Everest Base Camp Adventure – Part 5

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Tengboche to Dingboche

It is Freezing!
Morning came too quickly today on the Tengboche leg of the EBC Trek.

We had our first fitful nights sleep on our Mount Everest Base Camp Adventure.  The temperature easily dipped down to -10 Celcius and our plywood walls didn’t offer a lot of comfort.

Dave Freezing even in his sleeping bag!

We tossed and turned all night long.  For some reason neither of us can make it through the night without a trip or two to the toilet when we are at altitude.

At this guest house, we had to walk outside and down the stairs in the dark to find the squat toilet.  The floor is quite slippery as the water from the scoop bucket is all over the floor and frozen solid.  Just trying to pee can be an adventure at Everest.

We realized that we should have paid the 250 Rupees for a hot shower at Namche Bazaar on day 3 because now the weather is so cold there is no way we can face a bucket bath in a freezing shed. Looks like it is going to be a new record for Dave and I.

9 Days without a shower.

Thank God for handy wipes.  At least everyone equally smells bad on the Everest trek. But it doesn’t matter, we are all bundled up in many layers to smother the scent.

Helicopter makes a rescue near Namche

Other then the stink and trips to the loo, we are adjusting well to the altitude of 4300 metres.
We have already talked to two people whose companions have had to go back down due to symptoms of altitude sickness (AMS) and we saw one rescue helicopter go by. We have heard stories and rumours of people being choppered out regularly.

What is this Everest Base Camp Trek that we decided to do?

Are we nuts?

We heard from Herman, from Norway about a family that had to be rescued by helicopter.  $6000 later and they were safely down at a lower altitude and feeling better.

Luckily, we don’t feel in any danger at this point.
The trails are excellent and we take it slow and steady each day.

The Himalayas tower over the valley

Treats and Drugs

We have added Tang to our water to make it more desirable to drink which is keeping us well hydrated and we are also taking our Diamox tablets.  We have met so many people suffering from headaches, dizziness and fatigue and they are not taking anything. We have always used Diamox when climbing to altitude and it has worked beautifully for us.

Mount Everest is no exception.

We also have our trusty supply of Advil and Aleve. Body aches and pains have popped up from carrying our backpacks.  The old shoulders are a little stiff each evening and the beds aren’t the most comfortable, so a little ibuprofen has helped to take the edge off.

Oh and chocolate soothes any pain. Lot’s of chocolate.

Trying to stay warm around the Yak Dung stove!

As we sit around our wood stove…err…Yak Dung Stove we enjoy talking about hockey with Martin and Richard from Slovakia. We have spent the past two night with them and Lillian, a great lady that splits her time between her home land of Bali and Los Angeles.

Each guest house on the EBC Trek has been quiet and comfortable with only one to two other parties climbing.  We have been lucky, we only see a dozen or so people on the trail each day and the Yak Trains have been few and far between.  In a couple of weeks that all with change though.  Our encounter with the Intrepid and Gap tour earlier, tells us that we are only one step ahead of the crowds.  The Everest Base Camp Trek is about to be in full swing and we made it here in the nick of time.

The trek from Tengboche is Breathtaking (in more than one way )

Everest looms in front of us as we leave Tengboche

The snow from the night before made for more incredible views. As we start out from the lodge, the sky is crisp and clear showing Mount Everest in all it’s glory.  It is stunning, and between pants we admire the view.

I conquered what little fear of heights I had left this day.  Some of the narrow paths drop sharply into the deep valley below.  Soon we found ourselves walking along the ledge not thinking about the dangers below.

Yak trains start to crowd the path!

Woolly Yak trains were becoming more frequent and we had our system perfected to give them the right of way without nudging us off the mountain.

It was after a tea stop in Pangboche that we met Yangshou.  A sweet lady that walked with us all the way to Dingboche.  She waited for us as we struggled up hills and crossed suspension bridges.

Deb and our friend Yangshou!

Her cute laugh and quiet prayers helped to pass the time.  She would stop and talk to everyone on the trail while we plugged along. She would fall behind as she stayed back to chat with friends, only to catch up to us quickly and then scoot by with ease. Then she would wait on a ledge higher up until caught up.  She must have enjoyed our company because we really slowed her down.

When we got to Dingboche, we parted ways and never saw her again.

Yangzhou, we will always remember your smiling face when we think of our time on Everest.

More Posts on Everest Base Camp Trekking

• Everest Base Camp Aventure – Part 7
• Everest Base Camp Adventure – Part 6
• Everest Base Camp Adventure – Part 4
• Everest Base Camp Adventure – Part 3
• Everest Base Camp Adventure- Part 2
• Everest Base Camp Adventure – Day 1
• Everest Base Camp Adventure – The Arrival
• Packing List for Everest Base Camp Trek