[#AmaDablamTour Days 13 - 15] Climbing Lobuche East

Day 13-15 - Lobuche East [October 26-28, 2015]

It's been two years since our trip to Nepal. Time and distance brings introspection. I'm concluding my story with the benefit of hindsight, though it takes away from the "spirit of the moment" but helps me relate my experience to the larger scheme of things. In more ways than one, returning to my comfort zone made writing about my experience less urgent. If anyone felt robbed of a conclusion to my story, my sincerest apologies for this late post. For those reading this blog for the first time, you may want to read the start of this story here. Thanks for your support! 

Recapping where we left off in the story, we just returned to Lobuche from Gorak Shep after the team's forays to EBC and Kala Patthar. From here we parted ways with the ladies and Ang Kami as they continued to Pheriche. Someone proposed that maybe we can delay our bid for Lobuche East by a day to recuperate and better adjust to the altitude. We managed to discuss this with Dawa, who gave the sobering news that the weather might turn in the next two days, and that if we didn’t climb as scheduled, there’s a chance that the weather won’t be favorable. No choice but to move on as planned.

Climb gear ready

The following day, Pasang said there was no hurry. We took our time eating breakfast and packing the remaining things needed for the summit climb. Our climb gear were already sorted and packed in the Lagalag duffel bags, which the porters will deliver in High Camp (at 5300masl). The morning was bright and cold. We left for High Camp at 9am. The trail crossed a high ridge above the settlement. Same arid vegetation, but comfortable under our feet. We met two Europeans in a hurry who looked like they climbed Lobuche with little trouble (alpine-style I suspect). My thoughts turned to lofty dreams of one day getting into that level of climbing (not quite possible while living in our snow-deprived country).

We headed down to the valley below the mountain and shortly began to climb the moraine approach. From a distance, the route is indistinguishable amid the rock and sand maze. Only as we got closer that the footpath became obvious. The last part of the steep climb was a scramble towards the icy ledge that made up the lower part of the High Camp area. A rock that resembles a horse's head marks this place.

Horse head marker

We were at a large flat area where the climb teams usually camp. Pasang wanted to go the higher campsite to save time and energy for our summit attempt. We scrapped the idea when the porters said they were feeling sick from the altitude. Anyway, the four of us liked where we were and were more than happy to stay. Ama Dablam is just across the valley, still waiting for our arrival.

In the remaining daylight, we sorted out our climbing gear, practiced wearing our boots and crampons and the use of the ascenders and descenders. Lunch and dinner were rehydrated meals, crunchy since the water we boiled quickly lost its heat before the cooking process was completed.

It was a beautiful place to be in; the mighty mountains of the Solukhumbu Region are all around for us to behold. I was still in awe of where we were standing and what we would be embarking the following morning. We warmed up in one tent, idle chat occupied our evening, then hit the sleeping bags early 

* * *

Our summit day started at 3 am. A bit of breakfast porridge and off we went; lugging our overflowing packs containing our climbing gear. The first order of the day is to navigate the steep rock maze up the snow line. It took us a good three hours to reach the snowline. Our team leader, still having a bit of trouble acclimatizing, arrived almost an hour after us. Not feeling positive of his prospects, decided to skip the summit to have a better chance in our next objective. It was now just me, Miko, Henry, and of Pasang. Lakhpa went with the team ahead of us to help with setting the route.

 

 

The first section of the snowline was of moderate steepness; enough for us to get the hang of moving while together. I was a bit apprehensive of my double boots because of my experience in Island Peak (where my ankles almost died). Fortunately, the boots seemed to be more broken-in now and I had an easier time walking in it with crampons. Miko and Henry were moving steadily behind me. The mountain by now was unnervingly bright as the near cloudless sky offered no shelter against the sun. I can’t thank Celine enough for gifting me my glacier glasses.

Romi sending us off

An hour has passed and we got to where the real climbing begins. We tied off and started at the fixed rope section. As it got steeper the going got slower. I found myself overheating and needed to take off my fleece jacket. For lowlanders like us, feeling hot in the middle of a field of snow seems contradictory. But then again, ice is one of the better reflectors of heat and UV light, hence the sunburnt complexion of mountaineers and the ever-present risk of snow blindness.

spindrift in Mt. Everest

At the back of my mind I kept comparing this climb with my Island Peak trip three years before, to determine which was harder. There in Lobuche, I had the benefit of experience, while in Island Peak, everything was new. This time, I knew I had to focus training on upper body strength to help me with on the fixed lines, and I made sure that I was walking the proper way. But all things considered, the amount of climbing on packed snow was greater there in Lobuche, so I guess this mountain wins by a small margin, despite being lower in elevation.

It was also a bit disheartening to see the team in front of us get smaller and smaller while our progress felt snail-pace. And the summit doesn’t seem to be getting any closer. I saw the team ahead of me vanish around a corner, but when I get to it, there was still at least 30 minutes of trudging left. In the end, as the cliché goes, it was grit and determination, more than physical strength that got me up to the end. This might be “just” a 6,000-meter mountain, but it sure didn’t feel easier. Lakhpa congratulated me for getting this far, and then headed down to assist Miko.

jumping for joy, with Everest and Lhotse in the background

It turns out the trekking peak of Lobuche East is not the mountain’s highest point. In front of me still was a sharp undulating ridge where the highest point was at least 300 meters away. I asked Lakhpa about this and he said that the way to the “true” summit is very risky, as it would require an abseil down a ravine and at least an hour of walking on a very exposed knife-ridge. I didn’t pursue the topic further. The tracks I saw along the ridge may have been made by the two climbers we met the day before.

the true summit is still a distance away

Miko arrived with a sigh of relief. I congratulated him on his first 6,000-meter climb. Henry followed a few minutes later, a bit exhausted from the looks of it, but still overjoyed, I’m sure. With our team complete, there’s nothing else to do but finish our obligatory photo-shoots, complete jump shots and the usual shenanigans. It was almost 1:00 PM when we started descending. I was feeling a bit light headed. At that time, I was thinking, maybe it was because I spent over an hour at the top and the altitude was getting to me. I clipped in the fixed rope and abseiled slowly at first, picking up speed as the terrain got less steep. The snow was getting softer from the heat of the afternoon sun, making our steps sink a little deeper than earlier. One of the ice pegs got uprooted as I passed by, breaking the trance-like state of my mechanical descent. There’s no time to lose focus on what I was doing until I’m safe back in Kathmandu. After all, once the fixed line ends, I would have to move across the snowfield by myself since the rest of the team was still some distance behind and up. I reached the end of the snowline where we stashed the gear we didn’t need for the summit. I decided not to wait for the others and find my own way back down to camp.

Mabuhay!

Not a good idea, but an essential experience. Once I got to the rock slabs, the route became less prominent. I haven’t gone far when I had my first minor deviation. As I navigated further down, it became obvious that I’ve lost track of our way up. Still feeling lightheaded and with a heavy pack on my back, I got nervous and the sense of urgency washed over me. Mid-way between the snowline and the campsite I found myself on a wide rock ledge that totally unfamiliar. I wasn’t terribly lost, but I knew that the right way down is somewhere on my right. I was treading new ground and getting down the hard way. If the clouds come in before I’m down safe, I know it would be trouble for the team.

finding the campsite in the maze of rocks

At last I got back to the gentler slope close to our campsite. Still I managed to veer away to the right, which I quickly realized and made the adjustments to my route right before the clouds came in. I saw our tent and called out to Romi, who met me outside with a candy bar or something. I realized that I ate very little since dinner the night before, and in hindsight, maybe that was the reason for my being slightly out of it. But at that moment, I was just content to be back in safe ground. I turned my back and the fog has already obscured the rocky slopes from I where I just came. Close call.

I can’t remember anymore what time the rest of the guys arrived back in camp. I’m sure they felt the same relief as I had. Terribly exhausted and probably also dehydrated, I remember sleeping soundly despite my issues with the dry Himalayan air.

We woke up to a crisp morning air. We took our time packing and getting ready for the trek to Pangboche. The hardships of the climb the day before already behind us, my feet felt light and the hike down Thukla Pass seemed a breeze. Although when I watched a video I took while we were having lunch, we were all staring blankly into space, fatigue was still obvious on our faces.

all behind us now

frozen lake

Pasang relaxing

As if the devil was on our heels, we flew past Pheriche and Shomare, despite the strong headwind. The snow has started to fall as we arrived in Pangboche in the early afternoon. We would later find out that the promised bad weather has come at last and Pangboche would be our home for the next three nights while we waited for things to clear up. The first order of the afternoon was to splurge on prawn crackers and wifi cards to reconnect with the outside world.

on the trail to Pangboche

Lobuche East is said to be the hardest of the trekking peaks in the Solukhumbu Region. Looking back at our climb after two years have passed, I can say that yes, it was definitely hard. It was just what we needed to condition ourselves for the next climb in our journey. 

(I would like to again thank those who supported this trip, The North Face, Lagalag, Recreational Outdoor Exchange (R.O.X.), Primer Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition (CORE), the U.P. Mountaineers, Dream Himalaya Adventure, and my wife Celine. For more photos, click here for my Facebook album )