Everest Base Camp Trek – Gorak Shep (5164 m)
Again we woke to a beautiful clear morning at Gorak Shep. There was a fall of snow overnight so it was beautiful to see a carpet of white.
Gorak Shep, 5164 metres. The trek today was relatively short, roughly 4 km in total. Not that distance means much here, it is more about altitude and time. We gained roughly 250 metres in altitude today over a two hour trek. The trail was pretty busy with all the logistics going in to Base Camp in preparation for the climbing season and a steady stream of trekkers.
The landscape is dominated here by the Khumbu Glacier which leads up to Everest itself. The tip of Everest was visible bathed in a shroud of “lenticular” cloud. Nuptse and Pumori, each 7,000+ metre peaks, bookend the valley.
Tomorrow early, we will climb Kala Patthar (5,545 metres) to watch the sun rise over Everest. This is the highest point of our EBC trek. We will then head onto Everest Base Camp itself.
