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| My guide Pasang and I at Everest Base Camp - April 7, 2015 |
I made it to base camp!
I made it with a little luck, a lot of help from my guide Pasang, and a daily dose of prayer.
If you had asked me early yesterday afternoon, I didn't think I'd ever get here. My headache was overwhelming, and I had zero energy, but after taking Diamox for altitude sickness, a pain killer, and eating a hearty bowl of soup, I rallied.
This morning, I faced a difficult decision – take the Diamox again, which can cause dizziness, fatigue, confusion, and stupor, or hope that the altitude wouldn't bother me.
I went with the medicine.
First, I hiked two-and-a-half hours to Gorak Shep, gaining more than 1,000 feet in elevation to 17,349 feet (5,288 meters).
At times, the trail seemed like a freeway, especially with the number of yaks carrying supplies to base camp.
One of my animal encounters was a bit too close. I saw a pair of horns headed toward me, dug in with my trekking poles, and hoped for the best.
Looking back, it's comical to think that my poles would have prevented a yak from knocking me off the trail, but fortunately, he just missed me, and I did follow the rules by keeping away from the edge of the drop off.
Also, I crossed paths with dozens of porters hauling gear to base camp. I'm told porters can carry upwards of 209 pounds (95 kg) on their backs. Incredible. The porters attach the loads to the front of their heads with a strap called a namlo.
After lunch, I hiked another four-and-a-half hours to the base camp, reaching an altitude of 17,700 feet (5,380 meters).
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| Everest Base Camp - April 7, 2015 (Prior to Earthquake) |
If you look to the left, you'll see the orange tents of those hoping to scale Everest. The date is now April 7. Most climbers attempt to summit in May before the summer monsoons begin, so in the coming days, the camp will be jammed with people from around the world.
Back in 2014, an avalanche here killed 16 Sherpa guides, the highest death toll ever for an avalanche on the mountain. The guides, in protest of the government's lack of protection, refused to work, canceling the climbing season.
Despite last year's avalanche, there's more climbers this year than last. The government has issued 357 climbing permits.
(The April 2015 earthquake triggered an avalanche that killed 19 people in base camp. The government wanted to reopen Everest, but the Sherpas refused to rebuild the climbing route, citing safety concerns, which again ended the climbing season for two years in a row).
Now, look to the right, that's part of the infamous Khumbu Icefall, the head of the Khumbu Glacier, where climbers begin their ascent of Everest.
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| Everest Base Camp - April 7, 2015 (Prior to Earthquake) |
The icefall is considered to be the most dangerous part of the southern route up Everest because the unstable glacier moves downhill several feet a day, exposing climbers to the multiple threats of deep crevasses that can open up without warning, ice towers known to topple over at any moment, and avalanches.
While approaching base camp, I actually heard an avalanche, although I didn't see it, and returning to Gorak Shep, I witnessed a major rock slide. I was in no danger, but both incidents reminded me that the Himalayas can be unpredictable.
It's hard to describe my emotions at finally making it here after nine days of hiking. It's a combination of elation, relief, and a sense of accomplishment. It just feels good, but, at the same time, it's a bit anticlimactic.
As I arrived at base camp, I immediately thought of a card that my girlfriend Alexandra gave me last year with the famous quote by Alfred Souza, "Happiness is a journey, not a destination."
For years I'd dreamed of reaching base camp, but as I surveyed the landscape, I reflected more on how I arrived, not on what I was seeing – the challenge of the daily, arduous hikes over some of the most beautiful mountains on earth; the hundreds of hours of preparation before the trek; the support and encouragement of my family and friends from the first moment I said I wanted to go to Everest; the gratitude of having a job and the health that allows me to wander the world.
That's what I'll remember, long after the exact details of what I saw today begin to fade. Yes, Alexandra, it is more about the journey.
On my return hike to Gorak Shep, I experienced the dark side of the Everest experience, what some might call the obsession.
For two nights, I'd been talking to a group of Hong Kong trekkers staying at my tea houses. On the trail, I came across one of the women, who was suffering from extreme altitude sickness.
The porter said she had a severe headache, had been throwing up repeatedly along the trail, and the circulation in her hand was so bad that she kept asking the porter to slap it to generate some sensation.
Both her porter and Pasang urged her to turn back, but she insisted on moving forward.
"There's a chance she could die," said Pasang.
Over the years, I've read numerous accounts of climbers who lost their lives on Everest because they refused to heed the advice of others and turn back from the summit due to adverse circumstances, but I'd never glimpsed it firsthand.
As I write this, I'm back safely at my tea house in Gorak Shep, and I'm feeling no altitude sickness, although the temperature is a bit extreme. The high was 26° Fahrenheit (-3° Celsius) and the low is expected to be 14°F (-10°C) with 20-30 miles per hour winds.
Tomorrow, is up in the air because as I walked back from base camp a snow storm moved in.
If the weather clears, I'll hike up Kalapathar to gain a good view of the Everest summit. If not, I'll start my return hike.
Ironically, it's impossible to see the top of Everest from base camp because the summit is hidden behind two other mountains. Either way, I'm a happy and an exhausted camper.
MEDICAL UPDATE: The following day Pasang found out that the Hong Kong hiker made it to base camp and afterward returned safely to Gorak Shep; however, she's still suffering from altitude sickness. The thought of hiking to Lukla didn't appeal to her, so she planned on taking a helicopter back, instead.
NOTE: These are the exact, unedited journal entries I wrote during my trip. Because of limited internet access in the Himalayas, I am posting them now, rather than during my actual journey, which I finished two weeks before the first earthquake. I hope it's not perceived that I'm disrespecting the dead or those suffering. On the contrary, I'm hoping to provide some insight into why so many people, considering the risks, continue to be drawn to the Himalayas year after year.
Tourism will likely be what fuels Nepal's recovery. Until that happens, Nepal continues to need our immediate help, which is why I'll continue providing a list of relief agencies for anyone wishing to donate.
Please see Why I'm Resuming My Everest Blog for an explanation of my decision to restart the account of my Nepalese journey.
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