Everest Base Camp

May 28

Everest Base Camp is a brutal, brutal place. Not only does the altitude (17,500 ft) leave your breathless, but just trying to move around is difficult and taxing. EBC is on a glacier. Basically it’s ice and rocks constantly moving and changing. Just moving around is like trying to walking on loose softballs and bowling balls going up and down to do mundane tasks.



Even the yaks seems to dislike the high altitude and environment.



Although it was snowing yesterday, last night turned cold and clear. The temperature got down to about 10 degrees last night. With the moon out, it was amazing bright last night with the high peaks surrounding the Khumbu icefall.

I had a little headache buth that was resolved with a little Advil. With the altitude, though, I was a bit dizzy and didn’t have much of an appetite.

At EBC, the runners not on the tour (mostly Nepalis) are beginning to show up for the race tomorrow. But there are a few westerners as well, the ringers. Some have been in Nepal for several weeks training for the race. The race organizers had a “mock start” today for the benefit of the media so that they would have some video footage foe their reports on the race tomorrow. It was very disorganized with a lot of yelling and shouting but eventually they got their act together.



A number of Everest climbers were coming down today and thy brought two bodies down. It was somber but things went on as usual.

The weather was sunny and quite warm this afternoon. Everyone was down to shorts and tshirts. Or in the case of Martin the German, down to nothing. I’ll spare the blog the photo. Check with me later if you want to see it.

Gerry and I walked up to the edge of trhe Khumbu icefall where the climbers start their Everest climbs. This is where the danger begins with is seracs and crevasses. We could see the paths that have been established for the climbers into the icefall. You could hear the creaking and cracking of the icefall. I’m not sure that I’d want to go in there.



I don’t know how the climbing expeditions can spend two and a half months here. Even the simplest tasks such as going to the bathroom can be difficult. We’ve been here a day and want to get out as soon as possible. Everest Base Camp: been there and done that. No need to do it again.





Everyone wants to get the race underway. We will have dinner at 6:00 pm tonight and then to bed. We’ll be up at 5:00 am tomorrow for the 7:00 am start. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.