Nepal Day 12 - Lobuche to Gorak Shep plus hike up Kala Patthar

5 miles, 2514‘ climbing, (approximated)

Buddha Lodge, elevation 17,032’

Highest elevation: Kala Patthar 18,502’

We were a little slow getting started in the morning. Our distance to Gorak Shep isn’t that long, but due to some landslides in years past, there’s some up and down. The sun was out and it wasn’t windy, a pattern we’ve been fortunate to enjoy on many mornings. Some yaks were being loaded, and we even say one standing in an ice topped puddle. Clearly yaks don’t get cold ankles. 

There were a lot of trekkers making their way up and down the path, yak trains and horses too, sometimes slowing us down. We reached an icy section where we donned our microspikes. We spotted a LBB (little brown bird) for possible future identification. Helicopters were flying up and down the valley. The sky was stunningly clear.

We rounded a corner and suddenly had a stunning view of Nuptse and we stopped for a few photos. Pumo Riwas to our left. We had walked adjacent to the Khumbu Glacier, hidden behind a moraine, all the way. We could see Gorak Shep, a small and lively village, just down the hill. It’s the last stopping point for expeditions to nearby mountains, and large tents and packaged piles of gear were tucked around the buildings. There’s a heli pad.

It was still early, so we had a quick lunch at the Buddha Lodge and headed up Kala Patthar to see the views while the sky was so exceptionally clear. We put on our microspikes which were perfect for traction on the trail. 

At first the trail was mud, then slush, then packed snow. It was unrelentingly uphill, and we trudged with only a few breaks, Bire leading the way followed by the two of us, and Deepak bringing up the rear. We heard the rumble of a distant avalanche. We didn’t see too many people on the trail but exchanged greetings with Jarod from Melbourne who we met last night. At one point we saw a helicopter land in a snowy plateau about half way up, passengers discharged then reloaded after a few minutes, and it took off again. Must be a sightseeing tour.

At a saddle near the top we had an excellent view of Pumori and glacial lakes. We put on wind protection for the push to the top and picked our way through snow and rocks to the view point. We high-fived each other and took a lot of pictures after putting on wooly hats and down jackets. The sky was perfectly clear except some snow blowing off the top of Everest. We could see Lhotse and Nuptse and Lho La and other mountains. The orange tents of Everest Base Camp were visible on the Khumbu glacier as was the lumpy and forbidding Ice Fall. Bire pointed our locations of camps I, II, III, and IV. It’s hard to describe the drama of the rock faces, snows, just everything, but it certainly made the difficult climb worthwhile. 

We trudged back down to our lodge for tea and snacks and relaxation. We sat around a warm stove next to a local dog while people trickled in. We were pleasantly tired. Kala Patthar is the highest point planned on our trek.

Our lodge was full of porters who are setting up camps for expeditions.