Today we headed to base camp. Base camp is literally vertically overhead from Sama. We carried a pack containing layers we would need for the hike – warm layers, gloves, hat, buff, waterproofs – but we had those on, as it was bucketing rain – daily snacks, first aid. The rest we left to be carried up by porters. This is the difference in the Himalayas versus Denali, Aconcagua, Vinson where one gets to carry all your own stuff.
It was almost exactly 5 hours. We walked at a slow deliberate place, which suited me, so I needed no unscheduled stops. Woodie arrived yesterday, so I got to see first hand the impact of his hypoxic acclimatization. He was flying, A couple of stops along the way, including a mid mountain tea house – absolutely wild – where the owners live for the season. We reached base camp at 12:50, 15,900 ft, or just over 4,000 ft of elevation (and 5 miles). No headache – woohoo!!!
Base camp is just enormous, and I haven’t seen it all. Hundreds of tents, domes, mostly operated by Nepali outfitters. I hope to see more tomorrow. All of this will be dis-assembled and brought back down at the end of the season. It’s mad!
Our camp has a super comfortable dining tent, a dome tent for hanging out, a basic toilet, and individual tents for sleeping. Pure luxury.
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