Everest track (part 2)

With each new day of track types, more and more dazzling, yet and it does not leave any words or letters, or "Ohoven and poisoning substances" to express any emotion - only the highest mountain in the world, and burning eyes, full of reverent admiration and inexplicable fire in my chest ...

Part 2: Namche Bazaar - Gorakshep

Tengboche Monastery. Memorial dead climbers. Yaks and glaciers.

We continue our way to the abode of eternal snow!

After 2 days set aside for acclimatization, a light breakfast and hasty fees, our group moved on to osolok Tengboche. Although we could see it from far away, we had to go all day and only in the evening to get to it.

I make reservations that our group consisted mainly of professional photographers, so the time of our journey stretched in proportion to the time spent on photographing. No one even thought to hurry, the road - one, and we stretched out like a huge caterpillar so that the difference between going to the head and tail was nearly an hour and a half.

Just at this stage of the journey almost all somehow began to feel the effects of altitude, t. To. That day we scored net 750 m ascent.

In comparison to the previous days, the weather has improved markedly. And the first half of the day was sunny and virtually cloudless.

Namche Bazaar was out of sight, and for the next turn, we saw a flock of mountain goats, which he heard the noise of the tourist, hurried out of sight.

The road zmeitsya waves over the hills of the valley, and at every turn there is an absolute new landscape.

In the Himalayas for the transport of heavy loads, food, kerosene and other utensils used work yaks.

These mighty creation are an integral part of these places, helping the local people and tourists to carry heavy loads

The memorial stupa them. Tenzing Norgay - the first Sherpa, ascended Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953.

In the background - Lhotse (8516 m) - the 4th height eight-World

When we got in Tengboche already getting dark and everything around was plunged into the clouds. We spent the night in a lodge near the monastery. There was no electricity, it is no more part of the Himalayas, and after waiting for 2 hours we finally got a romantic dinner by candlelight

After dinner we all sat around a warm stove, which only stoked yachim dung and plunged into meditation.

Take pictures of the stars, we have not succeeded, t. To. Village covered with a dense cloud, which did not even think to fly anywhere. From Tengboche - great view of the top of Ama Dablam, but we also did not see because of the cloud itself.

Rising before dawn, we went to the service in the main attraction of this region - a Buddhist monastery Tengboche.

It was built only at the beginning of the 20th century, survived the earthquake and fire, then was rebuilt in the late 90s.

Tengboche Monastery is mentioned in many books on Everest. He is also known for the fact that here each year in October and November, the festival of Mani Rimdu in Chaam who committed ritual dances with masks.

Great Hall, and almost the entire territory of the monastery is literally flooded with tourists, completely repulsed me want to photograph. a couple of cards left outside - that's one of them with the group. Giving the main luggage porters, we hurried on, fearing that going to rain.

Physical fatigue, increasing headache and other "problems" associated with staying in the highlands made themselves felt. I was "lucky" to be in the ranks of the "lucky ones" who had a cold and a temperature literally "crawl" on the track following a couple of days.

The best way to catch a cold in the mountains - is to take a shower! There is absolutely no way to warm up after it properly and dry, the result will not keep itself waiting long. So just 80% of our group, considering that everyone knew about the risks.

Sometimes resist the habit of hygiene obsession, despite all the warnings, it becomes impossible. The highlands weak sweating, smells almost not felt because of the low humidity. Locals hygiene "fragmentary", but try to wash full rarer t. To. The washing is considered that the protective layer, the person becomes vulnerable to evil spirits.

Immediately reminded of the story of the Tibetans, who are washed once a year in a specially adjusted astrologer day. Can not claim true or fiction, but I probably washed away after a protective layer.

A bit distant from Tengboche, we stumbled on the scene.

Modern design in the Himalayas constructed of "bricks" that are manually vytosyvayut of stones

And then gently spread of home walls

The work is truly incredible

There is also a wall, and the longest-manivol in the region.

Sometimes bridges are formed real cork of the people and yaks

Above Tengboche in every village there is a grocery store, where you can find products from every corner of the globe.

Equipment, food, and other "unnecessary" things accrue to local residents, "inherited" from the expedition, ascending Mount Everest.

It is interesting that each expedition to Everest, it takes about 24 tons (!) Gear. For the delivery of which the "upstairs" It takes about 600 porters. Porters - is "porters" who for a modest fee will carry your cargo along the whole route. All that remains unused and unnecessary, given as a gift to local residents. High-tech jackets, telescopic sticks, used oxygen tanks, and so on. D.

Sometimes pantry hotels can boast a warehouse of the most exotic canned sardines, snails French, Italian pasta, condensed soup Russian, Arabic melted cheese and more.

The locals are all loads on the head, neck and spine building a special way. This gives them the opportunity to raise unimaginable gravity

Soon we reached the huge yak pastures

Yaks live at elevations from 3,500 m to 6,000 m. Thick hair coat does not allow them to come down to the lower reaches, t. To. They are not adapted to the warm climate.

Curiously, the yaks referred to individuals masculine, while women - nakami.

Milk, which give the yaks, used to make delicious cheese, and butter are added to tea - it helps to quickly acclimate to the high altitude.

Yak wool, which cut their once a year, goes to the production of woolen products: blankets, socks, hats, sweaters, yak bone made numerous jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, earrings and so on.

But the manure of these animals here form such cakes, dried them and drown their stove.

Locals love yaks, that without them to life in the Himalayas would be difficult, and in some regions and at all -.. Impossible.

Legislation protects Nepal yak from "hungry" travelers.

Menu item reading "Yak steak" - just a formal name of steak from the meat of the buffalo.

Approaching the end of another day, when we reached the village of Dingboche at an altitude of 4360 m. On this day, I finally exhausted its battery and spent 2 nights in bed with a temperature. Having missed the ascent to 5050 m of Nagarjuna, and let through 3 of 3 liters thermos of hot tea and a dozen pills, I still managed to overcome the illness and continue their journey to the Top of the World!

Early foggy morning of the next day on our way went through a seasonal settlement of shepherds yaks. In the photo above - the classic Himalayan stone house.

Then, in dorassvetnom fog, you could see the dark shapes of yaks themselves.

The region of Mount Everest in the Himalayas - a place where you can find several eight-thousanders, one of Makalu (8481 m) - the 5th highest in the world! Makalu is translated from Chinese means "black giant". This top is only 22 km to the south-east of Mount Everest

When the mountain peaks "occur" clouds, it seems that they carry with them not only the mass of water vapor, and a phantasmagoric images. As in the photo above: it seems like a huge rock-fish-whale emerging from the depths of the ocean of clouds, and opened her mouth about to swallow a small stupa on top of a hill ...

Morning dew drops on grass like placer diamond beads, in which sunlight is reflected thousands of different shades

Our next stop was planned village of Lobuche (4910 m). The road to it passes through a small pass Feriche (4270 m)

To say "small pass" - is one thing, but to overcome it - is quite another! Each step is at such a height is given with difficulty. Step - a breath, step - exhale

During the pass is a memorial to the dead climbers. Here with a small Chortens (stone mound) and name plates, in memory of the missing and the dead climbers.

Here it erected a cairn in memory of the dead climbers Scot Fisher in 1996 and his tragic expedition to Everest, which in addition has killed 7 more people. Events that took place during the expedition, set out in the books of its members: "Climbing" Anatoly Bukreeva, "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, "left for dead" Beck Withers.

Soon we dobreli to Lobuche (4910 m). In this village we have all at once to a greater or less degree of altitude sickness. Sleep was unbearable, that is. A. Not enough oxygen. Lying in bed, heart pounding in rhythm quickened, and had to do a few deep breaths to finally breathe! Very unpleasant feeling of pressure and headache are mixed, and in this "delusional" state, we spent the night

More dawn "bravest" went to shoot the sunrise. Sverzu photo - Lobuche village and the beginning dawn.

I must say that despite all the hardships and deprivations in the mountains, everything is compensated by views of the surrounding nature.

On top of the photo seventhousander Pumori (7138). In the language of the Sherpas Pumori means "unmarried daughter" so climbers it is called the daughter of Everest.

Even a little bit and the first rays of the sun slipped on white tops

Dawn radically changes the whole landscape. Top - Peak Taboche (6367 m) and Cholatse (6335 m)

Leaving Lobuche, we headed to the final destination of Everest Trek - Gorakshep

Pumori, illuminated by the sun

The path to Gorakshep runs right through the glaciers, this makes it the most dangerous sections of the track. Glacial rock mass could at any moment collapse, buried in the wreckage of his careless trackers. You have to be extremely careful!

Right in the clouds hiding Everest. On the left extends the Khumbu glacier, which comes down from the Everest and gives name to the whole region. In the photo it seems that the path of all-just a pile of stones.

Despite the danger, fatigue and being in the thin air, we stopped for a rest. In the photo from above black peak - Kala Pattar (5643 m). Kala Pattar in Nepali and Hindi means "black stone". From its summit offers the most stunning views of Everest and the Khumbu valley glacier. We are waiting for the upcoming night climbing on it.

During the next turn, we still got to Gorakshep (5164 m)

Gorakshep was the base camp for climbers in 1952 the Swedish expedition of the year. Formally, it is the base camp of Mount Everest.

But apart from him, there is one more. It is a few tents, broken directly on the glacier. From it will start an expedition to the top of the treasured. Path Base Camp extends dangerous ice areas, and it is located in 4 hours from Gorakshep.

Fairly "tacky" and tired, we decided to save strength for the night to climb Kala Pattar.

We had a chance to meet the dawn in such a stunning location and we could not miss it.