The Perry: 2014

Nepal - Day 12 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - Gorak Shep (16,895 ft.)to Kala Patar (18,510 ft.) to Gorak Shep (16,895 ft.) to Pheriche (14,340 ft.)

Round trip from Gorak Shep to Kala Patar and back: Gain/loss of 1,645 ft. in about 2 miles
Gorak Shep to Pheriche: Loss of 2,555 ft. in about 6 miles

Early, cold, morning on the trail up to the top of Kala Patar. Sun just about to peek behind Mt. Everest.

Near the top of Kala Patar looking back down from the way we came.

A lot of people at the top of Kala Patar, 18,510 ft., the highest I have ever been. The last highest place I had been to was Mt. Whitney in California, 14,505 ft., the highest summit in the contiguous United States.

View of Mt. Everest from the top of Kala Patar. Such a humbling experience to make it here. Forever grateful. Relieved that I successfully made it to Everest Base camp and the top of Kala Patar. Unreal.

On the way down from Kala Patar. Those buildings are Gorak Shep, where we had stayed the night. Went back to our lodge, packed up, and headed for Pheriche. 6 miles straight to Pheriche, another tiring day, but the adrenaline from making it to the top of Kala Patar kept me going. So tired I didn't take any other pictures after this.

Nepal - Day 11 (Tuesday, April 8, 2014)

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 - Lobuche (16,110 ft.) to Gorak Shep (16,865 ft.) to Everest Base Camp (17,600 ft.)

Lobuche to Gorak Shep: 755 ft. gain in about 5 miles
Round trip from Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp and back: 735 ft. gain/loss in about 4.5 miles

On the trail from Lobuche to Gorak Shep.

Followed a glacier covered with rock and dirt along the trail. The glacier originates at the Khumbu icefall, one of the starting points to climb up to Mt. Everest.

Closer look at the glacier.

On the trail, almost to Gorak Shep. A lot more trekkers here since this is the only path.

Lunch at the lodge at Gorak Shep and saw Russel Brice. Russel Brice is a mountaineer from New Zealand and owns/manages Himalayan Experience Ltd. He has summited Mt. Everest twice and lead the Discovery Channel series, "Everest: Beyond the Limit," expeditions.

Made it to Everest base camp!

Khumbu icefall can be seen here. Tents at the base camp on the left for the expeditions that were trying to summit Mt. Everest. Mt. Everest cannot be seen from base camp so we are heading to Kala Patar tomorrow to see Mt. Everest.

The mountains are just amazing here.

Heading back from base camp to Gorak Shep where we would be staying the night and waking up early to try and make it to Kala Patar before we start descending back down. At base camp you are surrounded 360 degrees by mountains. It's such a special place to be. Such an amazing experience.

Trail heading back to Gorak Shep while these people and dzo are heading to base camp.

We stayed the night at Gorak Shep. It's so cold here that when you use the toilets, your urine freezes. When you open the lids to the toilets, you're just peeing on top of someone else's frozen urine. One of the hardest parts of the trip was getting up early in the mornings in the cold. Every morning, getting out of the sleeping bag and getting ready took a lot of energy, motivation, and self-discipline. Getting up to go to work now is a breeze.

Nepal - Day 10 (Monday, April 7, 2014)

Monday, April 7, 2014 - Dingboche (14,400 ft.) to Lobuche (16,110 ft.)

Approximately 5 miles. Total gain: 1,645 ft.

Dingboche to the bottom of Thokla pass: 690 ft. gain in 2.5 miles
Bottom of Thokla pass to the top: 690 ft. gain in 0.5 mile
Top of Thokla pass to Lobuche: 265 ft. gain in 1 mile

Waking up to the view of this mountain behind our campsite.

Packing and about to leave Dingboche.

The porters on the trail leaving Dingboche.

The nice, easy, part of the day, with a gentle climb along the trail into Pheriche valley.

A small shelter seen along the trail.

Prayer flags at Thokla pass.

Scott Fischer memorial at Thokla pass. Scott Fischer was an American mountaineer who lost his life in the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster. You can read about it in, "Into Thin Air," by Jon Krakauer.

More memorials on Thokla pass honoring the sherpas and mountain climbers who have died.

Last stretch into Lobuche, a sparse trekkers' outpost.

From this day on and the next 2 days were some of the toughest. The altitude makes you move slower and slower and there is a constant cold you cannot escape from. I'll never forget going to the "toilet" at the small outpost before ascending Thokla pass. The "toilets" all along the trail consist of small wooden shacks with a hole cut in the floor over a pit. On this day, the shack was over the largest pyramid of frozen stool I had ever seen. It must have been at least over 6 feet tall. The tip of the pyramid was all the way up to hole at the floor of the shack. With the cold at this altitude, it just doesn't decompose. It stays frozen. Luckily, the cold also makes it not smell so bad. Definitely unforgettable.

Nepal - Day 9 (Sunday, April 6, 2014)

Sunday, April 6, 2014 - Acclimatization day

Dingboche (14,400 ft.) to the base of Nangkar Tshang peak (somewhere between 15,700-16,400 ft).

Approximately 3-4 miles. Elevation gain and loss: between 1,300-2,000 ft.

In the morning, right outside the tents, the porters get a break today since we would be staying here a 2nd night for acclimatization.

This would be a common scene here in the Himalayas of Nepal, and in Tibet. A way to keep the water warm.

We would be heading up to the chorten and further, to the base of Nangkar Tshang peak, for our acclimatization.

One of the houses along the way. I liked how the way the rocks were stacked, from the walls, to the roof, to the enclosed border.

Getting higher up to the prayer flags.

A view of the mountains and valley on our acclimatization hike.

Looking down on the windswept potato fields of Dingboche. Since we were staying a 2nd night in Dingboche village, and the only thing on our agenda today was our acclimatization hike, we had time to restock our toilet paper and to take my first (much needed) hair wash. This was the longest I've ever gone without washing my hair. I had even cut my hair shorter than usual before this trip in preparation. It was the best hair wash I've ever had and I felt like a new person afterwards.

Nepal - Day 8 (Saturday, April 5, 2014)

Saturday, April 5, 2014 - Pangboche (12,895 ft.) to Dingboche (14,400 ft.)

Approximately 4 miles. Elevation gain: 1,575 ft.

View of the mountains as we rolled out of our sleeping bags in the morning.

On the trail. The trail goes along the left and to the right is the river Imja Khola (not seen). Up ahead is a small village we stopped at for a break.

Seen along the trail. Guru Rinpoche is supposedly the founder of Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century.

The village, seen in one of the previous pictures, where we stopped for a break.

Seen along the trail. You can just see the river Imja Khola to the bottom right.

The place where we stopped for lunch. The kitchen in the back.

Our first view of Dingboche village, the highest permanent Sherpa settlement in the region. This is where we would be spending 2 nights.

View of the sun setting behind the mountains and a chorten from our campsite.

Nepal - Day 7 (Friday, April 4, 2014)

Friday, April 4, 2014 - Phortse (12,500 ft.) to Pangboche (12,895 ft.)

Approximately 3 miles. Total gain: 400 ft.

Camped in the open with a toilet tent and a kitchen tent. Visited the Pangboche Monastery.

After the snow last night we were greeted with this beautiful view of Phortse in the morning. My favorite morning, ever, maybe my favorite in my life. The air was crisp and clean. We were finally away from the crowds of other trekkers. We were surrounded by these amazing mountains that were so clear and felt so close that you could touch them. I think it finally hit me that I was actually going to do this.