This morning our team split, as was always the plan.
4 trekkers + 2 guides + 2 porters left for Everest Base Camp and we 5 climbers + guide + 3 porters hunkered down, while it snowed on and off most of the day.
We said thank you to all the porters in a whirl of speeches & photos (& tips, obviously) thanking these hard working men without whom adventures like this couldn’t happen.
We learned that all 5 porters cone from the same village and all have the same surname – Rai.
It has been absolutely freezing today & inevitably the sleeping bag called, especially since this tea house doesn’t light the yak dung until about 5.30pm…so afternoon sleeping bag snoozing is the way to keep warm.
When I emerged from my sleeping bag at 5pm, it was to the welcome sight of Gombo, with whom I climbed Mera Peak & who will be my summit Sherpa.
Here you all fervently cross fingers, toes, the works, please!
Unless the weather improves radically, we will all be here tomorrow as well. I’ll keep you posted.
Read your diary entries. Brilliant, Christine! Good on you. I remember the reluctance in the tea houses re lighting the yak dung?. Sadly my traveling days are over. The ‘bug’ has left me.
Wish you success!