16 pm E.B.C.

Day-16 10th Oct 2007 Afternoon:

Gorakshep (5160M) to EBC and Back to Gorakshep

I talked to several Nepali Guides who had escorted their clients to Gorak Shep about going to EBC & Kalapathar .... and how to fit them both into one day stay at Gorak? Most of them said Kalapather, is a must for sunrise view of Everest, at dawn. But trekking 6 hrs to and fro EBC, was not really worth as it was mostly glacier rubble all the way and no major expeditions were currently camped there (except one from Thailand, camped deep inside near the Khumbu Icefall). After discussing with Bhavnath we decided to go to EBC immediately today (i.e. till we are able to see the EBC-camp-site from a distance) and return to Gorak Shep. Tomorrow morning (if weather is clear and good) we climb Kalapathar and get back to Gorak Shep and after breakfast return to Lobuche. And if in the morning weather is cloudy and not OK to view Everest, we stay one more night at Gorak Shep and try again for next morning.

So we set out for EBC at 11:30AM after an early lunch and got back to Gorak Shep by 3:00PM after going about halfway to the EBC camp-site.