{"id":2194,"date":"2016-04-06T00:09:27","date_gmt":"2016-04-06T07:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/?p=2194"},"modified":"2016-04-06T00:09:27","modified_gmt":"2016-04-06T07:09:27","slug":"whole-new-lobuche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/2016\/04\/whole-new-lobuche\/","title":{"rendered":"A Whole New Lobuche"},"content":{"rendered":"

We bid farewell to the last built structures until the end of the expedition, and walked away from Pheriche right after breakfast.\u00a0 <\/span>The tea houses have been fun in their own way, with amenities like hot showers, flush toilets, a choice of foods, beds with mattresses and blankets, and even alcohol for purchase (although we consume very little of this, as it can hinder our acclimatization).\u00a0 <\/span>They also provide a chance to meet people from different expeditions, and make friends from around the world.\u00a0 <\/span>On the other hand, they present us with a risk of respiratory and GI infections, which can be inconvenient in the least, or truly problematic if severe.\u00a0 <\/span>So, it felt good to finally head into our own territory: Lobuche Base Camp.<\/p>\n

\"Siva
Siva Hota. Psyched to go. ‘Nuff said. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"When
When we leave Pheriche, the town population drops by half.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The walk from Pheriche is gorgeous, especially when the weather is perfect like it was today.\u00a0 <\/span>The valley gains elevation gradually, climbing past homesteads surrounded by stone fenced yak paddocks. We walked up the drainage of the Khumbu glacier, crossing a stream via a steel bridge, and took a short break in the village of Dukla, where we consumed heroic volumes of hot lemon water.\u00a0 <\/span>My lungs feel better this year than last, but the dry cold air still causes a sore throat that threatens to convert into a cough.\u00a0 <\/span>Hydration is a good thing up here, for many reasons!<\/p>\n

\"Moving
Moving up valley. LBC lies behind the rounded hill at center of this shot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Moving
Moving up valley, between Yak paddocks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The yak dung fires burn with thick smoke. Indoor cook smoke is a real concern in the Khumbu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Stone
Stone fences… here is how it this fence looked today…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"And
And here is how this spot looked exactly one year ago.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"This
This morning we are trekking with a purpose.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Yiorgos
Yiorgos pauses to contemplate Ama Dablam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sensei
Sensei Bob at a break.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Moving
Moving up the valley. Yak dung smoke and Ama behind us. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The tiny hamlet of Dukla, our break spot for the morning. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cristiano
Cristiano and Jerry relish the hot lemon at Dukla. Notice the solar collector boiling a kettle of water. Nice! (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ang
Ang Jangbu is always in touch. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyond Dukla the trail gains elevation quickly, and wraps around the lower flanks of Lobuche peak.\u00a0 <\/span>The scenery is unmatched, especially the close-up views of Tawoche and Cholatse.\u00a0 <\/span>We were amazed to see how much better conditions are along the trail this year than last: no mud slicks, no knee-deep snow, more moderate temperatures.\u00a0 <\/span>Thank goodness.<\/p>\n

\"Emily
Emily Johnston: Yeti Queen of all she surveys. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Nearing
Nearing the plateau traverse on the march to LBC. (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ang
Ang Jangbu and Emily Johnston. Team Awesome! (Photo: Justin Merle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Tunang
Mingma Tenzing\u00a0on the traverse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Yep.
Yep. The women of IMG Everest really are this awesome.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Teresa
Teresa makes this look easy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Chris
Chris Hagerty: Man of Mystery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

IMG\u2019s Lobuche base camp (LBC) is very secluded, sitting in a small valley surrounded on three sides, with the fourth side affording spectacular views of Cholatse.\u00a0 <\/span>No one else is here.\u00a0 <\/span>No one treks through here or to here. In effect, it is a totally isolated, private campsite.\u00a0 <\/span>Awesome.<\/p>\n

\"LBC
LBC appears! Incredible how different it looks without snow.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cristiano
Cristiano is happy to see LBC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were treated to an excellent lunch: grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, baked beans (improved with fresh herbs), roasted potatoes, rice, soup\u2026 all easy to digest and full of the energy we need up here.\u00a0 <\/span>No matter how much I eat, I am always hungry.\u00a0 <\/span>Not unusual to wake up at 3 AM famished.\u00a0 <\/span>Eating smoked almonds in the night is pathological back in the World, but here it\u2019s pretty normal.<\/p>\n

\"Our
Our tents at LBC. (Photo: Chris Hagerty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The meal tents at LBC. ((Photo: Chris Hagerty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hand
Hand hygiene matters! We line up to use soap & water before meal time… and then hit the mitts with purel too. (Photo: Chris Hagerty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Even
Even so, respiratory infections happen. Here we take a “Sancho Bath” after dinner: Each of us breathes in hot water laced with an aromatic mixture of menthol and eucalyptus oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dinner (featuring fried chicken) was followed by a talent show.\u00a0 <\/span>It was so warm (26F) that I was even able to sit out in the field and shoot a variety of night shots.\u00a0 <\/span>We are having a great time up here.<\/p>\n

\"A
A lovely night to capture the stars above camp and Cholatse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We bid farewell to the last built structures until the end of the expedition, and walked away from Pheriche right after breakfast.\u00a0 The tea houses have been fun in their own way, with amenities like hot showers, flush toilets, a choice of foods, beds with mattresses and blankets, and even alcohol for purchase (although we … Continue reading A Whole New Lobuche<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-approach-trek","expedition-everest-2016"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Whole New Lobuche - OSM Adventures<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/2016\/04\/whole-new-lobuche\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Whole New Lobuche - 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