Everest Base Camp

 Everest Base Camp

I have been asked to do a blog of my recent trek to Everest Base Camp.  It took place from 22nd April to 7th May 2022, of which some 11 days were spent on the trek itself. I went with a very good friend Steph Upton.

Challenge 1

The trek starts when you fly from Kathmandu into Lukla, deemed the most dangerous airport in the world as the runway starts on the edge of a cliff, is angled up at 12.5% and ends in cliff.  The run in is through a series of valleys either side, like fighter pilot low level training.

Altitude Sickness

The trek from Lukla to EBC ascends 2500 metres or 8000feet, starting at 2800 metres and finishing at about 5300.  There is a danger of AMS, Altitude mountain sickness.  By way of explanation, AMS comes in 2 forms; HAPE High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema where the blood vessels leak into the lung causing you to die from drowning or HACE, high altitude Cerebral Oedema where the brain swells becoming too big for the skull causing death. You can take Diamox which increases the red blood corpuscles but is a bit controversial. 

On the trek we attended a lecture run by the mountain rescue centre. i was interested and asked a question about HACE. (brain swelling).   The doctor at the lecture stopped and said "How old are you?" I said  "76"

He Said " Well you are probably ok then, because as you get older your brain shrinks, so you  have spare room" .

( Bloody cheek) 

Oxygen

As you go higher the air gets thinner so at 5000 metres the oxygen content is about 40%.  So the amount of oxygen you would get from one breath at sea level now takes 2.5 breaths.  You end up constantly out of breath and gasping for air.

Terrain

The distances are not great on a flat, straight line basis, 50-60 kms each way; but Everest is not flat or in a straight line.  There are some beautiful paths through the forest areas with rhododendron trees in wonderful colours; but once above the tree line, it's brutal rocks and boulders.  Plus snow to make them slippery.

       

       

 Neither is it a regular incline but definitely on the "uppy downy" variety.  So one moment you're clambering up boulders and the next feeling your way carefully down the other sheer side.  Whilst the 20 year olds go skipping past, at a certain age you become more aware of broken bones.  A travel rate of 1km per hour is standard.  Plus going uphill is safer and much more comfortable, and I have 2 metal hips which don't take kindly to bouncing downhill over steep rock faces.

200 years ago

As you walk out of Lukla you are taken back 2-300 years before the invention of internal combustion, the steam engine, the wheel.  There are no roads, few proper paths, no cars, trucks or motor bikes.  As a result everything (and I mean everything) is moved on the back of an animal, albeit man, yak or mule.  The only exceptions are for the very wealthy or very sick when a helicopter is called in: but a single trip could cost $5-6000 one way.  So not a frequent option.  The mule or yak trains number from 8-20+.  It is critical to get out of the way when these trains appear on the very narrow paths, as the the yaks or mules have no intention of stopping or moving aside.  You should always stand on the up side of any slope as I learnt the hard way when I was roughly barged out of the way and over the lip of a very steep slope by a no nonsense yak!

         

Bridges

There are frequent precipitous valleys with fast flowing rivers at the bottom. Th answer is a suspension bridge, a narrow walkway, suspended between 2 steel cables with open planking to walk on and fencing wire to stop you slipping through the side.  They sway alarmingly especially if a mule or Yak train starts walking across. At the start of one such  bridge we witnessed a poor woman having hysterics and being comforted by her friends unable to face the prospect of crossing such a bridge.

 

        

 

The Himalayas.

 I have had the privilege of walking in the Rockies, the Alps, Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya , etc  But the Himalayas are in a completely different league, in terms of size, height and grandeur. They are breath taking, 

At one point our guide said 

"Look over there (indicating the distant peaks) Out of the X number of 8000 metre plus peaks in the world, Y number of them are over there"

Mildly Amusing. 

On the ascent we trekked to a hotel called Everest View Hotel (the clue is in the name) As we approached we saw a number of helicopters landing.

In a subsequent conversation it was clear that the rich and famous would helicopter in from Kathmandu, have lunch or coffee, see Everest and helicopter out..

As we walked away I was next to a woman attired in very expensive walking clothing. 

By way of conversation I said "Are you walking to EBC?"

Oh No! she said "I m 61 years old. I couldn't possibly do that. And you"

And I just could not resist it as a put down.

"Well I'm  76 years old and yes i am walking to EBC.

End of conversation.

Humility .At one part of the walk, we were stopped at a T house for a break and had noticed a couple in their 50s-early 60's. The man was visibly struggling to keep going and leaning on his wife. We got into conversation and the woman said " Oh well he is 60 years old and won't make it, so we are gong to hire a mule so he can ride". 

So inwardly thinking "Bloody wimp" We continued on our way. arriving at our T house some hours later. We were sat in the court yard taking off our boots ad drinking tea,  when there was the clear sound of mules hooves and into the yard came 2 mules and riders. Without looking up my thoughts were "Wimps" Then I looked up at the lead rider, who who was being helped off his mule. He had 2 stumps for legs  and from above the knee wore a metal prosthetic on each leg. These guys were part of a charity and were ex UK Special Forces, who had lost their legs in Afghanistan. A very humbling experience.

Quick resume.

Day 1. Fly into Lukla 2800 metres. Organised chaos at both departure and arrival airports.

Scary landing. Trek 8 kms to T house. Dinner Yak stew or Sherpa curry or Mule  pizza.

Freezing in rooms. Only heating is a big stove in the middle of the main room. It is fuelled by dried Yak dung which the guy puts in with his bare hands. So I  politely declined his offer to make me a few sandwiches. Go to bed at 8.00 pm

Day 2. Get up at 4.00 am. Pack duffle bag for collection by porter. Breakfast at 5.00am. Leave  at 6.00 am. This became the standard procedure.

Trek to Namche. Tough climb. undulating mix of rocks and trees.

Day 3.  Aclimatisation at Namche.

Day 4.  Trek to Tengboche.  9 kms. 3864 tough.

Day 5. Trek Pheriche. 10 kms. 4252 tough. .

Day 6. Aclimatisation Pheriche. 

Day 7. Trek Lobuche 8 kms. 4930m 

Day 8.  the Big Day! And its f-------g snowing!!! We  trek to Gorak Shep, Everest Base Camp and its snowinh . We made it but very very tough. Hip is starting to give out.

Day 9.  Trek Dingboche.  18 kms. Hip very painful, if it gets any worse probably can't continue

Day 10. Namche 22kms In a world of pain and discomfort. Exhausted but make it to T house.

Day 12. Lukla 16 kms Great nights sleep. Hip much better.

Day 13. Panic Thick cloud. No fixed wing flights. Weather report says weather worsening over next 4 days. There is a bidding war for places on limited helicopter flights. We lose our places as pilots take higher bids. Tempers are very short. Then a break in the cloud, a few fixed wing flights make it. We scramble our way onto a flight.  As we leave the weather closes in, only 6 flights out that day.

Conclusion. Was it enjoyable? Absolutely not. But it was one the most satisfying achievements of my life. 

Would i do it again? 

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