Descending in one day what took us three to climb, we re-cross 3 small bridges, 2 large glaciers, and 1 rockslide until we are skipping over stones on the broad and windy plain of Pheriche. At 14,000 ft., breathing comes easily now, appetites have returned, and sleep...
After a night on the glacier, I wondered what it would be like to spend TWO MONTHS living at Base Camp. So I asked Pemba.... The first few days living at Base Camp is not too bad, but when we are staying a long time, you feel kind of boring. You want to see more...
Lying in a tent in Everest Base Camp, you can hear the ever-moving glacier beneath you crack and pop. Minor avalanches fall with a rumble and a rush on the surrounding mountains, their plumes of snow invisible in the darkness. These are the sounds of night at the edge...
Two kinds of doctors exist at EBC... Luann Freer founded the Himalayan Rescue Association in 2003 when she realized that expeditions were sending sick and injured sherpas down hours of hiking for treatment because the expeditions didn't want to "waste" medical...
Crossing rockslides and stepping out onto the glacier, we are dwarfed by contours of ice. EBC is not a flat space, but rather a sprawling, convoluted array of tents amid the rock and ice. It's a tremendous amount of work to clear enough flat space for camps and...
Nightlife In We're going up, but the yaks are coming down. Yak caravans ferry supplies to Everest Base Camp on the same trail we hike along. An expedition runs on its stomach, so food is constantly being brought up to support the hundreds of people at base camp....
Reaching the top of Kala Patar (the classic viewpoint for Mt. Everest) is an arduous 2-3 hour climb to a rocky summit strewn with prayer flags. While the mountains appear still and serene, the wind actually whips and gusts against us with imposing force. Only 50% of...
Club Purgatory Few people take the high trail out of Lobuche, but I like to. The short climb brings us out into the morning sun while the lower trail is still cold in the mountains' shadow. Dramatic views of Pumori (a peak so beautiful it was named "Daughter of the...
Dingboche is the highest permanent settlement in the region. Rock walls protect potato fields from grazing yaks, and we take an acclimatization hike up the valley. From here on up, the air is thin and oxygen grows scarce! Hiking out of Dingboche, the views become even...
Laptops Leaving Namche, we contour around the side of the mountain and are confronted with spectacular views once again. We spot wild Himalayan mountain goats in the golden brush and even a rare danphe--the national bird of Nepal--with iridescent plumage reminiscent...
We do not have rest days; we have acclimatization days. This means we still hike...uphill. Fortunately, we get stunning views from the half-day ventures. Leaving Namche Bazaar, the trail rises steeply--over 1000ft in 1-2 hours--and then levels off as we reach the...
Heading up our porters and staff are two key individuals: Six-time Everest summitter Pemba Gyalje Sherpa is an expert international climber. He was named National Geographic Adventure Magazine's 2008 Adventurer of the Year for a courageous rescue during the summer...