Everest Base Camp Trek Dispatch

May 9, 2011 – Returning to Lower Elevations

Sara here, writing from the comfort of Namche. I have am currently sitting outside enjoying the thick, warm air – no more down jackets or shortness of breath at this altitude!

We have had two lovely days of trekking and returning to lower elevation has really brought energy back to the group. Our days have been filled with lots of laughter and the pace of our movements has increased noticeably along with our appetites. On Sunday, we departed Gorak Shep in the early morning just as the cold winds, which had been absent during our stay, returned to the upper Khumbu Valley. The walk to Lobouche was very pleasant and before we knew it, we were in Thukla for a lunch break, but not before we took a moment at the Everest memorials for some time to reflect. The memorials, which are primarily monuments made of stacked rocks and boulders adorned with prayer flags and katas, cover the hillside overlooking Thukla and include memorials for many Sherpas who have died on Everest and for a few foreign mountaineers and trekkers who have lost their lives as well. It is a solemn place, but one filled with beauty and offering the perfect time to reflect upon the power of the mountains and the fragile nature of life.

Lunch was delicious as always, and just what we needed for the final push on to our destination, Pheriche. Many of us had been dreaming of Pheriche’s hot showers for days and it was so wonderful to arrive at the warm and welcoming lodge. We had a sushi dinner and Phuri, our talented cook, also baked us a huge chocolate cake! It was a special night, not only because our team had reached our goals and was now on the return path, but also because it was our last night with Line, Tom and Osvaldo before they departed for their climb of Island Peak. They left us on Monday morning and we wish them the best of luck on their climb.

On Monday morning, we woke early for a long day of trekking from Pheriche all the way back to Namche. I don’t know what they fed us for breakfast, but I haven’t seen anyone in the group move as fast as they did today. The conveniences of Namche including private bathrooms, in-lodge internet, a money exchange, shopping and cold Fanta must have been beckoning from afar.

In many ways, Monday was a day of goodbyes. We said goodbye to many of the mountains that had defined the skyline for the last weeks including Nuptse, Ama Dablam and, of course, Mount Everest. We stopped for tea and to say farewell to Yangzing, Ang Temba’s lovely wife who runs the lodge where we stay in Pangboche. She is such a gracious and giving woman and in some ways, saying goodbye to her is like saying goodbye to the Khumbu itself though I can’t explain why. While it feels good to put the trail behind us, it is bittersweet and I know that I will miss so many things about this unique place.

For now, back in Namche, we are all trying our best to absorb as much as we can before we go. However, conversations revolve around plans for Kathmandu and our flights home making it difficult to focus on the present moment. Somehow I feel nostalgic about a place I have not yet left.