Lobuje to Gorek Shep गोराशप, and climb Kala Pattar
Some clouds
At last, the big day. The reason we'd all come this way and gone through so much hardship and deprivation. The day we would get our closest, best view of Everest, and the highest point in the world, and our highest day in altitude reaching 5545m.
[the height of Kala Pattar is a little disputed, but I am typing here from my diary and the heights given in Lonely Planet at the time - see link]
It was a worrying start with clouds down the valley. I wasn't in the best of moods because just after I've got to sleep people started getting up to arrive early at Gorek Shep to climb Kala Patar. Although they were quiet as could be expected, it was still impossible to sleep. I tend to be a person who likes and needs his sleep~~
Breakfast was pretty good and we packed and headed for Gorek Shep (5160m). The clouds cleared a bit and the first part of the walk was reasonably level following the broad Khumbu Valley. After resting by a huge boulder it was a gruelling climb up a steep hill and here we left Paul way behind. The altitude was affecting as all differently, the main problem being left short of breath and having to stop and pant on any strenuous uphill section.
The trail became very uneven as it went over an active glacial moraine. Usually the path was well defined, but occasionally had to look out for the cairns to find the way. We passed over fast flowing stream which was 20% ice. To freeze it must get very cold.
We arrived at Gorek Shep (Nepali: गोराशप), a small settlement inhabited during the trekking season, soon after 10 a.m. and had a quick rest. Paul arrived much later and so Robin, Gump and I set off while he was still resting. The walk up the peak was one of the most demanding things I've ever asked of my body, although I seem to have a acclimatised to the altitude really well and made the summit at 12:05pm; a time of just one hour 20 minutes, half an hour before the others.
The last section was rocky making it hard to walk with any rhythm. Not that you could go for it anyway as after every four of five steps you felt dizzy and your head started pounding.
A few seconds rest cleared it and you could continue. The rest due to admire how high you’d come, but more importantly to look out at Everest, which became ever more and more in to view as you ascended. I wondered how on earth you would want climb so high, I was struggling enough at this height.
The top was not at all how I expected. I imagined a round peak, instead it's a rock jutting out with huge drops on either side. I was dizzy enough just from the altitude and didn't need vertigo to add to my head's problems. I stayed at the very top for less than ten seconds and then had to return a bit lower where I fely more secure. I wasn't concerned when more people coming up forced me down another metre so to an even safer position.
I stayed up there for about an hour admiring the views and taking photographs. There were a number of large crows who performed some amazing aerobatics as they waited for crumbs from the climbers. They got none of the Snickers bar Gump had thoughtfully brought up for each of us though. Never will chocolate be so welcome and taste so good again.
Nathan reach the summit soon after us and with him we walked along the ridge to the north. By the time I’d got to the end of the ridge I had a banging headache and was feeling quite nauseous. My stomach churned and I had to squat behind some rocks. The act of getting back up made my head swim, but thankfully the path down was short and sweet. The walk back across the sand and up a little hill to the lodge was perhaps on the 150m but felt like walking across the entire Sahara Desert.
I collapsed in the shade and returned a hat I’d found on the mountain to a 68 year old Englishman who with his wife had multiple sclerosis had also reach the summit that morning. They shamed me to make no comment on my pathetic state and after a few glasses of hot lemon water with sugar I felt better again. I was dehydrated which I had already realised as my symptoms had started on the descent meaning it was unlikely to be altitude sickness.
The British group who had met in Jiri turned up and I spoke to them for a while. They had seen Damien earlier in the day and he’d successfully made it to Lobuje.
The sun went behind a ridge at 3:30 p.m. and the temperature plummeted to probably below zero, so we huddled into the dining room where the yaks dung brazier soon had it cosy and warm. We played cards and by 4:30 p.m. the kerosene lamps were lit and dinner was being served. The woman who ran the lodge (the name for such people seems to be Didi) was brilliant with her baby, which never uttered a sound, strapped to her back under her coat. She managed to produce gorgeous food at amazing rate on one burner.
We played cards and talked for a while, but slowly after 7:30 p.m. people started to drift to bed. The dormitory was unheated and it was a cold, cold night. Getting into the sleeping bag was torture, but my hired down sleeping bag is great and I was soon snug and warm.
Due to my dehydration I drank gallons of hot lemon sugar water, encouraged by Robin who is envious of my ability to go through the night without having to get up to empty my bladder, a symptom of high altitude.
However this night he got his wish and 2:30 a.m. I found myself outside in long johns and t-shirt admiring the stars I've never seen so abundant or bright. Needless to say, I didn't stay out there too long as it was probably well below zero [I later found it was -15 degrees C that night]
[the height of Kala Pattar is a little disputed, but I am typing here from my diary and the heights given in Lonely Planet at the time - see link]
It was a worrying start with clouds down the valley. I wasn't in the best of moods because just after I've got to sleep people started getting up to arrive early at Gorek Shep to climb Kala Patar. Although they were quiet as could be expected, it was still impossible to sleep. I tend to be a person who likes and needs his sleep~~
 |
| Breakfast in the cold lodge (4930m) Gump, Cindy, Robin & Paul (L to R) |
Breakfast was pretty good and we packed and headed for Gorek Shep (5160m). The clouds cleared a bit and the first part of the walk was reasonably level following the broad Khumbu Valley. After resting by a huge boulder it was a gruelling climb up a steep hill and here we left Paul way behind. The altitude was affecting as all differently, the main problem being left short of breath and having to stop and pant on any strenuous uphill section.
 |
| Trail north to Gorak Shep |
The trail became very uneven as it went over an active glacial moraine. Usually the path was well defined, but occasionally had to look out for the cairns to find the way. We passed over fast flowing stream which was 20% ice. To freeze it must get very cold.
 |
| Looking down on the Khumbu Glacier on the way to Gorak Shep |
 |
| Kalar Pattar (our destination at 5545m) is the brown peak in the foreground with Pumori (7145m) towering and snow covered behind |
 |
| Partly frozen stream |
The last section was rocky making it hard to walk with any rhythm. Not that you could go for it anyway as after every four of five steps you felt dizzy and your head started pounding.
A few seconds rest cleared it and you could continue. The rest due to admire how high you’d come, but more importantly to look out at Everest, which became ever more and more in to view as you ascended. I wondered how on earth you would want climb so high, I was struggling enough at this height.
The top was not at all how I expected. I imagined a round peak, instead it's a rock jutting out with huge drops on either side. I was dizzy enough just from the altitude and didn't need vertigo to add to my head's problems. I stayed at the very top for less than ten seconds and then had to return a bit lower where I fely more secure. I wasn't concerned when more people coming up forced me down another metre so to an even safer position.
I stayed up there for about an hour admiring the views and taking photographs. There were a number of large crows who performed some amazing aerobatics as they waited for crumbs from the climbers. They got none of the Snickers bar Gump had thoughtfully brought up for each of us though. Never will chocolate be so welcome and taste so good again.
Nathan reach the summit soon after us and with him we walked along the ridge to the north. By the time I’d got to the end of the ridge I had a banging headache and was feeling quite nauseous. My stomach churned and I had to squat behind some rocks. The act of getting back up made my head swim, but thankfully the path down was short and sweet. The walk back across the sand and up a little hill to the lodge was perhaps on the 150m but felt like walking across the entire Sahara Desert.
I collapsed in the shade and returned a hat I’d found on the mountain to a 68 year old Englishman who with his wife had multiple sclerosis had also reach the summit that morning. They shamed me to make no comment on my pathetic state and after a few glasses of hot lemon water with sugar I felt better again. I was dehydrated which I had already realised as my symptoms had started on the descent meaning it was unlikely to be altitude sickness.
The British group who had met in Jiri turned up and I spoke to them for a while. They had seen Damien earlier in the day and he’d successfully made it to Lobuje.
The sun went behind a ridge at 3:30 p.m. and the temperature plummeted to probably below zero, so we huddled into the dining room where the yaks dung brazier soon had it cosy and warm. We played cards and by 4:30 p.m. the kerosene lamps were lit and dinner was being served. The woman who ran the lodge (the name for such people seems to be Didi) was brilliant with her baby, which never uttered a sound, strapped to her back under her coat. She managed to produce gorgeous food at amazing rate on one burner.
We played cards and talked for a while, but slowly after 7:30 p.m. people started to drift to bed. The dormitory was unheated and it was a cold, cold night. Getting into the sleeping bag was torture, but my hired down sleeping bag is great and I was soon snug and warm.
Due to my dehydration I drank gallons of hot lemon sugar water, encouraged by Robin who is envious of my ability to go through the night without having to get up to empty my bladder, a symptom of high altitude.
However this night he got his wish and 2:30 a.m. I found myself outside in long johns and t-shirt admiring the stars I've never seen so abundant or bright. Needless to say, I didn't stay out there too long as it was probably well below zero [I later found it was -15 degrees C that night]
