Everest Base Camp Trek Dispatch

We started our day with a hike to upper Pangboche and a visit to the Pangboche Monastery. Pangboche is home to a 600-year-old monastery (the first in the Khumbu Valley). Built around a rock where a famous lama once meditated, the dim interior is filled with old statues, crumbling relics, wrathful deities behind locked doors, and the exaggerated faces of carved masks used in ritual summer dances.

The Pangboche Lama blessed all our team members

Frank Giustra being blessed by Pangboche Lama

Tim Young being blessed

Anthony Findlay receiving his blessing

Scott Walker being blessed

Ang Temba at Pangboche Monastery

Frank Giustra at Pangboche Monastery

The team with the Lama after we were blessed at the Pangboche Monastery

After the Monastery visit we went back to Ang Temba’s lodge where Yangzing cooks magic in her kitchen

Time to say goodbye to Yangzing. She blessed our team with a Khata scarf. Khata is a Tibetan custom to offer a khata or greeting scarf to friends, relatives or guests as welcome and wish of happiness.

Scott Walker admiring oxygen bottle from an Everest Expedition 1953

On the trail to Pheriche

Frank Giustra looking strong and well acclimatized on the trail to Pheriche

We saw porters carrying huge loads down from Everest Base Camp

There were also yaks moving down the trail from Everest base camp

The trail between Pangboche and Pheriche is spectacular

We saw a rock painting of Guru Rinpoche on the trail to Pheriche

Crossing the bridge below Pheriche