Strangely enough, very little of Everest can be seen from base camp. I expected the camp to be a large cleared flat area with rubbish and old discarded oxygen bottles lying about but the area was a small, rock- strewn place with no litter at all.Expeditions are now compelled to clear the place completely.
At last the Sherpa rounded us up and back we went to Gorakshep where we were to spend the night.Most of us had the traditional Sherpa meal of dhal bat for dinner to celebrate our achievement then sat round the stove chatting and deciding that we would climb Kala Pattar early the next morning.
It was a cold night with the temperature dropping to minus 19 Celsius and when the guide knocked on my door at 4.30am .I was already awake as sleep was very difficult. I got ready and made my way to the lounge where the staff of the tea house were still sleeping. The guide had set his alarm one hour early.
So rather than waste the time, I went outside into the darkness and freezing cold. I looked up into the cloudless sky where from one side of the horizon to the other, the sky was just a mass of bright stars. I had never seen such a full sky before and the sight was truly awesome and along with the snow- covered peaks all around ,it was really something that I will never forget.
At last everyone was ready and we made our way over the lake bed to the foot of Kala Pattar. The climb to the summit at 5,545m which took 2 hours ,was one of the toughest things I have ever done .It was 1 step 5 breaths, but we all made it to the top just after sunrise and the views of Everest, Lhoste, Nuptse and many ,many other towering peaks were amazing.
We spent about half an hour here taking pictures and trying to regain strength before the hour-long descent back to Gorakshep and breakfast.
Breakfast was a quiet affair as everyone was very tired. Then the guide calmly said, “Ok guys, only a six hour walk to Orsho.” Not as bad as it first sounded as this was going down! We were to descend to Orsho at 4,130m.
We walked mostly in silence as everyone was tired and feeling the effects of AMS, especially Sarah who hadn’t been eating and was suffering from a severe headache. Eventually Orsho came into view. It sat alone, a lonely tea house on a flat plain on the very upper limits of the tree line.
It was late, so it was dinner and bed. The next morning everyone said that they slept really well at this lower level. I had slept for 9 hours straight and had dreamed for the first time in days which is another effect of altitude, dreamless sleep.
We headed down the valley, our destination being Tengboche at 3,867m. But first we would head for Namche Bazaar, have lunch and be reunited with Gemma. When we arrived, Gemma had decided not to wait and managed to get to Lukla and an early flight home.
After lunch we started down towards the river, across one of the suspension bridges and up the steep path to Tengboche. The village has a large tea house which faces up the valley and has a spectacular uninterrupted view of the Everest range and as the sun was setting in the evening the mountains appear to turn red.
It was here that I had the pleasure of meeting the Swiss engineer who was responsible for building the suspension bridges.
The village also has a Buddhist monastery which was built in 1916 but was destroyed in the earthquake of 1934. It was rebuilt only to be destroyed by fire due to an electrical fault in 1989.
It has been completely rebuilt with money donated from all round the world. John Hunt, the leader of the famous 1953 Everest expedition described Tengboche thus:-
“Thyangboche must be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The height is well over 12,000 feet. The monastery buildings stand upon a knoll at the end of a big spur, which is flung out across the direct axis of the Imja river. Surrounded by satellite dwellings, all quaintly constructed and oddly mediaeval in appearance, it provides a grandstand beyond comparison for the finest mountain scenery that I have ever seen, whether in the Himalayas or elsewhere.”
The following day was to be a 5 hour walk downhill (it’s never all downhill) to the small settlement of Monjo at 2,860m. Everyone was in high spirits with all the symptoms of altitude sickness gone.
The girls talked and sang continuously as we made our way along the rocky path through the forest. The mule trains and human carriers seemed to be getting more frequent, maybe the inhabitants of the valley were getting stocked up for the onset of winter?
The teahouse at Monjo had a “solar shower” so everyone quickly washed before the sun disappeared. We then settled down to watch the local lads play volleyball which seems to be a very popular sport in Nepal, that and snooker of course!
Our last day walking, 5 hours all uphill but for some reason it seemed easy. After the usual stops for tea and lunch we at last came to Lukla. We arrived at the tea house and slumped on the sofas in the sun- drenched lounge. Then Emma like the good Aussie girl she is, ordered beer, the first for nearly two weeks. This came in large cans of 7% Nepal Ice and after only a couple of these we were all in the mood for a party.
So after we got cleaned up (the tea house had real showers and electricity on demand!) it was Yak steak for dinner, more local beer and plenty of dancing to Nepali pop music then down the street to a Scottish pub that we had spotted earlier . Despite the name ,there was no bagpipe music to be heard or haggis on the menu but plenty of whiskey! I surrendered at about midnight but the girls partied on till the wee small hours.
We boarded the small plane at Lukla the next morning with everyone a tad hung-over but we soon came to life as the aircraft taxied to the runway and charged down the 12 degree slope and straight off the edge of the mountain! There was a collective,” ohohoh aaaaaa !”and we were very suddenly in midair, an exciting end to an unforgettable trip.