Nepal

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EBC Day 12 – Kalapattar

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Kalapattar

The day before had been the first day of the entire trip where I would actually have considered myself to have been exhausted. Perhaps that is why my dreams at that point were so vivid.. or maybe it was just the altitude? The dream that I had that night was strange and very muddled, yet was somehow very clear. Some researchers think that the decreased oxygen levels at altitude somehow affect the recollection of dreams, Read more

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EBC Day 11 – Everest Base Camp

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Altitude Sickness

That morning, a sad farewell took place in Lobouche (elevation : 4940m) amongst a group of hikers from New Zealand. One of the party members apparently had been suffering from a bad headache and had just begun mumbling unintelligibly. It was wisely decided that he would need to make a quick descent back down to lower altitudes, whilst the rest of the party continued up to Gorak Chep (elevation : 5164m). I say wise because the ataxia and altered mental status indicated an onset of HACE. Read more

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EBC Day 10 – Dingbouche to Lobouche

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Onwards to Dughla

I left Dingboche (elevation : 4530m - I stayed in 'lower' Dingboche though at an elevation closer to 4300m) that morning completely enraptured after having watched the glorious sunrise crawl slowly down the face of Ama Dablam (elevation : 6812m). The early part of the trek to Lobuche was pretty straightforward, with barely any elevation gain until reaching Dughla for lunch, which bode well for a few of the members of Sophie's group - one not feeling too well with a bad cough and a headache, and another with a swollen ankle. Read more

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EBC Day 09 – Acclimatisation at Dingboche

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Dingboche Acclimatisation

The plan was to spend a day acclimatising once again here in Dingboche (Sophie's group was doing the same, before heading up to Lobuche via Dughla the next day). I had decided to carry on with them for the next day or two and to skip the high-altitude pass of Kongma La since the pass was not on the GHT pass list. This meant that instead of trekking up to Chukhung from Dingboche, climbing up Chukhung Ri and then crossing Kongma La to Lobouche the next day, I would instead head up the path that lead to Chukhung (elevation : 4730m) for a while before coming back down to Dingboche for the night. Read more

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EBC Day 08 – Tengbouche to Dingbouche

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Tengbouche Monastery

I woke up early to join a group of other hikers that were heading to the Tengbouche Monastery (Nepali : ट्याङबोछे गुम्बा) for the morning puja, an act of devotion that involves acts such as bowing, making offerings, and chanting. As we approached the monastery, a monk leaned out one of the second-storey windows and blew on a huge conch shell called a 'sankha' - a trumpet that is customary to be blown before the morning puja. Read more

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EBC Day 07 – Namche Bazaar to Tengbouche

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On to Tengbouche

Even though it was bright and sunny that morning, the temperatures outside hovered just above freezing - a sure sign that winter was just around the corner. Despite the cold, I quickly packed up my gear, eager to get back out on the trail and on to Tengbouche. After making my way up the narrow shop-lined alleyways to the northern side of Namche Bazaar (Nepali : नाम्चे बजार) (elevation : 3440m) , I turned right along the trail that began to lead eastwards out of the town. As the buildings started to disappear and Namche Bazaar faded away into the distance, the mountains gradually began to open up to proudly showcase their majestic splendour. Read more