Lobuche to Gorak Shep to EBC and Kala Patthar (long day)

EBC Trek Day 8: we left Lobuche early; there was a lot to accomplish. We arrived in Gorak Shep by 9:00 - it’s the highest village on the trek at an elevation of 5,164m or 16,942ft and is a difficult place to live, even for just one night. With no running water, bitter cold temperatures and primitive lodging, it’s not exactly a Himalayan paradise. Nevertheless, it’s a necessary stop on the trek and it certainly feels like you’re having a proper adventure once there! We dropped our bags, had a quick bite to eat and then pushed on to Base Camp. EBC is quiet this time of year. In the spring, it’s a bustling city of tents filled with teams of hopeful summiteers, but in the autumn trekkers are free to explore the vacant, rocky footprint that remains. Base Camp is right at the foot of the infamous Khumbu Icefall and you can hear the glacier shifting while scouting the area. We spent a few minutes chatting with other trekkers, everyone buzzed from the excitement of finally reaching Base Camp (and perhaps also from the lack of Oxygen - EBC sits at an elevation of 17,600ft!) By the time we returned to Gorak Shep, we were fairly tired but the afternoon light was looking very pretty and I was interested in seeing Everest lit up by the setting sun. Ironically, you can’t see the summit of Everest from Base Camp, but there is a hill behind Gorak Shep that affords incredible views of the top. So at 3:30 I set out to climb Kala Patthar.