Everest Base Camp

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My fellow friends, countryman, travellers and avid readers welcome to the next chapter in Nepal. Firstly thank you for your kind words regarding the Annapurna Circuit I'm glad you enjoyed reading about it as much as I did treking it. So lets get straight into the next little adventure which includes a real mixture of humour, adventure, hardship and unfortunately real tragedy. A reminder that no matter how beautiful the Himalayas are nature can turn to conspire against us and turn painfully for the worse with dire consequences. That's all in good time so lets begin the trip. Firstly Everest is known to the Nepalis as Sagarmatha "Goddess of the Sky " and to the Sherpas as Chomolungma "The Mother Godess" and Miyolangsangma, the Goddess, one of five long life sisters who reside on the peaks lives on Everest. She was originally a demoness but was converted to Buddhism centuries ago, she rides atop a yellow tiger and holds in her hands a flower and bowl of divine food symbolic of her beneficial action of inexhaustible giving. Any climbing expedition must make special prayers and light juniper in various temples up to Everest in order to seek her permission to climb otherwise she will not let you climb her.

Anyway to enter the Everest region you take a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla a small airfield built in 1964 at 2,400m high into the hillside in order that a hospital could be built there for the local people. It is now the gateway for trekers and climbers alike and a busy metropolis of lodges and shops has seen this town grow with the influx of tourists. Most property is owned by Sherpas in fact the entire region is Sherpa. Many settled in this area after crossing the boarder from Tibet when China invaded in the 50s or 60s (cant remember exact dates so forgive me) some even earlier as this was the main trade route from Tibet and China. Anyway thats brief historic overview, we arrived at Kathmandu airport at 7am only to be told there was thick cloud in the mountains and were delayed until 9am. We drank tea and patiently waited and finally we were called to our gate. We boarded a bus and were driven to a spot on the tarmac we got off the bus and stood next to a trolley that had all our bags and rucksaks. There was no plane in sight. It was due to arrive any minute, finally a drone of engines announced our planes arrival was imminent, and within moments a Dornier 228 taxied up to us. A Dornier 228 is a small twin prop plane with about 18 seats in total, when it came to a standstill the front luggage compartment, which sits just under the pilots, was loaded with boxes of cheese balls (crisps) and sacks of potatoes and onions. The rear luggage compartment was opened and loaded with boxes of cheese balls and sacks of onions. Finally the main cabin doors were opened and all our rucksacks were thrown on and piled up behind he pilots occupying at least 6 seats worth of space. We were then told to get on and I'm sure if any of us hesitated we would have been thrown on with the same careful attention as our bags had received.

We sat in the smallest of compartments that compare to the interiors of those day planes that people fly in the UK on a Sunday afternoon for a quick joyride. If any of you are nervous of flying and were thinking of coming to Everest to trek you may wish to skip the next little section. We took off without incident however the pharse 'she flies like a tea trolley' instantly came to mind as the plane seemed to slide forwards and sideways occasionally. The flight is about 30 mins in total and after 8 mins into the flight I had stunning view of the distant mountains and our destination. I relaised no one had asked us to strap our seat belts in fact the stewardess after giving us a chocolate toffee and some cotton wool buds for our ears sat expressionless staring up at the front cabin and the pilots. I decided to strap in just for my piece of mind and out of habit. After 15 mins we hit turbulance the winds from the mountains, we suddenly went up then dropped down, each time you could hear the engines pitch getting louder everytime we dropped as if struggling to maintain height. This on-going rollercoaster effect continued until we approached Lukla airfield. So far it had all been fun in fact I was tempted to hold my arms aloft everytime we dropped just like any regular rollercoaster rider. Okay onto the landing. The runway is only 450 metres long, it is built onto the side of a small valley so the end literally does fall off a cliff edge and is built at a 12 degree angle upwards. That means when you come into land, you land uphill after passing over the cliff edge and have just 400 metres by this time to stop a plane from flight speed to standstill. I was at the back and could see straight down the cabin at the pilots view. The plane went from level and instantly into a nose dive, I could see the runway which looked no longer than my biro pen, the plane jumped up and down and then slide from side to side in the air 'I am sitting in a flying tea trolley' I thought. We got lower you could see mountains way above you through both the side windows adjacent to me, the pilot's hands were fiddling frantically with all sorts of switches on the ceiling above him, what did they do, and why did they have no effect on the plane. More avid and frantic pushing of switches I could see the fields clearly outside both windows and a farmer in the field even stopped and looked up at us I could clearly see his smiling face. Suddeny a massive thump we all lept into the air like rag dolls we were down, the engines strained and roared 'back paddle' I could hear the roman galley master saying to the rowing slaves 'put your backs into it'. I had no oar to back paddle if I had I would be paddling as my life depended on it. I could see the end of the runway and a massive brick wall looming bigger by the second, you could smell burning rubber and just as we were to hit the wall the plane swung a 45 degree angle sharply to the left and we stopped just short of the arrival and depatures building. We had arrived, all safe and accounted for but I can assure you there were a few relieved to be down, I dont know it all seemed a pretty standard flight to me!.

So we picked up our bags and and found somewhere for breakfast. Lukla as I have said is located at 2,400m high many trekers fly into Kathmandu which is at 1,300m high then fly straight here to trek. There are stories of people stepping off the the plane at Lukla and collapsing instantly due to the altitude. For example if I was flown straight to Everest Base Camp and dropped there by plane I would collapse within half hour and possibly die shortly thereafter. Your body has to adjust to high altitude on top of Everest for example there is only a third of the oxygen in the atmosphere than at sea level. I have been lucky because my body had aclimatised on the Annapurna Trek and your body maintains this for up to a week. So after breakfast we spent 2 hours of our trek and headed for Pharkding and walked through green covered valleys of pine, many small villages and white tipped peaks just poked their heads over the hillsides, a temptation of what was to come. That night I was very ill, worse than I have been since arriving. Somewhere I had eaten something my body didn't want in it and most of that night was spent removing it by any means it deemed possible. Thats as much as you want to know I'm sure. The next day started hard for me and I still felt very rough from the night before today was a long day treking to Namche Bazaar and we were climbing a 1000m higher. The fresh air soon helped and we walked through beautiful rhoddendrum forests and pine trees, we crossed the Dudh Koshi river four times by suspension bridges that have prayer flags entwined them. These prayer flags blow the wishes and chants printed on them down the valleys and into the heavens to the gods, to bring the villagers good luck and protect us mear mortal trekers from possible harm. In the afternoon we began the climb up to Namache and it takes a good 1.5 hours of hard climbing up loose gravel treks, I pass many other trekers with walking poles. Some looked at me disdainfully you could tell their look was one of 'you're going to fast for your own good' and I felt like saying 'any slower and you'll be back where you started'.

About halfway we stopped at a flat vantage spot for a rest. It was here I got my first view of Everest. Dairy Entry Nov 27th: "I have seen Everest for the first time today, what a sight, huge towering above all other peaks and we are still so far away. Nearly perfect pyramid in shape, dark granite sides, a pennant of snow being blown from its summit like a white chimmney. Clouds seems to try and push it over, but it stands solid and the site of Everest is just mesmorising its hard to take my eyes off it". We arrive at Namche in the afternoon a town cut into a 'v' shaped valley intersecting another valley. This village is the trading centre of this region its also the gateway to Everest region for many climbing expeditions and has a helicopter landing pad and army barracks. This town is very old and famous as most climbers like Hillary have all stayed here. Our lodge for the night is owned by the niece of Tenzing Norgay, he's the Sherpa that climbed Everest first with Hillary. Shes a big celebrity here, full of character she is known to everyone including all the guides as 'Mother' and after dinner we get a treat as she and the Sherpa girl cooks give us some traditional Sherpa songs and dance.

Okay at this point I'm going to skip on now. I have seen and done so much it would take forever to recount and write it all for you, I have many pages in my personal diary of experiences of this trip. In the two weeks much happened to me and I experienced many feelings and emotions, I had many good days and at times felt the lonliness that one does when travelling alone. So at this point I'm going to recount only the highlights, the best and remarkable things that I saw. On the the fourth day we pased through the village of Khumjung famous for its small temple. We entred the temple which contained the now usual wall murals, buddha statues, instruments that the monks play and racks of ancient chant/prayer books. However, this temple had something different from any other. To one side was a steel safe and on top was a poster describing that this safe contained the only known remains of a Yeti skull or the abomnibal snowman. 'Yikes Shaggy!' So I made my rupee contribution and they opened the safe. It contained a locked glass container and inside was a cone shaped hairpiece. The hairs were black and ginger coloured and the top rose to a pointed or conical shape, apparently many western scientists have come to inspect this remain. I'm not sure if it is or not I guess its a 'Ripleys Believe It or Not' just like the bearded woman, mind you I've seen a few of them up here! Our next stop was Tengbouche famous for its monnestry the largest in the area, some 40 monks practice here, and the lama is famous for his incantations. In the 16th century it was claimed the lama Rimpoche was so powerful that whilst meditating he left his knee in prints in the rock. This rock and the inprints are still there for all to see today, yes they look like to smooth perfect indentations in rock that could indeed be knee print, or carved by hand and rubbed smooth afterwards. I like the story though so I believe it if they said it happened. Next stop Dingbouche at 4,500m, now we were getting high and its at this point we had an acclimitisation day for high altitude. After here the next 5 days were going to be spent at 5,000m (about 17,500ft) all the way to Base Camp at the foot of Everest and we would feel the altitude. Subin my guide decided we should climb a small peak locally, we would climb from 4,500m to 5,300m. We began at 8am and climbed up through a river flowing down from the peak, after here it was simply up the side of a hill angled at about 60-70%. At times I had to grab bushes to help pull me up the next step, it was relentless and if you suffer from vertigo or heights then this was not the time to practice the 'I believe I can fly scenario'. We eventually came to a flat plain and I stood there gasping for prescious air and letting my buring quads and calves recover. We pressed on up the next incline, this time over rock, so at times you really had to pick your route through and climb hard. It seemed relentless, any physical exhertion left you just exhausted and my legs got so heavy it was an effort to lift one leg then the other. I didnt look up and I didnt look down, I concentrated on just moving one step at a time, finally we were there at 5,350m on the peak. What a view Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, just magnificent I wont even bother to describe and in the distance even more peaks as far as you can see until clouds and peaks were indeterminate. I took some pictures and we headed down. It was a triumphant moment for me and singularly one of the toughest things physically I have ever done because of the altitude. I made it and you'll see the picture of me doing my 'Hillary pose' on the top. It was a tough day but I was lucky I'd found it hard but I wasnt suffering from altitude sickness.

Many people we met in Lodges were suffering, they had headaches and were vomitting, and many sat around feeling sorry for themselves. Unfortunately, I must have annoyed them all, laughing and casually playing cards with Subin and Bai Kumptha. That night after we had climbed the peak we even sat drinking a can of beer each, a couple of sick Aussies remarked I was a typical pom. The next day we arrived at Gorak Shep, a small village with literally 2 lodges and had walked along part of the Khumbu glacier, which descends from Everest and is slowly carving out a new valley over the next million odd years. We dropped our bags and pushed on for Base Camp, its a track that literally follows the glacier. Its a desolute barren landscape of ice and rock comparable I'm sure to a luna or martian landscape. Its ever changing the glacier slowly moving down the valley carrying rock and ice, you can hear it creak and groan as you walk, and hear rock falls all the time. Also you walk into a bowl with peaks high above and all around you, the occasional thunderous roar of an avalanche of snow reminds you this is a dangerous place to hang out. After 1.5 hours we are at Base Camp, Diary Entry 11.05am 3rd Dec 2006: "I'm at Base Camp and oddly you cant see Everest for Nuptse and Lhotse. I'm looking at the Khumba Ice Fall that Hillary and so many climbers have had to negotiate to get through the narrow valley that leads to the Western Cwm. I sit in an amphitheatre of peaks Pumo Ri (7165m), Lingtren (6749m), Khumbutse (6665m), Nuptse and Lhotse and can hear distant avalanches but cant see them. They are so loud you look up expecting to see them falling on your head."

Out of 20,000 people that visit here each year many dont get this far due to the altitude, I feel very lucky to have sat at Base Camp and seen the magnificent views this area has to offer. I was the first one there that day and was able to sit and have breakfast with my two guides and enjoy the silence and atmosphere. Within an hour of us leaving we passed many other trekers on their way slowly to Base Camp. That afternoon we climbed Kala Patthar a peak opposite Base Camp at the summit my watch altitude metre read 5650m, it was the hieghest point I was to climb and was the toughest climb I was to have. It is the closest point to Everest you can get and I sat there and watched the sunset over Everest changing its black granite sides to orange, to red to finally pink. Everest changed appearance and at one point looked like a red hot arrow head piercing the evening sky before settling or cooling to pink and finally to solid black standing out against the dark blue night sky, the stars disapperaing behind her massive pyramid shape. It was a special moment even Subin remarked in all his time he had never know it so clear and never seen such a sunset on Everest as that night. We returned to our lodge happy that we had witnessed a special event it was then we were reminded how dangerous this place can be.

News was spreading the community that a climbing expedition on Ama Dablam had been caught in an avalanche on the slopes up high, 3 climbers and 3 sherpas had been killed, not all their bodies could be found or recovered. You realise the Himalayas just like the oceans are ruled by a force uncontrolable to the likes of us. I have been walking one minute in clear blue sky in a t-shirt when cloud has appeared as if from nowhere the next and its freezing cold. The mountains like the ocean change by the minute, wind lashes you one second and then is gone as fast as it arrived. It is as cruel at times as it is beautiful I suppose that's why the people who live here worship and revere their spiritual power and respect the Gods they believe live in these mountains. They believe men dont climb mountains, the mounatins if they feel like it, let you climb them. There are stories of miracles and tradgedy here all the time, you never know what will happen, even I have looked up at the cliffs over me looking for rocks falling from above. It only takes a Yak grazing above to dislodge a stone, which starts to roll, it passes another that says 'hey wait for me I'm going to come to' it picks up one of its friends and so on until you have a rock party heading downhill. Some treker is happily ambling along hears a sound, looks up to see the rolling stones tumbling down on him. It happens to locals and trekers alike you just hope it doesnt happen when you are passing that part of the trail.

So lets move on thats Everest done and the box ticked for Base Camp. What more could there be to see after that, well it was no peace for the happy treker here and we set off early next morning back down the way we had come and headed for an adjoinng valley after Dingbouche. By the afternoon we had reached a small lodge perched high in a valley called Dzongla. It was very remote but stunning views and we relaxed in the afternoon sun playing cards and gazing up at the surrounding peaks. Tomorrow we would climb and cross the Cho La pass at 5,350m notorious if there has been snow because it is a steep decline the other side once you have reached the top. If it has snowed then you are climbing down a steep slope of rock under 3ft of snow, its tough but you still dont need to be a mountain goat to get down. The next morning after climbing for just over an hour we hit the glacier that leads up to the Cho La pass we were first on top that morning. Subin hands me a two foot stick he picked up at the lodge that morning. 'No thanks I dont need a walking stick' I reply, 'its for searching for crevices' he answers and I was to poke the ground in front of me in order to make sure I could put my foot down safely. Hold on there, crevices wasn't mentioned in the brochure or the small print before I left England. Crevices are big holes that suddenly open up, that people fall into, dark depths straight to the centre of the planet I've seen it on many films, many an actors career has been cut short, as they are never seen in another film again. It was too late now I was here and there was no way back it was only forward this is when I cursed at being up here first. At least we could have followed someone elses footprints and avoided the gaping hole they were last seen at. So there I was poking a stick in the snow gingerly hoping that the earth wouldnt swallow me up when the oddest thing entered my mind, I thought of the cartoon of the wild coyote chasing the roadrunner. He never catches the roadrunner but always tries with ACME rocket, or ACME super rollerskates or ACME something. I turned my stick and thought I would see ACME crevice stick printed on the side, that a hole would open up and I would be suspended in mid-air, swallow hard and disappear in a little puff of smoke. The last thing I would hear would be a long whistle as I fell through the air to the centre of the earth and finally 'beep, beep'. Well as you know I made it no problem or I wouldnt be writing this novel right now but occassionally as I walked on the ice my foot would plunge a foot straight down and my heart would miss a beat for a moment or two.

I reached the Cho La pass and what a view I can tell you one valley, superimposed on another then another just incredible until again you couldnt tell peaks from clouds. I sat there for a good 15 mins but I could have sat there all day, however I would have been frozen within 30 mins it was very cold and windy being that high. We pressed on and descended the steep decline, it was very icy luckily no snow and had to be very careful with our descent one loose footing could result in a nasty tumble abruptly stopped by one of many massive boulders on the path. Eventually the land levels out and its pretty much plain sailing for the rest of the day to Gokyo. Gokyo is a remote village sitauted next to a holy lake at 4,800m next to it is a peak Gokyo Ri that we climbed. The Gokyo Ri is renowned as the best spot for seeing the entire Everest range of mountains and we climbed early in the morning. The view was just amazing again, I wish I could explain the views in words but its impossible to describe, the colours for example. The sky changes colour all the time, in the morning the sky is a very light blue and has gradations/bands of blue, even the clouds first thing have a mother of pearl sheen at their edges in the morning. By the afternoon the sky changes to a rich then a deep blue, similar to the colour of the sky I have seen only in Australia. This has a dramatic effect on the landscape so rock and peaks change colour all through the day. After Gokyo the next two days are spent slowly descending back to Namche Bazaar walking along beautiful valleys and back to pine forests. These two days were probably one of the best two days as it gets easier to walk as the altitude drops and the scenery is less barren but greener but just as stunning.

Finally you arrive back in Lukla and get ready to fly out, we were delayed for a few hours only but you may recall earlier the story of the flight in. All the excitement is in the take-off as the plane has to stand on the runway now pointing down the 450metre angled runway. You can just see the end abruptly disappear off the cliff edge, they hold the plane by brake, rev the engines as fast as they can, when at full power they let off the brakes and you hurtle down the short runway. You hurtle to two certain ends, take-off or oblivion, its at this point you wished the lodge had done good fillet steak and chips, cooked by Gordon Ramsey himself, that would have been my final request. Of course there hasnt been an accident in sometime and I applaud the skill of the pilots even if they are all Japanese and wear rising sun headscarves. I jest of course.

So that's all folks, Subin asked me how to compare both treks now I've successfully completed the worlds two best treks in the Himalayas. You can't, they are very different and I enjoyed them both for different reasons, Everest is very physical and demanding on your body due to the altitudes. Annapurna on the other hand is very cultural and you experience different religions, beliefs of different peoples that live in those valleys, whilst Everest region is all Sherpa. So how can I conclude the journey so far well a quote from Tenzing Norgay comes to mind the Sherpa who first climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary. When asked how he felt to have climbed to the highest point on earth and been where no human being had been before him he replied; "Yes I have stood where no man has stood and seen the earth from the highest point, it reminded me how big the earth is, how much more there is to see, and how much more I have to learn". That is as good as it gets for me and I wish it was my quote but that wraps it up nicely for the Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Treks.

I leave for one last trek on the 15th Dec for Manasulu Range. Its in a restricted area where about 1000 tourists go every year. I felt I needed one last challenge and this is it. No lodges, or tea houses, only camping or staying with locals overnight, we take our own food, tents and cooking equipment etc. I'll be back around the 29th Dec so whilst you all sit around stroking your bellies on Xmas Day think of me up in the hills on rice rations in the cold. My choice - cant wait, the adventure continues...

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Photos

Everest
My first view of Everest, it's huge granite sides that form it's destinctive pyramid shape, so mesmorising.

Sagarmatha
Me sitting in front Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse, it doesn't get any better than this.

Namche Bazaar
Namche Bazaar at 4,200m the gateway for many climbing expeditions and the main trading town for the area.

Sir John Hillary
Me having climbed the peak at 5,400m near Dingbouche, in typical Hillary pose, 'I claim this peak for me!'

Ice Peaks
More of the views from the peak at Dingbouche.

Everest Base Camp
The Khumba Ice Fall. This is where most ascents of Everest begin climbing this dangerous ice fall to the western cwm.

Everest Sunset
The sun setting lights Everest from orange, to red to pink. Subin had never know the weather so good.

ACME crevice stick
Me searching for crevices in the snow, this was my wild coyote/roadrunner moment 'beep, beep'.

Cho La Pass
Me standing on top of the world at the Cho La pass.

Gokyo Ri
The view from Gokyo Ri peak, stunning views undescribable.

Ama Dablam
The unmistakable peak of Ama Dablam unfrotunately claimed the lives of 6 people recently.

Comments

[Lorraine]

Wishing you a very merry x mas. Enjoying your e mails and stunning photos. x

[Belinda]

Great Blog, my mood changed from YUK another day of training for EBC to a big smile, Ill remember your antics as I jog merrily up my beloved training ramp.