Tom: Everest Base Camp (July 10)

Everest Base Camp (July 10) · Jul 15, 10:52 AM

The downstairs shower I mentioned? Nasty. The girls were out as fast as they could and Mikael stole into a bath attached to a neighboring and empty double. Afterwards, Shawna and Adele and I ate stale steamed bread and rice porridge at a Chinese place down the street. They eat amazingly little.

Breakfast was over-priced but still cheap in absolute terms. Food and water for the trip to base camp was not. We left in a caravan of three vehicles at ten. We stopped for lunch at a Tibetan guesthouse in a rural village, but the menu handed us was largely Chinese. The drivers are sipping on yak-butter tea. We ate and wandered before leaving. Between lunch and arrival at our destination — the gateway to the Mount Everest Base Camp we stopped only for smoking breaks (the drivers) and pee breaks (everyone). These high mountain grasslands with herds and farmland gave way to arid alpine hills and mountains as we climbed. At the Rongphu Monastery — the closest to Base Camp our vehicles could take us — our car and the two Americans elected to hike up to Base Camp and spend the night at whatever accommodations we might find. It was a two hour walk up a glacial runoff valley on smoothly-graded and switch-backed road. We cut off some of the switchbacks with a little extra effort, and the three Canadians left me to the final level stretch, themselves opting for an offroad route through the hills past wildlife and ruins. The Americans were half an hour ahead of us.

The path is only seven kilometers, level or lightly graded the sun, the cold wind, and the rare atmosphere at 5200 meters arduates the hike. But we make it in about three hours, including a couple breath-catching breaks. The four from the third car that are staying down at the monastery guesthouse took a donkey cart up, and are departing base camp just as we’re arriving. Emmarie and Julie pick out a dark yak-wool covered guesthouse from the dozens set up. It’s warmer than the white canvas guesthouse Shawna, Adele, Mikael, and myself settle into, but also darker. I’m unhappy at not all being in one place — Mikael prefers the chosen arrangement — but only at first. No point in choosing to unenjoy this evening. Anyhow, the tent warms up once the sheep pellet stove gets going and a couple locals show up to hang out. A glass of beer helps. A second glass helps more. And after two bottles, Mikael gets himself tucked in and falls into a deep sleep just as the party is picking up. Nepalese guides and camp locals are hanging out with us. Earlier, they had me dancing to decent Nepalese techno — and no, you don’t get to see the pictures.

I had an instant noodle bowl between my first and second glasses of beer, so I’m not knocked out, just heavily buzzed. It’s a good night, and a late one. When the night is finally called, we are bundled under yak and wool blankets on the couches around the perimeter of the large rectangular guesthouse. The woman who runs this one is also here, and she’s locked us in for the night. I will sleep very horribly tonight — not that I know it, yet.

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http://tom.spacing-guild.net/2006/07/15/shigatse-july-11

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