on the Kumbu Glacier to the left (centre of shot below the peak) - you really have to zoom in to spot them (and you can also see some tents higher up as well)
It's a lot easier running down it than running up it, believe me. Much less chance of your head exploding!
Hellbells - no doubt you've been picking up tips on how to prepare but my best piece of advice is to spend as much money as you can on a sleeping bag with down. It gets chuffin' cold up there at night! (Worth it though.)
Thanks PhilPub. I'm hoping that the down sleeping bag bought and used on for a Kilmanjaro trip will do the job. Any other advice, if you don't mind me asking?
Yeah, the mattar paneer at the Kathmandu Guesthouse is the best I've ever tasted.
Make sure your walking boots are well tried and tested for walking up AND down for long periods of time. On any one day there will be both up and down (it's by no means a gradual ascent), but whilst it will take a fair few days to get up to base camp, you can scuttle back down again in about three (we did anyway), and the only problem I had with blisters was on the last day, covering a fair few miles mainly flat or downhill, back to Lukla.
Also, we didn't actually go to base camp itself, but made the detour to the summit of Kala Pattar, which is a little higher up (5545m) and has an absolutely stunning 360 degree panorama, and is also the classic vantage point for Everest pics:
If you can do both, great, but otherwise head for Kala Pattar.
Awesome photos, DTES and PhilPub! And thank you for the advice. The trek I'm doing includes Gokyo Ri and goes over the Cho La pass then on to Kala Pattar and Base camp, so as long as we have good weather we should get to fit lots in.
Good point about the boots, thanks. I need to get more walking in in the next couple of months!
Wow, DTES, Philpub and Hellsbells...I'm deeply jealous! I've spent my life climbing in Scotland, amongst some spectacular mountain scenery. Then I went skiing in the Alps for the first time a couple of years ago. I felt that I was seeing 'proper' mountains for the first time...jawdropping. I can only imagine that the Himalaya are incrementally more stunning on the next level. Everest base camp is on my bucket list, along with the Eiger (just to visit, mind, not climb...I'm not suicidal. But then, if it was a bucket list, ye'd have nothing to lose )
BTW, on the Everest image, there are also apparently climbers visible on Lhotse, but I haven't managed to spot them yet. There's the RW forum challenge!
Flew to Qatar and then on to Kathmandu, had a couple of days exploring, Then flew to Lukla (scariest airport in the world... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgZvb37NX0 )
Then walked thro Namche and turned "left" up to Gokyo, Then after climbing Gokyo Ri crossed the Cho La pass and on up to Gorak Shep. Climbed Kala Pattar and then walked to Base Camp.
Took 4 days to get back to Lukla and then had 3 days in Kathmandu drinking beer and eating pizza in either "Fire & Ice" or "Rum Doodle"
Comments
By the way, there are a couple of climbers on the glacier...when you find them, you get some sense of the scale of the place.
That is spectacular
Absolutely amazing.
Thats ace !! I had a lot of fun looking for the climbers!!
I can spend all night looking at this
where are the climbers?? ive spent a while looking!
spectacular photo though!
on the Kumbu Glacier to the left (centre of shot below the peak) - you really have to zoom in to spot them (and you can also see some tents higher up as well)
This is fab! Makes me even more excited to be going there in April (base camp, not beyond...)
doesn't look that high. i reckon I could run up it.
It's a lot easier running down it than running up it, believe me. Much less chance of your head exploding!
Hellbells - no doubt you've been picking up tips on how to prepare but my best piece of advice is to spend as much money as you can on a sleeping bag with down. It gets chuffin' cold up there at night! (Worth it though.)
Thanks PhilPub. I'm hoping that the down sleeping bag bought and used on for a Kilmanjaro trip will do the job. Any other advice, if you don't mind me asking?
We camped at Gorak Shep and it was minus 15 and we had ice inside the tent
Diamox !
Slightly chilly start to the morning.. That is ice on Suzies hoodie !
Eating Kendal Mint Cake a base camp .......... Sort of had to be done
Yeah, the mattar paneer at the Kathmandu Guesthouse is the best I've ever tasted.
Make sure your walking boots are well tried and tested for walking up AND down for long periods of time. On any one day there will be both up and down (it's by no means a gradual ascent), but whilst it will take a fair few days to get up to base camp, you can scuttle back down again in about three (we did anyway), and the only problem I had with blisters was on the last day, covering a fair few miles mainly flat or downhill, back to Lukla.
Also, we didn't actually go to base camp itself, but made the detour to the summit of Kala Pattar, which is a little higher up (5545m) and has an absolutely stunning 360 degree panorama, and is also the classic vantage point for Everest pics:
If you can do both, great, but otherwise head for Kala Pattar.
Awesome photos, DTES and PhilPub! And thank you for the advice. The trek I'm doing includes Gokyo Ri and goes over the Cho La pass then on to Kala Pattar and Base camp, so as long as we have good weather we should get to fit lots in.
Good point about the boots, thanks. I need to get more walking in in the next couple of months!
Looks like you are doing roughly the same trek we did, I have a photo from the top of Gokyo Ri blown up to A0 size in the hall at home
Wow, DTES, Philpub and Hellsbells...I'm deeply jealous! I've spent my life climbing in Scotland, amongst some spectacular mountain scenery. Then I went skiing in the Alps for the first time a couple of years ago. I felt that I was seeing 'proper' mountains for the first time...jawdropping. I can only imagine that the Himalaya are incrementally more stunning on the next level. Everest base camp is on my bucket list, along with the Eiger (just to visit, mind, not climb...I'm not suicidal. But then, if it was a bucket list, ye'd have nothing to lose )
BTW, on the Everest image, there are also apparently climbers visible on Lhotse, but I haven't managed to spot them yet. There's the RW forum challenge!
The sunset photo of Everest was taken from Kala Pattar. When I'm not on the iPad I'll post a decent link to my Nepal album
There's an idea...maybe the wife and I could save up and make it a joint...ahem...21st! I'd be keen to see those photies, Dave.
Here you go
Flew to Qatar and then on to Kathmandu, had a couple of days exploring, Then flew to Lukla (scariest airport in the world... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgZvb37NX0 )
Then walked thro Namche and turned "left" up to Gokyo, Then after climbing Gokyo Ri crossed the Cho La pass and on up to Gorak Shep. Climbed Kala Pattar and then walked to Base Camp.
Took 4 days to get back to Lukla and then had 3 days in Kathmandu drinking beer and eating pizza in either "Fire & Ice" or "Rum Doodle"
http://photos.orange.co.uk/album/29236272 That's the short album
http://photos.orange.co.uk/album/29236621 That's another 100 or so
These look fantastic, although the full sized images don't seem to want to load for me at the mo
Omg, omg, I've just found the climbers on Lhotse...there's a whole line of them! Happy hunting