Trip Reports

Everest Base Camp - 11 to 30 Oct '09

Written by Leader Paul Westwood, November 2009

12 of the 14 trekking team members met up with me, their expedition leader - Paul Westwood, at Heathrow airport on a still Sunday afternoon. It was easy to identify them arriving on the concourse with their new bright blue Jagged Globe bags. The two other team members, Victoria and Paul R, had decided to take advantage of the weekend and had flown out the previous day. Check-in with Jet Airways was a swift and straightforward affair and the flights to Kathmandu, via Delhi, were comfortable with good food. Once at Kathmandu airport, with immigration, visas, etc completed we were met by Summit Hotel’s representative and whisked off by bus through the hustle and bustle of the city streets to the calm serenity of the hotel compound. Here we met up with Victoria and Paul R and the European part of our team was now complete. Once settled in at the hotel the team had a briefing/training session, dinner and then off to bed to prepare for an early 0615 flight to Lukla Airport, the mountain airstrip in the heart of the Himalaya. The flights to and from Lukla are exciting for the experienced traveller so spare a thought for team member Brian, who’s only previous flying experience was the two international flights the day before and a domestic hop from Glasgow to Heathrow the previous day! Quite a baptism of fire for him – he coped with it with an understated Scot’s ease. At Lukla we were introduced to our Sirdar/Guide, Lakpa Chettar Sherpa, and his team – Dafuri (Dawa) Sherpa, Pasang Kamp Sherpa, Mingma Geljen Sherpa, Pemba Geljen Sherpa and our Yakman Takman Tamang. We would get to know them all very well over the 16 days we would be together.

The trek starts off gently enough as we make our way through the main street of Lukla, with its road side shops selling everything a trekker could need, and then descending down out of the town to the mighty Dudh Koshi River. There are however two stings in this tail as later today we have to climb back up to the same altitude as Lukla and, on the very last day of the trek, today’s descent will become our final gruelling ascent. Our first day is done as the team, many wearily, reaches Mt. Kailish Lodge at Monjo, just outside the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. It was Chris’ birthday today and from apparently nothing the Sherpa team and lodge were able to bake an enormous decorated cake, which fed the whole lodge. That evening after dinner we started the, what would become regular, evening briefing/questions session and filling drinking bottles with well-boiled water. The next morning we entered the national park, experienced more spectacular hanging bridges and climbed up the intimidating Namche Hill towards or next destination of Namche Bazaar. On our way up the hill we got our first glimpse of Mt. Everest through a gap in the wooded hillside – everyone was extremely excited and many photos were taken. We spent two nights at Namche to give our bodies a better chance of acclimatizing to our increased altitude. As part of the acclimatisation process we also climbed the hill behind Namche to the impressively situated Everest View Hotel. It was a completely stunning cloud free sky and there were crystal clear views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Later that day many of the team also discovered the delights of Namche’s famous Everest Bakery, nestled amidst the myriad of shops selling dubious, but very convincing, big name gear at knockdown prices! Our host in Namche, Lakpa Sonam Sherpa, gave us a digital slide show of some of the impressive photos taken by him in recent years – he is a very talented photographer. The trekking days would generally follow a similar pattern – early breakfast with walking in the cooler and less sunny morning, a mid-morning stop for tea or hot lemon, lunch at either a conveniently located tea-house or our final location, afternoon tea at 4pm and dinner at 6.30. Most nights everyone was tucked up in bed well before 9pm! Thangboche bakery was great, Rivendell Lodge at Deboche was excellent and whilst at Dingboche the team were entertained by a wandering dance troop who were celebrating the Tihor festival. We had another acclimatisation day at Dingboche and the whole team went for a very informative talk by volunteer (British) doctors at the Himalayan Rescue Association’s medical centre at Pheriche. The next days we continued up through Dugla, we shalln’t dally long there, and Lobuje to reach our highest overnight accommodation at Gorak Shep (5220m). At Dugla, some of us had a small excursion to a nearby glacial lake – not far off the beaten track but hardly a soul in sight – and at Lobuje we all climbed the lateral moraine to check out and listen to the creaks, cracks and groans of the Khumbu Glacier as it slowly progresses down the valley. We still had beautiful clear skies but temperatures at day and certainly at night were much colder now – time to get out the duvet jackets. The team had decided that on our arrival at Gorak Shep we would pause briefly but then continue to attempt to climb Kala Pathar and hopefully bag some photos while the good weather conditions were still with us – this is exactly what we did. As it would turn out we would have brilliant clear skies for the whole trek. Unfortunately Doug was unable to summit due to a debilitating couple of days with severe gastric problems but did make Gorak Shep. The same team members went on to Everest Base Camp the following day and enjoyed the special feeling of being right in the midst of the most famous giants of the mountaineering world. Later that day, back at Gorak Shep, Steve entertained everyone with a large (3m) kite he had brought up with him – very hard work though!

Mission accomplished, and now one itinerary day in hand, we started our descent. The HRA doctors at Pheriche gave Doug a better-targeted course of antibiotics to get him on the mend but then the next day Nick went down with his ‘bad day’ and needed assistance from a horse to reach Kyangjuma – one passer-by asked if he was King Charles? He regained his strength the next day but was of course subjected to some regal pranks and ribbing – he took it all in good spirits – didn’t you your highness, King Nick of Khumbu! Our itinerary day in hand was spent at Namche with more shopping and bakery stops. Eventually, after overcoming the final sting in the tail ascent we returned to Lukla and our end of trek and farewell party with our crew at Tara Lodge – some of us barely made 9 o’clock, a couple almost made midnight, the local continued until gone 3am! – They do like to party.

Back in Kathmandu the team were reunited with Lakpa at Rum Doodle’s restaurant and a full days shopping, site seeing and/or sunbathing/relaxing (and more birthday cake eating for Siobhan and Andrew – 3 birthdays on one trek!) before the final day’s flights back to the UK.

Back at Heathrow the team had brushed up well and looked quite presentable – on the other hand, the battered blue Jagged Globe bags couldn’t hide anything and gave the game away – An exciting, adventurous and most enjoyable trek by anyone’s standard.

Paul Westwood, Trek Leader « Previous report | Next report »

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