Boy, oh boy, oh boy – what a day!
After all the huffing, puffing and panting for the last ten days or so, we are about to see what all the fuss is about.
Everest Base Camp, here we come!
Day: 15
Date: Wednesday, 16 October 2024.
From: Lobuche (4,930m) To: Gorak Shep (5,288m) to Everest Base Camp (5,360m) & back to Gorak Shep (5,288m)
Daily Km: 11.6km Walking Time: 6h30m
Progress: 83.9km
Ascent: 479m Descent: 232m
Weather: Perfect! Crystal clear blue skies.
Terrain: Up, up, up on extremely rocky paths.
Stayed At: Himalayan Lodge
General Comments:
- We were up bright and early again this morning for yet another 530am breakfast. This trip is definitely not for those looking for a restful and relaxing holiday, but today was the day to fulfil our long-held dreams and Bucket List ambitions.
- And Yes, it was more porridge, eggs and toast for breakfast with the added decadence of peanut butter on the menu! It’s funny how small things you take for granted at home become extra special out on the track.
- By the time we rallied out the front of the lodge in Lobuche, the Everest Base Camp (EBC) Highway had kicked in big time. There was a constant stream of people striding with purpose past the lodge. It was going to be a very busy day on the track.
- From Lobuche, we started climbing from the get-go. The increased number of people on the trail and steep terrain caused plenty of bottlenecks as slower people (i.e. me) blocked the way of faster walkers. I stepped aside often to let people pass which our guide, Roy, was not happy about. He would have preferred for our group keep moving and to stick together. Oh well, I didn’t want to be the source of any trail rage.
- People were also streaming back towards us coming from Gorak Shep (the last village before EBC), porters were going both ways with hikers’ luggage, and pack horses and yak trains were going both directions too, loaded with suppliers or empty containers.
- The last 500m into Gorak Shep is tough. Seriously rocky and seriously steep with a narrow path causing even more bottlenecks. It was slow going and, by the time we got to the village, the retrieval helicopters were coming in thick and fast. There must have been about 20 of them in the hour we were in the village.
- At the lodge, we put our bags in our rooms, had a glass of hot cordial (awful stuff, but the sugar hit is welcome), collected our packed lunch and it was time for the final push up to EBC.
- The track from Gorak Shep started out blissfully level as we passed the old EBC site, walking adjacent to the Khumbu Glacier and continuing further along the valley floor. It was sandy and bit muddy in places, and it was littered with rocks of all sizes deposited by the glacier once upon a time. The Khumbu glacier stretches all the way to EBC and that is what the mountaineers must cross via ladders on the first stage of their assault on Mt Everest.
- As expected, the path got steeper and rougher the higher we climbed. At one stage we heard a massive bang and a snow avalanche cascaded down the side of a mountain on the opposite side of the glacier. Interestingly, another avalanche occurred in almost the same spot on our return trip. I wonder why that happened? Some snow expert will know the reason.
- There are not enough superlatives to describe the beauty of this region and the wonder of being surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains at every turn.
- Eventually, the path took us up onto a ridgeline created long ago by the pushing and punishing glacier. Roy described the path as undulating. I would describe it in much stronger terms. Keep plodding slowly, slowly.
- Eventually EBC hove into sight and, to be honest, it was a bit underwhelming. Just another extremely rocky ridge adjacent to glacier.
- I’m not sure what I was expecting, but at a minimum I thought there would be some semi-permanent structures there to service the crowds each hiking/summit season. As it was, I was very surprised to see that there was barely a piece level ground larger than 3m² and everything was covered in rock. How they set up a small town every hiking season, I will never know. It would be an engineering marvel.
- We were thrilled to be there regardless and the area was going off with people taking selfies and unfurling banners. Who thinks to carry a banner all this way to EBC? Not me, that’s for sure!
- Roy was keen for us to get moving on the return leg as the weather was changing. So, after the obligatory group photos and wolfing down our lunch, it was time to head back to Gorak Shep.
- About six enterprising horse owners had brought their ponies down to EBC for the purpose of offering a ride back to Gorak Shep. At $USD100-200 a ride, it is not a cheap option and I bet the pony handlers don’t inform their customers that their travel insurance is voided once they mount up.
- Like a lot of out-and-back hikes, the return seemed to go much faster, even on tired legs.
- As I was scurrying to get out of the biting cold, I was on auto-pilot a little and that gave me time to reflect on what we had just seen and done. In some ways, EBC had diminished as the BIG GOAL or pinnacle of this trip. I had experienced so much in the last ten days or so and had been challenged on absolutely every level that EBC reduced in importance a little. Only a little mind you, as it was a true privilege and wonder to arrive at a unique destination that has been the focus of so much human endeavour over the years.
- For me though, it was more about the power and beauty of Mother Nature and, of course, the enticing glimpses of Sagarmatha. I will never be a mountain climber and I am more than happy to have seen and achieved the little that I have done over the past ten days. It has truly been both a life-changing and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and I am sure the memories will stay with me forever.
- And now it is time to turn downhill and head for home…
#travelinspo #EverestBaseCampCircuit #multidayhikes #adventurebeforedementia #longdistancewalks #Nepal #teahouses #WorldExpeditions #epicadventures #greatoutdoors #crosscountry #exploreonfoot #exoticdestinations #hikingadventures #yaks #Sagarmatha #remotevillages #avalanches #Lobuche #mountainclimbing #EverestHighway #GorakShep #BucketListItems #bucketlist
Life...one big adventure 
Beautiful! Kudos to you Mel! Thanks for vicariously allowing me to tag along and reluctantly scratch another adventure off my bucket list. What’s next on yours?
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Thanks Fred. It felt like it took forever to get there and then it was over, and we were on our way down in no time. 2025 is going to be a big travel year for me if everything works out. Hopefully starting off with a couple of trails in NZ. And you? Any plans?
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NZ is atop my list Mel, but the amazing lady who has put up with me these past 12 years has some health issues that limit our travel. Glad you’re here to assist in fulfilling my bucket list in absentia 😊 . . . Hike On!
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I will do my best to be of service! 😉
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are you going to Kala Patar next. Just a short way north..
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It’s on the tour schedule, but I think I have had enough of bloody great mountains for one trip. 🙂
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you should definitely try to hike up Mel. The view of Everest is stunning
I’m sure you will make it. One step one rest works!
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Thanks for the vote of confidence, David. 🙂
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you should definitely try to hike up Mel. The view of Everest is stunning
I’m sure you will make it. One step one rest works!
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Maybe next time! 🙂
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congratulations Mel! Quite Ann experience for to aand Alan.
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The whole trip was absolutely momentous and memorable! When were you there? From memory it was quite a few years ago and I am envious that you would have experienced it all in more of its natural state.
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my second trip to Nepal was in the Spring of 1998 to climb Island Peak a 21000 foot just east of where you are located. As part of the acclimation we went to base camp and also hiked up Kala Patar. there were three of us in the group. We had a cook and a ‘guide’. Our gear was carried on yaks. We slept in tents. There very few other people around. The climbing season had not started. my first trip was in 1993 to Chulu another 21000 foot peak accessed from the Annapurna Circuit west of Kathmandu. It was a bigger group but with three of us climbing. Chulu is on the border with China. We used human porters. Both peaks were snow and ice climbs. I was 55 when I climbed Island Peak. Tensing Norway and Hilary first climbed it in 1953 for acclimation. great memories
I’m sure this will be a special event in your life too. like your 1000 km* Camino from Seville. we are in New Zealand at the moment. Paihia- Bay of Islands.
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Oh, David. What an experience! It would have all looked and felt so different back then. I am in awe of the territory you have covered over the years.
Enjoy NZ. Maybe you could pop across the ditch for a visit? Melx
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Congratulations, I have lived vicariously with your post. What an adventure!
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Many thanks for following the adventure! It has been quite life-changing. Mel
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congratulations Mel, what an adventure. Great reading as always.
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Thanks Kay. And I am loving your Snowy Mountains walks – so much gorgeous scenery. x
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Congrats, Mel! You and the Husband did it! Life goal achieved. Way to power through.
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Yep, and now to plan the next adventures! 🙂 Although I will savour this one for a bit longer if that is OK?
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Absolutely.
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Congrats on reaching EBC. You were in a remarkable part of the world. The beauty and grandeur of the high Himalayas cannot be overstated.
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You are so right. Wherever you looked was a stunning vista. A very special part of our World.
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Quite amazing, but you did it! I can hardly imagine the sense of achievement (or relief!), Mel. Thank goodness I don’t have those kind of ambitions! Onwards into 2025!
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Thanks, Jo! Yep, onwards and a little less upwards, if I can arrange it! 😉 And 2025 is shaping up nicely. x
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Well done Mel!, another dream became a reality 🏔️
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I could hardly believe I had done it….
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I am so glad that I have never had yearnings for mountains! I prefer to look at them from sea level. But this was on your bucket list and you have achieved it so well done you! I hope you’re enjoying a hard earned rest now.
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This adventure definitely confirmed that I am not a mountaineer either. Well, not to that extreme anyway. I am so glad I did it, but it pushed me to the limit. Maybe it is a good thing that I found my limit? 🙂
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Congrats Mel! You made it! But no Kala Patar? If you went in the spring you would see how they are able to set up hundreds, maybe thousands, of tents beteeen those boulders. It looks completely different. For me it was amazing to see the mess of jumbled ice that is Khumbu, and wondered how Richard and other climbers managed to cross it. Maybe K2 Basecamp will be next for you?? Maggie
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I can only imagine how different it would all look and the amount of people on the track would quadruple, I bet. It would be an engineering feat to set up and break down a mini-town every season. No, no more serious mountains for me. I loved the views and the hiking, and if I could have that without the impacts of altitude, I would be a very happy hiker. Thanks for being a cheer squad along the way. Melx
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Well done. An amazing trip if ever there was one!
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Absolutely! It took me places I never thought I would go. 🙂
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Yay!! You made it!!
I guess I was expecting that you’d be spending a night there after all the work to reach it. But as you said, I suppose this is about the journey as much as the destination. And wow, I’ve so enjoyed marveling at all the beautiful scenery every step of the way. Thanks for taking us along with you virtually.
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I am not sure you are permitted to camp at Everest Base Camp out of hiking season. There is absolutely no infrastructure there, so only the hardiest of hikers would do it. Thanks for hiking along with me.
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Oh I guess that makes sense, I just never thought about it before.
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I bet some people do camp there though. I never saw a ranger or anyone official looking.
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Yay, you made it! You mention the ‘little’ that you had achieved, in comparison to mountain climbers, but you do yourself a disservice as this was a massive achievement for an amateur hiker and way way beyond my capabilities even when I was younger and fitter. Congratulations! I can see EBC, while ticking off a bucket-list item, may not in the end proved to be the absolute highlight of this trip but it was important that you got there and the views do look amazing. Btw, that ‘man’s butt’ could very easily be edited out of that group photo if it’s bothering you? I’d be happy to do it in return for all the pleasure your posts have given me 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words and your editing offer. You are a wizard with your photography and I am in awe of the skill you have with the camera. I will leave his butt there for now! 🙂 All part of the colour and experience of Everest Base Camp! Have a great day and thanks again for following the adventure. Mel
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Wow, you made it! You described this adventure wonderfully in your series of posts. The photos show that it was challenging, but also a kind of beauty that one will surely not see anywhere else in the world. Congratulations Mel, you can tick this one off your long list of hikes … I hope the next one will be a little easier 😉.
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It was a memorable day and something that still resonates with me – even today. Thanks for sharing the blood (not really), sweat (plenty) and tears (a few). Have a great day. Melx
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What an achievement, it’s absolutely spectacular. Breathtaking beauty. I can’t believe people go even higher and summit the mountain, it feels like that is really for serious climbers. I couldn’t do what you did, what an absolute adventure! x
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and I will never be a serious climber, Han! I feel I am lucky to have experienced what I did and that is MORE than enough for me. 🙂
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Pleased you made it safely to EBC. Well done. However I have really appreciated the rugged landscape and stunning scenery in your previous posts more so I can see why you’re happy to tick it off but understand why it might not have been the highlight. Cheers
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It’s amazing how I still think about this trip on a daily basis – the scenery and experience was THAT powerful. Ta
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