Rest Day In Dingboche

It is a rest/acclimatization day at Dingboche. After eight days, the daily routine is pretty much the same: wake up at first light (4:45), get up enough nerve to get out of the warm sleeping to go to the bathroom; coffee at 6:00, washing water at 6:30 and breakfast at 7:30. Then we pack up our gear and get on the trail for a couple of hours. Lunch stop last about two hours then it’s back on the trail for a couple of hours to our camp site for the night. Along the way are incredible views and sites. At 4:00, we have afternoon tea. Dinner is at 7:00 and then it’s back to the tent and asleep by 9:00. On acclimatization days, we have the luxury of taking walks during the day and not having to rush to pack up in the morning.

Today, Gerry and I hiked up a side valley from Dingboche to an area that is used by yak herders to graze their animals during the summer. We climbed probably 1,000 ft. or so to some stone houses used by the herders. On the way back down, we met a yak herder, Hachbar, who owns 15 yak. He built a bridge over a raging glacial river in order to get his animals to better grazing lands on the other side of the valley. He was an interesting fellow.

The mountain views from Dingboche are indescribable. Although we can no loner see Everest because it is hidden behind the Lhotse Nuptse wall, we can see Lhotse (the fifth highest peak in the world) as well as the very dramatic peaks of Ama Dablam and Island Peak.

We are acclimatizing well to the altitude. Other than a couple of minor headaches, I’m doing well. Gerry complains about the food and not being able to sleep, but he’s kind of fussy anyway. A couple of people on the trip have come down with minor stomach or respiratory ailments. Gerry and I are still in good shape and feel strong (knock on wood).

Beginning tomorrow, we will have two days of climbing to get us close to the altitude of Everest Base Camp -- first to Lobuche at 16,105 ft and then Gorek Shep on Tuesday at 16,859 ft. These are the altitudes that we will be feeling the lack of oxygen. There are no further villages higher up as well. There are a few facilities that have been developed for trekkers but no permanent settlements. I will try to post again up higher but I don’t know what capabilities there will be. It’s very expensive and the connections via satellite are slow.

That’s all for now.

Lhotse Nuptse Wall


Everest Peak Between Mark and Gerry


Ama Dablam