Everest Base Camp

Day 1 Friday 16 October

We woke at 4am to catch the 6am flight to Lukla. It's best to leave early as the weather tends to worsen as the day goes on. We boarded the 16 seater plane, managing to get seats on the left hand side which offer the views of the Himalayas. We were not disappointed, the scenery was spectacular and the flight very smooth. I knew though that Lukla is a difficult airport to land at, with a short, steep runway and upon descending, the wings are almost touching the mountains. I was therefore rather apprehensive as we started touching down! We arrived safely though and quickly behind us were three other flights, landing around a minute apart. Talking to a German couple in our lodge, it seems the next lot of flights due to depart at 7.30am from Kathmandu were delayed for two hours due to bad weather. They also told us their bag hadn't arrived in Kathmandu the day before on their plane and like us they had to go back to see if it turned up. Given the hundreds of bags lying around the airport, Im guessing this is a regular occurrence.

We trekked for a couple of hours, stopping frequently to take photos of the lush mountains and the many Buddhist shrines and prayer wheels along the way. We stopped for 'lunch' at 10.30am of fried noodles for Tony and veg curry for me in a little village called Thado Kosi. We then carried on for only another hour to our first stop, Sherpa Eco Lodge in Phakding (2640m). We were both very pleasantly surprised by the accommodation. We were expecting something very rustic with an outdoor squat toilet, but it's actually a lovely lodge that is reminiscent of a ski chalet, with views up the village and the mountains. We have our own room that is carpeted and we've pushed two single beds together. There is a western toilet down the corridor and a little sink. I guess my hands and nails won't be as dirty as they were on Kili. It's only 4.30pm but the room is freezing as the sun has disappeared, and I'm wearing a base layer and 2 mid layers!! Our trekking guide book warns us that this is probably the coldest and dampest place we'll stay on the 12 day trek.

As we arrived so early we decided to explore and headed up the mountain to a monastery we could see. It was a rather steep ascent and slightly disappointing to reach it 40 minutes later to find it had been significantly destroyed by the earthquake and they were in the midst of rebuilding. No doubt this is far more disappointing though for the monks who live there!

After heading back down to Phakding, knees aching, (not good on day one), we called into a German bakery and had apple pie and carrot cake to recuperate from our efforts.

I think it will be a very early night for us and I think I'll definitely sleep better. Whilst our hotel back in Kathmandu was fine; the dirt, dust or something else brought on massive sneezing fits every time I spent time in the room. Our room also overlooked the street and as such was only ever quiet after midnight before the shop shutters started opening again at 5am. Here it will probably only be the sound of the bells around the ox's necks that make a sound.

Day 2 Saturday 17th Oct

Today we've trekked 6hrs, including an hour for lunch in Jorsale, again at 10.30am, climbing 800m to arrive in Namche (3450m) at 2pm. Namche is a very large village set into the mountainside in a horse shoe shape. It has an Irish bar that promises good craic, serves Guinness and is showing the rugby World Cup. Not quite what we were expecting on the trek!

Before lunch the trek was pleasant, after lunch it was rather steep and tough on the legs and heart. Sitting on a truck for 8 weeks doing very little exercise, combined with drinking our body weight in red wine whilst in South Africa has done nothing for our fitness!

The views along the way have helped. The skies have been clear blue allowing glimpses of Everest (8848m) as well as other peaks including the sacred mountain that no one is allowed to climb; Mt Khumbi Yul Lha (5765m). From Namche we can also see Mt Kongde (6086m).

We've crossed the Dudh Kosi, translated as 'milky river', several times using the metal suspension bridges, the water raging hundred metres or so below. There have been many tea houses and lodges along the way and we're starting to recognise the same groups of trekkers. There is a large group of Spanish people who are raising money for Himalayan schools. Amongst their group is a famous Spanish mountaineer who has climbed Everest and all the other peaks over 8000m, whilst over the age of 65!!! He's now 76 and I swear he doesn't look a day over 60!

As we've passed through several villages, the devastation that the earthquake caused is apparent. Many lodges and homes were completely destroyed and in their place stands piles of rubble. Many are being rebuilt by hand, often using the same stone that the original was constructed from. Men are chipping away at them to turn them into rectangular bricks. There is also evidence of the huge landslides that the quake caused. It is amazing just how much has been rebuilt and paths repaired in the six months since the disaster.

Our lodge for tonight is Sona Lodge, staying in another little wooden room that reminds us of the bunkhouse we stay at in the Lakes. We have amazing views. We stay here for two nights to aid acclimatisation, taking a trek tomorrow up to 3840m and sleeping lower.

Only two days into the trek I think we've come to realise that it's not as basic as we were expecting. The lodges have electricity- guess we didn't need to buy those 8 batteries for our head torch, hot showers available for around £2, wifi £1.50 for an hour and you can charge your phone and batteries for less than £2. We didn't however bring our chargers so we'll run out of battery around 6 days in. Oh well. We're also not going to go hungry. We came prepared with a fair bit of food; a tub of peanut butter, 20 peanut cookies, 16 muesli bars, 500g Haribo and 250g toblerone. Not sure we will need it. Our dal bhat thali for dinner last night was quite filling. The dhal bhat or lentil soup, was served with a huge plate of rice, veg curry, a side of spinach and a popadom. Tony then had seconds. The tea houses along the way sell chocolate, breads and home made cakes, the area being known for fresh apple pie.

Breakfast wasn't so good. Sweet scrambled egg- who on earth eats sweet scrambled eggs??? It was disgusting!!

Sat at dinner next to a Chinese man slurping away very loudly on his soup. The sound goes through me. Tony is laughing telling me to get used to it, we have several weeks in China ahead of us!

Day 3 Sunday 18 October

Our three month anniversary and we spent it sipping tea and hot chocolate looking out at Mt Everest and other Himalayan peaks from the terrace at the Everest View Hotel (3880m). There are worse places we could spend it!

It was an early start this morn, waking to see the first bit of sunlight changing the colour of Mountains. At 6.25 LB came up to our room asking if we were awake, talking in a very loud voice. We'd been tiptoeing around and whispering so as not to wake our neighbours. I'm writing this at dinner, another Nepalese guide is on the phone talking very loudly. I'm not sure being quiet is the norm for the Nepalese.

After a breakfast of porridge for Tony and Tibetan bread for me- far better than yesterday's scrambled egg, we thought we were heading straight out walking hence the early start. Nope, we went to the visitor centre at 7am. It opens at 8!!

The viewpoint at the visitor centre allows amazing 360degree panoramic views and the hour wait allowed us to take photos of Everest and Ama Dablam unobstructed by clouds. Being the only ones there in the freezing cold also meant it was lovely and peaceful, although the trail and lodges in general are actually far quieter than we were expecting.

Outside the visitor centre is a bronze statue of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa that helped Sir Edmond Hilary reach the top of Everest. If it wasn't for the Sherpas, many would never get to the top.

'Everest' is actually only known as this in the West. It is called Sagamartha by the Nepalese, and prior to this was called Tscoumoulancma or other variations of this name. Roughly translated it means 'mother goddess of the world'.

The visitor centre explained why it had been named Everest. The Surveyor General in India, Andrew Waugh, when completing the surveying of the Himalayan peaks in 1865, decided to rename peak XV after his predecessor, Sir George Everest. It's the only peak in the Himalayas to be named after someone. We also saw the original climbing gear that Hilary wore when ascending Everest. I think the outfits worn now are probably a bit more technical!

After an hour and a half in the visitor centre and museum we set off up the very steep hill to the Everest View Hotel. My legs and lungs were killing me. After having tea and hot chocolate and taking some fab photos we set off for lunch in the nearby village of Kumjung, stopping to see the school founded by Edmond Hilary. After lunch we visited the monastery, established in 1831. It houses an alleged yeti skull in a glass case with the story of how it got there. I'm not convinced.

When we arrived back in Namche we actually had a hot shower and went out for hot chocolate and apple pie at the German bakery that offers free wifi. This trek really is far different to our Kili experience and from what we were expecting. We also bought Marmot 'his and hers' down jackets. For £30 each I hardly think they are the real deal. We think we'll need them when we are sleeping above 5000m when the evening temperature will probably be around -10, the same as what Beijing will be in December when we arrive!

Day 5 Tuesday 20 October

We've just arrived at Valley View Lodge in Dingboche (4350m). It's very cold, you can tell we are getting higher up. The lodge seems more basic than the previous few nights, perhaps because it's colder. Whilst it has a western toilet that your pour water down to flush, we haven't yet found a sink to wash hands or brush teeth. Wet wipes and antibacterial hand wash it is then!

We've trekked up from Tengboche (3850m) which is a very small village with only a few lodges. It's been a leisurely six hour trek with a gradual ascent. We saw very few other people along the way and it was silent in places. We stopped almost an hour for lunch in Shomare (late today at 11am. LB had asked if we wanted to take it at a previous village at 9.55am but we declined) and took frequent photo stops as the scenery has been lovely. In places you could see as many as ten snowy Himalayan peaks against blue skies; in front, to the east, and to the west of where we were stood.

This morning we got up at 6am to visit the famous Tengboche monastery. We sat in on the monks praying for fifty minutes or so, listening to them chant their prayers. In places they clashed cymbals, banged drums and blew trumpets. You wouldn't get a lie in, in this village!

I would like to say that the soothing meditative chanting offered a spiritual experience. However, the constant loud sniffing, clearing of throats and coughing kind of spoilt that ambience. It was still a privilege to have been allowed to sit in though.

The views at that time of morning were fab as there were mountains on three sides of the village-which also meant it was very cold and frosty as the sunlight hadn't yet managed to peek through.

Yesterday when we arrived in the village after a rather gruelling hour and a half steep ascent from our lunch stop, we visited the bakery next to our lodge for lavazza coffee and apple pie before retiring to the lovely and warm lounge thanks to the wood burner. This section of the trail will be a killer on the knees when we return from base camp. Steep descents followed by a rocky steep ascent once we cross the river.

The porters that we see are superhuman. We've hired a guide and porter and I felt guilty giving him a rucksack weighing about 14kg plus two sleeping bags. Some others working for the larger trekking companies are carrying two huge rucksacks weighing in around 40kg and those who are ferrying building materials up the valley, whether it be corrugated iron for roofs, several doors or timber for windows, can be carrying up to 190kg!! Ratna, our porter probably feels very grateful.

The Chinese/Japanese man from Namche was staying in the same place and once again we listened to him slurping his noodles.

We arrive at our simple lodges very early-sometimes as early as 1pm, today it was 2. There is very little to do in the villages and as its getting colder, it isn't so pleasant to rest in our room. Plus, we're already going to bed at 8pm so if we sleep in the afternoon, we'll struggle to sleep through the night. We're already waking at 10pm thinking it must be around 4am!

Day 6 Wednesday 21 October

Jeez, it really was cold this morn until the sun came up. I didn't want to get out of bed as I could see my hot breath against the cold air in our room. When the sun did come up though it was quite pleasant although it's far too cold to wear less than a base layer and mid layer now when trekking, and when we stop, I need to put on a fleece, plus wear two pairs of gloves.

Today is our 'rest' day in Dingboche. I say rest, we actually trekked up to 5100m to the top of Nangkartshang Peak. It was steep going and tough in parts. Headaches have been coming and going, Tony felt a bit nauseous and just before we reached the top of the peak, I started to feel a bit woozy and the pins and needles had started in my hands. I was a bit worried that this was it, the altitude sickness was going to kick in as it was around this height on Kili that it happened. Thankfully the feeling disappeared almost as quick as it came. It's a relief knowing I've been ok at 5100m as base camp is only 5360m and Kalapatter is 5554m. Taking longer to acclimatise certainly seems to have helped.

The scenery on the way up and at the top was beautiful. We were surrounded by at least 16 peaks that I counted and almost felt like we were up amongst them even though several were over 8000m! We could see three which were over 8000m and there are only fourteen in the world!! These were Everest 8848m, Lhotse 8501m and Makalu 8475m being the first, forth and fifth highest in the world. On the way back down we'd round a corner and we'd be confronted by even more such as Island Peak and Peak 38. I'm starting to harbour a desire to climb Island Peak at 6173m although it's a technical climb once you get past high camp. Maybe in the future after some training!!

On the way back down we met a bloke from the UK who has been in Nepal for six weeks already helping rebuild in one of the villages in North East Nepal where there has been significant devastation from the earthquake as this was closer to the epicentre. He was spending 3-4 weeks trekking around the Himalayas. We wish that we had added on more time so we could do the Gokyo valley as the views from here, reflected in the lake are meant to be stunning.

We arrived back at Valley View just after 12.30 and after lunch decided to walk to Himalaya Cafe further down in the village. At this altitude in absolute remote villages, they have amazing coffee machines making really good latte's!! Better than what I often get at home! The cafe has a book swap, wifi and was playing Eric Clapton, a far nicer place to hangout than our lodge, even if there were three Chinese blokes that came in and started deep sniffing and then regurgitating the phlegm! Ugh.

Day 7 Thursday 22 October

A mouse! That's what kept me awake last night as it scurried around our room. I'd heard it the night before but didn't think too much of it and must then have fallen asleep. Last night however I woke Tony up when I heard the noise and after flashing the head torch around a bit, the little thing was seen running under the beds. I had to get up to zip all our bags up as I was worried about it making a nest where it was warm. Well, I was mainly worried about it eating our peanut cookies and toblerone!

This morning due to a lack of sleep for two nights, I was shattered so I'm glad it was a relatively easy few hours walk up to Labouche at 4900m. We stopped for hot chocolate in Thuklha where we experienced the worst toilet of the trek yet. It didn't smell as bad as some of those on Kili but it wasn't a long drop squat and as such you could see everything that people had deposited before you, just centimetres below. Not pleasant!

After Thuklha we traversed the many switch backs leading to the top of the pass where there are several memorials for those who have lost their lives on Everest. Some of them were as young as 28.

We're now staying at Peak XV lodge, our room felt quite warm when we arrived although we're now huddled in our thermals, in sleeping bags with a down blanket on top and it's still a little chilly and it's only 2pm.

It's started to snow outside! Hopefully the clouds will clear for tomorrow morning as we head to Gorak Shep and then to base camp after lunch. Base camp doesn't offer any amazing views, isn't meant to be easy underfoot and there will be no camps there as mountaineering season is April/May. We are really only going to say we've been. The better views will come the day after when we head to Kala Pattar.

The clouds came in pretty early today, obscuring many of the mountains behind us. We could still see several in front of us though as the sky was clear up ahead. The views we did have were most definitely impressive!

I felt fine all day and as soon as we arrived at the lodge I started feeling the effects of altitude and didn't feel 100% with a pounding head and feeling slightly out of it. Tony too had a throbbing headache. A couple of ibuprofen and a bowl of garlic soup as LB suggested has worked a treat and we both feel much better.

We retired to our room to rest and when we came down at 5, the lodge was full with a group of twenty two Indians. They decided that they would do an icebreaker session of sorts and say something about themselves. Bit bizarre given this is also day 7 for them! You would imagine that each person would take around five minutes. Nope. Three hours later they were still going with one bloke having talked about himself for an hour and a half and not even stopping when their dinner was served up. We learnt all about their education, their major achievements, their family, their time in the army, you name it. At 7 o clock another lady that was staying said she couldn't take any more and went to her room. We lasted until 8pm although I was losing the will to live.

I asked LB if he knew where they were staying the next night. He smiled and answered 'a different lodge to us'. Phew. I do wonder why we have never managed to end up in a lodge with any of the people we've met along the way and always seem to be with German tour groups. It makes the nights drag that little bit longer as we keep reading the Nepal book, the Everest region trekking book and play the one game of cards we know.

Day 8 Friday 23 October

Everest Base Camp.

We made it! We both felt absolutely atrocious when we arrived in Gorak Shep (5180m) for lunch after taking two and a half hours to get here from Lobuche. Mike, who we had met when climbing Nangkartshang Peak turned up at our lodge and so we had lunch with him. He too felt pretty rubbish and he told us he'd had to leave his guide back in Labuche due to altitude sickness. We had garlic soup, veg fried noodles and mint tea-the staple lunch. We then started to feel a little better although my head was still absolutely pounding. At 12 o clock we set out for EBC. The clouds had come in and so not all the mountains were playing out but the views en route were still pretty cool as we could see just how much snow snd ice there is up on mountains as we were right next to them, separated only by the Khumbu glacier which is littered with rocks, hence why it isn't retreating as fast as one may expect with global warming. We also witnessed a little avalanche on the opposite side of the glacier.

The trek to base camp was up and down over boulders and down scree in places so not the easiest. The headache didn't disappear and we both felt shattered so although it was only a 200m ascent, it was tough going. We bumped into the British guy who now lives in NZ and he was saying to go back to Lobuche if the headache didn't disappear. People here seem to view AMS far more seriously than when we did Kili and several when we have told them about summit night, were amazed that the guide didn't take me down and actually feel this was really risky. It made me realise once again that when trekking at these altitudes you often put your life in someone else's hands when really you should take control of the situation yourself.

Thankfully we did start to feel better and arrived at base camp to find our friends from last nights lodge hogging the EBC sign. Several other trekkers complained about them spending over an hour in front of this too, not giving others the chance to take photos. We managed to squeeze in & get several photos here and right next to the Khumbu ice fall-the famous glacier that needs to be traversed before heading onwards to the higher Everest camps used when aiming for the summit. Several men and women have lost their lives here.

We had bought some prayer flags when in Kathmandu and we tied them to others left at EBC, ours in memory of those who lost their lives in the earthquake earlier this year.

On the way back to Gorak Shep we heard another avalanche and turned around to see snow tumbling down towards the Khumbu ice fall. It's easy to see how lives are lost when summiting these mountains.

Towards our lodge the snow started falling and progressively got heavier once we'd reached home for the night . We were scared it would continue and we'd get snowed in here. Thankfully it's stopped but it will freeze overnight making it more difficult underfoot tomorrow if we head up to Kala Patter. I say 'if' as neither of us has any desire to brave the -10 temperature at 4.30am to get up there for sunrise. Plus, Tony really wasn't well when we returned to the lodge and if he's not feeling better tomorrow it will be safer to start descending. If he is ok, the weather is fine and the snow starts melting we may start heading up at 7am as the vistas are meant to be fab. It will be a long day though with us not likely to reach Pheriche for the night until 6.30pmish, just as it starts getting dark. Thankfully after that we only have two more nights of roughing it on the mountains. I can't take much more of this cold. Our room is too cold to even spend five minutes in if we are not in our sleeping bags!

Day 9 Saturday 24 October Kala Pattar

Well, we got up at 5:50 and set off for Kala Pattar (5555m) at 6:45am. Neither of us had slept as due to altitude your breathing goes funny so that it is really shallow for several seconds and then there is almost a huge gasp for breath. We spent the night listening to each other's breath and asking if the other was still alive!

Within ten minutes of setting off my camel back had frozen and ten minutes after that I couldn't feel my hands or feet. We witnessed another avalanche, the largest we've seen yet coming down the Nuptse glacier onto the Khumbu glacier. Ten minutes after that I didn't care what we saw as I was just too cold. Memories of Kili came back. Thank god we had said we wouldn't leave at 4:30.

The views when we did get there, and by this point the sun had just reached the mountain so both I and my breakfast bar were defrosting, were amazing and it was worth the two hour steep slog uphill. You could turn 360degrees and see mountains everywhere, close to you. Beyond the main mountains were even more peaks that you could see.

The descent down to Pheriche hasn't been too bad. We stopped for breakfast back in Gorak Shep after coming down from Kala Pattar, had lunch in Lobuche, tea in Thukla and arrived at Mt Kailash Lodge at 4.15pm. Sooner than we anticipated. This is the worst place we've stayed yet, which considering where we are, still isn't that bad. It advertises clean western toilet, we've not yet found it. The only toilet is the squat in the out block where the rooms are so we get cold when going from the lounge. There is no sink for hand washing or teeth brushing and there is no atmosphere. And it smells funny.... Or Tony does. It is a week since we've had a shower! Roll on Namche tomorrow for the German bakery and hot shower.

Day 11 Monday 26 October

Lukla. Back where it all began. Sat in Starbucks.... Well, I doubt it's an authentic Starbucks but that's what the sign says. A very good copy too and they even sell 'Starbucks Lukla' mugs. Today has been seven and a half hours of descending, ascending, descending, ascending. My knee gave way yesterday an hour before we got to Namche so it's been pretty slow and painful at times. But we made it. Everest Base Camp. Done.

As a nice surprise LB has booked us a double bed and en-suite toilet and sink! Luxury. Although there are no lights getting to the property or in the bathroom so getting around is a little challenging.

I'd forgotten how many houses and lodges were devastated by the earthquake and walking through villages today, was reminded how resilient and hard working the Nepalese are. They have made massive progress re-building, by hand, in just nine days since we last walked past them. We've been stuck behind several trains of yaks and mules carrying things up the mountain. We've also passed dozens of porters carrying boxes of San Miguel which was brought up from Kathmandu on a cargo plane. They were walking much faster than us! One porter coming down the mountain was carrying two huge rucksacks on his back and in his hands was holding a cardboard box..... with a puppy inside. It kept popping its head up, probably thinking 'nah, I can't be bothered walking'. So cute.

Yesterday when we arrived in Namche we did exactly as we planned and went for apple pie and coffee at the German bakery and after dinner, headed out to the Irish bar to watch the rugby. Unfortunately no one had realised the clocks have gone back in the UK so the rugby didn't start until 9.45pm and not 8.45 as advertised. We couldn't stay any longer as the smoke levels were killing us. It struck me as odd that a bar in the Himalayas, mainly frequented by trekkers who are generally healthy, could smoke so many cigarettes and Sheesha. Tony has developed a sore throat, no doubt as a result of it.

We've loved our trek to base camp and would like to come back in the future to explore different areas of the Himalayas.