Finally arrived at our Everest Base Camp yesterday in a blizzard, although it is good to be here, reunited with all my stuff that came from Kathmandu via yak and the end of daily packing. We are now at 5,300 meters.
We left Dingboche on Tuesday morning in brilliant sunshine and with a completely snow covered landscape, as it had dumped 30cm overnight – it was stunning. We trekked up past the memorial chortens – this is where all the Sherpa’s and western climbers who died climbing Everest are remembered. Many famous and experienced names on the various plaques, beautiful yet once again very sobering, given almost 300 people have died on the mountain.
Soon after we arrived in our Lobuche Base Camp, where we spent two nights acclimatising to 4,950 meters. Here at last we are in a ‘controlled environment’ – i.e. hygiene. Many of the team are sick in some way, including all but one of the guides, so it is important to get out of the tea-houses, and Lobuche village itself is actually built over an open sewer – nice. Russell (Brice), who had been delayed due to weather in Kathmandu stormed into camp after an improbable trek straight from Khumjung, and promptly left for Everest Base Camp at 6.15 the next morning – even the guides were shamed. He’s an animal.
We left early yesterday morning and arrived at our Everest Base Camp in a howling blizzard. Not having wanted to carry my massive down jacket I hunkered down in what I had in my pack (not much), and waited for the yaks. To keep warm those of us that got in early helped the sherpas with some of the camp work. Finally five hours later the yaks arrived and I got into my walking sleeping bag of down trousers and jacket, Michelin-man style. As you can see from the picture below, people ‘dress up’ for dinner – last night was minus 20 centigrade.
This morning I was woken at 7am to ‘bed tea’, which is basically hot tea and a hot towel to wake you up. Mornings are hard – you are comfy in your sleeping bag but the condensation from your breath, which freezes to the roof of your tent during the night, starts dripping down on your head as the rising sun melts it, and almost everything is just a little wet, including my head.
Poking my head out of the tent I found brilliant sunshine and staggering views, although the actual summit of Everest is hidden behind its west shoulder. We are in a ‘dead end’, a sort of horse-shoe shaped ring of high mountains, truly as someone once put it, ‘in the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods’.
We have been advised to rest today. There are a few people really feeling the altitude, either walking around like zombies or lying in their tents. I’ve been lucky and feel fine – touch wood that it continues…
So we’re finally here – home until June. The camp is a hive of activity as it is still being finished and Discovery Channel have started filming today. The infamous icefall looms, menacing and ever present, right in front of us.
For now over and out from EBC – more updates soon.
Me at the Sherpa chorten memorial with Ama Dablam behind
Arrival at our Everest Base Camp on a snowy and windy afternoon - the view from my tent
Chris Macklin and David Tait, dressed for dinner (it is cold here). Note David's bandana - paranoid about getting sick
Day 2 sunshine! Team doctor Monica Piris with Everest's west shoulder (the summit is hidden) and the infamous Icefall behind
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