Page 113 - AGC_Journal 2018(FINAL)_Neat

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Tiger Khumbu

Explorer

By Warrant Offi cer Class Two Luke Thomas

Four superb destinations over 5,000 metres: Renjo la Pass (5,388 metres),
Cho la Pass (5,380 metres), Kalapathar (5,545 metres) and Everest Base
Camp (5,350 metres) in one trip, a truly Himalayan traverse. This trip
would off er one of the ultimate and complete trekking experiences in the
Everest region.

The Start Line fi rst real eff ects of attitude sickness; every few steps towards
the fi nal section of the climb was followed by shortness of
The gateway to the Himalayas’ is protected by a 20 minute breath and dizziness. When we reached the top, we were
plane journey from Kathmandu to Lukla (2,860 metres), quite rewarded with a stunning panorama of Everest (8,848
possibly the scariest plane journey I’ve ever taken. Its short metres), Cho Oyu (8,201 metres), Lhotse (8,516 metres), Ama
runway and position tucked in the mountains caused most Dablam (6,812m), and Makalu (8,481 metres) with the pristine
of us to experience some serious trepidation. Its busy airport Gokyo lakes visible in a single frame.
is surrounded by small shops, tea houses and is the hub for
all produce arriving from Kathmandu. We met our incredible Cho la Pass
porters, before heading down to Phakding (2,652 metres) to
complete the fi rst stage of our acclimatisation. The second of the high passes began from Thagnak which we
had reached via the Cho Oyu Glacier the previous day. After
Tea Houses several hours moving up to its foot, the pass itself proved to
be the most technically challenging of the Trek. Large parts of
Guesthouses, known as tea houses were a basic aff air the route required us to move up and over boulders. Beyond
consisting of a bed, shared toilets and no heating. We would the pass we were welcomed with snow and fi xed crampets. It
all eat together in the dining room of the teahouse that was still a long route onwards to Zongla (4,830 metres) where
normally had a wood fi re. The staple diet was potato, rice and we would overnight before moving onwards to Lobuche
vegetables with less choice the higher, and closer, we got to (4,910 metres) the next day, ever closer to Everest.
Everest. A memorable part of the routine was checking each
other’s oxygen levels and heart rates at breakfast and evening Lobuche to Gorakshep
meal time; an important check especially when we moved
above 4,000 metres. Having rested overnight we departed Lobuche for a long and
physically demanding day which would end with us sleeping
Namche at the highest altitude of the whole trip. Gorakshep (5,164
metres), the site of the original 1953 base camp. We arrived
The trek from Phakding to Namche (3,440 metres) in time for lunch where we would prepare for what was for
encompasses an elevation change of nearly 800 metres many, the toughest challenge of the trek, getting to the top of
and it was physically demanding so soon into the trip. We Kala Patthar. Because of the structure of Everest, the summit
were able to catch our fi rst glimpse of Everest and take in is not actually visible from Base Camp and most trekkers will
the prayer fl ags, prayer wheels and suspension bridges that opt to climb Kala Patthar in order to view it. It was as close
would feature throughout the trek. The next day was another as most of us would ever get to the summit and put into
acclimatisation day where we visited the Sagarmatha Park perspective the enormity of summiting these big 8,000 metre
museum, a beautiful viewpoint, it also contains a statue mountains.
of Tenzing Norgay and distant views of Mount Everest.
Acclimatisation nearly complete, we would now head Everest Base Camp
towards the less trodden trail towards Thame (3,844 metres)
and Lunden (4,380 metres), close to the Tibet border. The next morning, we set off to Everest Base Camp and after
a reasonably steady two hour walk along the bottom of the
Renja La Pass Khumba valley, we arrived mid morning. Everest is perhaps
the most iconic symbol of challenge and adventure in the
An early start from Lunden was required to ensure suffi cient world and to be stood where distinguished and renowned
daylight, should we encounter weather changes or injuries mountaineers had gone before was a special moment. In
crossing the pass. It was a cold fi rst few hours as we passed contrast to the landscape of most of the trek it felt quite
under the shadows of the mountain ridge. The pass was barren and eerie, even in sunny weather. We could see the
deceptively hard and almost all members of the group felt the Khumbu Ice fall and witnessed some small avalanches,
highlighting the perils that exist in this hostile environment.

112 113