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10 June - Shigatse to Rongupuk ( near Everest base camp)(ECB)
We leave the hotel at 8.00 am & start the trip to ECB. It's a stunning day, about 15 degrees & not a cloud to be seen. We have our thermals at the ready for later.
The barren plateau is covered with a blue heather like shrubbery which is picked & dried for burning in the temples/monasteries. As we go west the villages become increasingly traditional & again, it's like taking a step back in history. The valleys are cultivated in barley. The fields are ploughed by horse& plough, the mode of transport between villages is horse & cart. The fields are watered via irrigation channels taken from the river. We see piles of yak dung being made into round pats & popped up to dry on the walls surrounding the houses.
The weather has obliged & is beautiful. After lunch we drive some more, turning off the main highway for 5 hour drive over the worst road I have ever been on. It climbs its way up the barren hillside twisting & turning switchbacks. It's a dirt road and very rutted & rocky. The one thing I notice about the way the roads, buildings, in fact every concrete structure is built here is using what ever sand and rocks that are around and I do wonder about the methods used to build because it seems that no sooner than buildings & roads are finished than they need maintenance.
We crest the pass at 5100m and stop to admire Mount Everest in all its glory. The sight is sensational and worth having to fight off the locals determined to sell you something. We bump our way along until we reach the Camp where we will be sleeping. It's tent town, we settle into our shared accommodation & watch the sunset on Mt Everest. It's totally barren and sadly full of litter. There are huge rubbish containers provided but they don't seem to be used.
Also the toilets are unusable so the river bank had to suffice. Our landlady made us fried rice for dinner and lit the yak dung fire which warmed up the place nicely. It's not as cold here as it was at Namatso lake. Eventually we all settle down to sleep, we have an early start to walk the 4 kilometres to the Base Camp. A few of us, myself included have been really feeling the altitude & have bad headaches & dizziness. The dryness & lack of oxygen makes it difficult to breath.
- comments
Fiona Cavanagh Amazing pic...could be central North Island. Terrain similar to Ruapehu climb! Love love your stories. xx