May 09 2011 At the foot of Everest

• Descent base camp

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/Descenso-campo-base.jpg

  We are finally in Rongbuk, the world's highest monastery, at the foot of the fearsome north face of Everest. The sky is clear. The Monsoon has had a hand. The view is superb, gorgeous. Do not you get tired of looking at Qomolangma, the mother goddess of the mountains. Is, certainly, one of the happiest days of my life. Now just think of walking to base camp.

• Field base

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/Campo-base.jpg

  We are finally in Rongbuk, the world's highest monastery, at the foot of the fearsome north face of Everest. The sky is clear. The Monsoon has had a hand. The view is superb, gorgeous. Do not you get tired of looking at Qomolangma, the mother goddess of the mountains. Is, certainly, one of the happiest days of my life. Now just think of walking to base camp.

• mallory plate

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/placa-mallory.jpg

  We are finally in Rongbuk, the world's highest monastery, at the foot of the fearsome north face of Everest. The sky is clear. The Monsoon has had a hand. The view is superb, gorgeous. Do not you get tired of looking at Qomolangma, the mother goddess of the mountains. Is, certainly, one of the happiest days of my life. Now just think of walking to base camp.

• Everest

  https://www.viajesalpasado.com/wp-content/uploads/Everest.jpg

  We are finally in Rongbuk, the world's highest monastery, at the foot of the fearsome north face of Everest. The sky is clear. The Monsoon has had a hand. The view is superb, gorgeous. Do not you get tired of looking at Qomolangma, the mother goddess of the mountains. Is, certainly, one of the happiest days of my life. Now just think of walking to base camp.

We are finally in Rongbuk, the world's highest monastery, at the foot of the fearsome north face of Everest. The sky is clear. The Monsoon has had a hand. The view is superb, gorgeous. Do not you get tired of looking at Qomolangma, the mother goddess of the mountains. Is, certainly, one of the happiest days of my life. Now just think of walking to base camp.

Plans, on any trip, base upon prancing and pirouetting, and is rightly so. And when you're at the mercy of nature, a lot more. We plan to do two nights in Rongbuk and climb to base camp tomorrow, but only set foot in the Buddhist monastery, the same as received Mallory in 1924, doubts begin to prowl. Time is now magnificent, but what about tomorrow? The monsoon can play us a trick and camouflage the views of Everest for days. We are tired, yes, and it is one o'clock, but there is still time. Just put your boots and equip a small backpack for the hike to base camp. And that we.

Your day of glory, should be remembered, routine always someone around you. The guides, in this case

Your day of glory, should be remembered, routine always someone around you. The guides, in this case. Tenzing is reluctant to lose later on walks. Here there is little to do but meet the other guides and drivers to play cards and drink beer, the universal liturgy of boredom. Proposes that, to gain time, we go up to a horse-drawn carriage tour. I feel like it. Walking these roads is priceless for those who love the mountains and I'm not willing to dilute the experience in an aristocratic carriage ride. At the end reluctantly agrees to join, if you insist that there's no need. The dirt track, asphalted the Chinese in a few months to raise the Olympic torch to the top of the world, no loss.

Just start walking, Tenzing is away from us and, after pointing a shortcut, not return to him until we reached the base camp an hour and 45 minutes after. It matters little. Ascension, with the mighty Everest always before us (lies only half an hour before arriving, hidden behind a mountain leaden), is a delight. We drink plenty of water because, a 5.200 meters, any effort, however minimal, can pay expensive. And as it turns out that most of the tourists who have come with us to Rongbuk have decided to wait until tomorrow, climbed almost alone.

Mallory plate

There are several large canvas tents beside a river of water coming from the glacier. End, there is a sign warns tourists that if they continue walking can be fined 200 U.S. dollars. From there is territory for expeditions that have paid the corresponding, and expensive, the Chinese government permits. We climbed a small hill to get a better view of the whole massif snow. Hard to breathe up the hill. Above is a Swiss couple and two Chinese will soon turn around. The wind flutter of prayer flags characteristics. We have over there on Everest, only 15 kilometers. Dan really wanted to keep walking. Scattered in the plains there are a dozen tents of an expedition. I see no litter anywhere. Now, at any rate, with making mischief Monsoon season is not more conducive to storm the summit.

I remember my father, who taught me to love and respect the mountains since childhood, our first 3.000, Monte Perdido, with just twelve years old

Peering with binoculars is seen with great clarity the second step, the rock wall where you last saw Mallory and Irvine before the great mountain engulfed them, and the question of whether they were the first to reach the top. The mystery, almost a century later, still maintained.

That hour photo, of great joy, reflection, thank you, leaves in a breeze. I remember my father, who taught me to love and respect the mountains since childhood, our first 3.000, Monte Perdido, with just twelve years old. How much he had paid for getting here? I, somewhat, I reached for the two.

But I will not return without seeking the plaque in memory of Mallory, at last meeting on a small promontory. Along with the original stone 1924, rotunda with his brief "In Memoriam", no other placed his son in the years 80 which also includes Irvine and all those who gave their lives in the pioneering British expeditions to Everest. "Viewed for the last time 8 June 1924 ", can be read in relation to the two famous mountaineers. It is an exciting time in which a lot of readings flutter montañeras about Mallory and Everest.

A Sherpa knocked

In one of the stores, put up as coffee-bar for the expedition, we take a tea. In front of us the doctor treats a sherpa expedition just off a advanced camp with obvious symptoms of altitude sickness. It is as knocked, absent, and staring. It makes drinking endless sips of water. Maybe it just dehydration. At one point, the doctor asked me to take my digital relog keystrokes. To our left, in another table, a group of porters animatedly playing cards on a board while drinking beer. They wagering accounts with small shells of river. No evil seems unconcerned while his companion.
Before we left, I do not want to miss the opportunity to take some postcards in the mailbox located at the highest altitude in the world, a rite of tourist like any other. But the store that serves as the office is closed and I have to be content with a young Tibetan encargárselo offered to send for us (payment of 45 yuan to seals and other 15 tip). Postcards, surprisingly, reach their destination.

We decided to start down with a huge smile on the heart. A few minutes later, Tenzing for a truck that goes to the monastery after climbing some supplies to base camp. We offered to go down with him. Newly, scratched glory by routine. Just fill my patience. I insist that you return it in the truck and forget us (breaking the first commandment of a good guide). Resists hardly, so Belen and I went alone and without water, they just realize that we have forgotten the bottle on the coffee-bar Rongbuk. But who is going to worry about a walk of just over an hour without water? Blunder. The neglect will eventually take its toll. We will discuss in the next post.