Day 7: Dingboche - Lobuche (4940 m)
The day started with sunny weather and a
flat hike with towering mountains in the background and yaks grazing the
meadows. The excitement was palpable as we were less than two days away from
the boulder that said "Everest Base Camp". Hundreds of fellow
trekkers walked along the route towards Lobuche today, pausing every once in a
while to click pictures. On my part, I clicked a few pictures but soon realised
that the beauty and the serenity of the landscape was beyond what pictures or
videos could capture. I stayed at a certain distance from the group trying to
absorb and preserve the moment while walking in silence. Every few minutes, I
looked back at the mountains. And each time, they appeared in new perspective.
I spent almost an hour walking this way, consciously choosing to be overwhelmed
and humbled by the grandeur of what Nature had unraveled that morning.
After a couple of hours, the meadows narrowed
to a trail again. And hidden amongst the mountains was the lake Chola Che. We
could only see a part of its pristine green waters hidden behind a screen of
mountains. I thought the lake was 30 minutes away, given the visibility to the
naked eye. Lhakpa laughed it off, saying it would take more than a few hours to
get there.
We reached Thukla by 11. Thukla is a
settlement with about 4-5 lodges. The Thukla bridge is an extremely small and
short wooden bridge. But what we were told is that it is rebuilt every season
because the river keeps changing course and the boulders keeps shifting.
We chose to skip lunch and settle for
light snacks in Thukla. We were warned of the steep ascent immediately after
this break and didn't want a full stomach to add to our woes. This was
"the ascent" of the entire trek - The Thukla Pass. The ordeal doesn't
last for more than an hour, for the average hiker. But you become conscious of
the weight of your backpack, your heartbeat; there is this impulse to drink more
water and take pauses - sometimes even every 20-30 steps. Being deliberately
slow is the best way to tackle this ascent at close to 4600 m. As we climbed
higher, Thukla became smaller and more distant and a mist enveloped the
settlement.
The end of the Thukla Pass brought us to a
landmark I'd been wanting to see, albeit a sombre one. The Memorial place for
Everest Climbers. It's overwhelming that so many mountaineers - Sherpas and
others - have lost their lives in their attempt to conquer the highest mountain
in the world. You might wonder if it is sacrifice or foolishness. I can safely
say that even when you are at heights lesser than the base camp, there is this
overpowering, irrational desire to hike to greater heights and climb
mountains. The struggle becomes the reward. Knowing that your body is
hurting and your mind is willing to give up and still plodding on one step at a
time becomes the victory. I can't comment for the rational motives of the
legends who try to climb the Everest, but even as a hiker, I can relate to the
irrational desire to put yourself out there and play this game of attrition
against the mountains.
In the Memorial Place, I tried to look for
those of Scott Fischer and Rob Hall - made famous by Jon Krakauer's bestseller
"Into Thin Air" and the movie "Everest" based on the book.
The movie and the book were major inspirations for me to even contemplate the
Everest Base Camp trek. While the Memorial Place itself is sacred sombre
ground, the mood at the place was festive. It was an ideal resting place after
the arduous Thukla Pass to revitalize and regroup.
The rest of the hike to Lobuche wasn't
exactly strenuous. Colorful moss and lichen and a gentle stream of water
greeted our entry into Lobuche. Our stay here was called "Oxygen" - a
high altitude oxymoron. Daal Bhat awaited us. We were slowly getting tired of
Daal Bhat and tried to find variety in our meals. Yet Daal Bhat was still where
we felt at home, specially when we were hungry. The portions got smaller with
height, an indication of increasing prices and decreasing appetite. The EBC was
now less than 24 hours away. It was at the back of our minds all the time. But
we still had to spend a night at more than 15000 feet and wake up healthy
enough to reach Base camp.
Day 8: Lobuche - Gorakshep - Everest Base
Camp (5364 m) - Gorakshep (5164 m)
The big day. Two things weighed on our
mind since last evening. Whether we'd have enough time to trek from Lobuche to
Gorakshep to Base Camp and back to Gorakshep before sunset. And whether we'd
get a glimpse of Mount Everest today. The answer to the first question was
something we could control. The answer to the second, was completely dependent
on the weather or as some of us observed philosophically "It was dependent
on whether the mountain wanted to show itself to us." Lhakpa kept saying "If
we get good window, we see Mt. Everest" before adding
"hopefully" with his innocent smile that I'd started to love.
We were at the breakfast table by 6 AM and
all set to start by 7 AM in the morning. The sky was blue and we were
optimistic that it would be a fruitful day's hike. After downing some black tea and
toast, I set off with the rest of our group on the trail to Gorakshep.
Within half an hour, we were viewing a panorama of mountains. It was a 360 degree view of mountains that dominated the landscape. There was a crystal clear view of some peaks; Some of them were still waking up and had a blanket of clouds around them that was growing thinner by the minute. The majesty and the magnificence held us in awe as we walked along. In front of us were Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbutse, Lho La and Nuptse. The Pumori and Lingtren looked incredibly beautiful and unique. And in between Lho La and Nuptse was where Mt. Everest would give us a glimpse, as we moved closer to base camp.
After we'd trekked about 90 minutes that
also included a short yet stiff climbing of a hillock, we got our first view of
the Khumbu glacier. The glacier itself was mostly filled with boulders at this
time of the year but it was broad and long and continued for kilometres on end.
And as we moved closer to Gorakshep, our fervent prayers were answered by
Almighty - or should I say the Sagarmatha. Hidden like a gem behind the Lho La
and Nuptse, we got a glimpse of Mt. Everest!! The summit of the tallest
mountain in the world came into our view. If you do some soul-searching, there
would only be a few events in your world, that could bring forth a sense of
self-actualisation. These are, in most cases, beyond the realm of the material
world. For me, this trek was one such event. Given the bad weather, I'd decided
to push the sighting of Mt. Everest to the background and focus on getting to
Base Camp. However, now that the dream of viewing Mt. Everest in person was
fulfilled, my sense of fulfillment multiplied.
I trundled along a boulder filled trail
that brought us closer to Gorakshep. There was a continuous stream of people
making their way towards base camp and back from it. We started asking those
who were coming back about their day at the Base Camp. Their responses filled
us with enthusiasm and curiosity at the same time.
We reached Gorakshep at 10:30 AM. We'd
been trekking for more than three hours now and the Base Camp was three
kilometers and roughly three hours away. We had an early lunch in Gorakshep.
The weather was warm and sunny. The Nuptse appeared a "stone's throw
away" across the glacier and reflected the bright sunlight directly into
our eyes. We walked towards the Base Camp that was 200 m higher than Gorakshep.
However, there was no significant climb on the route. An hour into the trek, we
could see the famed Everest Base Camp milestone about a mile away, surrounded
by a Paparazzi of trekkers eager to make memories of a lifetime.
After negotiating a tricky path full of
boulders for fifteen minutes, that I was forced to traverse sometimes on all fours, I
reached the Everest Base Camp. The boulder 5364 m was right in front of me and I
touched it, as though trying to make sure it was real; that the moment was
real. I walked around the site, trying to take in all that the place had to
offer: The view of the (in)famous Khumbu Icefall, the tents of summiteers that
were visible about half a mile away and obviously, the sense of accomplishment
that seemed to prevail at 17500 feet in front of a boulder.
As everyone from our group arrived at the
base camp, we congratulated each other and thanked our Sherpa guides. It was
now our turn to get in front of the boulder and click those pictures that we
would cherish for a lifetime. One of our teammates had brought an Indian flag
that we proudly held in front of the boulder and clicked away. People from
other countries had brought
their own flags too. There was a south Indian
who played the flute at the Base Camp and videoed it. He wanted to show his
Guru back in India that his lungs were strong enough to play the instrument at
5000+ m. After the initial excitement abated, I took Lhakpa to a side, clicked
a few pictures of us together and requested him to click some of mine (I had to
do that!). For an Everest Summiteer, Lhakpa is an incredibly down-to-earth
Sherpa. I thanked him for his support, guidance and most importantly patience
in guiding a group where each of us had our own strengths and weaknesses.
With Lhakpa Sherpa
I then tried to call Home, to announce
that I'd made it to Base Camp. NCell didn't disappoint. I
could hear Amma's voice with a bit of a lag and some disturbance. "I'm at
the Base Camp" I said and expected her to say "Wonderful!" But
true to her nature, she asked "Are you safe and healthy?". The patchy
call lasted a couple of minutes during which I tried to convey both that I'd
made it to Base Camp and that I was healthy. Though I'd been in touch with my
family some way or the other on each day of the trek, they were still a worried
lot. Weather in Uttarakhand and Nepal had been terrible for ever since I
reached Nepal and there was plenty of bad news on both mainstream and social
media. Amma described later on the tension that had prevailed while I was away
in the mountains.
We spent close to an hour at the Base
Camp. I picked a couple of stones from the site as souvenirs and put them in my
backpack. The initial part of the return hike was again a chance to get a
glimpse of Mt. Everest and capture both the mountain and the Khumbu Icefall in
a single frame. Unsatiated with my previous call home, I called back again from
a quieter place with lesser people around; this time telling my father that I'd
made it. He sounded rather boisterous, but the questions on my safety
persisted. I realised there was something beyond the usual concern that was
driving their anxiety.
In hindsight, if there's one small regret
that I carry from the entire trek, it is that I didn't spend a couple of
minutes with myself at the Base Camp. I clicked pictures, I took in the sights,
I called home - but I'd have loved to just sit there and soak in the entire
scene for a few minutes. This was on my mind almost immediately after I left
the Base Camp and crossed the difficult initial fifteen minutes back to the
main trail. I tried to compensate for that by walking alone and glancing back
at the site every now and then, till it disappeared from view. It was as though
I didn't feel something I was expecting to feel or wanted to feel or imagined I
would feel when I reached the destination. To be honest, I've never validated
myself against a goal in a trek - but have always tried to enjoy the journey
and the process. Was it because of the hype around reaching the destination
that I expected to feel something at the Base Camp? What if, for some reason, I
was never able to make it Base Camp? Would I have regretted the entire
experience? I want to think it would have been otherwise - that I'd have
cherished the experience all the same. But at the same time, I also feel that I
would've probably reconciled with the experience and had an other go at some
point, but never would have cherished the experience if I'd not made it to the
Base Camp.
The Khumbu Icefall
The Descent
Day 9: Gorakshep - Pangboche (3985 m) via
Lobuche, Thukla and Pheriche
I was perhaps afflicted with mild mountain
sickness last night. A headache that started as mild throbbing once we returned
from Base Camp, took a turn for the worse as the evening wore on. I also
started feeling nauseous. I decided that the early morning optional hike to
Kalapatthar, for better views of Everest, was beyond my reach in my condition.
Two of our teammates who made it to Kalapatthar after starting their trek at 4
AM in the morning returned jubiliant and satisfied.
We trekked from Gorakshep to Pangboche
today. A descent of close to 1300 m. For most part this was easy, as we were
constantly losing height. We took a detour post Thukla to walk to the town of
Pheriche. The trail was beautiful and kept our mood upbeat. There is this
obvious dip in motivation on the first day of the descent. You've reached your
destination - but home is still a few days away. You need to push yourself to
keep walking and find distractions on the way. The approach to Pheriche was one
such distraction. Pheriche is a windy town. When we reached it around 2:30, it
was already engulfed in mist.
We reached Pangboche at around 5 PM. The
rains started getting heavier. It seemed as though we'd encashed the balance of
mercy Nature had bestowed over the last four days and it was back to square
one.
We stayed away from the conservative Daal
Bhat that evening and treated ourselves to chowmein, pizza, fries and burgers
that evening. In fact this would continue throughout the return trek over the
next couple of days.
Day 10: Pangboche -
Jorsalle (2835 m) via
Tyengboche and Namche
The rain was rather heavy today. There
were also a couple of strenuous ascents and the trail was infested with slush.
We decided we'd trek beyond our designated stop at Namche and get down to
Jorsalle, which would save us a couple of hours on the final day's trek.
We "bypassed" Namche, not passing
through the main town but walking along a trail that ran on its side. Even from
a distance, and for the second time, the town held us in awe. Miraculously, the
weather cleared just after Namche. For a while, we could even see the snow-clad
mountains we missed on our way up. But the lucky part was that there was no
more rain. True, we had to descend through a slushy, slippery trail to get to
Hillary bridge. But without the rain, we were more in control.
Crossing the Hillary bridge for a second
time was a more conscious effort on my part. I was finally getting used to the
hanging bridges. I paused for a moment at the centre of the bridge to look at
the river and the entire landscape. I still didn't have the courage to take out
my phone and click pictures!
We stayed right next to the Dhudh-Kosi
that night, in Jorsalle. I couldn't decide if the sound of the river was
soothing or disturbing as we got into bed. One thing was sure: we would love to
wake up in the morning and take in the beauty of the river-front!
Day 11: Jorsalle - Lukla ( 2860 m) via
Phakding
We woke up to a beautiful morning. Easily
the best morning on the entire trek - and ironically the last morning. There
was not a single cloud in the sky and mountains we'd missed while on our way up
suddenly sprung into full view.
Relative to our experience on the entire trek, today was a breeze of a walk. The mountains seemed to want to send us off in style and escorted us out of their abode with some stunning views. Till we exited the Sagarmatha National Park, it was the majestic Khumbila that adorned the background. As we trekked onwards to Phakding, it was the mountain Thamserku that stood like a fort wall, with the snow shining bright in the sunlight.
We reached Lukla and Mera Lodge around 4
PM. It took me a while to accept that the trek was over. About 12 days earlier, we
were on our way to Lukla. Now we were back. That we'd descended 7500 ft in 3
days seemed as momentous as the climb upwards.
The evening was reserved for some souvenir shopping. I'd already decided what I'd want to take back home. A prayer flag and a map of the trail were top of my list. Tasting raw onion at dinner after about two weeks seemed to give my taste buds new life. We tipped our porters and guides and bid them a formal goodbye. They were the architects who helped us fulfill our dreams. We would always be just another trekking group to them. But for us, they'd always remain heroes of the mountains.
Day 12: Lukla - Ramechap - Kathmandu (1400
m)
We were back at the Tenzing-Hillary
airport. Eagerly waiting for our flight "Summit Air" back to
Ramechap. We realised we'd been lucky on a lot of fronts. The weather had taken
a turn for the worse from the day after we reached Lukla. Trekkers who were waiting
in Ramechap for a flight to Lukla were stranded in Ramechap. They had to wait for
multiple days for the weather to clear and then take the flight. Or travel to
other smaller airfields and pay for a helicopter that could drop them at Lukla.
Or travel to a village called Kharikola by taxi for 12 hours and walk for a day
to reach Lukla. We escaped all this misery by arriving in the nick of time.
In another stroke of luck, the weather had
been terrible for the last four days as well and flights to Lukla had been
suspended. It had gotten progressively better since yesterday and thankfully we
were flying back as per schedule. I was doubly lucky, as unlike my teammates, I
didn't have a reserve day in my schedule. A lesson learnt.
The Tenzing-Hillary airport has plenty of
pictures that almost made me think about planning another trek in the region soon.
The Gokyo Lake, the High Passes Trek and pictures of other destinations had me
hooked all over again as we waited for our flight.
We were back in Ramechap by noon. And
Kathmandu after a gruelling car journey of six hours. Our manager Mr.
Nethra had arranged a Nepali style send-off that included a traditional dinner
and dance by locals. It was good to know that local whiskey was a part of their
traditional dinner but most of us politely refused the Daal Bhat. We respected
the Nepali "power-food" - but it had served its purpose.
Day +1 and Beyond - Bengaluru (920 m)
I reached namma Bengaluru to the music of
our sweet tongue Kannada, the cacophony of traffic and rain that has more or
less become an uninvited guest.
It took almost two weeks and the realities
of work-life for me to eventually put the mountains out of my mind. I realised
that for whatever reason, this trek meant a lot more to me than some of the
other treks and trips I'd completed. That this trek had touched me deeply. It
wasn't just the views. It wasn't just the accomplishment. It wasn't just the strain.
It was a combination of all of these and something more. Something more that was
intangible and something I probably would never be able to put into
words.
Within a week of coming back, I'd read
"Into Thin Air" all over again. I sat down with the map of the EBC
trail and marked our route, point by point and at the end of it, I felt that
the epilogue had ended too! I've taken about ten days to pen this travelogue
and as I reviewed the pictures and notes, the trek came back to life all over
again.
And to that question in the
beginning, "Why do you have to punish your body and mind?", I
found an answer that would hold good in the mountains and in life:
"To see sights you've never seen, you
have to climb heights you've never climbed!"
- Sunday, 7th November 2022
Link to Part 1
What an amazing write up, felt like I was on the journey alongside you!
ReplyDeleteGreat write up Aalok. Relived the experience.
ReplyDelete