Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar Summit - 2024
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Lukla, Nepal
The Road to Everest Landing at Tenzing Hillary (Lukla) Airport
Day 1: Lukla to Monjo
After after a day in Kathmandu on my own, the group met for an orientation session on the second day in preparation for an early morning flight the following morning to Lukla. Lukla is known more as being home to the world's most dangerous airport than the gateway to the Himalayas through which all traffic to the Khumbu (Everest) region pass. Indeed, if you view the linked video, you will note that pilots use every bit of the short, unforgiving one-way runway. Lying at an elevation of around 9,400 feet above sea level, the village of Lukla serves as the the starting point and the last overnight stop for most EBC trekkers. Generally speaking, things in Nepal don't always go to plan. A country with a notoriously corrupt government, overwhelming poverty, poor infrastructure, unpredictable weather, dangerous roads, and lax regulation combine to cause things to frequently go awry. "Planning" is an activity undertaken by westerners while Nepalis watch with humor. Should things go according to plan, my team will arrive in Lukla on the first flight of the morning. If that actually happens, the plan is to hike all the way to Monjo, making the grueling climb to Namche Bazaar on day 2 a tad less grueling. Should our flight be delayed only a little, we may hike only as far as Phakding on day one, which lies at about the same altitude as Lukla. If our flight is delayed by days, which is possible in September, we will have fewer acclimatization days on the trail, dramatically decreasing my chances of success reaching EBC or Kala Patthar. On a recent training day I spent with Ian Taylor in Vail, we discussed the very real possibility of lining up helicopters in Kathmandu and having them stand by in the event it looks like weather might delay fixed-wing flights from Kathmandu to Lukla. Monjo (or Monju) is a small village in the Khumbu region of Nepal. It lies in the Dudh Kosi river valley just north of Phakding at an altitude of 2,835 m, just below the Sagarmatha National Park entrance gate, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Monjo has a population of 114 people per the 2011 census. All the villagers practice Buddhism and are engaged in the tourism/hospitality business. As such, most structures in the village are tea houses (also known as guest houses or tea huts). Monjo is a less-frequent stopping point for trekkers that Phakding, owing to its further distance from Lukla. Both villages host trekkers and climbers on their way to Sagarmartha (Mount Everest) via the two most common routes: Gokyo Ri and Tengboche. We hope to make Monjo on day 1. 
Monjo Village with Tea Hut in Foreground-right
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Namche Bazaar
Day 2: Monjo to Namche Bazaar
Today starts early with hopes to reach Namche Bazzar early in the afternoon. It's a grueling day with the most stairs of the itinerary. The 2,000-ft climb out of the valley and up to the 11,283-ft- high village is steep and full of stone-hewn stairs. It's a grueling day up the steep slopes leading to Namche Bazaar, the largest village in the Himalayas, and one through which nearly every climber and trekker in the Khumbu Region must pass. The lodging options in Namche Bazaar are numeous and the quality of the rooms while spartan by western standards, are luxurious compared to the lodging when we forge higher. Namche Bazaar also has more dining and shopping options than the tiny villages up high, as it is relatively close to Lukla where all the goods sold in the Khumbu region are flown into. In Namche Bazaar, one can still buy just about any gear needed on the trek that was forgotten or left behind in Kathmandu. Electricity is present, and so is wifi, so this is where gadgets must be charged before going higher. These things exist higher in the Himalayas, but electricity and wife are undependable, in limited supply, and they become increasingly more costly (when available) as you ascend. 
Thousands of stone-hewn stairs on the trail to Namche Bazaar
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Climbing Stairs on Route to Namche Bazaar
Day 3 and Day 4: Acclimatization Climbs
At just over 11,000 ft above sea level, Namche Bazaar is an excellent location to begin acclimatizing to the thinner air. We spend two days (3 nights) in the area, climbing several thousand feet of challenging terrain during the days and returning to Namche Bazaar to sleep at night. For unknown reasons, acclimatization days are are commonly referred to as "rest days". Not! Day 5: Namche Bazaar to Tengobche Setting out from Namche Bazaar to Phunki Tenga, the gradient begins increasing dramatically towards Tengboche. The distance to Tengboche from Phunki Tenga is about 1.6 miles. In that 1.6 miles the trail gains about 1,800 feet of elevation equating to a nasty 21% gradient. It is imperative to climb at a slow and steady pace, plodding upwards towards Tengboche. The climb to Tengboche, is characterized by a series of switchbacks before finally entering Tengobche through a gateway of prayer wheels that serves as its entrance. Tengboche is a tiny village dominated by our lodge and the Tengoche Monestary. Tengboche is laid back and quiet, except for the barking dogs. Dogs are commonly seen along the trail to this point. 
Tengboche Monestary
Day 6: Tengboche to Dingboche
Sleep deprivation is common at high altitudes. At Tengboche, the elevation is already very near 13,000 a.s.l. where most people are already finding sleep to be a fond memory. It is one thing to climb to 13,000 feet and it is quite another to be able to get restful sleep. To begin with, the nighttime temperatures are below freezing both indoors and out. As you ascend upward towards EBC, the tea houses become more, shall we say, "basic". Basic in in Himalaya can mean anything from no indoor restrooms, squat toilets, no thermal or sound insulation in the walls, roofs, or windows., plywood floors, elevated wooden platforms as "beds", dogs barking all night, and plenty of early morning foot traffic. Earplugs are required to dampen--not eliminate noises, human and natural. The |