{"id":44723,"date":"2024-04-08T14:26:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T20:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=44723"},"modified":"2024-04-08T14:29:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T20:29:26","slug":"everest-2024-leaving-grass-and-the-trekkers-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/08\/everest-2024-leaving-grass-and-the-trekkers-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2024: Leaving Grass and the Trekker’s Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a huge day at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side, aka EBC\u2013the first commercial team has arrived! This is almost a week earlier than in 2023. It will be their home until late May unless they are on acclimatization rotation and, of course, the summit bid. The majority of Everest summits occur between May 18th and 23rd. However, the Icefall Docs still have problems in the upper Icefall. Thankfully, most teams are still on their trek, so there’s no problem, yet.<\/p>\n

On the Tibet side, Adventure Peaks<\/a> reports, “It looks like the border might not open until the 17th April, so the team are planning to head to Langtang in order to start acclimatising.”<\/p>\n

The Everest Nepal permit tally now has 149 foreigners across 13 teams. Tibet does not report permit updates.<\/p>\n

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International Mountain Guides<\/a> is traditionally one of the first commercial teams to arrive at EBC, and they didn’t disappoint in 2024. IMG gave this update:<\/p>\n

Ang Jangbu reports that Team 1 departed Lobuche Base Camp (about 15,500 ft) and had a nice hike today up to Everest Base Camp (about 17,500 ft), arriving before 2pm. \u00a0They were greeted by cooks Kaji and Nima and the BC team, who have been working hard to get the camp all buffed for their arrival!\u00a0 Three days behind, Phunuru and Team 2 moved from Pheriche up to Lobuche Base Camp and are also doing well, arriving in good time.<\/p>\n

The report from higher up on the mountain is that the Khumbu Icefall Doctors have been working hard on the Icefall route, but have run into some difficulties above the Football Field, requiring some route modifications.\u00a0 They have not yet reached Camp 1 and will need some additional time before the route gets opened.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Leaving Grass<\/h2>\n

The late Anatoli Bourkreev coined the phrase \u201ctouch grass before the summit,\u201d meaning that he descended from EBC to the nearest village that had grass in the area, say Tengboche, before returning for his summit bid. He felt it helped his body recover from weeks at extreme altitude and gave him a rest. Today, our climbers are leaving any grass for the tundra of the high Himalayas. Let’s follow them as they go higher, and for the trekkers, they reach their summit\u2013Kala Partar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Now, the altitude is getting serious. After your “active rest day” at 4,420 meters\/14,500 feet in the village of Dingboche, it’s time to move even higher.<\/p>\n

The routine is familiar and even routine. Wake up as the sun rises, and throw more layers on top of the layers you slept in. Comb your hair, or just put the skull cap on tighter. Wash your face and brush your feet. Re-pack your sleeping bag for the 785th<\/sup> time this trip and haul your bag into the hall for the porter to carry. Stuff a few things in your day pack, which has gotten amazingly small as your duffle bag has grown amazingly large since you left Kathmandu. You go to breakfast. All of this takes 17 minutes – you timed it.<\/p>\n

Leaving Dingboche, you re-climb a steep hill to the ridge you hiked up yesterday to 5,181 meters\/17,000 feet on your “rest” day! It was tough, but the views were amazing. You finally understand the work\/reward equation of trekking in the Himalayas. Today’s objective is another high-altitude village, Lobuche, at 4,940 meters\/16,207 feet<\/p>\n

The terrain is very different than the land of rhododendrons and magnolia trees. This alpine land is fragile, yet an obvious trail marks the route based on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of footsteps. It takes a moment to destroy it and a decade or century to grow back in this environment.<\/p>\n

Every turn seems to bring another astonishing view, and you thought Ama Dablam was perfect. It just gets better and better.<\/p>\n

The route goes downhill and follows a stream until the stream becomes a river with large rocks on both banks. A makeshift bridge is in place; it seems all the previous models have washed away. You watch a few kids run across the bridge with the ease of a galloping horse\u2013no hesitation, only confidence and giggles. But you move gingerly across the bridge and follow the dirt path up a small hillside.<\/p>\n

\"Valley
Valley above Dingboche<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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You have become accustomed to the yak trains that are everywhere now. Even though they are familiar, you always stop and take their picture\u2014they don’t seem to mind, and you can never have enough Yak pictures! Their clanging bells are now a source of comfort. You step aside on the uphill side! You don’t want to be pushed down the steep hill and into the freezing river by an oblivious bovine!<\/p>\n

They saunter by with the ease of a sleeping frog. Their dark eyes fixated on their next step, their long, neatly groomed tails swishing in the cool alpine air. You take another picture. Then put the camera away and just watch as they pass, one by one by one.<\/p>\n

Soon, their guardian goes by, “Namaste!” you say with a slight mumble and embarrassment, trying to fit into a surrounding you had only read about. She looks up. A small, warm smile develops. Her dark, shiny hair glistens in the bright daylight. “Namaste.” she rewards you. You smile and feel warm inside.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Yaks-on-Trail.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

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Just beyond the bridge is the hamlet of Dugla, 4,620 meters (15,160 ft), with only a few simple huts and buildings. One serves as a restaurant that is brimming with trekkers, climbers, Sherpas, porters and locals. It seems everyone has the same meal, fired rice. You spice things up with an Orange Fanta (not diet), something you would never eat and drink at home but burning 6,000 calories a day has its benefits!<\/p>\n

Lunch is easy and relaxed. You are adjusting to Sherpa time. “No hurry, chicken curry.” you remember Kami telling you from a previous climb. You chuckle at the memory.<\/p>\n

As you move to a chair outside, a polite woman takes your plate away. Closing your eyes, you let the sun warm your face, but the chill remains. Soon, it’s time to leave. Grabbing your day pack, you start up the steep dirt hillside, following the other climbers, trekkers, yaks, and Dzos on their journey. Topping the hill, the mood changes. All you see are memorials.<\/p>\n

The Fallen<\/h3>\n

Even though Lobuche is not far away, you stop. You take off your pack and pull your jacket tighter around your neck. The wind has picked up at Dugla Pass, but it does not matter.<\/p>\n

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A long ridge holds fifty or more chortens or rock memorials. Each one has a name carved in the stone or perhaps a more elegant brass plaque. The vast majority are for Sherpas who have died helping Westerners achieve their goals.<\/p>\n

You stop at each one. How did they die? Weather, health, accident? It did not matter.<\/p>\n

There were climbers from many countries: Belarus, Japan, Austria, Canada, Nepal. Most were Sherpa. Most were young.\u00a0Climbers following their passion. Chasing their dream. Doing a job. It did not matter.<\/p>\n

Most of the names have been eroded away leaving you to only see the remains of name or a date. Some were famous – Scott Fischer, Babu Chiri. Most were not familiar. Names long since forgotten by the climbing community. Names remembered daily by their families.<\/p>\n