Lobuje, and Mount Everest from Kala Pattar

Lobuje, and Mount Everest from Kala Pattar

Near Everest basecamp, tucked in a little meadow at the side of the Khumbu glacier, is the little village of Lobuje. Lobuje has been called "the armpit of Nepal", but nothing could be further from the truth. Although the elevation of 4950 m makes many people miserable, spectacular mountain views abound, and although the biffy wasn't pretty I certainly saw a lot worse elsewhere in Nepal.

Everest basecamp is just a short distance away from Lobuje, but most people skip basecamp in favour of an ascent of Kala Pattar, as did I. Altough the basecamp site may be convenient for climbers, you can't see the summit from there. Also, in the fall of 2000 there were no expeditions on the mountain.

Morning light on Pumo Ri.

Pumo Ri is a striking pyramidal peak towering over the west side of the Khumbu valley. The dark shape in the foreground is Kala Pattar, a scree pile ascended by tourists that offers tremendous views of Mount Everest and its neighbors.

Mount Everest, from Kala Pattar. This is the famous view of Mount Everest that everone comes to see. The glacier-clad mountain on the right is Nuptse. The rock tower in the background is mount Everest (8848 m), and the pyramidal shaped mountain in front of it is its west ridge. As the Khumbu glacier wraps around Nuptse it forms the infamous Khumbu icefall, a treacherous area which climbers bound for Everest must negotiate.

Mount Everest, summit block.

Climbers ascend the mountain via the right skyline ridge. Everest buffs who have read Krakauer's "into thin air" will recognize the south col (center right), the south summit (pimple just right of the true summit where the angle lays back), and the Hillary Step (little notch halfway between the south summit and true summit).

On top of Kala Pattar.

Nara and I on top of Kala Pattar (5600 m). In the background is Pumo Ri. The place where we are standing is a little precarious. The next picture below shows the tremendous drop-off that is less than a metre behind us.

Pumo Ri and Kala Pattar.

Pumo Ri forms a dramatic backdrop to Kala Pattar. The rubble slope leading up to the top of Kala Pattar comes to an abrupt end (see previous picture), halting keen scramblers who want an even bigger view. If you look closely, you can see people heading to and from the top. Nuptse. The view from the top of Kala Pattar is spectacular, but it is a busy place. After a while we wandered down toward Pumori basecamp and found some more peaceful surroundings. The light on Nuptse kept improving as the day went on. The many tiers of glaciers and icefalls that cling to Nuptse's west face makes for the most stunning mountain vista I've ever seen. Gokyo Lake, from the slopes of Gokyo Ri. The hike up Gokyo Ri offers great views of Gokyo and its surroundings. The peak in the background is Cholatse. Everest from Gokyo Ri. The view from Gokyo Ri reveals the north ridge (skyline to the left of Everest's summit). This is the route climbers follow when ascending from the Tibetan side of the mountain. Early attempts to climb mount Everest by Norton and Mallory in the 1920's and by Tilman, Shipton and Smythe in the late 1930's were on this route. Around 1950, Nepal opened up to foreigners and the Chinese shut down access to Tibet, and this route was largely abandoned by westerners. In recent years this route has become popular again because of the large expedition fees that the Nepali government has been charging. Nara on Knobby View. Partway up Knobby View I "bonked", my energy reserves suddenly hit zero. I managed to drag my butt up to a large cairn decorated with prayer flags, but there was one more "knob" to go, perhaps 10-20 m higher (behind Nara). It looked steep and loose, and with my enthousiasm gone I decided to skip it. Judging by the size of the cairn we were at most people probably do the same. The views were awesome. Behind Nara and the last knob is Cho Oyu (8201 m). Everest and the Kangchung peaks from Knobby View. Knobby view (about 5500 m) is probably one of the most strategic viewpoints in the whole Everest area that is accessible to non-climbers. In the foreground the Guybanare glacier joins the main Ngozumpa glacier, leaving a sharp lateral moraine at its margin. The two Kangchung peaks soar above the Guybanare. In the distance Everest and its neighbors are visible. Clopseup of Everest, from knobby view. From this aspect part of the Lhotse face is visible, which is hidden from view at many other viewpoints in the Khumbu area. The rocky protrusion in the centre of the face is the Geneva Spur. Climbers ascending from the Nepal side typically climb the Lhotse face to the right of the Geneva Spur, and then cut across it to reach the South Col. The peak to the right of Lhotse is Makalu (8462 m) More views from Knobby View. A view to the northeast toward the Nup La (centre left), a 5958 m pass into Tibet. The peak in the centre of the picture is unnamed on my map (7020 m). Cho Oyu by moonlight. This is an eight minute exposure of Cho Oyu, the shores of Gokyo lake and the lower slopes of Gokyo Ri, bathed in moonlight. The stars in the sky cause streaks because of the rotation of the earth; only Polaris appears stationary. Renja La. This picture clearly shows how the glacier and moraines dam up Gokyo lake. Everest, Lhotse and Makalu form the skyline. This picture is taken from the slopes leading up to the Renja La, a 5435 m pass to the Bhote Kosi valley and