Days 9 , 10: Gorak Shep

20 April 2007
Gorak Shep, 5,170m, 3.30pm

I've had the most wonderful summit day yet. I breakfasted on toast and jam and by 6.30am was climbing the first steep bit of Kala Pattar. The sun was still behind Everest. I was unusually frisky this morning, overtaking slower trekkers and keeping within the pace of others. I have to say, however, that a few did go past me. On uphills, I kept a slow steady walking pace in harmony with a breathing pattern and this sometimes worked so well that I didn't have to stop for rest.

As the sun rose over Everest, I knew it was going to be a gorgeous day---blue sky all around with Everest and its trademark plume of cloud backlit. I was on the higher 5,600m summit of Kala Pattar at 8.15am (7.30am Maldives time). This means I took only 1 hour 45 minutes to reach a peak I had taken 3 hours to climb in 2005. In the glorious morning sunlight, the euphoria was very much in evidence with groups and individuals snapping summit pictures.

I found myself a nice spot on the crowded summit and looked down on the amazing view (in the photo), enjoying every minute of the 45 minutes I stayed there. It was surprisingly mild and I was only wearing my fleece. In both my previous Kala Pattar summit days I was wearing a down jacket and still feeling cold. This time around, the general atmostphere, the beauty of the monring and, of course the fact that I had taken a relatively short time to get here, made it the best climb up Kala Pattar ever.

The return took slightly longer, but I still made it under 2 hours. It has to be said that the initial steep bit, which had been somewhat scary, very much on my mind on my way down. In fact, I'd gone straight up over this bit instead of zigzagging like the others did---I only saw this switchbacks on the return.

Although today is one of the best days of this trek yesterday was the worst.

I went to Everest Base Camp over the endless moraine and it took 3 hours, 15 minutes. The rout was sometimes not very marked and I was quite often by myself. Moreover, the headach had come back and I was not in good spirits. But I'm glad I trekked to EBC, because it was only in the spring that you can see all the tents and the activity. More than 30 expeditions were here this year, I was told. The arrival at EBC was marked by a crashed helicopter. The air here, with only half the oxygen at sea-level, is so thin that the rotors have almost nothing to hit on.

The initial part of the walk was over snow, since it had snowed all afternoon on the 19th. The roofs of the lodges, and even Kala Pattar had a dusting of snow when I started. But by afternoon, the snow had melted. The return to Gorak Shep, with the worsening headache, took me nearly 4 hours!

Back in the lodge, the kidchen was crowded with groups of trekkers and their porters and guides. People were garrulous and althought my headache had gone by then, I wasn't feeling too good.

Last night I seriously considered skipping Kala Pattar and heading down to Lobuche. But the thought of coming all this way and not climb KP, the main objective of any trek here and, in my case, the test to see if Zinan's training had made a difference, was something I just couldn't bear. Since I first climbed KP in 1994, the summit day, in different visualisations, has been my most recurring dream.

On the way down KP, I thought I felt a slight headache but by the time I got to the lodge I was fine.

I now feel confident enough to attempt Cho La pass, Gokyo Ri and any other challenges ahead of me.

My only real worry now is that the money might run out. Also, I'm getting filthier every day. I'm really looking forward to a hot shower in Namche.

As I sit here writing this, the sun is dipping and I can see the last rays on Kala Pattar.

I wonder if I will ever be back up on that hill.