{"id":33187,"date":"2019-04-10T05:54:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T11:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=33187"},"modified":"2019-04-10T09:38:09","modified_gmt":"2019-04-10T15:38:09","slug":"everest-2019-everest-base-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/10\/everest-2019-everest-base-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2019: Everest Base Camp!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, it looks like the weather has shut down the great views of Ama Dablam, Everest and more. Climbers and trekkers are reporting rain in Namche and several inches\/centimeters of snow was reported at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side.<\/p>\n

Today’s headlines.<\/p>\n

Poor weather at EBC stoped any high mountain activity on Tuesday. Meanwhile more teams arrive at base camp in Nepal and team are streaming into Kathmandu for their journey to Lhasa and the Tibet side of Everest.<\/p>\n

Nepal’s Tourism department updated their permit booty: almost US$4M thus far … Now 300 foreign permits for Everest, Sherpas climb for free \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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As expected, the top countries for Everest climbers are, in order, India, China, US, UK and Canada.<\/p>\n

Blog Entertainment<\/h3>\n

A couple of days ago I mourned the demise of detailed writing by our climbers and trekkers, so I was thrilled to find two more that are very well done.<\/p>\n

First is by\u00a0Rolfe Oostra, who runs 360 Expeditions<\/a>. In his latest dispatch he tells a great story of the infamous middle man in the guide business. He calls his the “fixer” and every expedition has one. Basically they are a Nepali tour agency that organizes all the permits, porters, sherpas, etc for most expeditions. You are required to use one in order to obtain a climbing permit. \u00a0But Rolf has a hilarious write up. Here’s the money quote:<\/p>\n

The job he does only requires a Herculean brain. Our fixer is the detail man from heaven and he has his fingers in uncountable pies. Need a chopper in 5 minutes? Stress not. Need to negotiate the number of yaks with a Tibetan nomad? He\u2019s there. Want a Michelin quality chef for the basecamp kitchen? Sure we\u2019ll fish one out of the finest restaurant in Kathmandu. Bargain down a Chinese official? He\u2019s got what it takes. Want the best Sherpa crew? Here\u2019s your man to ask. Change rooms in a hotel? Man! The guy owns the hotel! Need specialist high altitude medicine? Look no further. Can\u2019t find that spare part for your avalanche transceiver? He\u2019s got one in his pocket\u2026 In short this guy is invaluable.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then there are Pete Newland and Sam James Taylor, climbing to raise funds for For Rangers<\/em>. They “..\u00a0championing the rights of wildlife rangers in Africa, who are on the front line protecting our most endangered species.”<\/p>\n

The organization tells more than a story “… The For Rangers<\/em> teams participate in some of the hardest, most challenging endurance events on the planet, they can draw attention not only to the plight of Africa\u2019s wildlife and the poaching crisis but importantly, the hardships and dangers the rangers are exposed to in trying to protect our wildlife. And in doing so, raise funds that go directly to rangers\u2019 welfare.\u00a0To date over $200,000 has been raised \u2013 every cent of which goes to the needs of the Rangers on the frontline of protecting wildlife in Africa.”<\/p>\n

Their blog<\/a> is a great way to start any day. Pithy, funny with a bit of an attitude – I love it! A sample:<\/p>\n

… Her guide is Chris. I have climbed with Chris in Chamonix. He snores like a gut-shot goat. And is very relaxed. So relaxed, in fact, that he is seemingly happy to climb with me. The only person more relaxed than Chris is Rob, the cameraman. At the time of writing, he has flown his drone into a tree somewhere in northern Nepal. He made us aware of this predicament by stating simply, “I need a new drone.\u201d I like his style. (I would have been cursing all the junipers in existence and requesting a full Sherpa search party.) As well as being an accomplished cameraman (Oscar-winner Jimmy Chin is a colleague), he\u2019s a highly qualified climbing guide in his own right. Based in Jackson Hole, and like most extreme guys from that part of the world, he replies to nearly all statements, questions, and even Chris\u2019 snoring with \u201ctotally\u201d. I\u2019m going to start doing that. I hope it will give me some credibility here. I need it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now on to what they are experiencing on the trek.<\/p>\n

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Oh my. Today we actually get to Everest Base Camp. It’s not far. Gorak Shep is 5,164-meters\/16,942-feet and EBC is at\u00a05,380-meters\/17,600-feet, “Only” a gain of\u00a0440-meters\/1,393-feet over\u00a011.3 km\/7 miles. From now on, distance is not measured in miles or kilometers but in time.<\/p>\n

The teahouse at Gorak was unremarkable, but it might be a “vacation” for many Everest climbers seeking a bit of a respite from base camp. Yes, this is a new reality.<\/p>\n

\"\"The trail is once again, familiar. Up and down, well-trodden dirt, almost impossible to get lost. Now it follows the top of a dirt path carved out by the glacier. When you pause and think about it, its impressive that a wall of ice carved out the gully to your right and today it is gone.<\/p>\n

The trail is narrow at times. You need to share with people going lower, those higher, yaks and more.<\/p>\n

As you trek, you begin to feel the altitude. This is no longer a joke. Now there is literally 50% less oxygen in every breath. Your pace slows and the\u00a0idle\u00a0chatter disappears. The path is not difficult, not a lot of ups and downs but it steadily gains elevation.<\/p>\n

If you are a climber, your adrenaline increases. If you are a trekker, your adrenaline increases. No matter if this is your first time or 25th<\/sup>\u00a0trip, there is something magical about reaching Everest Base Camp.<\/p>\n

The Khumbu Icefall looms large. \u00a0It is steeped in rich history. When George\u00a0Mallory was scouting routes, he saw the Khumbu Icefall and declared it “unclimbable.” Today it stands as the largest objective danger when climbing from the Nepal side. Speaking of Mallory, his body was found in 1999 yet his parter Sandy Irvine has not. About time for a formal team to look for him, and the camera!<\/p>\n

You take more steps along the trail knowing the end is near. It’s a funny mixture of emotions. For those who have been planning this trek for years, it is literally the end. For those climbing Everest it is literally\u00a0the beginning. Both perspectives yield strong emotions.<\/p>\n