[#AmaDablamTour, Day 11] Gorak Shep

I was awoken by Miko early in the morning. Their hike was supposed to start by 7am. But it wasn't like I was sound asleep. In fact I slept terribly last night. This is the part of the trip that I feel I won't really get used to. I need some humidity in my lungs.

Frosty morning. Missing the girls.

The three of us (me, Henry and Romi) took our time to get ready. We were on our way by 9. It was still close to freezing temps even if the sun was out. So it seems to call for warmer trekking clothing. I regretted the decision 30 minutes into the hike. When the wind died down, the heat became unbearable.  While I managed to take off some top layers, my legs were uncomfortable with the thermal bottoms.

Nuptse from Lobuche

But really, my issue was the trail. From Lobuche, the landscape becomes more and more barren. The Khumbu glacier is just beside the trail, but is out of sight because of a high ridge. Once we reached the top of Lobuche pass (about 150m of climb), the trail becomes a seemingly endless moraine that saps your spirit and will to hike. This is my least favorite part. If not for the distraction of the beautiful peaks and the Khumbu glacier, I would've thrown a fit (actually, beneath all the sand and rubble of the trail lies tons of glacial ice). I passed Tik, Marie, and Tita, whom I feel share my sentiment on the route.

Lobuche Pass

The endless moraine 

Gorak Shep came into view. The last "permanently" populated  garrison before the basecamp. It's sole purpose is to cater to the thousands of hikers and climbers who wander into this desolated place; otherwise, it (and other remote villages in area) would be a hard place to live in--devoid of agricultural and grazing possibilities. At least Ncell's mobile data coverage here is strong (of all places!).

Gorak Shep. At last!

We were billeted at the Buddha Lodge. We would discover later that the owner, Mr. Pemba, is the same person Henry and Romi dealt with nearly a decade ago, during the race to Everest. 

Miko and Elaine were the first to arrive. They were feeling the altitude, but seemed to be the fittest to go ahead to EBC. The other ladies arrived a bit too late to move on. In the end, only the first two got to go. The rest spent the afternoon dealing with either AMS or boredom at the dining area.

Decisions had to be made on whether to visit EBC or Kala Patthar tomorrow. We couldn't do both (except of course for Miko and Elaine). As a compromise, the guides will be divided for those who still want to venture out to EBC (the supposed highlight of the trip) and those who want the panoramic view up Kala Patthar. It will be an early day for all, so braving the cold, we retired to our rooms and slept.

(One thing to remember when staying here and even Lobuche, is that water freezes at night. So if you need to use the toilet, be prepared for frigid conditions. You definitely cannot wash your ass with the water in the toilet.)