Hiking – Gosia Treks

Everest – Day 29: Foray into the Icefall

October 14, 2016 by zabucha 1 Comment

April 27 (Saturday)

While the team was resting, one of our guides, Ben, took me and another team member (Joe) to walk the Icefall. I was super nervous the night before because I remembered how my first rotation went and didn’t want the repeat of the nausea and tiredness.

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My fears turned out to be unfounded though, I felt like a million bucks!! I was super strong and going fast, not even close to what happened on my attempt of the first rotation.

Even though I felt good, that doesn’t mean that the Icefall wasn’t still scary! One of the ladders was missing a rope of one of the sides (so I was able to hold on only on one side), and it was very wonky. Had I lost my balance on it I probably would have fallen and broken something.

After 2 1/2 hours of climbing we turned around back to base camp because it was getting hot. Hot temperatures per se are ok, but not in the Icefall where ice and snow can melt rapidly and cause dangerous shifts.

Joe and I on our way back; Pumori in the background

DAY 30

Filed Under: Hiking

Everest – Day 28: Another rest day

October 14, 2016 by zabucha Leave a Comment

April 26 (Friday)

It was another rest day for the group which meant another rest day for me as well. I felt I was already rested out so I strolled around base camp and took a bunch of pictures. Here are some:

Mount Pumori in the background (where I acclimatized with Lakpa)

Western shoulder of Everest

A Sherpa carrying loads

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Western shoulder of Everest and part of the Icefall

My tent with the view of the western shoulder of Everest and the Icefall

DAY 29

Filed Under: climbing, Hiking

Everest – Day 27: Rest day

October 13, 2016 by zabucha Leave a Comment

April 25 (Thursday)

Today the rest of the team came back from camp 2. While they were at camp 1 supposedly they got all kinds of snow which prolonged their stay at camp 1 by one night. They moved up to camp 2 to acclimatize for one night and came back. Everybody felt great.

It was also another rest day for me. I felt great and the weather was nice so I snapped some pictures around our camp:

My tent with view of the Icefall in the background

My tent with view of the Icefall in the background

My tent with view of the Icefall in the background

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DAY 28

Filed Under: climbing, Hiking

Everest – Day 26: Acclimatization

October 13, 2016 by zabucha Leave a Comment

April 24 (Wednesday)

Today I went on another acclimatization hike with Lakpa, this time to camp 1 of Pumori, at about 19,000ft. That’s about as high as Camp 1 of Everest (at 19,500ft). I went at my own pace at Lakpa’s patience and I gotta say, I felt fabulous! I really think that I just needed those couple days of rest and extra acclimatization. It seems that even though ‘active rest’ worked for the majority of the group, my body just needed good ‘ol bumming around and laying horizontally.

I came back to base camp feeling energized and full of hopes for the rest of the climb!

DAY 27

Filed Under: climbing, Hiking

Everest – Day 25: Acclimatization

October 13, 2016 by zabucha Leave a Comment

April 23 (Tuesday)

Today Lakpa made me go on an acclimatization hike almost to Pumori base camp (around 17,000ft?). Pumori is a 23,494ft mountain overlooking Everest base camp. It doesn’t have an Icefall so it’s really a lot safer to acclimatize on. At first I didn’t really feel like going (being a bum and all), but I knew I had to if I were continue the climb.