22 March
(Day 12 of trekking)
“Day 12 started with a small but stalwart crew taking the opportunity to hike to the top of Kalla Patthar to see the sunrise over Mt Everest. After the huge day to EBC yesterday most were happy to get the couple of hours extra rest, also many of these had seen the sun set over Everest from Gokyo Ri a few days ago.
Today was to be another big one with an 8-9 hour day descending +/- 1,100m from Gorakshep to Pangboche. We are obviously on our way back down now and are seeing new sights and locations.
The day was in the purest sense a day of contrasts. We started out for the first 4 hours or so under crisp blue skies and sunshine, and whilst the temperatures were still sub zero we were soon removing layers to find the right thermal comfort range.
We wound our way along the Dhugla Pass admiring the peaks with an anticipated tea stop at Lobuche before heading off again for our lunch stop at Dhugla.
The hike from Dhugla passed fairly quickly and while the sky’s were still blue you could feel the wind chill increasing. Toasted cheese and tomato sanga’s with chips and veggies was just what we needed, and after that and our hot drinks were finished we started the next leg to Pangboche via a fantastic little tea house called the Shanty House. Here the wifi was actually free and we took the opportunity to ring home and say hi to loved ones.
It was shortly after leaving the Shanty House that we saw a whole new side of the region. The wind picked up significantly, the cloud closed in around us and the temperatures dropped further.
After around 3 more hours we eventually arrived at Pangboche, still under heavy cloud and moisture. We were rapt to find that dinner tonight is soup and pizza, still too high for protein but just what the doctor ordered all the same.”
– Tony
