Today was literally the turning point of this momentous trek as our feet turned homeward and delightfully downhill. While we didn’t want the adventure to be over, I suspect we were all looking forward to reducing the strain on our bodies and breathing easier.
It was time to join the Everest Highway once again and mix it with the crowds…
Day: 16
Date: Thursday, 17 October 2024.
From: Gorak Shep (5,288m) To: Lobuche (4,930m) to Dingboche (4,330m)
Daily Km: 13.2km Walking Time: 4h47m
Progress: 97.1km
Ascent: 142m Descent: 834m
Weather: Cold and foggy – almost 100% whiteout at times.
Terrain: Predominantly downhill on rocky, steep paths, across heathland etc. Very mixed terrain.
Stayed At: World Expeditions Camp
General Comments:
- When I booked this trek, I was a bit worried that we had chosen dates too early in the season. A few days ago, when we joined the Everest Highway and saw the masses of people going to/from Everest Base Camp (EBC), I knew we had made the right call. This path was only going to get busier.
- When we woke up this morning and the window was completely covered in ice on the inside, my opinion was only reinforced!
- In case you are wondering, the only place that is heated in the lodges/tea houses is the Common/dining room. Everywhere else – halls, toilets, bedrooms – are au naturale – and sometimes quite open to the elements. The floor of the bedrooms may have a thin carpet, but any curtains are usually flimsy and thin, and doing absolutely nothing to cut the cold.
- I cannot imagine what it is like to stay here in Winter. We were warm in bed with our heavy down sleeping bags and thick doonas on top, but at the same time, our breath was coming out in puffs of white.
- We had a rough night last night with The Husband struggling to breathe in the middle of the night and me coughing my lungs up. That would have meant our neighbours would have had an equally rough night through paper-thin walls. Even walking on a completely level/horizontal corridor 15m to the toilets was hard going and left me exhausted, puffing and panting.
- So, it was an easy decision to pass on the optional morning hike (430am start) up Kala Pattar (5,545m), a mountain overlooking Gorak Shep. Again, I was a little disappointed not to tick another mountain off the list, but I was done in every sense of the word.
- Only one of our Group (the youngest and most energetic) and one of our guides completed the climb to find more nice views and more cloud hiding much of the surrounding landscape.
- Today also marked a huge change in the weather. Up until now we have been blessed with the most gorgeous weather and crystal clear, blue skies. Not today.
- When I opened the curtains in our bedroom this morning, for the first time this trip there were clouds. When we stepped out of the lodge after breakfast, these clouds had thickened and there was a keen, icy wind.
- We were wearing all our layers including gloves, buffs and beanies, but there is not much you can do to protect the face (as I don’t like wearing my buff pulled over my nose and mouth). I already have split lips and wind burn from yesterday, despite lathering on the sunscreen and moisturiser.
- How lucky were we walk to EBC and see Everest on a sparkling, clear day?
- Joining the Everest Highway was like diving into a river of people. Again, it was incredibly busy on the track with endless bottlenecks as impatient people pushed their way through narrow sections.
- It was interesting to watch people climbing towards us, looking pretty wrecked and struggling with the altitude, while we were making much easier work of it, heading downhill. It is amazing how a little bit of extra oxygen in your lungs can make you feel so good! 😊
- A feature of today’s path (other than going blissfully downhill) was a large area of cairns established as memorials for sherpas, porters and climbers who have died on various mountains in Nepal. It was quite a haunting, ethereal place as the mist swirled around the monuments.
- This area did make me pause and reflect on the human cost of mountaineering and, in many ways, I think the true cost falls most heavily on the family and friends left behind. Was that one major act of bravado all worthwhile?
- As it was getting colder by the minute, we paid our respects and moved on again.
- The mist rolled in even thicker and stayed with us pretty much all the way to Dingboche. Every now and then it would lift for a few seconds, revealing towering mountains or deep valleys with raging rivers, before closing the window once again.
- The rocky paths changed too and, at one stage, the landscape looked almost like Scottish highland moors with peat bogs etc. The only thing that gave it away was the jingle, jangle of yak bells. Not many yaks in Scotland, I imagine, although they do have their fabulous (equally hairy) Highland cows.
- Roy, our guide, was a bit frustrated that our group had split in two – separated by the thick fog. Eventually we all reunited safely in Dingboche and enjoyed a hot drink before heading to our separate tents. It’s back to tent life for us.
Highlights & Tips:
- I probably haven’t done a good job at selling this trek with all my descriptions of steep terrain, altitude impacts, and hordes of people.
- BUT, it was amazing and, if you are even remotely interested in hiking in this part of the World, all I can say is GO NOW! It is only going to get busier out there on the track.
- It is definitely not an easy hike. It is definitely worthwhile!
#travelinspo #EverestBaseCampCircuit #multidayhikes #adventurebeforedementia #longdistancewalks #Nepal #teahouses #WorldExpeditions #epicadventures #greatoutdoors #crosscountry #exploreonfoot #exoticdestinations #hikingadventures #yaks #Sagarmatha #remotevillages #mistymoutains #Lobuche #mountainclimbing #EverestHighway #GorakShep #Dingboche #memorials #tentlife #Himalayas
Life...one big adventure 
“I probably haven’t done a good job at selling this trek with all my descriptions of steep terrain, altitude impacts, and hordes of people.” . . . NOT!!!
Thanks much for taking me along Mel. I thoroughly enjoyed trekking to Everest base camp in oxygen rich environs, complete with hot showers and flush bathrooms 😊
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🙂 – You are obviously much cleverer at this hiking gig than I am!! I need to learn from you! 🙂
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Too bad there are so many clouds and fog, but at least it’s on the way out not in, and you had such great weather up til now. I’m surprised only one person in your group went to Kala Patar. The increased oxygen and warmer air feels amazing with each step doesn’t it?! Maggie
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All I could think of was how disappointed I would be to walk all that way and not be able to see anything! We were truly lucky with the weather. And Yes, I couldn’t believe the difference a few hundred metres made in the downhill direction. What an experience it all has been!
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“I probably haven’t done a good job at selling this trek with all my descriptions of steep terrain, altitude impacts, and hordes of people.” . . . NOT!!!
Thanks much for taking me along Mel. I thoroughly enjoyed trekking to Everest base camp in oxygen rich environs, complete with hot showers and flush bathrooms 😊
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Same, same! Thanks for revealing a different way of hiking. 😉
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At least the clouds waited until you were on the way down, I suppose.
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Yes – we were so lucky. I would have been shattered if we hit bad weather after all our hard work,
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Thank-you for taking the time to write this journal, to take all the pictures and to share your adventure with all of us. I am learning so much. Be well!
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That’s my pleasure. Thank you for following along. Mel
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You got it done Mel! And you can enjoy the walking back to (presumably) Lukla. At Namche Bazaar you’ll feel like Wonderwoman with your super rich oxygenated blood!
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I will never doubt the wonder and importance of oxygen ever again! 🙂
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I like oxygen, too. I’m enjoying some right now, in fact.
The downclimb is always such a relief after summiting, but then the knees start talking. How did your knees fare?
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Actually, the knees held up very well. I did rely heavily on my walking poles, anti-flammatories ( 🙂 ) and was careful how I placed my feet on each step and stair. Lordy, I am sounding old! 🙂
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Clearly age is not an obstacle for you!
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Gee, I don’t know about that. Some days I feel 85! 🙂
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Me, too… and I’m younger than you!!!
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🙂
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Sometimes downhill is more strenuous than uphill (especially on your knees), but I suspect downhill on this adventure was a blessing in disguise! I can’t believe how those porters are loaded with luggage – I wonder if they have back problems when they get older 😬.
I’m quite comfortable at the foothills of the mountains, so I think I’ll skip this adventure. But thanks for taking me along – it’s a world that not many will ever see (which is kind of hard to believe, since there are so many people on the route)!
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I asked Roy, our guide, about this and he said that most porters started work about 20yrs of age and finished about 50-55yrs of age. I can’t imagine carrying those weight at any age, let alone in my fifties. They have a hard life.
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Gosh seeing the mist swirling all around is actually quite scary if you were just starting the climb. Your lungs must have been so grateful to get a bit more oxygen 🙂 The memorials are really moving. I also can’t believe some of the things sherpas are carrying up the mountain – wow!
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I am definitely addicted to oxygen, Han! It was amazing what a difference it makes to your day! 😉
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I’m just supremely grateful that you’re taking me back down, Mel. Not everybody makes it. And no, sorry to say that you haven’t sold it to me. Watching National Geographic is so much more comfortable.
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Breathe easy, Jo. Our lungs are full of oxygen as we head down and there is an extra spring in our step as we know what we have achieved. And, I too will be a documentary girl from here on in…at least where serious mountains are concerned. x
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f the weather was going to change, how much better that it did it as you started your descent rather than a day or two earlier on the way up! As for selling the idea of the trek, I think you’ve done a fantastic job of doing so to anyone with the capacity to take it on while also ensuring that anyone without that capacity will know not to attempt it! In other words, a frank and honest description of what you experienced.
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Thanks for your kind words, Sarah. And yes, I felt for the people walking uphill towards us through the cold and mist. It would be so disappointing to have walked all that way and not be able to see all the gorgeous mountains. Oh well, it is beyond all our control. Have a happy New Year! Mel
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Happy New Year to you too Nek 🎉
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Oops, ‘Mel’ of course 😀
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I gathered that! 😉
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