Mt. Everest Base Camp
Day 9: Gorak Shep to Mt. Everest Base Camp, 2 hours
After a relentless 9 day hike deep into the heart of the Himalayas, 7 mountain villages, over 25 hours of hiking, ascending 3,000m, altitude headaches, 2 acclimatization days, plenty of midnight toilet runs, indulging in Sherpa Stew, lemon tea, and momo's at every chance, game after game of Yanif, hours of conversation with hikers from all over the world huddled around a fire stove, one very cold wash up, and one nail-biting mountain flight... we have arrived!
Video: Arrival at Mt. Everest Base Camp
Standing at the foot of the top of the world, feeling so small standing amongst the biggest white giants of the World... & so accomplished. Completing 9 very physical days, always pushing up and further, it all made our arrival at base camp that much sweeter. It was worth every penny, every headache, every freezing night. Once in a lifetime. We've talked about this trip and this moment for months, but I never thought we would actually stand on top of the Khumbu glacier listening to it creak and groan, after walking in the exact footsteps of so many famous mountaineers, throwing our arms in the air at our own mini-achievement. I realized just how small our achievement was when we were looking up at Mt. Everest and the summit another 10,000 dangerous feet away!
Base camp is actually on the Khumbu glacier. The glacier is so impressive to wander through, but makes base camp look like an inhabitable hole. Gaping crevasses and caves dare anyone to come close. I've read so many books about expeditions to Everst and seeing the Khumbu glacier was too surreal! We left our tiny mark at base camp stringing prayer flags between two little stupas we made, sending our wishes and prayers up with the winds. We had base camp all to ourselves, not a soul in sight. It's hard to imagine what is looks like with hundreds of people living there during the 3 month climb to the summit! (Side note: Camp was spotless, the clean up efforts have definitely paid off.) 60 miles behind us and at 17,600 ft (5,364m) we stood wih our fists in the air, where so many dreams begin and ours was accomplished.
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