Mount Everest Journal: My Trek From Lukla to Everest Base Camp: Day Seven

We woke up at 14,600 feet and trekked to Lebuche at 16,175 feet. We also officially entered what I refer to as the artic zone of our climb.

The cold Is really beginning to impact me and the others. When the sun comes up during the day the temperatures reach 15 to 20 degrees. At night, the temperature goes down to -15/-20 degrees with the wind-chill. Thankfully we are in tea houses and not in tents. However, the tea houses this far up have no heat and very flimsy construction. I can feel the wind blowing outside. I just stay completely covered up in my sleeping bag and as warm as possible. However, it’s wearing me down as well as the others in our group. I told the group at breakfast

The morning hike was hard. It was a 40-degree incline for about two hours. When the sun is out it’s warm, when it goes in it’s cold and when the wind blows it’s really cold. So all morning long I was taking off layers, then putting them back on and repeating this over and over.  

However, the view all around was spectacular. Soaring snow-capped mountain peaks including, Socholotse, Tbuchej, and others in every direction. We also crossed the glacier runoff field which is full of water in the monsoon season and early spring. It’s full of huge boulders thrown around like pebbles from the force of the water coming down from the glacier.  If I was standing in the same spot I stood today in rainy season, I’d be carried off and be killed for sure. Thankfully, it’s the dry season However, seeing this is a reminder of the awesome power of nature and why we as humans need to show nature great respect.

Our afternoon hike took us up a winding zig zag trail that was very challenging. It reminded me of the ascent to the summit of Kilimanjaro. The big difference is the Kilimanjaro zig zag trail goes on for almost six hours. Having experienced the hell of zig-zagging for six hours on Kilimanjaro, this seemed like a piece of cake.  

Around 2 p.m, we arrived in Lebouche. This little town only exists to cater to trekkers and mountain climbers. I felt sick and had no appetite. I became very concerned that I was coming down with a big from the water. I got a couple of hours sleep and felt much better. I attribute my feeling sick to sleeping in sub-zero temperatures for days at a time and not sleeping well. The tea house we have here in Lebuche is quit warm in start contrast to the freezing cold shit hole we stayed in the last two nights.

I’m hoping to get a good night's sleep and be in top shape for the eight hours of hiking tomorrow to the Mount Everest Base Camp.