Our day started in Lobuche at a hotel that was jammed with climbers and trekkers either heading to Everest Base Camp, Lukla or Mt Lobuche for acclimatization. The crammed dining room, dirty tables, lack of the kind of sanitary best practices made me worried. The #1 advice given from friends who have been here is don't get sick! Chirring and I left at 8:00 am and trekked across a mostly flat river bed that sloped gradually toward the upper valley. Choppers ferrying people & provision buzzed overhead every 3-6 minutes. The approach to EBC is amongst the most heavily choreographed airspace I've ever seen. The terrain became steeper as we navigated heavily travelled boulder areas as trekkers descended - headed back after visiting EBC. The trail dust kicked up. After 4 miles we stopped at a small village called Gorekshep, for some coffee and tea and a well earned break. The winds kicked up as a siren approached.
Arriving at EBC
Hopecam Child Kayelah
After 5 miles we stood at the entrance to EBC. I filmed a dedication to our Hopecam child Kayelah from Miami, FL and is she is in 12th Grade and is treated at Alex's Place Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and uses the Chromebook we sent her to take online cooking classes while she fights cancer. She wants to be a chef and Hopecam helped open that door! The held up a sign in the picture she sent that says "sometimes you forget you are awesome - SO HERE IS YOUR REMINDER”. Wow if that's not a bolt of encouragement I don't know what is!
Our camp site in Everest Base Camp was a 30 min uphill walk past hundreds of multicolor tents of every size and color. The most noticeable are the huge dome tents for socialization, meals and training for climbers willing to pay extra for some comfort. Best of all they are heated. We arrived around 1:00 pm and had elevated platform with a thick mattress. It's not "glamping" because the toilet is still a bucket in a tent 20 yards away, but it's private and spacious. A nice lunch followed by moving into my private tent which was 8'x10' and sported a tall ceiling and insulated walls with a vestibule. Not bad. My daily ritual is to get out early - trek or climb early - eat lunch - shower - then nap. The altitude is 17,500 and I can feel it.
Saturday we get a full rest day - get to walk about the camp (there are over 50 expedition companies operating here) and I'll work some more on my journal.
Stay tuned for more updates from Len! You can also follow Len on his Garmin to see his location here: Where is Len?
Len is honoring Hopecam Child KAYELAH today. Read more about KAYELAH here!
Len’s Message to Hopecam Child Kayelah
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