Morning arrives and the struggle to answer the call of nature by having to leave the warm cocoon of the sleeping bag. The clunk, clunk of other hikers in the hallway urges one to make the first move into the cold, early morning. A hot pot of tea awaits in the kitchen. The cold air stings the lungs and freezes anything not covered in layers. Breakfast is quickly consumed and the heavy packs … [Read more...]
Everest Base Camp
The Everest Base Camp train of trekkers is a mind boggling tangle of trekkers going both directions, yaks fully loaded, ponies trotting along, and porters ladened with a heavy load. There is an art to negotiating the winding path so as to continue moving without long delays. Arrival at Gorek Shep is a cauldron of chaos and beauty. Pumori rises tall and majestically over the village. A scattering … [Read more...]
Kongma La pass
The alarm went off at 4:45 in preparation of our long trek over Kongma La Pass (elevation 5535 meters, 17,550 feet). The morning dawned crisp and clear, our heavy packs shouldered and trek began. The sun rising over Ama Dablam was mesmerizing, causing us to stop and watch as the sun moved the shadows across the glacier and the peak. The path climbs steeply and gains a icy basin, lined with frozen … [Read more...]
Chhukung Ri
The morning dawned cold and cloudy. Our destination Chukkung Ri, standing at 5548 meters (18,136 ft ). By Nepali standards it is a mere “hill”. Making the summit would be the highest elevation I have reached in my life. We readied our packs the night before and ordered a cold breakfast. The alarm was set for 4:45, with the target of starting at sunrise to begin our 2500 foot climb. Weaving our … [Read more...]
A day in the life
A rest day in Dingboche allows for a window into the day to day lives of the Sherpa. Laundry being done in a bucket of soap and cold mountain water. Washed laundry spread about on rocks and shrubs. Trekkers gone and the work of cleaning up begins. Floors are washed, dishes are done, floors swept clean. Outside a ray of sunshine is found and a pot of tea enjoyed. Black crows sail along the … [Read more...]
Around and Around
Internet connection is not great so posts will be few and far between. We made it to Chukkung (elevation 15,045 ft). As we were ascending my left ear began to feel full of fluid and began ringing. Once we arrived I could no longer hear out of my left ear. Tried to sleep it off, but was unable to get the pressure to relieve. This morning we decided to descend back to Dingboche, where there is a … [Read more...]