Mt Everest Base Camp

A major highlight of my trip was to visit the Mt. Everest base camp. I LOVE mountains (who doesn't?), so to catch a glimpse of the tallest mountain in the world was just too tantalizing for me to pass up. As a non-Chinese citizen, I was required by the government to hire a guide and driver for the entire 10 days that I was in Tibet. I scouted out the perfect company to use and had it all set up and paid for since last June. You would think for Tibet these tours would be fairly cheap, but it's quite the contrary. My anticipation grew as the date became closer.


There are no large cities near base camp, so we spent 2 nights in a small village called Tingri while we explored base camp. We stayed in a small family-run guesthouse. This was probably the worst living conditions I've ever stayed in. There was electricity for only 2 hours a day. No showers. My room reminded me of a depressing jail cell, with only a cot and nightstand. The bathroom (a squat toilet) was outside, around the corner. It was frigidly cold in this room and the wind blew through the cracks in the door and window.

At night it became pitch black from the lack of electricity, which allowed the stars to shine beautifully bright. You better believe no matter how badly I needed to pee during the night, this chica was not stepping foot outside her room! The neighborhood's pack of stray dogs frequently erupted into barking fits outside my door during the middle of the night, making it difficult to get restful sleep. But I couldn't sleep very well anyways. I was like a kid going to Disney Land the next day.


I slept with 4 heavy blankets on and every piece of warm clothing I had in my backpack, including a stocking hat, mittens, 2 wool sweaters, a fleece coat, a scarf, a puffy down coat, 3 pairs of wool socks, and long underwear.... and I was still cold. I'm not kidding.
Hawaii can't come soon enough.

The next morning, we were up before dawn to start the 2 hour journey to base camp. Meema (my driver), and Tashi (my guide), looked stone faced and tired as we met outside by flashlight. I, on the other hand, was full of energy with a permanent smile. We were going to see her today, the almighty Mt Everest!!


The stars were so bright against the black sky. I've never seen them sit so low. Our elevation was 17,000 feet. We transversed through the spectacular Himalayas during the twilight hours. I'm no stranger to the Himalayan mountains. They left a lasting impression on me when I hiked and camped in them while I was in Kashmir, India.
Well hello, we meet again....


We passed by herds of yaks and slipped quietly through a handful of sleepy villages in the dark, early morning hours. I was bundled up warmly, giving me flashbacks of when I was a little girl getting ready to play in the snow back in Minnesota. Except this time, I was going to play with the tallest mountain in the world! My, how times have changed. (although I still feel like that little girl inside)


The gravel road was windey and very bumpy. We were the only vehicle on the road. The Toyota Land Cruiser was shakin' what it's mama gave it and I was violently thrashed in my seat as Meema dodged the many large rocks in the road. It was like an amusement ride!

There were points where I held my breath as I looked over the edge of the dangerously narrow road and saw a deadly steep drop off. There were no guardrails, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared.
I couldn't help but imagine how this was the last drive for some brave climbers. It would be awesome to climb Mt Everest someday, but with the death rate and.... well, I just value my life too much.
But what an accomplishment it would be!


As we inched closer to majestic Everest, the sun began to rise over the Himalayas, which was nearly a religious experience in itself. Finally, as we rounded a curve, the clouds seperated and out peeked Mt Everest, giving us a come hither look as she sat proudly among the other mountains. She was definitely the show stopper. I thought, "Why Miss Everest, you're looking exceptionally beautiful today." (it's completely normal to talk to mountains, btw)

I've had a lot of amazing experiences while I traveled, and this was no exception. When we arrived at the actual base camp, we were the only ones there. I jumped out of the Land Cruiser with my prayer flags in tow. I could feel the effects of the altitude as the climb up the hill to the lookout made me short of breath. When I reached the top, I stared at Everest with wide eyes. It was hard to believe I was actually standing there at that moment.


After I pinched myself, I hung my prayer flags amongst the others as Tashi silently captured the event with my camera. It felt like it was my baptisim, or something like it. This is considered to be a holy mountain to the Tibetans, and Tashi seemed to be taking the whole thing very seriously. I was, however, still very energetic and excited. Tashi still had my camera, I said to him,  "do one like this!" as I jumped into the air, Tashi took my photo, "and do one like this!" as I pointed at Everest, Tashi took my photo.

I shuddered as I thought about how many people never made it off that mountain. I soaked in the view until I couldn't feel my toes anymore. The cold was unforgiving. I limped back down the hill to the warmth of the Land Cruiser. I was elated!


Until we meet again Miss Everest!