Slip Sliding Away at Everest Base Camp
The Walk You Have To Do
Gorak Shep : 5170m Everest Base Camp : 5300m
The walk into Everest Base Camp took me by surprise. The track isn’t much of a track, making the walk a little crazy. At the end you just clamber over boulders and slip everywhere.
The photo shows the middle section of the trail which had lots of boulders and scree. A defined path becomes non-existent, so we headed in a general direction picking our way as best we could, following our trusty Porter Guide. Because of clambering over boulders, I developed blisters on my toes. Applying band aids before setting out is probably a good idea.
EBC has the reputation of looking very dull as most trekkers visit it in the afternoon when the area is in shade. We took the advice from some trekkers we passed on the way up a few days earlier, to visit in the morning when the area is in full light. It was quite lovely.
I plan to write a post about the runners and the marathon as they were a feature of our trek. We bumped into them several times along the trail much to the Trainer’s delight.
The Main Everest Base Camp Trail’s highlight is the view of Mt. Everest and the Himalaya Range from the top of the hill Kala Patthar. Not everyone has heard of Kala Patthar. However, Everest Base Camp is famous, so it’s a must do. Or is it? I felt uneasy at Base Camp, being directly underneath where the 2015 avalanche came off Mt. Pumori into Base Camp (or so I was told). If I go back I would climb Kala Patthar twice, climbing it once in the afternoon and again the next morning at sunrise.
The triumphant team of three, lined up to take the obligatory photo by the sign and flags.
The sign for my choir had its big moment here. 130 people sang Climb Every Mountain to me before I left Melbourne. It was very special.
The round trip to EBC from Gorak Shep is 8km and takes 6.5 hours. Back at Gorak Shep (the end of the trail and starting point for Kala Patthar and EBC) we had lunch at the lodge where we had slept the night before and left. We headed back down to Lobuche (a 2.5-hour walk) through the long valley that feels like a moonscape. Back in our lodge in Lobuche we ate and went straight to bed. Exhausted but very happy and very pleased with ourselves.
All the training had prepared us well. The trek to Everest Base Camp is more than the walk to that point. It is a long journey in many ways, for which you are rewarded in just as many ways.
Now we just had to get back down to Lukla in one piece.
The Year I Touched My Toes 
Wow amazing! I loved Nepal so much. Your photos remind me so much of my journey there. I did the Annapurna though. 🙂
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Thanks, yes I love Nepal too, I think it is addictive. We have a loose plan to return in two years and we may do the Annapurna region.
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I would love to do Everest base camp but I will be honest flying in Nepal petrified me! It was horrifying being in those terrible planes. 🙂 I do want to go again but it was hard being away so long. I was gone three weeks and my kids were 2 and 4 at the time so between my mom and husband it was hard. I also want to go to Bhutan but that too requires a lot of time. Someday! 🙂
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There is plenty of time. 🙂
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Sounds incredible and an absolutely amazing achievement, well done!
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Thank you. You should add Nepal to your next list. Be gentle on the time frame you set yourself though…. 🙂 Louise
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Hi Louise
It was sooooo enticing to read your blog and see the wonderful pictures! Yes, indeed it’s addictive! We’re going to EBC on March 14…..just hoping for reasonable weather this time. I’m also hoping for more slightly more comfortable accomodation than Annapurna – and maybe a few more Western toilets.
Your notes will be going with me – they’re fantastic! A request/question…..I wonder if you have your EBC day by day notes as a PDF? It’ll be easier to print this to take with me!! On the trek I won’t so much need your lovely pictures but I will need your words!
Warm wishes
Vicki
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I will try to do that for you. I will copy and paste from the posts. I will email you. Louise
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Thank you! I don’t want you to go to too much trouble though 🙂 We only ho on March 12 so plenty of time. Maybe it’s something others would like too … 🙂
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Actually can you email your trek itinerary to me please. I just want to double check if there is anything else I can add to the information for you. Louise
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No that’s fine it will give me make look at the information in a different way too. It will be a good exercise I think.
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As I read it before I kept thinking how amazing it would be to have on the walk day by day. There’s nothing like it available!! Thank you 🙂
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But then maybe I could just download your blog (is that possible?)
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Trying to figure out how to send that to you. Email address?
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No It’ s ok. I am finding spacing issues and things in the text. It is also making me think about if anything is missing etc. Its all good,
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Send it to theyearitouchedmytoes@gmail.com
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You have mail. Sorry it is so late. Have a wonderful trek. Louise
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Thanks again, Louise…..absolutely wonderful to have your notes!
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