If all goes well nine Maldivian trekkers, who are currently in the Khumbu region of Nepal, will summit the brown hill behind Narcu in this image from
Maldivians on Mountains. They should be at the top at around 9, Maldives time, this morning.
At 5,600 metres, the hill affords a stunning panorama of Mount Everest, which is immediately to its east, and the surrounding mountains.
The first part of the climb is fairly steep, but slopes off after 50 metres or so. Then on it's relatively easy, if there's no ice. But the final climb up the rocks is tough and disorienting. It can take anywhere from one and a half to three hours, depending how acclimatised the trekkers are, to summit Kala Pattar.
Seven Maldivians, including three women, have climbed this peak. But if all of the 2010 team make it up there, it would be the highest number of Maldivians summitting Kala Pattar in a single day.
The current record is three; achieved in 1990 and in 2009.
At this altitude the air has only half the oxygen at sea-level, the wind is strong and biting, and night-time temperatures can plunge to -20 degree celcius or more.
I'm hoping to see all of the 2010 team on the summit of Kala Pattar in the classic pose with Mount Everest in the background, later today, on their
website.
They last updated their blog on 1 May 2010 to report their arrival at Pangboche, which is 3,800 metres above sea-level, and their plans to trek to Dingboche (4,300m) on 2 May. Although there is a cyber cafe at Dingboche, they didn't bother to update the blog. But if they kept to their schedule, they would have arrived in Gorak Shep yesterday.
The village of Gorak Shep is at an altitude of over 5,000 metres, but boasts an internet cafe. Mount Everest Base Camp is just over two hours from here.