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05.10.16 Forward
Over the last year and a half, Kimberly and I have taken on the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Volcanoes of Ecuador. It was on our flight back from New England last Spring that we started pondering where to go next. In Ecuador, we developed a taste for high altitude objectives, summitting Pichincha (15,696 feet) and climbing to over 16,500 feet on Cotopaxi and over 18,000 feet on Cayambe - so it came as no surprise that Mount Everest was high on both of our bucket lists. Unfortunately, we weren't sure it would be possible this year due to the April 2015 earthquake that devastated the region. However, by July it appeared the Nepalese were recovering ahead of schedule and the 2016 Mount Everest climbing season, unlike the previous two years, would proceed. So after considerable research and over a year of planning, we booked an 18-day trek to Everest Base Camp. We leave in two days.
Me and Kimberly half way up Pichincha in Ecuador - December, 2014
Like other adventure sports, high altitude trekking involves a considerable amount of risk. In previous posts, I've talked about the dangers of altitude sickness, HACE and HAPE, especially at altitudes classified as "very-high" (11,500 -18,000 feet) or "extreme" (above 18,000). Thin air isn't the only danger in mountainous environments, especially in the tectonically active Himalayan subduction zone. Two years ago, 16 Sherpa were killed while setting ropes through the Khumbu Ice Falls, when a giant serac broke away from the western flank of Everest directly above them, ending the 2014 climbing season. Tragedy struck again last April when the Nepal earthquake triggered a massive avalanche, claiming another 22 souls in base camp. As I write this, reports are trickling in about an avalanche above Camp II on the southwest face of Everest that has injured two Slovakian climbers. Rescue efforts are currently under way.
Mount Everest is one of the most remote travel destinations on Earth. There are no roads and only limited modern comforts that we take for granted in the States. For 18 days, we will trek from village to village through the Himalayan Mountains, traversing glaciers, visiting some of the highest Buddhist Monasteries on the planet, and climbing to over 18,000 feet to get a firsthand look at the top of the world. We must slowly acclimate to the thin air and carefully navigate the rugged terrain if we hope to reach Everest Base Camp safely; and as always, there is zero latitude for error.
The Trek
Most trekkers take the standard, or direct, route to Everest Base Camp which takes about 8 days. You leave on foot from the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal and head northeast along trails that take you from a starting elevation of 9,184 ft. up to 17,598 ft. at Base Camp. Most people will notice the effects of altitude at around 7,000 feet, so rest days are necessary to allow for acclimation. The return trip only takes half as long, since it's pretty much all down hill once you leave base camp. A trek along the standard route and back therefore takes about 12 days to complete. The problem (in my opinion) with the standard route is you return on the same trail you take to base camp, which can be a little repetitive. That being said, I was not really considering an alternative route until Kimberly suggested we go off the beaten path.
The route that Kimberly preferred is an extended trek that takes us through the Gokyo Lakes region, along a glacial valley, then to Base Camp, and then returning via the standard route. This will allow us to experience more of the Himalayan Range - and take the path less traveled (apparently this makes a difference).
Traveling north from Lukla, we will head towards Namche Bazaar, spending one night in Phakding along the way (see the map below). After two days in Namche, we reach a fork in the road, and take it. Standard route trekkers head east from here towards Tyengboche, whereas we'll head due-north through Dole and Machchermo. We plan to summit Gokyo Ri, where we should get a spectacular view of Mount Everest and the surrounding glacial lakes. Leaving Gokyo, we head east, through Dzongla, on to Gorak Shep, and finally, Everest Base Camp. While we're there, climbers will be attempting to summit Everest for the first time since 2013, and the support teams in Base Camp will be monitoring their progress - which should be pretty exciting.
The return trip takes us back along the standard route, where we will climb Kalapatthar (18,192 ft.) for a morning view of Everest, and get a look at Buddhist Monasteries in Dingboche and Tyengboche. After that, we pass through Namche one last time before catching our return flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. If time permits, we'll have a few days in Kathmandu to goof around before returning home.
Namche Bazaar - one of our first and last stops along the way. It's the last taste of civilization before we head off towards Gokyo Lakes.
I am taking a considerable amount of photography equipment with me on this trek including my new Nikon D5500 DSLR Camera and my 4k Ultra DJI Phantom 3 Professional Drone. There are solar electricity charging stations and sporadic internet hot-spots along the way, which should allow me to update the blog with pictures and comments every few days. Update notifications will be posted on Facebook with a link back to the new blog entries. This page will also serve as the homepage with new entries being hyperlinked below as they are created. Next up: Departure Day (May 12th)!
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