Everest Base Camp Trek

My Diary of  Everest Base Camp trek from 10^th April 2017 to 24^th April 2017

Day 1 : April 10

First day of trek : Lukla (Elevation: 2,860 m) to Phakding (2,610 m)

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 10^th), 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.