Everest Base Camp Trek Dispatch

April 8, 2008 – Tengboche and Everest in Sight

Greetings from Pangboche. Much to our surprise we awoke in Khunde to beautifully crisp blue skies after two days of unrelenting snow storms.

We set off descending 2,000 feet to the river bed of the Imja Khola, only to then attack a 3,000 foot steep ascent to the town of Tengboche. Upon arrival we were blown away by the sight of Mt. Everest looming in the distance. There we stopped for a picnic under blue skies, surrounded by too many 20,000 foot peaks to count. We are now in Pangboche; 13,000 feet. This is the highest permanent settlement of the Sherpa people.

Recent highlights;

• A visit with a Sherpa artist, Ang Pasang, who lost all his fingers and toes to frostbite while climbing Cho Oyu, 26,906 feet, several years ago. These meticulously detailed landscapes of the Khumbu take weeks to create.
• Celebrating Guy’s 28th Birthday in the “skyroom” of head guide, Ang Temba’s home. The night was filled with great food, many laughs, gag gifts and a freshly baked, high altitude birthday cake.
• A visit to the 600 year old Pangboche Monastery. Just imagine, Christopher Columbus’ grandmother was in diapers when it was built.

Here our trip into the upper Khumbu was ceremoniously blessed by Lama Geshe. We found out that almost every Everest expedition is blessed by him and also that Guy’s name means ‘cow’ in Nepali.

Guy and Thom’s Loco Fantastico Himalaya Culinary Adventure:

Each Sherpa village is known for its own distinct chili based hot sauce, varying in spicyness from mild to liquid fire hot.

Once again ignoring warnings and advice from local doctors, Guy and Thom have been consuming mass quantities while the incredulous locals look on.

Yeti Watch 2008:

A recent effort to find the creature has involved a thorough analysis of existing scientific data. We bribed our way into a monastery in Khumjung, where we were lead into a locked storage vault containing the only known Yeti skull in existence. We asked ourselves these questions: why is there not more concrete evidence of the Yeti? Does the government have something to hide? Could the Yeti be an extra terestrial life form that beams itself to its home planet for a more dignified death?