Day #8 - Everest BaseCamp
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Itinerary- Namche Bazar to Tyangboche
Elevation - 11,319’ to 12,664’
It’s 8pm here in Tyangboche. It’s been a long, busy day - I just got in my sleeping bag and thought I’d write for a bit.
Today was pretty aggressive - 2,500’ vertical ascent and 1,500’ vertical descent. 9 miles total length with 7 hr, 30 min trail time. We’re currently at Tyangboche - elevation 12,664’.
The morning portion of the hike was amazing. We got our first views of Everest. Wow!!! - I can’t believe I’m here looking at the tallest, most majestic mountain in the world!! It was nonstop picture taking for the opening 2 hours of the trek. The terrain was smooth with very gradual climbs and descents. We couldn’t go very long without stopping for more pics.
The afternoon portion of the hike was brutal. We descended about 1,500’ to our lunch spot - then we had a 1,700’ climb to our final destination. We had to put on our micro spikes for the descent - as the trail was extremely icy in many parts. I almost took a couple spills - but was able to save it. The after-lunch climb was steep. 9 of us were in the lead pack - Liam was our guide. We trudged along and made good time on our ascent. We were all sweaty, cold, and spent once we reached our destination. We arrived around 3:30pm. We huddled in the lounge to low 20’s - upper teens weather with a cup of hot tea/hot mango.
After a short break, we then toured a couple monasteries, attended a monk ceremony (puga), and then received a blessing. At the monk ceremony, we took off our shoes, and sat on the floor watching their prayer service. It was extremely interesting - I’d like to learn more about their religion in the future. We went to another monastery and received a blessing. A red string was placed around our necks for good health. We were also given a small piece of food (looked like a tik-tak - but tasted like incense) to cleanse our bodies.
Dinner was served at 6:30pm - while we all huddled around the fire in the lounge. We had pizza and rice for dinner - along with endless cups of hot tea. About 8:30pm - I was crashing hard. Time for bed. Unfortunately- the hut we’re staying at does not have wi-fi - so I’m writing the blog and will post later.
Goodnight from 12,664’ (Tyangboche) - on the trek to Everest BaseCamp!
Amazing and awesome!!!
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