Lobuche East Peak climb - November 2018

From Gorak Shep we had a short day back to Lobuche, where we finally said our goodbyes to Michael, Lily and Homnath. It was a little anticlimactic after the feeling of achievement at Everest base camp the previous day. Michael and Lily were starting to look forward to getting back to civilisation and hot showers, good food and first world comforts whilst Amelia and I new we had another ten days of lentil curry and rice and unremitting cold. However, this was all part of the adventure, so there was nothing to be gained by whingeing about it.

Lobuche peak

  The next day we walked up to Lobuche high camp just below 5200m. It was a steep and rocky trail with a little bit of easy scrambling towards the top. Our 15-year-old porter made it look easy despite carrying 30kg from a strap around his forehead! After lunch at high camp it was time for climbing training. Our climbing guide, Tenzing, had been delayed with another group so we had a replacement guide, Karma. He was young, and a little brash but undoubtedly knew his stuff having summitted Everest eight times. We practised using a Jumar on a fixed rope, and abseiling down again. I was familiar with abseiling but the Jumar was new territory for me.

On the way to High camp

Taking a break en route

It was time to rest after this, and the tent was really warm in the strong sun, probably the warmest I had been for the whole trip and it was nice dozing until dinner time. There was a camp cook who cooked for all the groups staying at High camp and we ate together with a pair of French-Canadians, and were later joined by a bigger group from the UK. After dinner we rested again until around midnight when we got up, had breakfast and we ready for the 1am start.

Lobuche high camp

 With headtorches on, we set off in the dark. The first section was similar to what we had experienced on the way up to High camp – steep, rocky with some scrambly bits. The path was quite indistinct but fortunately Karma seemed to know the way. After three hours we reached crampon point at just over 5600m and time to gear up – big boots, crampons, harness, helmet, and time for a quick snickers bar and a drink. 

There was a short stretch on a fairly gentle snow slope before we reached the fixed ropes where we left our ice axes and attached our Jumars. Then it was simply a case of following the fixed ropes the next 400 vertical metres to the top. I say ‘simply’ but it took me about another three hours, and the altitude made it the most demanding thing I have ever done. The snow was hard, and the crampons bit into it but it was a big effort to take the smallest steps, the places where bigger steps were needed left me panting for breath. 

The only way is up!

Himalayan dawn

On the summit

Still, there were compensations for the effort. The sight of the Himalayas as dawn approached was incredible and the views from the summit were awe-inspiring. Karma and I reached the top at about 7.45, and spent about 20 minutes taking photos and admiring the view. Amelia and Ongchhu had been some way behind and after about 10 minutes or so descent we met them coming up. Amelia was finding it hard by this time and took the opportunity to turn around and come down with us, whilst Ongchhu continued to the top, catching us up again at crampon point.

The descent went comparatively quickly, an hour and a quarter from the summit back to crampon point, and an hour back to High camp from there. Arriving back, I was shattered. I sat in the sun, feeling spaced out and drinking tea, until Amelia arrived. She looked exhausted, and I gave her a big hug – she really looked like she needed it.

 

On the way down to Thukla

After lunch and a rest, it was time for the final effort of the day. We had opted to walk down to a tea house in Thukla rather than stay the night at High camp. We packed quickly and walked down slowly. It was an hour and a half down. Dinner and an early night at the tea house, and the best night’s sleep I had had since leaving Kathmandu.

Everest Base Camp trek - November 2018

To trek in Nepal has been a dream for me for decades and 2018 became the time to live the dream. I left on November 4^th and arrived in the morning of the 5^th. Arriving from Copenhagen, Kathmandu seemed the total opposite of Denmark - noisy, dusty and chaotic, and any traffic rules that might exist seemed to be interpreted as very loose guidelines. 
  

Some of the less chaotic sights in Kathmandu

After a day of preparation in the city I was more than ready to head for the mountains. The flight to Lukla in the eighteen-seater plane was exhilarating, first views of Kathmandu, then hills covered in trees and rice terraces, then the first glimpses of the Himalayas. After 30 minutes the engine note dropped and we began to descend, skirting the cliffs, then the landing strip of Lukla airport came into view and almost before we new it we were landing, braking on the uphill runway.
  

Arrival in Lukla

  

Ready to start from Lukla - L to R, Lily, Michael, Amelia and me

 My fellow trekkers were an Australian couple, Michael and Amelia, and an American girl, Lily, accompanied by our guide Homnath, assistant guide Ongchhu, and two porters. We set off walking to our first overnight stop, Phakding, walking through forest, the sun was warm but in the shade the air was cold. We arrived at our teahouse after about 3 hours.
  

Hanging bridges and and yak trains. If you are on a bridge and meet a yak train coming towards you, turn around! 

Our route to Everest base camp from Lukla was very standard – Phakding, 2652m – Namche Bazaar, 3440m – Tengboche, 3870m– Dingboche, 4360m – Lobuche, 4940m – Everest Base Camp, 5364m and Kala Pattar, 5600 - Gorak Shep, 5170m with acclimatisation days added in Namche and Dingboche. The first days on the trails were teeming with activity, it was high season for trekking and there were lots of groups and individuals. On top of these there were yak trains, mule trains, and porters carrying unfeasibly big loads. 
  

View of Everest (centre-left), Lhotse (centre-right) and Ama Dablam (far right)

Stupa near Dingboche

As we went higher the country changed from Pine and Juniper forests and villages where vegetables were being grown to an increasingly barren landscape with just dried out grass that the yaks kept cropped, and low heather like bushes. Most days we were blessed with clear skies and bright sunshine that warmed during the day, but once the sun dipped behind the mountains any warmth disappeared with it, and evenings in the teahouses were increasingly cold. Generally, a yak dung burning stove in the dining room kept a bit of the chill off, but bedrooms were freezing. After a couple of days, we got used to putting extra clothes on for the evening and eating dinner wearing woolly hat and gloves.
  

Summit of Nangkartshang Peak, near Dingboche

Six days after leaving Lukla we reached Everest Base Camp. It was an early start from Lobuche, and a cold one, but once the sun came up, we warmed up, although the air remained bitingly cold and dry. We walked with the Khumbu glacier below us and down onto the glacier itself. As we approached Base Camp, we saw an avalanche roll down Mt. Pumori – wow!
  

Mt. Pumori, snow from the avalanche still in the air

 We reached Everest Base Camp, and time for photos. No expedition tents – Spring is the season for climbing Everest. A few meters away from the rest of us we suddenly realised that Michael was down on one knee in front of Amelia proposing to her! Happily, she accepted (could have been an awkward atmosphere otherwise!). 

 

Everest Base Camp

Then it was back to Gorak Shep for lunch and a break before the hike up to Kala Pattar, for the classic view of Everest. A steady climb up to 5600m made much harder in the thin air. But the views were spectacular, not least the view of Everest in the setting sun. 
 

Summit of Kala Pattar, Mt. Pumori in the background

Mt. Everest at sunset

 Back at our teahouse in Gorak Shep, it was our last night all together. From here our group split up – Lily, Michael and Homnath heading back to Lukla and thereafter Kathmandu and home, whilst for Amelia and me the adventure was just beginning. We had ambitious plans to summit two Himalayan peaks – Lobuche East and Island Peak. 
 

Lobuche East peak - the next challenge....