There was a peculiar energy cracking across my eyes as I woke this morning. Today was a day of dreams. I am connecting with the dreams of countless curious and brave and bold souls who long for a connection to grandeur. To stand on top of the world, climbing the great broad back, sloped shoulders, crowned head of the mountain we call Everest. To dare greatly and then to achieve. Yes, today was full of the energy of those dreams, and now Em and I are a part of it.
The walk today to Gorak Shep was the strongest of my entire trek. My feet were winged, my pack inconsequential. Along our route we traced the massive Khumbu glacier. It groaned and shifted, an omnipresent sense of movement on our right side. We covered the distance an hour faster than Bishnu had estimated, and so sat to lunch at Buddha lodge at 11. Covered in a rainbow of flags and t-shirts of past trekking groups, this feels like the coziest of all the lodges we have stayed in. "Veni, vidi, vici." I came, I saw, I conquered.
Khumbu glacier.
With only our small daypack filled with the essentials, we continued along past Gorak Shep towards EBC. River walking, gave way to a narrow ridge, the ever shifting moraine of the Khumbu glacier. We walked along the hump of the ridge, towards an expanse of snowy mountains, Everest prominent in her sky display. As we walked onwards, the brown white peak of Everest slid behind its neighbor, Nuptse.
Khumbu icefall.
The infamous Khumbu icefall came into focus, it's peaks and crevasses frozen in a seemingly benign cool blueness. I was mesmerized. This place that I had read so much about, imagining what it looked like, the rolls and curves of the frozen ice, like a crashing wave frozen in place. The thrill of delicately balancing on ladders bridged over crevasses, my imagination's idea of crossing the Khumbu icefall all came rushing to me. And there we were, walking ever closer.
Taking a deep breath before arriving.
I could hear EBC before I could see it. Breaking the silence innate to walking in beautiful places, I heard a great joyous cry go up. Looking into the distance, below us and on the a rocky flattop on the glacier, I could see a paint blot of color. A trekking group, brightly clad in windbreakers and Gore-Tex had just reached EBC and were celebrating. We were still a little ways off...but there it was!
Descending down off the ridge, we picked our way across the moraine. The cries getting louder, we turned around a boulder, and the tangle of prayer flags were right before us. Within steps of this place, I halted. Again I felt the collective energy of so many dreams. I imagined a city of tents, of climbers biding their time through acclimatization and the perfect window to attempt the summit. Whether a person reached this place at the end of a journey, or the beginning of one, it is hallowed with belief in ones self. What a magical slash of earth.
At this moment I felt deeply connected to all the people in my life who have encouraged me to dream. Kate, who inspired the wanderlust of this year, had stood in this spot 4 years earlier, and I felt that connection of friendship and love through the thousands of miles that separate us. And I found this feeling of love was universal. All around me, people were embracing, grinning, laughing. A Japanese man held up a sign, "I LOVE YOU," and had his picture taken in front of the "EVEREST BASE CAMP 2013" mound of tokens, pictures, signs and prayer flags.
Thirty minutes of heart swelling happiness, we flitted around the base camp, taking pictures from all angles. Everest is only seen as sliver behind Nuptse from this vantage point, but the route to her summit was before us. My mind was reeling, is reeling, with the power of it all.
Victoriabaking almond cake at EBC.
Reluctantly, we crossed back to the ridge and began out ascent and trek back to Gorak Shep. About twenty minutes after leaving base camp, along the ridge, we heard a loud clap and boom. Turning around, we saw a massive avalanche accelerating down the towards the icefall. A mushroom cloud of snow and debris filled the area, racing down the mountain. Growing larger and larger, it engulfed the entire mountain face and came crashing down on the icefall. Whoever was standing at base camp got quite a show (and maybe a mini heart attack). Even from our point, snow flurries swirled around us as the aftermath of the snowy collapse. What drama!
Avalanche!
Arriving back at Buddha Lodge, we settled into the hum of activity and excited voices of the other trekkers. Striking up conversations with the multitude of international trekkers, it felt like a community of adventurers. Em has made the decision to forgo hiking to Kala Pattar in the morning. Exhausted physically and mentally, she is happy with the challenges and successes of our trek, and has opted to rest while Bishnu and I make the climb tomorrow morning.
Celebration. I will miss her on top of Kala Pattar.
Leaving the warmth of the dining room, and crawling into bed in preparation for a 0430 wake up, my heart is full of contentment. I like the pace of my life, in this moment. It let me realize this wonderful dream, giving me the opportunity to inspire myself through overcoming self doubt. The last push, to the top of Kala Pattar, will be a beautiful finale to this trek.
I love this story, there's such a shift from the last post!
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