Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Lakes (Part 6 of 7)
Final Destinations — Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp
Trekking Day 14: From Lobuche to Gorekshep (5,140m/16,864ft) via Kala Patthar (5,550m/18,209ft)
We left Lobuche at 6:30 am, early for us, but required for a full day of hiking. — maybe too full.
The Gokyo Lakes route to the EBC is less common, so we had not run into many trekkers on the trail so far. That changed from Lobuche: we had now connected to the main out-and-back route, so that meant hordes of trekkers all on the same trail, to the same destination: EBC.
In N.’s photos, one can clearly see lines of colorful jackets making a beeline to Gorekshep, divided into four classes of trekkers: visitors headed to the EBC, the fast-hiking porters carrying massive, multiple roped bags (one young woman muttered to her friend, “My God, doing God’s work…”), those who don’t deserve the title because they were on horses and, finally, the trekkers and their porters coming down from the EBC. It was traffic worthy of Los Angeles.
The toughest part was Lobuche Pass — steep, rocky, scrambly. On the plus side, the views from the high pass were reward enough.
As we continued, to our right, we had mountain peaks to keep us company, and soon enough, we came to the mighty Khumbu Glacier.
Gorekshep suddenly appeared out of nowhere, a collections of teahouses and horse stables (USD $200 for a ride to the EBC. Tempting.).
Considering the high altitude and remoteness of its location, I suppose it’s a miracle there are teahouses at all. But there was a considerable difference in quality of rooms and of food. And no power at all in the rooms, so we had to get ready for bed with headlamps in our foreheads.
We ate a strange mushroom soup with noodles and a plate of potatoes with a spoonful of canned beans. That would have to do for our trek to Kala Patthar.
***
Kala Patthar was the highest point of our whole trek — 5,550 meters/18,209 feet. The trail was steep and snowy in places, switchbacks upon switchbacks. Mercifully there were benches spaced out on the trail, with signs indicating they had been made of shampoo bottles.
At around 5,400 meters, we encountered a Korean trekker whose companion was higher up in the mountain, but sick and being dragged down by their guide — the trekker was probably feeling the effects of the altitude. This trekker told us that the view from where we were was pretty much the same one we would get at the summit.
So, continue or turn back?
As N. and I were were debating, the guide from above came rushing down and directed the man we were talking to to go down the mountain and call for an emergency horse — the other trekker had lost consciousness. Our guide also got into action, reaching the unconscious man, and carrying him down the mountain, to where we were. Mercifully as the man descended, he regained consciousness and was able to walk slowly the rest of the way.
We did not need any more encouragement to turn around and follow them.
But not before N. took more photos.
***
Trekking Day 15: From Gorekshep to Lobuche via EVEREST BASE CAMP (5,364m/17,598ft)
It would be redundant to say that neither N. nor I slept well; we haven’t slept well since we whipped out our sleeping bags oh, let’s see, 15 days ago. But last night was particularly bad: paper thin walls; basic bathroom facilities, utilitarian rooms. Oh, and the bad food — and I write this with a full appreciation of how remote Gorekshep is.
So the accumulation of day after day of these conditions finally decided to come crashing down on our heads on the day we hiked to the EBC. We started at 6:30 am and, mercifully, there was not an anthill’s worth of trekkers on the path; everyone else was headed to Kala Patthar. (So that tip from the trekker in Lobuche was worth its weight in gold.)
I had expected to be walking on paths full of dangerously dangling icicles. Instead, we were walking on rocky trails, on top of a low ridge between the a higher rocky hill to the left and the Khumbu Glacier to the right. The trail ended at a ravine, and Everest Base Camp sat close to where the Khumbu Glacier met the Western Cwm.
With the exception of a couple of brothers from Kathmandu (one recently returned from Seattle), we were the only ones there. We took our goofy photos and gamboled about. It was almost impossible to believe — we had reached our goal!
One thing they say about climbing a mountain is that reaching the summit is only half of the battle.
We felt this truth viscerally.
Perhaps it was because it has been two weeks since we’ve had a good meal or good sleep; perhaps it was the long miles we’ve tracked (112 km/70 miles to my rough estimate); perhaps it was simply the release of tension after having accomplished a goal that we first set more than 9 months ago. Or all of the above.
On the way back to Gorekshep, both N. and I were not hiking as much as crawling: we would take a few steps, stop, take deep breaths.
By the time we reached the wet muddy flats before Gorekshep, we were running on fumes. We got into the dining room of the teahouse, and I collapsed on the bench.
The problem was that there was nothing on the menu that was appetizing enough to give us energy. I had a candy bar, N. had a granola bar, and we shared a few tuna momos (but did not finish them).
So fortified — sort of — we were on the trail again.
We left around 1 pm, and by this time, all trekkers were already in Gorekshep or in Lobuche. With the exception of a couple of porters who were lugging ridiculously large loads — tents or mattresses or kerosene, who knew — we were the only ones on the trail. Again, steps, stop, deep breaths.
Closer to Lobuche, even a herd of yak returning from the grazing fields were beating us back to the village. All I could think about was the fact that it would be our last night in a teahouse.
Still, in Lobuche the mountain gods gave us one last gift: a sunset to remember.
