Dingboche to Lobuche

Today - day 11 - is another long-ish walk with an ascent of between five and six hundred meters (depending on how high Dingboche really is). This may be a problem - no one seems to have really come up with a hard-and-fast set of recommendations on the rate of ascent at all altitudes, but above 4000 meters some would say you should only climb two or three hundred meters before stopping for a night to allow the body to adapt ... altitude sickness might become an issue again today.

The day starts with an undulating walk with a slight upwards trend towards Duglha, which is really just a place to stop and have a cuppa while you take stock of the seemingly massive four hundred meter climb just in front of you.

When tea is finished we head out, and not a lot is said for the next hour or so, as breath is in short supply. Finally we make it to the top and the views are amazing. The first photo below is looking back the way we came towards Cholatse and Tawoche Peaks.

Moving on we're heading downwards for a while, walking carefully in single file along a narrow path which has been created through the snow by other people on the same route. Crossing the bottom of the valley (second photo) we are met by one of our guides, who has been ahead to the lodge already and come back again with a large thermos of tea and a bag full of cups. Most welcome!

Another short walk sees us in Lobuche at 4930 meters - a tiny settlement at the base of the Lobuche East - where we're spending the night.

 

The afternoon is spent reading a book I find laying around in the lodge - The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W. E. Bowman. I had never heard of this book before, but its got an introduction by Bill Bryson and sounds amusing. It turns out to be one of the few books I have ever laughed aloud over, and is a brilliantly amusing tale of an ill-fated expedition to climb the highest mountain in the world.

Later on, the clouds clear and the lack of a sunset the previous evening is suddenly rendered unimportant - we get a spectacular show. Both photos below are taken from just outside our lodge - the first is a shot across the valley, with the sun shining on a peak that might be Pokalde, while the second is looking on the other direction at Nuptse - as well as catching the top, the sun is also reflecting off haze at the base of the peak, making it seem as if the valleys are on fire.

 

The food at the lodge is fantastic - tasty and in huge portions. Unfortunately, due to the altitude causing a complete loss of appetite I can't even get half way through my bolognese and have to send the majority back uneaten.

We also receive some good news this evening - the trail to Everest Base Camp is open. Apparently the first set of trekkers got there a couple of days ago. Our good fortune with the warm weather has extended this far. Tomorrow we head for Base Camp!