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Mount Everest Summit of Asia 8,848 meters (29,028 feet)* *Note the National Geographic Society has determined the height as being 29,035 feet scroll down to see where I am The tip of Mount Everest is the highest point on the entire planet, soaring 29,035 ft above the border of Nepal and Tibet. That height is enough to thrust the mountain up into the powerful winds of the jet stream. At the peak, wind speeds sometimes exceed 400 km/h.In Nepal, Everest is called Sagarmatha, 'goddess of the sky', while in Tibet, its known as Chomolungma, 'goddess mother of the world'. Westerners, however, originally gave Everest the rather uninspired name Peak XV. It was only after a carefully undertaken 1852 survey established it as the highest mountain on Earth, that it was renamed in honor of British surveyor Sir George Everest. Since then Everest has become a Mecca for mountaineers of all stripes and nationalities. Sir Edmond Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach the top in 1953.
Besides the
weather and the constant walking and hauling gear, one of the most
difficult aspects of the trek to Everest is the altitude.
It even affects
the length of the trip - you have to go slowly to acclimatize to the
increase in elevation.
The hike is roughly 80 km (about 50 miles), but the climb covers about 2,500 m (or 8,200 feet) of elevation. At Base Camp, an altitude of about 5300 m, the air is significantly thinner than it is at sea level - thin enough to make flying in by helicopter both difficult and dangerous. By starting low then walking up slowly, climbers give their bodies time to adapt to the low oxygen conditions.
Kathmandu Nepal is a very spiritual country where Hinduism and Buddhism have become intermingled in a way that is often impossible for the visitor to understand. The old parts of the towns of the Kathmandu Valley are packed with extraordinary temples and shrines that reflect this complex system of religious beliefs. Boudlhanath Stupa (a stupa is a sacred Buddhist shrine)
The eyes signify the "all seeing Buddha"
These ageing buildings and monuments are dedicated to a
plethora of gods and goddesses.
They are still used by the many people of the Kathmandu Valley towns who
worship as
part of their everyday lives.
Pashupatinath Stupa
Swayambhunath Stupa
(also called "The
Monkey Temple")
it's
called the monkey temple because of the hundreds of monkeys that hang
around and live there.
They are allowed a free rein because of the religious belief that monkeys
are an
incarnation of Hindu god Hanuman.
Swayambhunath Stupa is the most ancient and mysterious of all the holy
shrines in Kathmandu valley.
The site is 2,500 years old.
The "all seeing eyes"
A one hour flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and the rest is all walking
!
Lukla airstrip
Mountain on one side, steep cliff on the other..... NOT for
the nervous flier!
When we leave Lukla, We head downhill to phakding
Mani stones and prayer flags are encountered between Lukla and Phakding. Tibetan characters mark these stones. Mani stones should be passed to the left. We camp for the night in Phakding on the Dudh Kosi River
Day 6, March 23 In the morning we cross the Dudh Kosi River on our hike to Namche Bazaar.
The Dudh Kosi River is also known as "The Milk River" because of it's milky appearance caused by glacial sediment in the water. The Khumbu Glacier melts at a height of 17,500' (just above base camp) creating the source of the Dudh Kosi river.The Dudh Kosi is the highest river in the world. Some of these bridges are well made....some are old and scary. Even the Yaks have to cross these bridges Namche Bazaar 11,300' 
The Village of Namche Bazzar is the "capital" of the Khumbu region. It's name comes from the Bazzar held on Sundays. The major area trading center where Nepalese and Tibetan traders exchange Salt, Dried Meat, Textiles, Gold and anything else one has to trade. Namche has shops, lodges, a bank, and even a dentist's office. Day 7, March 24 We take an acclimation day in Namche and go exploring the village, markets and see the Sherpa museum. Day 8, March 25 Day hike to the village of Khumjung, which has the only school in the valley, it is a traditional Sherpa village. Its economy is based on potatoes, barley and now, trekking. We also hike to the village of KhundeDay 9, March 26 Today we climb to Tengboche (12,700'). Beautiful views of Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam At the end of the day, we climb down to Deboche for better camping in the forest. 
Camping in a Yak pasture Monday and Tuesday in Deboche (March 26th & 27th) Day 10, March 27 Another acclimation day in the Tengboche area. We'll visit the monastery, attend ceremonies and generally hang around getting used to the altitude. 
The monastery was originally finished in 1919, but was rebuilt following
an
earthquake in 1934 and most recently an electrical fire in 1989. It
houses 50 to 60 monks.
Mt. Everest and Lhotse from Tengboche
The red roofs in the foreground are part of the monastery.
Day 11, March 28
Today we hike through Pangboche to Dingboche
(14,450')
We'll follow the river to a large Sherpa village at the foot of Ama
Dablam.
Ama Dablam, the most distinctive mountain in the Everest region,
is named for its resemblance to a mother with outstretched arms.
Here it is seen from near lower Pangboche.
Dingboche as seen from across the Dudh Kosi river
Day 12, March 29 Acclimation day in Dingboche. Today we hike up the Imja Khola valley to the village of Chukung.
Chukung
Day 13, March 30 Today we climb higher to Lobuche at 16,000' The trail we hike takes us through the Sherpa memorial
This is a memorial for the Sherpas that have died on mount Everest, The hill in the background is a Terminal Moraine, sounds technical right? Glaciers scrape and push dirt and rocks as they move down mountains and when the glacier stops and retreats (or melts), the debris that has been pushed by the front edge of the ice stops and a long pile of dirt and rocks is left behind, this is a Terminal Moraine. This particular Terminal Moraine is from the Khumba Glacier. I'm told that the trail should be snow covered from here on to base camp. Day 14, March 31 Acclimation and rest day today in Lobuche. There are many day hikes to chose from in this area. Day 15, April 1 Today we hike over glacial moraine to Gorak Shep. This hike is over rugged ground and the trail is rocky. Gorak Shep 17,000'
Gorak Shep is the highest village on the Everest Trek.
The 18,300 foot hill Kala Pattar is beyond the dry lake.
The snow-covered Pumori rises in the distance.
The dry lakebed is fine white sand, we crossed it to climb Kala Pattar
Day 16, April 2
Hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp today!
If I run, I can be there before lunch....just kiddin'.....nobody runs at
this altitude!
Arrived at base camp
Base Camp, Home for 2 months!
Talk about cold!
click for Base Camp weather
Day 17, April 3 I asked Mikala, the fastest Yak up here if she would run down the mountain and drop my photos in a mailbox, she said "sure", So she is on her way down to civilization with my photos. sending them through the satellite is taking far too long and the connection keeps getting broken and I have to start all over sending them. When a fellow climber, Alan Arnette, heard I was having trouble with my photos, he happily agreed to let me use his until mine get back home. Please visit his website as his photography is spectacular.
The Khumba Ice Fall (18,000 ft-21,000 ft) 3000 vertical feet of broken glacier, a world that you just can't believe exists. Precipitous drops, tottering ice blocks as big as houses and impossibly deep crevasses, all of blue bullet proof ice. A spectacular but treacherous horror-chamber of bottomless crevasses, seracs and ice blocks. Chunks of ice as large as houses lie among freestanding ice walls up to 30 ft high . These are negotiated with the aid of aid of fixed ropes and aluminum ladders. The ice-fall is an ever-changing maze and is maintained daily by 'the ice fall doctors' to maximize safety. Our Route up and over the Khumba Ice Fall 
photo by Alan Arnette
To give you an idea of the size of the icefall
photo by Alan Arnette
the little black dots in the center are climbers!
This is the very bottom of the icefall
photo by Alan Arnette
looks like an easy day on a nice snow covered
trail......NOT!
These are the first ladders we
encountered on our first
trek through the icefall
I don't think I'm going to like ladders when I get home!
photo by Alan Arnette
climbing through the icefall at dawn
photo by Alan Arnette
first we go up,
photo by Alan Arnette
and up some more,
These ice blocks are huge!
photo by Alan Arnette< |
