The last few days from Pangboche to Dingbouche to Lobuche have been utterly beautiful. Today we have clear blue skies and serene mountains surrounding us as we trek the last few kilometres from Gorak Shep to our new home at Everest base camp. We’re excited to say the least….to reunite with friends at camp, settle into our tents and our home away from home, and importantly, to begin our final mental and physical preparations before tackling the first hurdle, the Khumbu ice fall. For now, we’re keen to eat some of Rabin’s tasty cooking and have a much anticipated wash at camp. Ah the joys of base camp.
Tag: Everest South Face
Contacting base camp 4PM
+977 980 840 3862. That’s the number you ring to contact us here at base camp. We’ve set up a regular mobile/cell SIM (ie it’s not an expensive satellite line) into a handset antenna for improved reception during bad weather days. Give us a call for a chat! Your regular rates to an international mobile will apply.
Blessed at Pangboche 7AM
We began yesterday by visiting the construction site of the Khumbu Climbing School. Once complete, the school will house aspiring guides training with local and international climbing guides. Lakpa has often volunteered his time as head guide during the winter training sessions.
Then we hiked a leisurely 2 hr stroll transversing the valley to Lama Gheshi’s house. Pangboche is the highest permanent settlement in the Khumbu, the last established village before reaching Everest base camp. The lamas residing in the monastery here are some of the most respected in the area. Hence, we came to Lama Gheshi to receive blessings for our expedition. He conducted a special ceremony for us, which included reading some prayers to provide us safe passage and success, and then he honoured us each with a kata (white scarf) and an evil warding necklace. For our climbers and guides (who also make a point to visit a lama before beginning an expedition), this is an important ritual.
Buddhist locals believe that the mountains are inhabited and controlled by mountain spirits. Sherpas are able to live in harmony amongst the biggest mountains in the world by paying respect to the mountain spirits. We follow an unwritten climbing code to climb according to local customs.
To Phortse via Mong La (3975m) 4PM
After bidding farewell to the bustle and hustle of Namche bazaar, we hit the well trodden trail again towards Everest base camp. Though a familiar trail to us all, it is always enjoyable and was more so today with clear views of Everest and Lhotse off in the horizon.
We hiked up to Mong La (3950m), a popular lunch stop for trekkers enroute to the Gokyo lakes, breaked there for food, and then hiked down and up to Phortse. We’re here for the night and may get in some climbing tomorrow.
Special greetings to our readers from Clancy Catholic College. Margaret St. Hill shouts a big hello. She’s loving the trekking, inspiring views of Everest and is feeling good.
Day hike to Gong Go (4150m) 1PM
This morning we had a beautiful walk up to Khunda village and ridge Gong Go (4150m), a 700m climb in 2.5 hr above Namche. The views were brilliant, Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse, amongst other Himalayan giants.
We are celebrating our first acclimatisation morning exercise with another round of Illy coffee, pizza and fish and chips at Cafe 8848m. Yum yum! The rest of the afternoon we’re taking it easy and lazy. Tomorrow it’s a walk to Phortse.
Fish and chips at 3440m
We had a good walk this morning. We reached Namche in 3 hours and headed straight to the comforts of Cafe 8848 for lunch, expresso coffee and beer battered fish and chips! Quite a change from the diet of Hillary on his successful Everest expedition.
Everest and Lhotse spring 8AM
The excitement is building. Pack bags and drums (tick), last minute errands (tick), fuel up on protein and desserts (tick tick), fly out to Lukla without hiccups (tick tick tick !!). And they are off. The team is a few days behind the Canadian Lhotse team who are already in Namche.
It’s a chilly spring with the mountains surrounding Lukla covered in snow. The group trekking up with Sumit includes Chris Burke (Lhotse, Australia/NZ), Carol Masheter (EBC, Island peak…already an Everest summitter, USA), Margaret St Hill (Everest, Australia) and Warren Townsend (Everest, Australia). Keep posted for news from the trail.
Happy to be in Lukla 6PM
Nice and cold in Lukla…down jackets already at 2800m.
What’s to come at 8848m??!! The team is in Monjo tonight.
Everest/Lhotse 2013 season about to kick off! 3PM
We’re on the eve of kicking off our Everest and Lhotse spring 2013 season! We’re super excited this year to be leading an expedition on Lhotse alongside our annual Everest trip.
Lakpa, Angkaji, Jangbu, Dendi (long man), Chirring, Pasang, Rabin, Anil and others have finished establishing base camp at the foot of the Khumbu ice fall. The tents are up and camp is ready to welcome the Canadian Lhotse team who just departed for Lukla early today. The rest of the climbers are arriving later this week and will trek up with Sumit on March 30th.
Word from base camp is that it’s cold and snowy….all good signs for good climbing.
Ready for summit, waiting for a good weather window
Well we’re all set to go, our Sherpas have finished stocking the South Col and are now taking a rest at EBC. We’re aiming for a date soon after the 19th as the next good weather window for the summit. Everest was summited first this season by the Sherpa line fixers on the 11th, and there have already been a few summits after them. Next week we should be up there if all goes to plan. Everyone is well and healthy at EBC. We’ll update you on the summit push.
