We are enjoying the luxuries of our base camp, recovering from our first trip up to over 20,000 ft, and getting ready for another round up high in a couple of days. We’ve had a couple of nice days down here at what feels like low altitude now, only 17,500 ft. Laundry is done, showers were enjoyed, and after breakfast this morning Greg and Vanessa went for a hike down to the nearest village, Gorak Shep, just to stretch their legs and enjoy a little trekking!
One of the most important aspects to a great, successful Everest Expedition is having great healthy food, and a comfortable base camp in which to recover and relax between forays up high. We’ve got a great scene here at base camp with a huge dining/hang out tent with carpet on the floor and a heater for when the sun goes down. Solar power and batteries to light up the night, charge all of our electronics, including a laptop with movies, etc. to keep us entertained in the evenings. It’s really hard to compare our scene at Everest Base Camp with “camping”. None of this would make our base camp truly great without the staff we have down here preparing the amazing meals we’ve been enjoying and keeping us healthy and happy.
Our base camp is managed by Phurba Sarki Sherpa, who has been a part of our team since 2010. Sarki is the chef, and the guy who keeps everything working smoothly at base camp. Sarki has 3 assistants down here to help him keep everyone fed and keep camp running. From hauling water to preparing meals, organizing gear, ordering food resupplies delivered by yak or helicopter, chipping ice off the glacier to keep the food storage cold, these guys never stop working. The assistants here at base camp are Ngawang Gorden Sherpa, and 2 guys both named Mingmar Sherpa (Mingmar 1 and 2). They are constantly working on the next amazing meal, and we are constantly surprised at the quality and variety of meals that come out of their kitchen. So far some of the favorites have been Barbeque Chicken Pizza, and the Veggie Sushi Rolls!
We are super appreciative of the work these guys are doing to support our team, and they clearly take pride in doing a great job. Thanks to our amazing team for making what we all think is the best camp on the Khumbu Glacier!
