The rest of the way attempting Everest Base Camp

Me struggling for every
step up through the town

After climbing all the way up to Namche Bazaar I felt more confident that I could actually reach Everest Base Camp, which I had been doubting. We had an acclimation day in Namche Bazaar, which I used to give my body a chance to recover hoping it would be enough as my bad knees were hurting, my old groin injury was acting up, and I had blisters on the outside of both my big toes. Dawne did a morning hike where I think she got a good view of Everest (which interestingly I never got…in fact the ONLY time I ever actually saw the top of Everest was on the hike up to Namche Bazaar). After her hike, Dawne and I went to the nearby school to give them a soccerball and hopefully pump it and the other 3 we had up. They were doing a graduation type thing that day but they were very happy to get the soccerball and helped us blow up the others. They also invited us to stay for their program, which included some student performances, but the large room was completely packed with families and we didn’t want to take up more of their space, but I did snap a couple pics.

Students preparing to start the program

Children and parents in the hall to watch the program

First view of Namch Bazaar

Yakburger and fries

Then we did a little shopping in town with Natalie. I was looking for a good fleece since I had read of people buying them there. We saw a lot of knockoffs for $20-30 that were just okay, then found some genuine local Kathmandu branded ones that we loved. Natalie and I both got one and the nice lady gave them to us for 4000 rupees (about $33) each since we got two. I bought some other souvenirs and then we had lunch at a recommended bakery, Namche Bakery. We had fresh baked apple pie, cheese bread, and a yak burger. Everything was fabulous! The yak burger was yak meat mixed with other stuff sort of like a meatloaf so it was more of a yak meatloaf. Meatloaf is one of my favorite meals so I liked it a lot!

Great store where we bought authentic Kathmandu jackets

Namche Bakery

Using a trick that if you hold your poles out donkeys and yaks will go
around them and not hit you

Waterway and fountain in Namche Bazaar

Cool waterway in Namche

Water area where women do washing

Really good pasta in Nepal at
Moonlight Lodge the best all trip

We ate the best at Namche Bazaar since in addition to the bakery, the place we stayed at, Moonlight Lodge, had the best food of the whole trek. Natalie and I both got pasta just to see how they would make it in Nepal and it was so good I got it both nights! We were able to leave a bunch of items we didn’t really need with Natalie who also kept her pack, so it made it more reasonable to ask the porters with their lightened load to put my solar panels on the top of the packs to charge my powerbank while they climbed. I laid it out to maximize the sunlight when we stopped for lunch. The bank picked up close to 50% (enough to fully charge two phones) in the first few days and less as we got higher and it started to snow on us (only 6% on the snowy day), but we were able to keep our phones charged without paying $4-6/night to charge them, and I just thought it was cool using the sun!

These are real yaks as you can see from the long hair

Our worst lunch bathroom on the trip
which is just a hole cut into the floor

When we started out from Namche Bazaar I was optimistic, but as we slowly climbed higher I got tired pretty quickly. I have been diligently drinking 3 liters of water each day following the old man from India’s advice (the one who also said to go slow) to help me adjust to the altitude. For lunch we had the worst toilet of our whole trek. Dawne came back and said “It’s interesting” and luckily she went back and took a picture so you all can see. It was literally a teardrop shaped hole cut into the wooden floor. You could see the ground below with hay tossed down along with the refuse and toilet paper. I was never more glad I had my GoGirl to help me pee standing up. After lunch we hiked uphill, which was gradual but consistent, not as bad as getting to Namche but still unpleasant.

Some Buddhist Mani which are rocks that they write good sayings on

Yaks on the trail are better because there are fewer in a train so there is less poop

Dawne walking a mile or at
least 20 yards in the porters shoes

That night we stayed in Tengboche next to the monastery there and had our last night of a private bathroom. Dawne was not impressed with our hotel and I was not impressed with the monastery. They had a monk chanting using a microphone so it sounded throughout the room and complex. They also had led lights around the center area and it was cheerful but just not what I think of when I think “monastery.” But it is pretty from a distance and they do get good donations there (and thus can afford the sound system and lights). The next day I had more trouble acclimating so I was even tired going downhill and on the flat parts. After lunch was a gradual uphill which most people do in 2 hours but I took 2.5 hours. Finally we arrived in Dingbouche at the Good Luck Lodge. Unfortunately we hiked up a bit to an overlook and I hyper-extended my bad right knee coming down so I was getting worried I might not make it.

Monastery at Tengboche

Me on way to Dingboche

Ram and Dawne on way to Dingboche

Our Hotel in Dingboche and I need lots of luck to make it there

Dawne and Dingboche in the distance

My solar panels charging my and the porters power banks

I set my solar panels out and they did a pretty good job charging. It was freezing cold outside but I really wanted a hot shower. The shower itself was awesome, nice and toasty but it was freezing-ass cold before I got into the water and afterwards while I was drying off. Still it was worth it and the last shower I had until I got back to lower elevations. Other trekkers did not shower and some people were starting to smell. We also stayed in the dining room as much as possible as they would light a stove in the middle for heat so it was the one room that wasn’t below freezing temps. They had a clever contraption to gently close the door…a string tied to the door with a partially filled water bottle at the other end looped above the door (see video).

wood stove used to heat the
dining room

We ran into some of our friends we met in Namche Bazaar and played cards with them that night. One of them had a device to measure blood oxygen levels. Everyone else was in the 80’s except one girl had an 86 on one finger and a 76 on the other. I checked my finger…78. Uh oh. I checked the other hoping it would be better but it was worse, 68. Not good. The next day we did an acclimation climb up 380 meters where we hung out for an hour, taking pictures and building cairns. I’m hoping that helped me acclimate. My knee is slightly better today, but it’s still touch and go. Dawne went to the super cool Café Himalaya (I tried to go but it involved a lot of up and down rocks and my knee needed a break). Jake was there and his wife Kristy was also having acclimation issues even more severe than mine. They were thinking of possibly moving her to a lower elevation then she could helicopter up to the Base Camp for 15 minutes. The cost would be $1500 and they were looking for someone to share the cost with so I was a possibility. However, I really wanted to try to hike there on my own. Still it is a possibility if all else fails. Our friends had left that day so we played cards with some new friends who were hiking up then taking a helicopter down. Another option to think about.

Dawne and porter Raj working on building a cairn

We hiked up high the first day to overlook Dingboche to help us acclimate

Us at the top of our acclimation hike on our rest day in Dingboche

Porter rest spot on the way up to Loboche

The next day started out pretty good. It was mostly flat with some minor ups and downs. During lunch we ran into Jake and Kristy, who was doing much better. So it looked like we would both get there! After lunch we had 1 km of uphill climbing which was tough but I made it, slowly. After that was another 2 km of slight uphill. Now I feel like I will actually make it. When we got to Loboche we did a long walk uphill in the snow to acclimate a bit. It started snowing pretty hard and was 21 degrees that night. We stayed a a nice little teahouse run by a very nice family (parents and daughter see pic). The toilet was one where you pour water in it to flush it, which actually works even with #2.

A young boy on his way back from Base Camp who is clearly in much better shape than I am

Dawne and porters on a rest break on the trail to Laboche

Panorama on the trail to Loboche

On the way to Loboche

Dawne and I on the trail to Loboche

Every so often I need to stop rest and gasp for extra oxygen

Dawne Ram and I on the trail to Loboche note how tired I look and how refreshed they look

Our room in Loboache

Our hotel in Loboche run by a really nice family

Men carrying huge heavy boards along the trail

The next day was THE DAY. We would hike to Gorak Shep, then dump our stuff and hike on 2 more hours to Everest Base Camp. At Gorak Shep I didn’t feel great and had zero appetite. Worse yet the bathroom was the worst of all the ones in our accommodations. I had two options, the non western squatting one or a western one that was really really low, like a child’s potty height. Plus the floor around both were all wet. With my sore groin and bad knees there was no way I could get down to the western one so I pulled out my GoGirl and tried the non-western one. Unfortunately, they were both in this really large room and there was no back wall to lean forward against so I was thrown off and messed up the GoGirl, getting pee all over all three of my pairs of pants. The GoGirl is a great invention but it definitely requires focus and good technique, or possibly a brain not deprived of oxygen. By the time I cleaned up and managed to choke down a few bites of lunch it was time to head to Base Camp.

Panorma on the way to Gorak Shep where you can see the rocks we have to trek through

Snow on the trail to Gorak Shep

Starting out to Base Camp from Gorak Shep before I get tired

The first 20 minutes was flat and easy. Then we started going uphill with patches of rocks we had to clamber across. And then it started snowing pretty hard. I was breathing heavy, panting like a dog every step, though I’m not sure what that means because a couple dogs went by me and they weren’t even breaking a sweat. After about an hour we paused for a break and my guide Ram asked if I was hot. I’m always hot since I’m in menopause so I said yes. All along Ram has said “slowly, slowly, you can” and I’ve chanted that in my head a number of times. This time he said “maybe we go back.” What?! There was no way after the hell I put myself through the past 10 days that I was stopping 2 hours away from my goal.

I said I would rest a few minutes then try to go on. It was a struggle. I just kept my head focused on the ground and kept breathing panting in and out every step, one small step at a time. We passed several groups on their way back and I’m sure many of them were thinking “There is no way she makes it there.” I have so much gratitude for the girl at the end of a group of people who gave me a thumbs up for encouragement. A few of the spots with large patches of rocks were especially hard in the wet snow. I slipped once but Ram helped me up and helped me get across. Finally, we got there. Dawne was there to greet me when I was really close and we walked to the main rock where everyone takes pictures. We took one with the Pleasanton Weekly and it got published this week (see pic)!

Panorama on the way to Base Camp

I made it to Base Camp in a snowstorm no less

We made it to Base Camp with our guide Ram on right and Porter Raj on left

We made it to Base Camp

Our picture in the Pleasanton Weekly

We also took some pictures with the Base Camp tents in the background. I saw some riderless horses coming and thought that maybe Ram called one to come get me because he knew I couldn’t make it back, but they were not for me. Apparently Ram thought I could make it back so I did. Slowly. But I got there. My knees were shot and I talked to Ram about getting a helicopter back to Lukla, picking Natalie up on the way. He got it all worked out! That night we played cards with a bunch of our friends who were there too…Alana and her guide, and Erin and Logan. It felt amazing to have made it to Everest Base Camp and not have to worry about trying to limp back downhill (downhill is worse on my knees).

Dawne and I with the Base Camp tents behind us