Gorak Shep to Base Camp. We made it!!

After a grueling 3 hour hike from the teahouse in Gorak Shep (photos) in windy 30 degree weather, we made it to Everest Base Camp around 10:30am today. A cold and desolate spot, but we were all so happy to have made it. We took photos, left mementos, and hung prayer flags with the sherpas. It was quite emotional. There is currently only 1 expedition at base camp since it is the off season. The ice fall is spectacular and dangerous looking. We walked across the Khumbu glacier to get to the base camp marker, a gigantic rock with words scribbled on it with a black Sharpie. You can not see Everest from her base camp so we took pictures along the way and also some yesterday on a viewpoint on Kala Pattar which is nearly 18,500 ft at the summit. (Group photo from Kala Pattar, Everest is the dark granite peak to the left of center).

*******Gorak Shep is the last stop before base camp-one of the most awful places on Earth- but then again you do not have much of a choice with your accomodations at this elevation. We stayed at one of the nicer (and I use that term loosely) teahouses, yet it had moldy walls that weren't exactly closed off to the exterior elements (photo), dirt floors, and overflowing squat toilets. You wanted to barf just walking down the hall towards them. *The photos above of the squat toilet are not from our lodge. The ones pictured are much, much nicer-it's not soaking wet and/or icy with overflowing human waste like the ones we saw/used. Chris nicknamed Gorak Shep "Satan's Rectum" and I find that to be an excellent description. Oh, and in case you didn't want to brush your teeth outside, as is customary, the teahouse provided a sink between the two toilets. Yum! *******
I did not go higher than 18,000 because of my respiratory infection. My roommate had such severe altitude symptoms in the middle of the night -severe headache, vomitting, dizziness, inability to eat- that they had to give her oxygen several times. The guide and sherpas administered the oxygen from the typical cannisters with mouth piece that are used at altitude. By morning, she was slightly improved but not allowed to ascend to basecamp with the rest of the group. We took her prayer flags, though and had the sherpas string them at the base camp marker, and then photographed it for her. She is in OK spirits today and descending to Pheriche this morning for a re-evaluation and may possibly join us when we descend to Namche again in 2 days. She had previously been one of the healthiest and strongest hikers in the group. It was a scary night. The 2 people in their 70s made it to basecamp without problems other than assistance with their backpacks. Impressive. By the way, here ends any desire I have to actually climb Everest to the summit. I'm physically exhausted, I'm cold all day and night, I'm dehydrated and sunburned, I've inhaled too much yak dung smoke, I loathe the outdoor hole in the ground for bathroom time, and my lungs are screaming. And Everest's summit is still almost 12,000 ft above basecamp!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T