Part 4 of the diary focusses on the final upward trek to Base Camp and to our ultimate high point of Kalapatther, at 5,545m.
Tuesday 15th November: Lobouche to Everest Base Camp (5,300m) then Gorak Shep (5,165m)
Nuptse, Nepal | Sony RX1rII
The Way to Base Camp, Nepal | Sony RXrII
Nuptse, Nepal | Sony RX1rII
Avalanche, Nuptse | Sony RX1rII
Glimpse of Everest, Nepal | Sony RX1rII
Khumbu Glacier, Nepal | Sony RX1rII
Nuptse, Nepal | Sony Rx1rII
Wednesday 16th November: Kalapatthar (5,545m) then down to Perchiche (4,280m)
Everest & Nuptse, Nepal | Sony RX1rII
Everest, Nepal | Sigma DP3 Merrill
Everest & Nuptse | Sony RX1rII
Everest, Nuptse pano with Ana Damblam (right) from Kalapatthar, Nepal | Sony RX1rII Stitched
Diary Notes – Days 12 & 13
Tuesday 15th November: Lobouche to Everest Base Camp (5,300m) then Gorak Shep (5,165m)
Day eleven. I’ve no enthusiasm to take notes and have little recollection of the walk to Base Camp. I’d thoughts of wondering around the camp and down to the Khumbu Ice Fall, taking creative, cool photos, but physically and mentally I’m gone, and in this truly incredible place I can only take a few shots of the incredible scenery. Though I look surprisingly ok on the photos I can’t honestly recall the walk back to Gorak Shep, other than being last back, or anything about the evening. Everyone is feeling the altitude, but most are faring better!
Extract for Sarah’s daily blog.
“We tried to eat something but no-one felt like much so we set off for the next three hours which would take us to Base Camp. Our group had reduced to six. The Australian couple [John and Debora] had decided not to come at all today due to severe altitude sickness and so were heading down to a lower altitude today. One of the Yorkshire men [John] was so exhausted having got to Gorak Shep that he stayed there. It was a reminder of just how hard this is and sad that we all couldn’t achieve what we had set out to do”.
Wednesday 16th November: Kalapatthar (5,545m) then down to Perchiche (4,280m)
Day twelve (am). It’s -15c as we leave the teahouse at Gorak Shep. We cross the flat ground to the base of Kalapatthar and I strain my eyes to look for the summit. For the first time I seriously worry that I won’t have either the will or the energy to make it to the top. Each step of the climb is effort, every false peak a personal crisis, I can’t keep up with the (slow) pace and fall off the back of the group. An hour in and I decide it’s enough. Up ahead the group pause for breath. I reach them and ask Dunbar if we return down the same path (my plan is to stop and wait for the group to return). He answers yes but before I decide what to do the group press on. I have no choice but to follow. I reach the summit, the last of our group. I’m exhausted and find a place to sit. What a view! The magnificent vista of the Everest Massif, down the Khumbu Glacier, to Ama Dablam and beyond. I manage to take a series of shots to create a panoramic image and eventually summon the energy to clamber around. The word awesome is so often misused. This place truly is awesome. We take photos (I try to smile but it looks like a grimace) to prove our accomplishment then it’s time to head back down. Am I glad I didn’t stop, give up, turn back, absolutely, I may be spent but I made it to this unique and incredible place!
Shooting Notes
No insights or interesting takes, It’s just compose and shoot, trying to avoid people spoiling the view.
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