Monday 28 May 2012

Base Camp to Pangboche

After a very late night (early morning) I woke at just after five am to finish packing with out a headache.

It seemed odd to be leaving my temporary home of the last sixty days. Not that I'll really miss it - having to stoop every time you wanted to get in or out (even for a short guy like me), the ever changing landscape of the floor as the ice either moved or melted, melting ice dripping on your face in the morning. Yet despite all this it was a sanctuary, your own little area of personal space, and most consequently most welcoming.

The day dawned with blue sky and brilliant sunshine (unlike yesterday which for the first time in the whole trip was cloudy and misty which made for an ominous atmosphere whilst negotiating the ice fall).

Our main bags are going by yak to Lukla over the next three days whilst we will be walking with light rucksacks with some waterproofs and overnight gear.

The walk was uneventful but reasonably fast paced. We passed the Sherpa cemetery just south of Lobuche which was quite moving.

There were some love purple alpine like flowers just below 4500m which made me realise I'd not seen any flowers for the last eight weeks! (Note to self: perhaps flower arranging is the way forward).

The landscape was also just showing signs of a little bit of green in the valley floors, again a colour we'd not seen for eight weeks.

Also whilst descending below 4700/4500m three of the five of us (the rest had got up even earlier to try ang get to Namche Bazaar in one day), all commented how much easier it had suddenly become to breathe. I think this shows that even at BC you are only just surviving.

Stone walls defining field boundaries or yak pens all show that we are slowly but surely returning to civilisation.

Once at our lodge in Pangboche (c3900m) we all ordered yak steak and chips. Despite what seemed to be a good twenty minutes of pounding, the meat still came out rather tough but was nevertheless most enjoyable.

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