The following posts have been tagged with "Kala Patthar". Browse through these Kala Patthar articles to gain insight into what you may or may not want to do on your trip if it includes Kala Patthar.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Panoramic views from the top of Kala Patthar
Kala Patthar is a smaller mountain near the village of Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp. It's known as the less glamorous, higher elevation add-on to many Everest Base Camp Treks. The views of Everest from the Kala Patthar summit are amazing, and it's especially popular at sunrise as the sun comes up from behind Everest. For trekkers staying in Gorak Shep this means 4am wake up calls and hiking in the dark in order to reach the 18,514 foot (5,643 meters) summit in time to see the sun rise. This is also the reason why Kala Patthar is home to the highest webcam in the world which points towards Mt. Everest.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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Panoramic views from the top of Kala Patthar
We woke up at 4:30 AM to try to get a glimpse of Everest at sunrise and set out at 5 AM in the dark. Dan led the pack up the hill, and he and I waited every few minutes to see the rest of the group's headlamps come into view while it was still dark. Once it got lighter we realized no one else was planning to go too far so we headed up with Jit. As the sun started to come up we saw incredible views of mountains in all directions. Massive peaks that shot up into the sky all around us. We even managed to get a few quick sightings of the pyramid peak of Everest before the clouds moved in right at sunrise and covered everything.
Monday, October 24, 2011
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Colorful tents at the new Everest Base Camp
My stomach hurt all night, but I’m feeling ok this morning. Sam was sick again last night, but he feels up for the climb. Andrew seems better and wants to climb as well. Mike still hadn’t fully recovered but was in good shape to go up. I’m glad we don’t have to send anyone down to Pheriche. The rain we walked in yesterday turned to snow during the night. The landscape looks pretty with the dusting of white, but also very, very cold.
Friday, October 21, 2011
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The clouds just barely above the river near Dingboche
Today was our second rest day. Feeling a little homesick today. After our short acclimatization hike of roughly 2 hours, I got a little girly and did anything I could to feel less gross and cleaner, other than bucket shower again because I was worried about getting too cold. I brushed and re-braided my hair, brushed and flossed my teeth, washed my face, put on lotion, and even tweezed my eyebrows. It helped a little. I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomachache again. Altitude sickness is no fun at all. We have "eastern" toilets in our room (no actual toilet seat), and they smell nasty. At least they're inside. 2 or 3 more nights before we get to head back down. The altitude is also making me forget and lose things. Yesterday I thought I lost the GPS and finally found it in my daypack. Today I couldn't find the map notating the photos we took in Namche. I was convinced I dropped it somewhere, but I had given it to Sam. I have no recollection of this.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
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Arriving at the town of Pangboche, our stop for the night
I was feeling much better when I woke up, and I washed my hair in the sink which made me feel considerably less disgusting. Toast for breakfast. I'm only eating bland things and Clif bars until my stomach settles. We left around 8 and walked for around 3 hours then stopped for tea. It was a pretty easy walk, mostly traversing the mountain ridges. After tea was a 1 1/2 climb, "up up up" according to Boo, all on switchbacks. We stopped in Tengboche for lunch which is where many people stop for the night. The town is on a peak so it's very cold. After lunch Dan and Sam photographed the monastery with the fisheye lens. Amazing place. I don't know if the monks were more interested in the blonde girl or the photography.
