Maximum Altitude: 5,364m
For reasons I couldn't really understand, we had a 7:30am breakfast. The reason I couldn't understand it is that we only have a three hour trek to Gorakshep. I guess the EBC addition will add quite a bit on, but presumably that will be after lunch, so we can probably look forward to a 10:30am lunch today. Meal times are really mixed up on this trip, but needs must I guess.
From Lobuche, the trek follows an awful path, boulder strewn and hard going, there is no relaxing for a second and whilst undulating is steadily upwards. Gorakshep arrives suddenly, nestled as it is in a dip. Having read so many accounts of Everest climbing, I was amazed just how small it is, comprising just a handful of buildings. In my mind I'd got it competing with Namche Bazaar in size, but not even close.
As predicted, we had lunch before heading off to EBC. A couple elected not to bother which surprised me - I thought it was a 'must do' for everyone - why are we here otherwise? Around two hours of even worse path trekking bought us to the final downhill section and into the camp area which, of course was deserted of climbers being the 'wrong' season. It was, however, swarming with tourists on the EBC Trek, all wanting their photo taken on the monument, including us of course.
It is easy to see the main ice fall through which all climbers must pass to the Western Cwm and even from this distance it looked a serious challenge and one, no doubt, would be better viewed having done it rather than one to 'look forward to'. We lingered for about thirty minutes before starting back. I quickly tired and I have to say it was a big effort walking back, coupled with the fact that the temperature had dropped and I didn't have enough warm layers on, wearing my T-Shirt, long sleeved top, Stellar Windproof and Stellar Down Jacket; which just shows how cold it was! I arrived back at the Lodge shivering.
Dinner was horrid! Well, the soup was okay but the hash brown was dire. I managed a couple of mouthfuls and that was that. It didn't help that I wasn't actually hungry. Luckily I was sat next to Adam who was not suffering with loss of appetite and cleaned my plate. If there was a pudding, which there wasn't, my plate would have easily qualified me.
I went to bed around 7:30pm utterly exhausted and slept really well until around midnight when I needed the loo. When I got back into bed I was pretty much straight to sleep again without the deep breathing of previous nights. If only I could shed this cold and cough it would be perfect
