner. It is with much relief that we finally drop our backpacks in the lodge at Namche Bazaar ... and then go shopping!
| Day 13 - Phakding |
Today we get up early and do some more shopping in Namche Bazaar. Then we have breakfast at the bakery with coffee. Around 10:00 we start the walk down the steep hill below Namche to the high suspension bridge at the river. When we arrive in Phakding it has been raining already for some time. It's the first time we have rain and it isn't unpleasant. As soon as we get to the lodge I drop my gear and go right back out to take photos before the rain stops. The evening feels warm here with +10 degrees, compared to the cold of the higher altitudes.
| Day 14 - Lukla |
Today is an easy day with a short walk to Lukla. We take all our time, not wanting to leave. We stop often in the villages, talk to people, ask many questions to Santosh, and take many photos. Before entering the lodge in Lukla, we take photos of the men with the ten-day beard, and group photos with our Sherpas and porters. Our porters were invisible most of the time. Every morning we had to have our trekking bags ready before breakfast, so the porters could get an early start and walk at their own pace. We would find our bags at the door of our room every afternoon when we arrived at the lodges. We only got a quick glance at the porters sometimes when they were leaving in the morning, or sometimes through an open door in the lodge when they were having their meals. The porters and Sherpas didn't eat with us, always separately.
But tonight will be different. We have dinner all together. We buy them a special meal with meat, because they rarely eat meat otherwise. Maila sticks to daal bhaat and refuses the meat. At the end of the meal we thank them for their hard work, give them, Maila, and Santosh their tips. There is a small folk band playing nepalese music and the porters get us up and dancing. We all have a very good time, and it will be hard to continue without them. Despite a hard life, these people are always helpful, smiling, and friendly. We know we will miss them.
| Day 15, 16, ... - Kathmandu |
We are on the first flight out of Lukla and today again the sky is clear. I take a few last photos of the sun rising on the mountains while waiting to leave. At the airport Maila surprises us with a gift each of the traditional silk scarf. He has been so kind to us all along the trek, always attentive to our needs, that we are all a bit emotional when we say our final goodbyes. Maila doesn't go back to Kathmandu but stays in Lukla where he'll meet the next group in a few days.
It is a weird feeling when the first aircraft arrives and we watch these fresh trekkers walk past us, full of anticipation in their eyes, anxious to get trekking. We have gone where they are going, our dream is now a collection of memories.
| Quotes |
Because it is there. — George Mallory (1886-1924), answer to the question: 'Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?
The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, "What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?" and my answer must at once be, "It is no use." There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It's no use. So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.
George Leigh Mallory, 1922
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, awake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it reality.
T.E. Lawrence
Everest for me, and I believe for the world, is the physical and symbolic manifestation of overcoming odds to achieve a dream.
Tom Whittaker
It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you don't stop.
Confucius
"Pissing through 6 inches of clothes with a 3 inch penis" - Anonymous Everest summiteer when asked what was the hardest thing about climbing Mt Everest.
| The End |
I hope you found this report interesting to read. For those planning a similar trek to the Himalaya, I hope you have found helpful information for your own planning.
Namaste.
Philippe.
Reference Links:
Map: nepal
Map: Kathmandu Valley
Map: Kathmandu
Map: Everest Trek Route
Weather Forecast Namche Bazaar
Altitude Sickness Prevention
Diamox Review
Eating for Everest (Excellent article from Peak Freaks)
