10 November 2013 – Another Rest Day In Gokyo

Sunday (10th November) – a rest day but an eventful day. Bob needed out. He was emotionally drained after yesterday’s exertions.  Bob is a hero. Who else on this planet would even think about walking the high places of Nepal after a major hip operation? He was airlifted out early, we shall miss him. For the rest of us we had some important decisions to make. We all feel strong despite the cold which slices through our bodies as a hot knife through butter. The prospect of trekking over the Cho La Pass (5350m) in deep snow and ice is too dreadful – so we will chill out (pun intended) today and tomorrow head south and drop 1200m to regain our strength before heading up to Everest Base Camp (5364m) along the Khumbu Valley. Ulyana joins us for a couple of days – she is a PhD student from Colorado University and is studying the structure and life-cycle of the Ngozumba Glacier as well as the human settlement at Gokyo. She took the team to see her field station and to explain some of the findings of her recent research programme.

Ulyana briefing the team about her mountain project 

Gokyo Valley