MOUNT. EVEREST

MT. EVEREST

Each and every year many mountaineers come in love for Mt.Everest. It is a dangerous, tremendous life risking passion. One of the common routes for Mt.Everest trekking is via Kathmandu, Nepal and further journey towards base camp through Lukla. Everyday the mountaineers travel by day and some times in night also. I am describing the journey day by day.

TREKKING  ROUTE

1^st day:

Lukla is approximately 9,240 ft (above sea level). There is a place called Chablung located there where the trek route from Jiri converges. Proceeding a little lower from that place, flows the river Tharakosi. Phakding can be reached within half an hour after crossing the Tharakosi River by suspension bridge.

NAMCHE  BAZAAR  TO  JIRI  TREKKING

Phakding is a beautiful, picturesque village with very less population constituting hardly 30 lodge huts. Trekking up from Phakding, a place comes known as Jamfurty. Mt.Thamsherku 21,674 ft (above sea level) can be viewed from Jamfurty. A little trekking further up, comes Benkar (8,888 ft), from where moving a little further flows the river Dudhkosi. Trekking for about an hour after crossing the river, Monjo can be reached. Further proceeding, comes Sagar Matha National Park.

SAGAR  MATHA  NATIONAL  PARK

Trekking through the park and again crossing the river Dudhkosi comes a place called  Jorsale(9,339 ft). This is the point where the trekkers take interval after the first day trek and take rest for the next day journey.   

TREKKING

2^nd day:

The journey begins in the early morning. Advancing a little forward, comes a beautiful place where the river Dudhkosi, flowing from west meets the Votekosi river which flows from east.

DUDHKOSI  RIVER

Now the direction is towards north, proceeding through the pine forest in front and reaches Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft), which is the largest city in the route. Everything is available here like hotel, bakery, post office, police station, military base camp etc. It should be better if a two night halt is taken here to adjust with climate and altitude.

RIVER

3^rd day:

Rest

4^th day:

Rest

5^th day:

NAMCHE  BAZAAR

Thyangboche is about an hour distance from Namche Bazaar. Descending a little about (9100 ft.)  comes a route through the jungle. Traverse through the jungle watching its beauty, the trees like birch, conifer, rhododendron and reach a place called Devuche, crossing which comes the river Imja Khola. Cross the river and reach Pangboche(12,738 ft). The whole journey on this day takes about 5 hours, so it is better to have a night stay here.

THYANGBOCHE

6^th day:

There is a route from Pangboche to Dingboche. Crossing the river Imja Khola and going towards right, comes a place called Suro, from where the route to Dingboche falls on the right side (on the left falls the route to Everest through Feriche and Dugla). Proceeding towards right and advancing through Khumbukhola, reach Zingboche (14,388 ft).

KHUMBU  KHOLA  VALLEY

7^th day:

Trek to Dugla (15246 ft) after a 2 hrs journey from a little place called Zuma starting from Zingboche. A route from Feriche converges here at Dugla.

DUGLA  VILLAGE

8^th day:

Dhukpilhara can be reached after an hour trek from Dugla. Here are memorial dedicated to those Sherpa who were unable to make to Everest and finally lost their lives on the way. Proceeding a little west comes the valley Lobuche (16269 ft) where few lodge and hotels are available but comparatively costlier than Namche bazaar.

LOBUCHE

9^th day:

Journey begins in cold atmosphere, the route goes slowly ascending keeping Khumbu glacier on the right. This route is carefully maintained despite high altitude. After walking for 2 hrs and crossing Changorisar glacier, comes a place called Gorakshep (19,028 ft), where there is a lake which remains frozen all the time. Gorakshep is the best place in this route having accommodation facilities, with few hotels but good.

GORAKSHEP

 Take rest before proceeding to Everest Base camp (17,701 ft), which is 2 hrs walking distance from here. Himalayan monals can be watched from here.

HIMALAYAN MONAL

Most mountaineers take rest here for 2-3 days to adjust with climate and high altitude, night staying is on ground.

BASE  CAMP

10^th day:

Rest at base camp, arrange for sherpas.

11^th day:

Arrange for mountaineering equipments, check for medicines, oxygen cylinders etc. Make a possible plan to reach to the top of Mt. Everest.

12^th day:

Rest.

KHUMBU  ICEFALL

13^th day:

Khumbu Glacier is the first and biggest hardle in this route which starts from south of Nepal. Everywhere there are lacs of tons of ice scattered with hidden death trap and crevasces, through which goes the trek route discovered by the sherpas. Aluminium staircases are present on the ice over the crevasces, in some places the staircases are positioned on ice wall to climb-up. Avalanches are very common. The whole route is maintained by Sagarmatha National Park Society. Slowly the journey proceeds towards camp 1 (19,833 ft) after a trek of approximately 10 hrs. It is better to have a night stay here with altitude and climate and descend to the base camp next day.

CROSSING  KHUMBU  ICEFALL

14^th day:

Rest in base camp.

15^th day:

Rest in base camp.

16^th day:

Again the journey begins in the same route to camp 1 travelling all the way after crossing Khumbu Glacier. Take a night stay here and proceed towards camp 2 on the next day after wearing snow boot, crampon and other snow accessories.

EVEREST  NORTH  FACE

17^th day:

Walk over the staircases, cross the crevasces and after a 4 hrs journey reach camp 2 (20,944 ft) where most of the mountaineers take rest, in tents. It is very cold there and body requires more water with the increase in altitude .It is better to drink as much water as you can to avoid high altitude sickness.

TREKKING

18^th day:

Rest in camp 2.

19^th day:

Get ready very early because camp 3 is situated very high above , but the route is not so dangerous except that after climbing 2000 ft high , there is a ice wall which has to be crossed with the help of rope, carabineer , joomer etc . Slowly and slowly after climbing up and taking rest on the way , reach camp 3 ( 23,891 ft ) , where in the day the ultraviolet rays from sun roasts human body but by night , the temperature goes below the freezing point . Most of the mountaineers take night rest here and descend to camp 2 on the next day to adjust with climate and altitude and keep them fit.

CAMP  3

20^th day:

Camp 2

21^st day:

Camp 1

22^ndday:

Base camp

BEAUTY  OF  HIMALAYA

23^rd day:

Rest

24^th day:

Rest

25^th day:

Rest

26^th day:

Rest

In this prolonged period of rest, it is advisable to take the latest information about the possibility of the perfect period when the climate stays normal on the top of Everest. Then according to that, choose the correct day of journey from base camp. If the right information about good weather over Everest comes, then it is the right day to start the journey from base camp. Staircases, ropes etc are present throughout the route for the sake of mountaineers and for this the Sagarmatha National Park society charges dollar from each mountaineer. First reach camp 1 crossing Khumbu icefall and proceed towards camp 2 on the same day and take night rest, and if required rest can be taken on the 27^th day.

CAMP  2

27^th day:

Rest at camp 2.

28^th day:

Proceed towards camp 3 by climbing up 2000 ft high and cross the ice wall. Take night rest here.

29^th day:

Start journey towards South Call or camp 4. Climb up about 500 ft ice wall twice, and proceed forward to hard rocky soil. Traverse the rocky land with the help of oxygen cylinder and slowly reach South Call (26,025 ft) in about 8 hrs .South Call is the point where Everest and Lhotse ridge coincides. From here, South Lhotse looks beautiful and in the north is Everest. Nuptse looks very closer from here. Minimum 5 oxygen cylinders are required per head, extra cylinders are welcome to tackle any problem, and wait for the correct time and keep body fit which is most needed.

LOOKING  AT  THE  SOUTH  SUMMIT, LHOTSE  BEHIND WITH  IT'S  THREE  SUMMIT  VISIBLE  AND  CHAMALANG  IN  THE  DISTANCE

Right time comes with the right weather when the situation is in favour of the mountaineers to start the journey to the top of Everest. Ropes for climbing are present everywhere on the way. Joomering is done each and every time when the help of rope is taken for climbing. After a tideous journey and slowly progressing, reach South summit which is 500-600 ft below the top .Here the surrounding scenery is beautiful and picturesque. But progressing is to be kept on without wasting any time here. After advancing a little forward, rock climbing zone comes about 15-20 ft high with 8000-10000 ft deep gorge on both sides. This place is called Hillary Step. After very cautiously climbing up Hillary Step and advancing a little, comes the Summit or top of Everest.

HILLARY   STEP

All happiness, excitement, pain behind every failure, pleasure behind every success explodes in the mind at the same time. But not wasting much time, the journey starts descending step by step, capturing the memory and the moment of conquering the Summit.

TOP  OF  THE  MT.EVEREST

MOUNT  EVEREST