My Diary of Everest Base Camp trek from 10th
April 2017 to 24th April 2017
Day 1 : April 10
I had no sleep
last night & am already feeling a bit tired. We took GOMA Air (a small twin
engine plane carrying some 20 passengers or so) from Kathmandu to Lukla. They
had a funny weighing system (Allows 10Kg check-in luggage & 5Kg carry-on
bag). The team ended up paying Rs 4000 extra for 35Kg overweight. The bags got
stuck in Kathmandu for 2 hours. With clear skies, the flight was fantastic
though. It was very cold in the morning, but got pretty hot as the sun rose. I
had to take off the top 2-3 times during the trek today. Beautiful view of
mountains from all sides. There was a general descent though not so easy walk
down the valley. We reached Phakding at about 3:30 p.m. I am a little worried
about Pranita (my wife) being able to make it up to Namche Bazar from where she
is to return. The lodges have basic facilities. Drinking water always costs and
prices increase with altitude. Near Lukla it was Rs 100/litre. Near Phakding it
was Rs 150/litre. The food is basic and mostly bland. Generally speaking, it
was an uneventful day.
Day 2 : April 11
Phakding (2,610 m) to Namche
Bazaar (3,500 m)
Today was a
very long (&, as it happened, the most tiresome) walk with 800m elevation
gain. This was an arduous journey that took us 12 hours to complete instead of
the usual 6 hours. After the town of Monjo, it was almost continuous uphill.
This walk hit 2 – 3 of us with altitude sickness and changed our plan by dropping
Gokyo lake (& Ri) and Cho La Pass from the itinerary. First few hours, a
little past Monjo, were easy going & level until the double bridge. We
stopped over for a morning tea in a beautifully situated restaurant by the side
of the river Dudh Kosi (Milk river…feels milk white all the way) with a million
dollar view of the mountains. The steady climb after lunch towards Namche was
nerve wreking. It was near night by the time we reached Namche…and after Namche
came in sight, it was almost an hour before we reached our lodge which was near
the end of the town. Tonight was the third night in a row that I couldn’t sleep
at all & was hit with altitude sickness : breathlessness to the extent that
Pranita tried to change my mind about the whole trek…suggesting I should return
with her from Namche. Finally, I started taking in Diamox tablets & puffer
to reduce the symptoms.
Day 3 : April 12
Namche
Bazaar (3,500 m) – Acclimatization day
Today is a rest day at Namche Bazar. A beautiful morning
gave exemplary view of the mountains & the village. After morning
breakfast, we went to Sagarmatha National Park (some 15-20 minutes from our
lodge. It has a statue of Sherpa Tensing Norgay, the first man (accompanying
Edmund Hillary) to climb Mt. Everest Peak. Looking at the statue from distance,
we could also see Mt. Everest peak…the first clear view of Mt. Everest. The
park also hosts a Nepal-Israeli friendship memorial where 2 stones – one from
the highest point (Mt. Everest) & one from the lowest point on the earth
were exchanged. The place also hosts a lifestyle museum. After spending about ½
an hour there, we proceeded to Syangboche mountain for acclimatization. I &
Abha climbed some 100/200m up to the prayer flags, Sunil & Pranita stayed
back as they were too tired, and Bhoopinder went all the way to Everest View
Hotel before returning. Overall, it was a good day & made us forget the
painpul experience of yesterday.
Day 4 : April 13
Namche
Bazaar (3,500 m) to Khumjung (3,790 m)
With the scare of Altitude sickness at Namche Bazar, the
itinerary was changed to omit Gokyo & Cho La Pass. With more days on hand now,
the route was redrawn to take more days to reach Everest Base Camp (EBC). So,
we decided to do a shorter trek today. I’d seen this trek path right behind our
lodge yesterday. It looked like a very steep climb right in the beginning.
This, I reckoned, was sure to take its toll on us. About 30m after starting
from the lodge, we parted ways with Pranita who began her return journey to Phakding
& then on to Lukla & Kathmandu. We began the steep climb and reached
Syangboche airstrip (mostly, helicopters use it). As we reached the airstrip,
we heard a chopper whirring right above us & shortly landing on the
airstrip. On the way, we also met a few fellow trekkers/hikers doing the same
trek as us. Special mention must be made of an Indian lady named Rachana (or
was it Nirmala?), a former marathon runner who was also doing this trek for the
first time, a very confident lady who
was bringing up the rear of the team (like sherpas taking care of their
customers).
After a short break at Syangboche, we proceeded to a
viewpoint near Everest View Hotel. With clear skies, we had a fantastic view of
the mountains…Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse et al. From thereon, we proceeded
downhill to Khumjung village…a very quiet farming village with a Buddhist
monastery. We stayed at Danfae lodge run by a very good chef who used to work
at Everest View Hotel (a 5 star hotel). This was the first time I could finish
the whole meal. All dishes were tasty. Later on, we visited a local monastery
where renovation was in full swing. We also saw a lot of Buddhist scriptures
engraved in stones arranged in dome/wall shape used as path dividers.
a viewpoint near
Everest View Hotel. With clear skies, we had a fantastic view of the mountains…
Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse etc… After that we proceeded downhill to Khumjung, a
very quiet farming village with a Buddhist monastery.
Day 5 : April 14
Khumjung
(3,790 m) to Deboche (3820m)
This was
a great day’s walk. First, down the hill to Dudh Koshi. At 3 p.m., we had tea
at Phungi Thenga (3250m) in a Sherpa hotel. On the way, a lot of blooming
rhododendrons dotted the surroundings. Had a beautiful view of high mountains
in the clear skies. Then began a 2hr long uphill climb to Tengboche
(Tyangboche) which has one of the biggest and oldest monasteries in the region.
Mobile phone tower in the top allowed a video call ( one & the only time I
could do on this trek) to my nephew in
Pune who wanted a live view of the Himalayas. Unfortunately, dark clouds
prevented clear view. Then there was a 20 min. descent to Debuche where we
stayed in a very nice Rivendell Lodge with electric heating mattresses (?).
Day 6 : April 15
Deboche (3820m) to Pangboche (3885 m)
Thinking of big free shower in a fancy lodge, I
opened the hot water tap waiting for the eventuality (hot water) that never
arrived. First time I had to use body wipes to clean me up and change the
underwear into new one that Pranita sent all the way from Lukla (I’d forgotten
the good ones probably at home & realized it only a day before). Because of
snow covered tracks, all my colleagues wore gaiters. But since no Sherpas or
guide wore them, I decided against wearing them. A good decision in the end.
The track was mostly muddy due to snow – but not very slippery. The gradient
was mostly easy except after crossing Dudh Kosi. Overall walk was relatively
easy. We covered the whole track in 3 hours. The highlight was a mountain goat
we saw near the river crossing. At Pangboche, the lodge had (They call them
teahouse) most basic facility. Most of the snow in the mountains had melted.
Day 7 : April 16
Pangboche
(3885 m) to Dingboche
(4400 m)
Today was
a very eventful day. Only 4 hrs walk with relatively low gradient. Skies were
clear and we could get a very clear view of a range of Himalayan peaks
(including Mt. Everest) and Dudh Kosi. Wind had picked up quite a bit. In about
an hour’s time we stopped over at Somare (4040m) in Panorama lodge for a cuppa.
One of our team members (Sunil) is a bit down with cold/flue. Walking was also
becoming more difficult due to high wind and dust. We had to stop at times to
let the wind gust recede. About 1 ½ hrs into the trek after Somare, there was a
hairpin bend at the ledge that I was trying to negotiate. Sunil was right
behind me followed by Bhoopinder. A sudden gust of wind some 100+ Km/hr strong
hit me. It was so powerful that, despite the walking sticks, it swept me off my
feet. I was literally airborne against my will. Sunil, noticing what was
happening, held on to my shirt trying to bring me down. In the process he also
fell along with me & in cascade effect, Bhoopinder also fell. Falling on
the back with my backpack, I couldn’t easily get up. It was a near death
experience as few more inches or trying to get up from the wrong side and I
would have been down the ravine in Dudh Kosi. The incidence taught me how
fragile life can be. Anyway, we
continued on to reach our target, Valley View lodge in Dingboche about 1 ½ hrs
later. Sherpa would be constantly next to me throughout this part of the walk.
A rescue helicopter had to make 2 rounds of the valley before it could land to
pickup a casualty. It was windy till late evening. Luckily, tomorrow is an
acclimatization day.
Day 8 : April 17
Dingboche (4400 m)
Already a
week into the trek. Today is about 200m climb and back. One of our team members
is not really feeling well. I hope he can make it to EBC. The lodge being not
well insulated, I was feeling very cold in the morning. There was quite a bit
of mountain dust inside the window in my room. No contact with Pranita since we
parted ways. She must be getting ready to leave for Mumbai. We had a late
breakfast and started the trek about 9:30ish. Up to 40m up was easy. But after
that, it was a medium level climb with no real well formed track. I noticed the
vegetation is slowly disappearing as we were now at 4Km+ elevation. Loss of
vegetation coupled with increased altitude causing lower air density
contributed to less oxygen intake per breath. And I started feeling it. Little
bit of headache, an unmistakable sign of altitude sickness symptoms started
creeping in. Luckily it disappeared as we reached the top.
It was
clear skies. We stayed there some 20-30 minutes to let other members catch up
and take some photos/videos. Now the wind had started picking up so we had to
hurry down. On the way, we met an Indian Navy member of an Everest expedition
team. He recognized the issue with our team member and made some enquiries to
see if he could help. Worried about the previous incident with me, one of the
Sherpas held my hand while descending (so I wouldn’t fly away!). So nice of
him.
Back at
the lodge, we met 2 members of a Spanish Everest expedition. One of them turned
out to be an artist. Both were support members going only up to EBC. Sometime
in the afternoon, and after a long while, I had a hot water shower – with
experience. After first few minutes of hot scalding shower, I had to struggle
for 15 min. before proper hot water poured in. Anyway, this would be my last
shower for a few days to come. After some rest, we are now having dinner at
7:30 p.m. as the lodge is full of trekkers. I counted 36 and many had left as
we were coming in.
Day 9 : April 18
Dingboche
(4400 m) to Lobuche (4940 m)
Today we
are gaining some 600m. The vegetation becoming sparse. On our way we stopped
over at Thukla (Dughla) 4600m for lunch. Lots of Himalayan peaks in view
including Thukla pass – the sight of memorials to those who perished in an
adventure to conquer Mt. Everest…whether successful or not. I took a short
video of the place. Babu Chiri Sherpa being the most famous amongst them. He
conquered the summit 10 times and made a
world record in one trek by reaching there in a record 16 hrs 56 min without
oxygen. In one of the treks, he stayed at the top for 21 hrs (without oxygen).
Hats off to him. You can read more about him in Wikipedia. In the
lodge, I also met an 8 year old Olivia from Melbourne who was doing the EBC
trek on foot. That just reminded me of my granddaughter, Maya, who now is 4
years old.
Day 10 : April 19
Lobuche (4940 m) to
Gorakhshep (5170m) – Everest Base Camp (5364m)
This was
the day we all were waiting to experience. All our hard work was coming to
fruition today. One of the longest tiring trekking days to date. Our indisposed
colleague, Sunil and his wife Mrs. Abha decided to hire a horse (US$ 200 each)
to do this leg of the trek. Must commend them for persevering despite the bout
of flue Sunil was experiencing.
Starting
at 7 a.m., we reached Gorakhshep at about 12:30 p.m. On the way were beautiful
Khumbu Glacier & Khumbu icefall. Ama Dablam (first of the peaks to be seen
in the beginning of the trek on 10th), Than SherKu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori,
Lingtren, Khumbuche, Lobuche East, Chola Che are some of the most beautiful,
snow covered peaks visible on the way.
After the
lunch break, I and Bhoopinder set out to reach Everest Base Camp (EBC) site – a
much sought after destination from where Mt. Everest is not visible but all the
Peak seekers camp and acclimatize there for about 2 weeks before proceeding
onward, most difficult part of the journey to 4 camps & then to the summit
of Mt. Everest. The EBC at 5364m elevation is a beautiful site to visit. From
afar, it looks like plain ground dotted with green & yellow spots by the
side of Khumbu glacier. These green & yellow dots are the tents erected
mostly by peak seekers. There was a stream of visitors visiting the place.
Day 11 : April 20
Gorakhshep
(5170m) to Kala Patthar(5545m)
to Pheriche
( 4280m)
Another
very long & eventful day today.Team members (including myself) seemed a bit
down but still trek some 100m up on way to Kala Pather (400m steep &
difficult to climb). Last night, I was feeling tired & down enough to wish
today morning will be a cloudy day so I wouldn’t have to climb those 400m (?)
But, by morning, I’d recovered enough to feel energetic & anxious to reach
the top of Kala Pather. Our guide Dhana & Sherpa Khilaraj first reached the
view point 100m up on the hill waiting for us to join them. I followed &
joined them shortly afterwards. The view from there was pretty good with part
of Mt. Everest clearly visible.
Thank god
today was a clear day with no clouds to obstruct the Mt. Everest view. I, being
anxious to reach the top, took off with Khilaraj towards the peak. (I knew the
rest of the team had already decided only to come up to this view point). I
handed Khilaraj my camera so he could video shoot my trek up this hill. And he
certainly did justice to the responsibility. He also took my back pack and went
up (naturally) faster with an unintended consequence of leaving me thirsty
without water. Higher up, with only half the air/oxygen (per breath) going in
my lungs, the climb was very strenuous with each step becoming a drag. On the
way, I overtook a lady from an Israeli team & slowly climbed my way up.
Since it was a very clear day (quite a few people from our lodge in Gorakhshep
had started early at 3:30 a.m. in the morning to catch the sunrise at Kala Patthar.
We being too tired, started at about 7:00 a.m. or so), view of the mountain
ranges around this hill was clear & astounding. You’ve to see it to believe
it. I didn’t think pictures do justice to these views as against the real life
experience..
This
climb was the real test of my endurance, perseverance, grit & determination
to achieve the desired, extremely difficult, goal. Mind you, the air gets
thinner the higher up you go. Staring at 7:00 a.m. from the lodge, I reached
the top at 10:00 a.m. The last 2-3m were a bit tricky. The rock on the top was
shaped like the coronation stone of The Lion King. Khilaraj suggested an easier
way by going back to climb slowly from the rear. However, I insisted on
following the short-cut path he took i.e., climbing up 2 big rock protrusions
to get there. The spot up there is very precarious, accommodating barely 2
people at a time. But we made it and hugged each other. This feat was the
culmination of ½ a year of preparation, organizing, practising. I’d achieved a once in a life time adventure
ambition. The view of Mt. Everest from there (with no clouds covering it) was
exhilarating. The journey up the Kala Patthar
exposed the western side of Mt. Everest more & more – a sight to behold, including
the 360 degrees view of the mountain ranges.
In about
15 minutes, after taking a number of photos and videos, we started our climb
down and reached the Gorakhshep lodge at 11
a.m. to have late breakfast. The rest of the team had already left for
Pheriche. My trek from Gorakhshep to Lobuche was uneventful and we made by 2:30
p.m. for lunch there. The rest of the team was waiting for us there. I was too
exhausted to even have lunch there – but they had already ordered some for me.
So I had to have some. But then it was celebration time. We all had achieved
our goal – Bhoopinder went closest to Mt. Everest at EBC. Sunil & Abha
managed to complete the EBC trek (later on, I heard they didn’t reach the 100m
higher view point on Kala Patthar) and myself , the EBC & Kala Patthar.
The trek
from Lobuche to Pheriche was basically uneventful…simply climbing down the
mountains. We lodged ourselves at Pheriche Resort.
Day 12 : April 21
Pheriche
( 4280m) to Debuche (3820m)
This was
a planned long day to end at Monjo. However, it started raining/drizzling so we
terminated our march at Debuche to stay over at Paradise Lodge. Being still
indisposed and tired of food in teahouses, Sunil mooted an idea of taking a
chopper ride to Lukla or flying back to Lukla. However, that wasn’t my idea of
the trek/adventure and wanted to do Lukla-EBC-back to Lukla on foot so I flatly
refused stating the reason. Bhoopinder believed likewise. So the idea was
dropped. Now into the second day of descent, taste had started coming back into
the taste buds and I could eat a lot more food than before. Also, I’d started
experimenting with the food.
Day 13 : April 22
Debuche
(3820m) to Jorsalle (2910m)
To make
up for the last time yesterday, we decided to do longer trek today to Monjo.
Later, as we reached Tyangboche Monastery, Bhoopinder suddenly took ill with
stomach bug and we lost almost an hour there. We stopped over at Phungi Tanga
for a cup of tea.
We
proceeded to stop over at Sanasa (3000m) for lunch. Afterwards, we took a different
route to Namche Bazar – via Sagar Matha National Park. We continued on without stopping there. Trek
back towards Jorsalle was more treacherous than the otherwise difficult Phakding
to Namche. This was the deadly night trek we had to have, with no one prepared
with head torches. Last half an hour, Dhana had to light up his torch to show
the way to Abha, me & Sunil.
Finally
at 7:30 p.m. we reached Jorsalle staying over at Friendship Lodge. Everyone was
dog tired. Bhoopinder flatly refused to do the same long trek the next day.
Day 14 : April 23
Jorsalle
(2910m) to Phakding (2652m)
Today was
an all wet day. It was drizzling from morning until we reached Phakding.
Finally, I got to wear Shivani’s waterproof pant. But the top was another
matter. My Poncho had gone with Sunil’s gear and the down jacket was not so
waterproof. Sunil and Abha had gone ahead earlier to make it up to Lukla to
reach Kathmandu early. By the time we reached Phakding, my gear got wet. As
most flights between Lukla & Kathmandu were cancelled, depending on the
weather now there is going to be big rush at the airport tomorrow. On the way
to Phakding, we met another team from Pune. It appears that Pune trekking
company has done a lot of publicity to promote trekking in the Himalayas.
There’s been an unusually high number of Indian tourists in the region this
year. As I finish this writeup, I’m being surrounded by a pretty big team from
India on way to Gokyo lake. Just got to talk to Pranita & it seems that my
departure from Kathmandu may have to be advanced to a day after I reach
Kathmandu.
Day 15 : April 24
Phakding
(2652m) to Lukla (2860m)
Today is the last day of my fantastic - once in a lifetime – trekking experience.
Despite the decent food and attached facilities, the lodge wasn’t a very nice
one. Ill equipped with blankets , so many guests had to make do with only their
sleeping bags. Anyway, this part of the trek was uneventful. As we reached
Lukla, Sunil & Abha were still there. After lunch, we took the last flight
out of Lukla by Simrick Air that day. The sky was cloudy and rainclouds were
closing in just as we took off. I think we got out just in time. No snow peak
mountain views this time due to cloudy skies. But we took off and landed at
Tribhuwan airport in Kathmandu safely. And that was the conclusion of a
successful adventure.
