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Published: March 22nd 2013
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Wow, I thought it was cold in Pheriche, last night in Lobuche was something else! I happily have few if any symptoms of altitude sickness perhaps due to the Diamox, however with the advantages come the disadvantages and at 5am i'm making a early trip to the bathroom. As I do I notice the tap, the water in the toilet and in the water barrel were frozen solid!
After the usual fight with to get my sleeping bag back in it's bag and pack up this morning I suddenly feel dizzy and weak. Suriya insists on ordering me a garlic soup for breakfast before I can protest and so he's finally got his way. It isn't as bad as I'd imagined and, I must admit does make me feel better. Just to be on the safe side I also have a toasted cheese sandwich which is the most i've eaten in for one meal throughout the whole trek so far! Half an hour later I'm fine and ready to hit the glacier.
We head out and up to the east of Lobuche to where the moraine of the Khumbu glacier runs down all the way from the base of
Everest to here. It is an ever-changing landscape here Suriya tells me and the passes and boulders across the glacier change frequently too. The last major change occurred four to five years ago in this area but up nearer Everest, it changes and moves by approximately 1cm per day.
The moraine is more difficult to walk on due to the number of very small stones all the way down to a grey sand which moves when you walk on it. We have some fairly comic slow sliding moments as we reach the centre where we have magnificent views of the Pumori massif. We come across a large glacial pool, the water milky white in colour. As we stand looking at it a low groaning noise breaks the silence and a few small loose rocks fall in from the side of the pool into it. Suriya tells me this is the sound of the glacier, it's pretty eerie I have to say! We clamber over boulders the size of cars and join some local Nepalis who are traversing carrying small baskets of goods with them. They scamper over the glacier as if it is a set of stepping stones and
make me feel rather clumsy for having to watch my every footfall!
A couple of hours later and we decide to circle round and head back in time for lunch. Yet more garlic soup awaits me and a whole plate of roast potatoes with fried eggs. I manage more than I think I will and put plenty of salt on them, then drink about 1.5 litres water, hoping to increase my circulating volume. We spend the afternoon chatting to other trekkers and chat about tomorrow, the big day when we will go to Gorak Shep and then after an early lunch, head straight on to Base Camp! The plan is for a early start and to try to reach Gorak Shep mid morning. Quite nervous about how hard this last section of the trek up will be but Suriya reassures me it's there for the taking.
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