Everest Base Camp 2018 Day 8 Part 2: Gorakshep to EBC

Sunday, 18 November 2018

Elevation: Gorakshep (5164m) to Everest Base Camp (5380m)
Estimated Distance & Time: 5km / About 2 to 3 hrs

Trekking Route map to Mt. Everest Base Camp --> Route map

After a short break in Gorakshep, we began our final push to base camp with our porter, Santosh. Tak boleh delay sebab masa yang ada tak banyak. Lagipun estimated time nak sampai ke base camp about 2-3hrs & the return is the same. Aku, Uncle & santosh mula bergerak from Gorakshep around 1pm. Deepak & Fad akan menyusul kemudian. Dan untuk final push ni, aku tak perlu bawa bag sendiri sebab Santosh yang tolong bawakan selepas Deepak kasi arahan. Bestnya lah trekking tanpa backpack. Tapi for today only to EBC since Santosh tak bawa apa-apa pun nak ke EBC. Rilex je dia.

Gorakshep at 5,164m altitude

Trek at the very beginning to EBC from Gorakshep is relatively flat & leisure. Cuma selepas tu dah mula ada turun naik beberapa kali juga sebelum sampai di EBC. Trek sepanjang perjalanan boleh dikatakan tak berapa susah tapi sebab dengan ketinggian melebihi 5000m ni, pernafasan agak sukar disebabkan udara yang semakin tipis. Dan disebabkan itu juga, pergerakan kami agak sedikit lambat. Boleh dikatakan trek sepanjang menuju EBC agak berbatu, so, kena watch your step juga.

Akan jumpa this signboard otw to EBC. Signboard ni lagi tinggi dari EBC kot.

On the way to EBC with the view of Lingtren, Khumbutse, Khumbu Icefall & Everest West Shoulder (From Left to righ)

Our final journey to EBC

Route to EBC

View otw to EBC

Trail on the way to EBC (Arrow pointing to the location of EBC)

Alhamdulillah, we arrived at Everest Base Camp at 2.38pm waktu Nepal. So, basically we made it less than 2 hours to reach base camp. It was around -9degC juga at that time masa kami sampai kat EBC. Memang seriuosly sejuk sangat masa tu tapi aku gagahi juga. I have reached this far why I should quit. So, masa yang kami ada, kami gunakan sebaik mungkin untuk abadikan kenangan di EBC. Tapi masa mula-mula sampai tu memang agak terkejut jugalah tengok base camp tak seperti yang aku gambarkan. Sebenarnya, EBC ni normally meriah between March to May saja sebab masa tu ada expedisi to Everest and most of the participant & crew members akan berkampung hampir 3 bulan juga kat sini. So, sapa yang ke EBC during this 3 months mungkin boleh nampak juga lah kemeriahan di sini. Tapi sebab masa kami sampai ni November & no expedition, so, the base camp, just that's it. Apa yang kau nampak, itulah dia. Anyway, view kat sini pun dah cukup untuk buat aku happy dengan pencapain terbaik setakat ini.

Masa kami sampai sini, dah ramai pun hikers yang terlebih dahulu sampai. Ingatkan kami lambat, dah tak ada orang sangat tapi masih ramai lagi rupanya. So, nak kena take turn juga bergambar kat atas bersama EBC signboard with background view of Nuptse & Lhotse. Ohh, walaupun kita dah sampai Everest Base Camp tapi dari sini memang tak akan nampak Mt. Everest sebab blocked by Mt Nuptse. 

We spent about 45minutes juga kat Base Camp ni. Tak boleh nak lama sangat sebab dah hampir pukul 4pm & we need to get back to Gorakshep before dark. Rasa macam tak cukup saja masa sebab tak puas lagi rasanya. Kalau ikutkan, every angle kat EBC ni, aku nak ambil gambar & video tapi itulah dalam keadaan cuaca & altitude sekarang ni, pergerakan kami agak terbatas. Nak control breathing & tahan sejuk lagi. 

By the time kami mula bergerak balik ke Gorakshep pun masih tak nampak kelibat Fad & Deepak, aku rasa, diorang mesti still on the way. Masa kami nak mula gerak balik tu juga, salah sorang daripada group Malaysia yang selalu saing bersama kami tu pun sampai. 2 orang lagi aku jumpa masa on the way balik. Selebihnya, aku tak nampak pulak, so, I guest they didn't make it to the EBC. Fad aku tak jumpa masa on the way balik tapi terserempak masa dah hampir sampai di Gorakshep. Actually, Fad dah hampir sampai pun di EBC, about 1 hour lagi tapi sebab perut dia still sakit (aku rasa dah berlanjutan beberapa hari juga & agak kritikal), so, dia give-up halfway selepas Deepak cakap tak ada apa sangat pun kat EBC tu. Memang betul tak ada apa sangat pun tapi still itu adalah misi kami tapi dengan kondisi Fad sekarang, safety lagi penting. Tak apa lah, yang penting kau dah sampai kat signboard nak ke EBC pun dah kira hebat juga sebab lagi tinggi dari EBC itself. InsyAllah, kalau ada rezeki kita repeat lagi & aku akan temankan kau sampai base camp (ingatkan dah serik).

Everest Base Camp

Marked by best achievement

Jalur Gemilang with Mt Nuptse & Lhotse at the backgroud

Achievement Unlocked

Beautiful view as seen from the Everest Base Camp

Thanks all GSH for the support & Doa

With our trip leader, Uncle Rashid

Alhamdulillah, I did it

From Everest Base camp ni pun boleh lihat Khumbu Icefall. The Khumbu Ice fall is located just above Base Camp at approximately 18,000ft on the south side of Mount Everest. The ice fall is regarded as one of the most dangerous stages of the South Col route that takes climbers to the summit of Mount Everest. (Source: wikipedia )

Khumbu Icefall as seen otw back to Gorakshep

The highest place on Earth

The trail back to Gorakshep, the same way also we use to EBC

Almost sunset

Sign of the day almostto the end

Finally, we arrived again at Gorakshep for overnight

We made it to the Gorakshep about 2hrs from EBC. Timing lebih kurang sama je masa nak pergi.

Lodging here in Gorakshep is basic. Don’t expect too much. Due to peak season on November, rooms here are limited. So, kami terpaksa share room dengan Uncle. The room was just nice for the 3 of us. Not too small & still got space to move around & to put our belongings.

Nights are cold in the rooms but that should be expected at this altitude (and for most of the trek). And don’t be surprised if the water is frozen in the toilet either. Walaupun, kami tak mandi tapi cabaran paling getir bagi aku adalah ketika nak berwudhu walaupun aku hanya menggunakan spray bottle saja. Mana sanggup nak nak kena air masa tu dengan suhu sekitar -16 degC. Air kat toilet pun dah beku. Masa tu aku tak terfikir pulak nak tayamum sebab memikirkan masih ada punca air lagi. Tapi sebenarnya boleh saja sebab dalam keadaan sekarang ni, sapa saja yang mampu nak berwudhu dengan air pada suhu -16degC (tapi aku gagah juga, ada yang pernah buat macam ni tak). Sebelum buka gloves, jacket & socks pun, tarik nafas dalam-dalam dulu, baru berwudhu. Bismillahhirrahmanirrahim.

3G was available if you have an NCell simcard or hotspot. Of course, it is nice to avoid wifi and social media but it is a nice way to check-in upon reaching your goal of Everest Base Camp, hahaha. Tapi, aku tak sempat nak buka phone once return from EBC pun. The next day baru tengok itupun tak mampu nak update apa-apa. After simple dinner that night, aku terus pulang ke bilik & tidur. Sakit kepala aku tiba-tiba datang semula. Aku aware yang Actifast tu hanya berkesan untuk sementara waktu saja, so, bila dah habis tempoh tertentu, sakit tu akan datang balik. Aku tak ambil any medication pun malam tu, rasa nak terus tidur saja. 

Actually this is not dinner tapi Deepak prepared once kami reach Gorakshep, Hot plain water & garlic soup. Katanya sangat elok kalau makan sup ni wit the hot water once returned from EBC.

Malam tu sebelum dinner, uncle kasi cadangan yang kami tak perlu panjat Kala Patthar the next morning bila tengok kondisi kami yang tak berapa nak ok. Kalau nak panjat Kala Patthar, kena start awal pagi sebab nak catch the sunrise. Tapi boleh saja nak lewat sikit tapi kena manage time betul-betul lah sebab nak kena make sure sempat sampai ke Periche on the same day. Pada mulanya, aku nak kasi cadangan nak tunggu esok dulu tengok macam mana, if sakit kepala dah ok, baru proceed to Kala Patthar tapi bila tengok kondisi Fad & Uncle yang nampak macam tak berapa sihat, so, aku pun terus setuju dengan semua. Finally, kami dah capai kata sepakat tak nak panjat Kala Patthar. Aku tak boleh nak fikir sangat masa tu sebab sakit kepala tiba-tiba datang balik. Risau juga dengan keadaan aku yang macam ni, akan bertambah teruk pulak esok kalau push juga. Masa trekking ok saja tapi bila dah sampai guesthouse mesti sakit tu akan datang balik. I knew this is the mild AMS. And the only way to reduce the pain is to descend to a lower altitude. Harap-harap semua akan ok & back to normal esok.

Sleeping at this altitude is difficult and I can say from experience that it was not a pleasant one. But, that night in Gorakshep, maybe because of the cold temperature, aku tidur lebih lama daripada biasa. Sampai lupalah nak tidur dalam sleeping bag. Dan itulah hari sepanjang trekking di EBC aku tidur tanpa sleeping bag. Hanya guna selimut yang aku shared dengan Fad saja. Ingat lagi Uncle tanya kami the next day, tahan korang ni tidur tak pakai sleeping bag. Jawapan aku, tak boleh nak fikir dah uncle, hahaha. Anyway, that is all part of the adventure and makes the arrival at EBC worth the effort.

Today was the most difficult day of the trek for me. I never felt this headache before until I reach Gorakshep. Ohh, macam ni rupanya rasa mild AMS. However, seeing EBC with my own eyes even though it wasn’t as I expected is something I will never forget and would recommend anyone looking for the trip of a lifetime. You should try if you love adventure & ada extra budget (ini haruslah).

Alhamdulillah, Everest Base Camp checked.


To be continued...