Everest Base Camp – Pilgrimage to the Top of the World

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The view of the Himalayas from the Tibet side

Seeing Mount Everest was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Tibet. The mountain is the world’s highest at 8,848 meters above sea level and one of the most sought after places for mountaineers, hikers and lay tourists. I had long been fascinated by the adventure stories of the mountain climbers and wanting to see for myself how truly captivating this place was even I knew I was just able to see the summit from the base camp.

There are base camps on both the Tibet side and the Nepal side of Mount Everest. Going to the base camp on the Tibet side comparing to the Nepal side was less physically demanding as you don’t need to trek all the way from lower altitude to the base camp at over 5,200 meters. Since it was the first time I had ever been to a high altitude place, I’d like to make things a little less risky for myself.

Route to the Base Camp – Nothing Less Than Spectacular

The windy road to the base camp area was recently built

We hired a Tibetan driver whom my travel buddy had known for awhile. And we hopped on his Toyota four-wheel-drive jeep and left Lhasa for our 5-day round trip to the base camp. While the trip was about seeing Mount Everest, the many places we passed by on the route were by no means any less spectacular. In fact, places like the Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, Kharola Glacier, Shigatse and Tingri deserved travelers’ attention in their own rights.

As we were approaching the Mount Everest area, my travel buddy told me that the paved road we were traveling on was only built in recent years. The first time she visited the base camp, the driver had to take a more dangerous route on the muddy and slippery road and took way longer to reach the base camp. After hearing this, I felt kind of relieved that we wouldn’t need to worry about getting stuck in the mud or experiencing mechanical failure due to rough ride (although we did experience flat tire later on).

Seeing the Summit – A Humbling and Inspiring Experience

The summit looked best when the sun was about to set

After numerous windy turns on the paved road we finally came to the point where we were able to have a glimpse at Mount Everest. We drove closer and closer and the mountain became more and more visible to us. As the sun was setting we hurried to hop off the car and walked inside the chilly weather to take pictures. This side of the mountain looked best when the sun was about to set and reflect the glowing yellow color on the mountain.

I was speechless and craved to see more but we were still some distance away from the base camp and the sun would be gone by then. So we had no choice but to wait until the next day to hit the base camp. That night we spent near the base camp was one of the most unforgettable nights in my life.

Why You Don’t Want to Visit the Base Camp in Winter

The stove in the gathering place was the only source of warmth in the guesthouse operated by Rongphu Monastery

There was only one hotel like guesthouse in the area and it was deemed too expensive by our frugal standard (RMB 120 per person without heating). So we stayed at the only alternative available which was a very basic guesthouse operated by Rongphu Monastery at a considerably lower cost (RMB 40 per person without heating). Four of us shared a room while the driver rested in another room by himself. There were no other outside group except the five of us. The weather well explained why.

It was mid December and we were at about 5,000 meters above sea level in a place with no running waters and heating facilities. The temperature inside the guesthouse was well below freezing and we had nothing other than some blankets and our own clothes with us. We had put everything on and just sitting inside the room made us freeze. We decided it was better to sit by the fire in the little gathering place where the staffs were gathering and cooking so that we could get some warmth and buy some hot food to eat.

Even we were sitting beside the fire and drinking hot water, we were still feeling cold. I was amazed by the Tibetan staffs and our driver that they could withstand this kind of condition on a regular basis. The place used only horse or sheep manure for fuel and it was the only means of warmth in the freezing winter. I felt that we city dwellers were too used to all the comfortable things such as indoor heating and this kind of comfort in fact had made us weak, physically and mentally.

Arriving at the Base Camp Made Everything Worthwhile

We were the only group of people visiting the base camp this morning

After the coldest sleep we had ever experienced in our life, we headed out to the base camp in the morning. The base camp was only 8 km away from where we stayed and it would be a joy to hike there in summer. But at the temperature of -30 degree Celsius with windchill (I used to feel this kind of temperature back in Canada), we preferred to hop on the jeep instead of walking.

We were not surprised to see that there were nothing at the base camp at this period of time. All the climbers were long gone and they would only come back in April during the climbing season. But we were glad to see the mountain with more snow in winter than in summer. And the satisfaction that we finally arrived at the base camp made all the hardship we experienced the night before worthwhile.

Finally arriving at the base camp made everything worthwhile

The toilets in this journey might freak you out