Base Camp

This morning, Base Camp. It was very emotional. Today more than ever I was thinking that Dad should be here.

The walk from Gorak Shep isn't a difficult walk, there's a bit of uphill but it's mostly flat. "Nepali flat", Dilli says, and laughs - he means there's flat bits but there's also ups and downs. There is only one trail at this point, so all the traffic, yaks, climbers, trekkers, some Japanese people in puffy purple down jackets and running shoes, everyone's on the same track. Two young girls are driving six or seven medium-sized yaks in front of us, Razkumar and I have gotten ahead of the rest of our group. We pass the two girls sitting on a rock, and we catch up with the yaks. The yaks walk for a bit and then they stop. The trail is too narrow for us to pass the yaks, so Raz picks up a rock and throws it at the back one. It bleats a bit and starts to scamper, the others move too. We walk for about a quarter of a mile with the yaks, Raz throwing rocks and making "haaa" noises. He turns to me and says, "Yak driver." When the girls catch up again, they move in behind the yaks and shout at them, but they don't say anything to us. The yaks are carrying provisions for Base Camp, mostly instant noodles.

We didn't go all the way down to the tent camp at Base Camp. We took pictures and sat around for a bit enjoying the 'being there' and then we headed back. Some of the group started talking about wanting to have a quick route back to Kathmandu, they'd seen what they came for, but I am still liking the walking and liking the fact that we still have almost a week of walking to get back.

We're back in Lobuche this evening.