Kader's Travel Blog: Lobuche to GorakShek and Everest Base Camp

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Lobuche to GorakShek and Everest Base Camp

The big day of the trek has arrived and we could not be happier! We even decided as a group to just make a quick stop at GorakShek for a tea or coffee and continue on to EBC leaving lunch for later when we come back! We also started earlier than usual this morning as everyone was up and ready to go by 7:30 or so! GorakShek is at a higher altitude so we needed to climb some more and yes it was rocky again which is hard on our feet and knees, but by now we have mastered all that! We reached GorakShek in a record time of two and a half hours, 10:00 am! This is really a remote outpost in the middle of nowhere with no running water and very little life around here! We took a quick break in the cafeteria of the tea house, we all had hot chocolate to get some energy and heat in our bodies and we quickly left for EBC! The trail to EBC from GorakShek started out very nice and flat with no rocks at all and then turned into a rocky mess that drove all of us nuts! It was not easy by any mean... this is a terrain that can lead to sprains and bone breaks so I was very careful not to make any "faux pas" as they say in French; i.e mis-step. I did get in trouble trying to outsmart our guide by taking a slightly different trails only to reach a dead end with huge rocks on my path! The guide got me back on track and I decided he knew best so I stayed with him the rest of the way to EBC! The first EBC sign was the Khumbu ice falls ! Wow I said, this is what I saw on TV and now I am here right by this monstrous ice fall!!! We could hear ice cracking and water running but with no clue where all of that was coming from. I assumed it was from deep inside the Glacier! Khumbu ice falls were everywhere and gigantic and they feed all the rivers and streams that originate from the Himalayas! This early sign of EBC was misleading as EBC was still far away! Turn after turn and twist after twist we were waiting for more signs such as tents but they could not come fast enough for us as we were exhausted and worn out! A couple of helicopter zipped by and disappeared in the clouds, they were high up the mountains and our guide told us that there may be a rescue going on at camp 2 high above base camp!

After few minutes, the tent city with bright orange/yellow tents showed up in a distance and we were all excited to see that... after meandering through this Sharp cliff top we descended towards the base camp! At this point we were walking on the Khumbu glacier itself! I was nervous as I saw big cracks in the ice everywhere even on our path to EBC! I thought this was dangerous! Danger apart, I moved on just like my group-mates to the place where everyone was taking pictures and celebrating reaching their goal of EBC!!!! We took a group picture and lots of individual pictures! After that we were given few minutes to walk around before heading back! I walked towards the tent city and saw different teams that were attempting to summit Everest !! I was very close to the famous Khumbu ice falls where all climbers start their climb towards Everest! I was just in awe at all this... knowing the dangers, I have no desire to climb Everest!! Just being at EBC was a huge personal achievement and I was thankful to have achieved another childhood dream of mine! Everest was always in my head and now I can say I came close to Everest and move on to my next challenge whatever that may be.

The return trek to GorakShek was just as brutal if not more because of the fatigue! On arrival to GorakShek we were served lunch but for the first time, I had no appetite at all! The food was lousy and I was tired so I just wanted to rest! When time for dinner came, everyone was quiet from the fatigue and long day! No card games today just too tired to even speak so we all went to bed!