Everest Base Camp Trek - May4 - 18, 2012
To
Kathmandu
Everest Base Camp (EBC) is a
14-day trek, going from Lukla (2900m / 9500ft) to EBC (5350m / 17500ft) over a roundtrip
distance of ~125km. I trained in the gym for 4 months, Bindu and Sahil for 1.5
months, and they kept leaving me behind on the actual trek. It’s not fair ☹. Anyway, May 3rd 2012 found us on the
plane to Delhi and onto Kathmandu after months of excited conversation about
EBC much to the anxiety of my parents 😊
We were welcomed with garlands at
Kathmandu airport by Mr. Bharat from “Explore Himalaya” and transferred to our
hotel in Thamel. Thamel is a vibrant bazaar(market) with lots of trekkers,
souvenir shops and restaurants. We met Namgyal Sherpa who had summited Everest
9 times, had undertaken a cleanup operation to Everest all the way to the death
zone and also helped with helicopter rescue – we were in awe! He was so humble
despite all his achievements, we felt really inspired. Unfortunately, Mr.
Namgyal passed away on Everest in 2013 while descending from the summit; one of
life’s lessons, that we should celebrate life while we can and not take
anything for granted, and that any experience is still no match for the
treacherous mountain terrain.
https://medium.com/@wingermailer/the-story-of-a-hero-namgyal-sherpa-e421c88412f0
In the evening, we roamed Thamel, rented jackets and sleeping bags and had great food. Later we packed our 3 duffel bags and 3 rucksacks and went to bed in nervous anticipation.
The
Trek
On May 4th we left for Kathmandu
airport at 5:15am. Everything went by in a blur – we were running late and before
we knew it we were on the first flight – Tara air – a small 18-seater
Dornier-28 plane with propellers. At 6:15am we were off to Lukla. Now I hadn’t told Bindu and Sahil much about
Lukla, but this is one of the most dangerous airports in the world, a short
500m runway sloping down at 12% to a cliff at 10,000 feet elevation. It has had
more than its share of accidents and fatalities, one of which happened just
days before our flight.
https://travel.earth/fascinating-dangerous-airports-world/
Fortunately,
our 30 min plane ride was safe. We had gorgeous views of the valley and later
the snow-covered mountains, layers upon layers of them. The plane touched down
at the edge of the cliff and went up the sloping runway, stopped in short order
and we were out. I was in shorts and a T-shirt and it was 7am and cold and
breezy…. The view from the small airport was amazing, snow-capped mountains
filling one side of the horizon. We met our guide Mr. Merman Tamang and our
porter Dilbahadur and went up to the ShangriLa lodge right above the runway. We
watched planes come and go, cringing at the smallest of margins every time.
After breakfast, we were off on the trek.
We
didn’t see any motorized vehicles, or even a bicycle for the next 14 days. It
was very green and open, with the mountains in the background. We had about 3-5
kg on our backs and the porter had 30kg on his, but he would surge ahead and
reach the destination 1-2 hrs before us consistently, a young lad of 21, always
smiling, as if in mockery of our hard labor 😊 Through the trek, we met many people
who live in such hardship and seem so much happier than us, even though they
have so little. It really puts things into perspective. We reached Phakding
(300m down from Lukla at 2600m) at 11:30, had lunch and decided to go onto
Monjo (2900m, the original elevation of Lukla). We were back to the elevation
we started at 6 hrs earlier, but having gone up and down about 2000 feet,
completely tired and wondering how we would survive 14 days like this. Apparently,
this is the Nepal version of a flat terrain! Much of our trail followed
alongside the Dudh Kosi river (milky green, fast flowing) and we crossed about
8 beautiful suspension bridges. We came across many a Jopke (cow-yak
cross-breed) carrying supplies and luggage. At Monjo, we rested in the afternoon.
We spent our evening in the communal dining hall, where we had tea, interacted
with other trekkers, and had an early dinner of dal-bhat (Nepali staple food of
rice, lentils and green leafy vegetables) and noodles, before retiring at 8:30pm
– a common routine for the next 13 days.
The next day, we started at 8am
(another common routine) after breakfast. Initially it was nice and downhill
after we entered the Sagarmatha (= Everest) National Park, along the river.
Soon we saw a suspension bridge high up (Hillary bridge) and were wondering how
we would get to it, before our guide told us that the real climb would start after
the bridge to the top of the hill and beyond!!! We huffed and puffed our way to
the bridge and over the hill. At the bridge there was a minor accident – a
porter was carrying his mountain of stuff and a group of Jopke were coming from
the other side. Once they get going, they don’t stop. Bam! They collided on the
narrow bridge and his stuff went down. The Jopke stepped over it and kept going.
Our guide had to help him afterwards to get it on his back. Fortunately he hurt
only his dignity and his stuff stayed on the bridge which is 300m above the
river. It rained afterwards and we had to pull out the Niagara Falls ponchos.
We reached Namche Bazaar at ~2:30pm. It’s a very pretty place, with bright
blue/white painted buildings arranged in a bowl and high mountains on one side.
We roamed around the quaint town in the evening. My back was hurting from
carrying the weight. It was also very cold at night for us spoiled Bangaloreans…
brrr… what would we do at EBC? We were excited by the prospect of EBC, but also
apprehensive about High Altitude Sickness (HAS) which could strike anyone anytime
and be life threatening.
We used to sleep in our trekking clothes, wake up and soon be ready to go 😊 It had been rainy, cloudy for ~5 days, but when I opened the curtains the next morning and saw crisp clear mountains right in front of us with the first light of day. What a sight!!! The joke was that we were going to BBC – wherever we reached would be Bindu Base Camp 😊. That day we had our first glimpse of Everest! We also saw a helicopter land on a gravel helipad right in front of us in a blur of dust and visited a monastery. We took hot showers - a luxury. At night there was a full moon and a clear view of the mountains from the room, but I couldn’t brave the cold to go out for a night photo.
As we crossed elevations of 3500m, we started getting great views of the mountains. However, HAS started rearing its head – Sahil was having a headache – lots of tension with Bindu enquiring every few steps. I took Sahil through a go-slow routine with a light backpack and after a while he was fine. Phew!! We reached Tengboche (3900m) and visited a large brightly colored monastery surrounded by snow covered mountains. It was beautiful! We met a group of climbers from Pune (Giri Premi club) who had come down from Camp3 of Everest for a scheduled rest and would attack the summit in a few days. We livened it up with some music in the evening with the lodge owner playing the guitar and us singing Hindi songs. Moods were still varying, but our bodies were getting used to the trek and we were fresh in the mornings.
On the 5th day, we
reached an elevation of 14500ft, the highest I had ever been. We would go down
steeply to a river, cross it, and then climb even more steeply. Sahil kept
complaining about this constant unnecessary up and down - why couldn’t it be more
direct? Sahil got very tired that day, even after giving his
backpack to our guide. There was no place to stop, the solitary tea-shop was
also closed. We went into go-really-slow mode, resting after every few steps.
It was also very windy, so jackets and monkey-caps were on. We stopped at one
point and had some granola bars. What do you know, in 15mins Sahil was full of
energy and chatting it up and walking well 😊 He would make a great ambassador
for Rite-bite bars!!! There was only solar power now in the dining room in the
evenings, and torches in the rooms at night. Sahil wished there was snowfall to
play in - so far we had only seen snow on the mountains.
Sahil got his wish pretty soon – I
woke up at 1:30am and found it was snowing outside. In the morning it was
beautiful – all white, very clear and crisp and dawn breaking. That picture
will remain in my head for ever. Even the moon was in the sky as the first rays
of the sun were lighting up the mountain peaks! After playing in the snow, we took
sponge baths to freshen up. The terrain was open and flattish, going over a plateau.
On the 6th day I was running out of breath quickly and lagging the
group. We had a little hail on the way and it was windy. We were all fine in
the evening that day, but the night was cold – we were in our barebones rooms sleeping
with thermals, jacket, sleeping bag and blanket on top of it all – completely
cocooned.
As we reached higher elevations,
our daily treks were getting shorter, as the terrain was steeper and we were
moving slower. We were only supposed to ascend ~300m in a day. I continued to
run short of breath, so we went very slow. We went up a hill to Dughla pass
where there are memorials to people who lost their lives on Everest. It was
very sobering to face the harsh reality of the mountains. We reached Lobuche on
the 7th day. The lodge there had a good sunroom which was very warm
so we had lunch there, before resting in our rooms. Toilets were shared now and
there was no running water. Sahil was tired that day and Bindu and I had slight
headaches, so we took an afternoon nap.
HAS
Strikes
In
the evening that day in Lobuche, Sahil complained of a headache and we gave him
medicine and hot liquids. By ~6pm, his headache was worse and he vomited. Our
guide came over to check and told us these were the classic symptoms of HAS –
headache, vomiting, disorientation and unconsciousness followed by death. Sahil
was on step 2 out of 4. Given his age of 13 (in the whole trek we saw only one
other child), our guide and others advised that we should go down to Dughla
immediately. The only option when HAS hits you is to go down and even 300m can
make a big difference. Meanwhile it was getting dark and started snowing. The
weather had been bad that year. We decided to go down immediately while there
was still some daylight. We were very tense. By the time we packed and were
ready to leave it was 6:45pm. Sahil walked along with us and the guide, while the
porter went ahead to secure rooms in the lodge in Dughla. We went as fast as
possible. Soon snow covered the trail and the daylight faded. By the time we
reached Dughla pass it was pitch dark and still snowing and we were on a steep
mountain slope with no visible trail to follow. We had visions of having to
huddle in the cold snow for the night. Bindu was in tears. It was solely the
guide’s experience that took us down the steep slope, holding hands with one headlamp
and a torch between us. When we finally saw the lodge lights up ahead, we
breathed a huge sigh of relief. We reached Dughla in 1hr 15mins flat, half the
time it took to go up. Sahil was very tired. We brushed off the snow and went
in. It had been an unforgettable experience. Our guide said he had once brought
a man down by carrying him past midnight. Shudder!! The hope was to rest a day
and then if Sahil was fine, to go back up. We had hoped to go over Chola pass
to Gokyo after EBC, but that was history now. We went to bed after having
dinner, exhausted and relieved in equal measure.
The
Dilemma
First thing in the morning, the
guide hit me with the news that Sahil should not go up any more. Even with 1-2
days rest, it would be risky and if he got HAS again, it would be much worse. I
was in denial for a few hours - all that training, planning was to be in vain. This
seemed like a disaster at the time, even though everyone assured me the
mountain was not going anywhere and we could come back another time. I was
unreasonably depressed and irritable and snapping at everyone. All the heavenly
views etc didn’t matter if I couldn’t get to EBC. But I could also see Sahil
was very tired, he had no energy to even stand for 5mins and no appetite
either. Bindu then suggested that they could go down further with the porter
and I could pack for 2-3 days and go back up with the guide. I refused
initially! How could I leave Bindu/Sahil and go by myself? It would be selfish
and no fun besides. But finally, I realized if I didn’t do it, I would sulk
forever. After packing, Merman and I were ready to go back up at 10:30am. We
said our goodbyes and good wishes. It was a very silent trek, hardly any words
between us. I guess the guide was also a little down. I certainly was certainly
extremely depressed. We reached Lobuche again at lunchtime, same lodge. There
is a hill top from which you can see the Khumbu glacier and EBC far away. I
decided to go see them, in case I didn’t make it to EBC. I was tired, but
didn’t have a headache. From the hill, we got a good view of the Khumbu glacier
that flows down from EBC all the way to Lobuche but couldn’t see EBC as it was
too far away. The evening was very lonely and I couldn’t reach Bindu/Sahil (no phone
signal). Fortunately I met a group of 4 Canadians who were fun to talk to and
they also had a birthday celebration, so I was able to pass the time.
The night was a different issue altogether.
I woke up at 12:30am with a panic attack - I wasn’t getting any oxygen, couldn’t
breathe. After trying different things like pushing my fingers under the room
door to make sure there was space for air, wedging a bottle into a crack in the
plywood wall to make room for air to come in, going out of the lodge, taking
Diamox, etc I woke up the guide at 2:30am. He came to my room and we decided to
wait ½ hr, and if I didn’t feel better, we would descend. After 1 hr, I was so
sleepy that I had no energy to walk and I slept off. By morning, I was
completely fine and heard that this is a known psychological issue, not a real
one. All the apprehensions of HAS make it worse and one just has to relax, open
the windows and breathe deeply. Phew!
Destination
EBC
Per my guide’s recommendation, we
left early at 7am the next day, even with only a few hours of fitful sleep. This
was to prove very sound advice and I am so thankful to my guide. The weather
was sunny and clear and soon became warm, so I was down to my T-shirt as I
trekked at 16,500 ft elevation. No headache, but continued shortness of breath,
so on slopes I used the time-tested technique that my friend Chennu and I had
used – take a step, take a breath, take a step, take a breath…. With this
routine I was able to go up steep slopes for 20-25mins without stopping. We had
fantastic never-to-forget views of the mountains - Nuptse at ~7500m was laid
out in front of us – snow covered and bright white. It has an ice fall that
merges into the Khumbu glacier which was running parallel to us.
As we got closer, I could see the
EBC far away and the glacier closer by. Home stretch! The glacier is weird - its
all rocks and ash on the top, which makes it look like a dry river bed, but
there is a river of ice below the surface and the ice comes up in places with
different formations – frozen lakes, ice caves, ice spikes etc. Finally, after
walking across the glacier for a bit, we reached EBC at ~12:30pm. Celebrations
were subdued, a simple high-5. EBC is right on the glacier and comprises a mass
of tents spread over a vast area, we couldn’t even cross half of it. There were
really neat ice formations – large chunks of ice like an iceberg, frozen lakes,
mounds of ice, formations like a Bryce canyon of ice, etc. We spent ~1.5 hrs
there, walking around, taking pictures etc. There were only the EBC trekkers
there, the summit climbers had all left for the summit. At ~2pm, we started
back and soon it started snowing. I saw quite a few of the people I had met
earlier coming towards EBC as we went back. It was great planning by my guide, while
the others had a fairly miserable time at EBC in the snow. It was very tiring
on the way back due to the altitude and I was just putting step in front of
step. Walking that long in up-and-down terrain and rocks at 17000ft with snow
hitting you on the face is not fun!! But we got back at 3:30pm and I just hit
bed for some time. That day, I couldn’t see Everest much since we were too
close to it. If I had energy to go to Kala Pathar tomorrow, I would see it
then.
In the evening, I was feeling
queasy due to the long trek, irregular meals etc. No headache though. I ate a
little and went to bed early. I still had not been able to contact Bindu and
was very worried about Sahil.
The next day was the most tiring
of my life!!! After 9 days of trekking, I trekked 12 hours that day. I could
understand why more people die on the descent from Everest summit rather than
the ascent to it! I didn’t sleep well at night again, had a headache and my stomach
was still uneasy. At 4am, Merman woke me up from deep sleep and by 4:30am we
were off to climb Kala Pathar at 5400m to get sunrise views of Everest and the
other mountains. We were using headlamps since it was pitch dark and you could
see the train of lights going up the steep hill. It looked very picturesque. It
was cold and I kept getting breathless so progress was slow. As the sky became
lighter, we got some great photos of the Himalayas. The sun rose behind
Everest, so it was in silhouette after sunrise. From this height, I finally saw
a decent chunk of Mt. Everest, which is dark and largely bereft of snow on the
slopes, I am guessing due to the steepness.
After a lavish breakfast at
Gorakshep to celebrate “Mission Accomplished” – toast, omelet, tea – we continued
the long descent. My goal was to reach Bindu and Sahil that very day come what
may. I almost gave up from exhaustion. It took another long 7 hrs to get there.
It was mostly downhill, but very steep and there were some uphill stretches too.
For the last part, Merman took my backpack and I was just counting steps. I
actually counted 2000 steps before I gave up and then again counted the last
500 steps before I finally reached Bindu and Sahil at 4:30pm. What joy it was
to meet them and make sure Sahil was fine!!! It was worth the effort 😊
I just
crashed on the bed with my shoes on and slept through the night.
Descent
back to Lukla
We took a rest day in Pangboche. I shaved, took a bath, took pictures with a cute baby, cute dog and cute baby Yak (Sahil’s words). The following day we continued our descent. We took it slow and easy as we had lots of time and really enjoyed the scenery, food etc. We also kept meeting different groups of people and exchanging stories. This part of the experience was also memorable. Many people had HAS issues and had to come down, or be airlifted to Kathmandu. We finally reached Lukla on 17th May afternoon, relaxed and watched IPL cricket on TV, and took the 9am flight to Kathmandu the following morning. As we walked the streets of Thamel that evening, my back and legs felt stronger than they had been for years and I had a great sense of fulfilment.
We spent another fews days in
Nepal, sightseeing with my parents and Vishakha, who had come to Kathmandu. On
26th May, we started back to Bangalore with 6 bags of dirty clothes 😊
😊
But the final surprise was still to come - as the plane rose over the clouds,
we got superb aerial views of the Himalayas stretching far into the horizon.
For a good 15-20mins we soaked them in and took pictures and videos. As per my
mum – “I saw it all then” 😊 Finally we reached Bangalore, all
happily tired!
Reflections
This was a trip to remember
forever, it’s still fresh in my mind even after 8 years. The pristine views of
the mountains, rivers, bridges and snow recharged me for the next few years. I
came back much fitter and stronger. I strongly suggest that you take occasional
breaks from your routine, they will benefit you. As my running coach says – if
you walk a little in the middle of your run, your overall run time will get
better, not worse! Slow down to speed up 😊
The
people we met - the trekkers and their stories, the local people, so simple and
happy, was another amazing part of the experience. As my uncle says – In the
end, in life, you pass time. If you enjoy it, the time passes well, if you
don’t, it passes poorly. So smile more and enjoy what you have, which is a lot
more than many others, who are still happy with whatever they have.
Another
set of indelible memories are related to the ups and downs of the mountain and HAS
- the mad dash through snow at night to get Sahil safe, the ascent back up to
accomplish the goal alone, and equally mad dash back down to make sure Bindu
and he were fine. They were not all fun, but memorable experiences nonetheless.
That same weekend that we reached the base camp, 4 people died on the return
from the summit. Running into nature in its formidable manifestation is
certainly a humbling experience.
In
case you are wondering, Bindu is as happy with the trip as I am – she reached
her BBC and enabled me to reach my EBC. That’s the kind of family support I am
privileged to have.
Below
is a link to my full trip travelogue, which is 25 pages long, but has a lot of
information I had to gloss over for the blog:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vb-2OmNkPVMA_jMYvUWt69nHZNcmzWoo/view?usp=drive_link
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