Right now, I'm sitting in my hotel room in Kathmandu, finishing up a few last little things before I go to sleep. One of them is uploading the program as a PDF to my website. Et voilà, you can find it here
The first blog post will be coming soon, so for now, it's time to sleep. As to inform you, the english blog will be the german blog translated by google translate. I hope you still like to read it :)

 And again I was suddenly interrupted while writing this blog because someone had decided it was perfect flying weather. I packed everything as quickly as possible, looked for my boarding pass, and five minutes later we were standing at our plane. The four other planes that were still at the airport were already being boarded. We, however, were still standing in the field and watching the whole thing. One plane after the other taxied to the runway, and finally we were allowed to board. The propellers were already moving, and less than five minutes passed before we were taxiing off. We were the last of the five planes, and to be honest, the air still looked the same to me as it did at 6 a.m., except that it was already 10 a.m. The flight wasn't quite as smooth as I would have liked. We heard the pancake from the computer again shortly after takeoff in the same place, and there was a bit of turbulence. Luckily, nothing too bad, but I was still pleased when we landed safely in Lukla after about 15 minutes. When we thanked the pilot for the landing, he said that we were lucky. The wind was actually too strong (hence the turbulence), and he was certain that after the return flight to Ramecchap, he wouldn't be flying back to Lukla today. Shortly after, the plane took off again, its fuselage full of happy trekkers heading towards the valley. It was actually the last plane to land in Lukla yesterday. Two of the planes that had taken off before us turned back shortly after, so only 51 trekkers landed in Lukla that day. We, however, were all beaming because, apart from the fact that we were no longer stuck in Ramecchap, we would hardly encounter any other trekkers with the same schedule on the entire way to the EBC. This meant virtually empty roads for us for the next 10 days, and this during the peak season in the valley. 

We went to a teahouse to get a drink and repack a bit so we were ready for the trek. The porters took our duffle bags and filled our water bottles. We had about 4.5 hours of hiking ahead of us, first down to the river and then up and down the valley with countless stairs towards Monju. After about 2 hours, we stopped in Khat for a light lunch and then continued on to Monju until just before 6 p.m. There we were able to check into our rooms straight away, each with its own bathroom. We were all pretty tired from getting up early, waiting, and hiking. Only three of us already knew the trail; the rest didn't know what the trails would be like until we started in Lukla. They certainly looked tired and happy when I saw them again for dinner. I treated myself to fried eggs and fries, both of which were delicious. My second empty plate of the day, of which I am obviously very proud. Shortly after 8 p.m. I headed towards my sleeping bag, where I read a little before falling asleep, tired and happy. 

Today, reveille was at 7 a.m. I was awake earlier, though, because the walls are quite thin, so the kitchen and other room occupants can be heard quite clearly. The horses on the path outside were also quite audible, as they all wear lots of bells so their owners know where they are. So, I practically woke up to Christmas bells :D 

For breakfast, I had a perfectly sized cheese molette, so I can already boast about empty plate number three on the second day. So, eating isn't a problem yet. We'll see how long that lasts. Shortly after 8 a.m., we set off again. This time, the trail was fairly flat, first along the river to the entrance of the national park. Because they've changed the rules for this year, all luggage is now being opened and checked for anything illegal. Specifically, for a drone. Drone flights are prohibited throughout the national park without a permit. 

However, these permits are almost impossible to obtain. If they find a drone, it would be destroyed, leaving no chance of getting it back. Our group, however, consists of decent Aussies, so the search was unsuccessful, and we were able to move on after 10 minutes. I used those 10 minutes to look at the 3D model of the entire park that had been created a few years ago. It's a little broken, but I still found the way to Everest in seconds. The model that Claudine gave me for my birthday, which is waiting for me at home, probably helped. 

After the entrance to the national park, the trail initially descends steeply before my favorite part of the trail begins. Right next to the river, you walk north on beautiful trails, first on the left bank, then on the right, until you reach Hillary Bridge, the highest suspension bridge in all of Nepal. There, we stopped for the obligatory photos, and my Theos also got their paparazzi moment. 

Afterward, a trekker from another group asked me how much the Theos had paid for the trip. I didn't understand the question at first, but then I said they paid with hugs. He then laughed and asked if I knew there were companies that organized trips for stuffed animals. I think I found out about my unknown dream job in this beautiful place... ;) 

After the photo stop, there was only one direction: up, up, up. First, we headed up the right bank of the river over many steps to the bridge, then across the bridge, via switchbacks on hiking trails all the way to Namche. At the bridge, we had another short photo shoot with the group, alone, and we even did burpees and push-ups on the bridge. By me, I mean me and two girls who seem just as crazy as I am. And no, it was NOT my idea to do the fitness exercises on the bridge, I swear! 

About halfway up the climb, we took another break so no one would run out of energy. It was at this spot eight years ago that I first saw Everest. Unfortunately, it wasn't visible today due to the air quality, but I still had to recreate the photo from back then. 

Another hour of hiking later, we stood at the entrance to Namche. Those who have never seen this sight before can hardly imagine it. You come around a bend and all the houses are clinging to the hill. Prayer wheels of all colors shine out at you, a 10-meter-tall white stupa gazes back at you, and you can hear the fluttering of hundreds of prayer flags. Since we had booked a teahouse in the middle of the village, we walked straight into the center, and another 100 steps later, we were sitting in front of a plate of chips, fried rice, and fried noodles, along with a cup of hot tea. The entire hike took only 3 hours and 15 minutes, so we arrived just in time for lunch. Afterward, we checked into our rooms and followed Phunuru's recommendation to have cake and coffee at the Sherpa Barista Café next door. I ordered a chai latte and a small chocolate muffin and enjoyed both. Others ate huge slices of cake or even bigger apple pies, struggling with the portion size. Afterward, Josh and I walked around the village, bought another water bottle because one of my bottles was probably leaking, and found a cool, fluffy Ama Dablam sweater, which I'll probably buy tomorrow. First, I have to ask Phunuru how heavy my trekking duffel can be up to the EBC. 

Now I'm sitting back in the café with another chai latte, using the free Wi-Fi to write and update my blog. 

My legs are fit, I'm feeling good, and it's fun to be out and about with the group. I feel well looked after and am very grateful to Allan and Phunuru for arranging this. Just thinking about the fact that I would have had to wait four hours in Ramecchap on my own makes my gratitude immeasurable. 

Dinner is in 1.5 hours, and then I'm looking forward to going back to bed, as I'm still a little tired from the night off the day before yesterday. 

I'm currently sitting in the dining room of our lodge, enjoying the gentle warmth of the stove, which has just been lit. Two days have already passed since my last entry in Namche, during which we were on the road. On Saturday evening, after dinner, it was another early night watch. I scrolled through the results of the various puzzle championships and enjoyed the amazing new puzzles they had the opportunity to put together in Washington. It seems as if I'll have to place another large order from America soon...

I was able to sleep well again and packing up in the morning went faster. I was ready before breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and started drinking my black tea. As on every trek, my goal is to drink at least three cups of tea before we set off so that I can at least drink two liters by lunchtime. I chose veggie omelets to go with my black tea, as they are served hot here and are therefore not only edible but also quite good. Salt and pepper are always on the table, so you can add more seasoning if necessary. Sunday was a long day of hiking. About 11 km separated us from Phortse, our next destination and home of Phunuru and Mingma. First, we walked through Namche to the upper rim and then continued on a gentle climb with views of the various mountains around us. Unfortunately, the air quality is still not the best and the visibility gets worse as the day progresses . At the beginning you could still see quite a bit, and just 30 minutes outside of Namche, at the memorial for Hillary, I was able to enjoy my last, first glimpse of Everest. The funny thing is: I was the only one who noticed; everyone else in our group, and the other trekkers who took a break there, couldn't identify Everest or didn't even notice her. The view is always special to me, even if you could only guess at it through the haze. After that we continued on to Kyangjuma, where we took a snack break on the large terrace. The view would have been even better here, but the air quality is terrible. You can just make out Ama Dablam, but the view is completely different from the last time I saw it.

After this break, the turnoff to the panoramic trail soon followed. This meant that the Stairway to Heaven (or Hell) steps weren't far away. The steps are fairly freshly concreted, and there are plenty of opportunities for intermediate steps. Fortunately, they weren't built by giants, so the climb was somewhat bearable. The climb was once again worth it, as the view high above the path I'd always taken was unique. We continued uphill like this until we reached the village of Mongla. There, everyone was served ramen soup and fries. I ate more fries than soup, as I don't like the noodles and their taste. Nevertheless, I was able to slurp a bit of the soup and eat half the noodles. This strengthened us all for the last third of our hiking day. First, we had to descend 350 meters to the Imka Kola River so we could cross it. By the way, we'd been seeing Phortse getting closer for a while, and it probably wouldn't have taken 15 minutes if the river hadn't carved a valley between Monla and Phortse. Of course, after the bridge, we had to climb back up to Phortse, which added another 45 minutes to the walk. The village welcomed us with a colorful gate and thousands of Mani stones. 

Shortly before, we also spotted the endangered musk deer foraging in the silverbush forest. The silverbush trees are apparently just as rare as the animals themselves. The deer look like a deer with the head of a kangaroo, and the males have white tufts hanging down on the left and right sides of their mouths. They were obviously not very afraid of us, and the reason for this is that in Phortse they are not hunted but cared for. The many mani stones were created in Phunuru's grandfather's generation and frame the western edge of the village.
Since we were on the move rather early, we continued on to the Khumbu Climbing Center, or KCC for short, which has been housed in a new, earthquake-resistant building since 2019. Climbing Sherpas receive instruction there every January to prepare them for the high-altitude season. Locals also receive instruction throughout the year to expand their knowledge and thus improve the safety of Nepalese people on the mountains. Phunuru is one of the main instructors every year, always supported by various international mountain guides. Ever since I first heard about KCC, I've been dying to visit. It was all the more wonderful that we were able to take enough time for the visit and even enter areas normally reserved for instructors. There are hooks installed on the outside wall for climbing, and there's a bouldering wall inside.  

Upstairs there's a library with books for children and young people, and an entire room with books about Everest, the 8,000-meter peaks, and the Khumbu region. I saw books from 1921 and would have loved to fill my backpack and duffels with them. According to Phunuru, it's the highest climbing wall, the highest library, and also the most expensive library. That's because there are books there of which there are only a very few copies left in the world. There are also many hand-painted pictures of the mountains around Phortse and small information windows about the first ascent of Everest. There was even the Swisstopo map commemorating the anniversary of the first ascent. I feel honored to have this map at home too—a gift from Claudine, which I cherish at home.  

After visiting the KCC, we went straight to the teahouse, where we were able to move into our rooms straight away. I was lucky enough to get a double room, so the Theos also had plenty of space. Because the stove in the dining room was already lit, I went downstairs after getting settled in, wanting to read a bit. But since other members of the group were there, I preferred to chat with them by the stove. Anyone who has ever been to a teahouse in Nepal knows exactly what the scene looked like. About 10 people are sitting on plastic garden chairs around the stove, drinking either from their plastic bottles or hot tea from glasses. 

At 7 p.m. it was time for dinner, which for me was once again fries with fried eggs (empty plate number 5). Eloise had ordered potatoes with cheese and that's exactly what she got: 10 salt potatoes with two slices of yak cheese. The sight was a bit absurd, and I felt a little sorry for her because they looked very dry. She managed to eat at least 6 of them; I would have had enough after 2. After dinner, some of us played 2-3 rounds of UNO before everyone went to bed.  

I also had the opportunity to meet Gyalzen, my second Sherpa. Chirring, Phunuru, Gyalzen, and I sat together and discussed the next few days to ensure everyone was on the same page. I'm curious to see what it will be like on the mountain. Gyalzen seems a bit quiet, and Chirring is also more of a quiet type. But since people don't talk much on the mountain anyway, that shouldn't be a problem. And if there are any communication problems, Phnuru will be available to me. In any case, I'm not worried and was happy to meet the last member of the expedition. Gyalzen will return to the EBC tomorrow to help 14peaks set up camp. After the meeting, I also went to bed and fell asleep fairly quickly.  

This morning we woke up at 7 a.m. and had breakfast at 7:30 a.m. I had actually ordered cinnamon pancakes, but unfortunately I got chocolate pancakes, although chocolate is too much of an exaggeration. I didn't like them at all, and since we had a relatively short day of hiking ahead of us, I didn't rush into eating. So the plate went back to the kitchen almost full. The first highlight of the day was the visit to Phunuru's house. He and Minga used to live here in Phortse and now come back from time to time. Phunuru's mother and sister still live here and were already waiting for us in the house. He said that his house was small, but the dining room could easily compete with that of a few teahouses. We were given something hot to drink, were able to look at the private photos in peace and took the obligatory group photos. Phunuru's mother also provided us with kathas to ensure our hike was safe. I feel extremely honored that Phunuru and Mingma opened their doors to us, and that his sister and mother made the effort to meet us. They even postponed their visit to the monastery for a few hours.  

Now it was time to set off to tackle the second part of the panoramic trail. Here, too, we first walked to the upper end of the village and then continued up and down the mountain towards the east. Sometimes we found ourselves in front of more steep concrete steps, or the view changed around the next corner. The view of the Tengboche monastery was exceptionally beautiful, despite the clouds gathering again and the smog from the forest fires. We saw mountain goats and eagles along the way, watched people on their way to and from Tengboche, and passed a KCC practice wall. After just under 3 hours, we reached our destination, Pangboche, where I am still sitting. We checked into our rooms and ate a wonderful vegetarian dal bhat. Today, I once again have a room with a private toilet, which I naturally enjoy. To aid digestion, we walked a short distance back to the old part of the village, which, incidentally, is the highest continuously inhabited village in the entire Khumbu Valley. Also located here is the oldest monastery in Nepal, which we now visited. We first sat for half an hour in the prayer room and listened to the monks praying. Then we went up one floor, where various very old wooden masks and statues stood and hung.  

All decorated with hundreds of katthas and the walls covered in colorful paintings. The monastery was built from scratch by a lama who is known as the most powerful lama in the region. He had to assert himself against his two brothers to be considered the most powerful lama. At the end of our visit, we walked around the monastery to the left to the puja room, where the oldest lama was waiting for us and was performing a puja. He had just returned from two days in Kathmandu because he wasn't feeling well. First, the three of us climbers were blessed, and then all the trekkers. I now have a pendant around my neck with an important Buddhist figure holding a black rat in its hands. I couldn't have imagined anything more fitting. At base camp, I will be able to experience another puja, where my equipment will also be blessed. For many of us, it was the first experience in a monastery, and even though I've experienced it once or twice before, it was still special. I still don't understand the religion and culture, but I greatly appreciate that Phunuru and Mingma gave us insight into this world. Of course, we also brought offerings and money to ensure the blessing was legitimate.  

Now we're back at the teahouse, where we ordered our dinner and can rest. The food will arrive in an hour, and until then, I'll play a bit of UNO, because the others are already busy playing while I'm writing these lines.

Tomorrow there will be another short day of hiking. We'll head to Dingboche, which is around 4,410 meters high. That means about 600 meters of elevation gain and hopefully more great views of Ama, Everest, Lhotse, and all the other high mountains around us. Right now, Ama Dablam is fully visible again, shining down on us 😊 

The second night in Dingboche was just as quiet as the first. Contrary to expectations, I was able to keep my room to myself and didn't have to share it. If too many other trekkers had arrived, I would have shared it with Xoe, as she is the only other female trekker who wasn't coughing or feeling the least bit ill. But hey, once again I was able to enjoy my single room. Reveille on Thursday wasn't too early – at 7:30 a.m. – as we didn't want to arrive in Lobuche too early. There's nothing there except a huge dining room and rather cold rooms. Moreover, the teahouses there are usually very full, as almost everyone stays there overnight. The risk of coming out sick is correspondingly high. So we started our day's hiking at around 8:15 a.m. First, we went back up the same ridge we had climbed yesterday. Then we followed the plateau above Periche further up the valley. The climb was almost imperceptible, as we only had to overcome 250 meters of elevation in just a few kilometers. After an hour, we passed yak enclosures, clearly recognizable by their hand-built stone walls. There were also two very old stone houses on the plateau that provided the yak drivers with a sheltered overnight spot. Naturally, we took advantage of this old spot to take another group photo. We were now just under an hour away from our lunch stop, Thukla. To get there, we had to cross a small river and climb a small hill. It seemed as if there would be a new bridge soon, so we wouldn't have to climb the small hill in the future. The concrete supports at each end of the bridge are already in place, and the materials for the suspension bridge are lying around everywhere: chain-link fencing, sheet metal decking, and steel cables. I'm curious to see how long it will take until the bridge is built and ready for use. Above all, I wonder how they'll manage to tension the steel cables, etc.
Thukla was quite busy, again because most trekking groups stop here for lunch on the way to the EBC, but also on the way back. A place with poor hygiene and not the best food. We were lucky; our chips were very good and hot. This was probably because a lot of groups were leaving when we came in, so the kitchen wasn't too busy. So we fortified ourselves with noodle soup and chips for the next big, steep climb to Thukla Pass, known to most as Memorial Hill. Because I knew it's easier to follow someone's footsteps on steep climbs, I slowed down a bit more than normal and walked slowly up the hill with three of the Aussies behind me. This is always a good thing for me, because it forces me not to go too fast. A win-win situation for everyone. This made the climb much less strenuous, and when I reached the top, I saw on my watch that, despite the altitude of almost 4,900 m, I still had an average heart rate of 80. Once at the top, we were given some time to explore the many memorials erected in honor of numerous mountaineers who unfortunately were unable to make their way home. For me, this high plateau is always an emotional visit. The atmosphere is different from the rest of the trek. I sense so many dreams that remained unfulfilled on the mountains, and a lot of sadness. I also always feel selfish for continuing to pursue my dream, despite seeing it with my own eyes and feeling it with my own eyes. My third visit was not without tears, and it was nice to have someone hug me again this time. Allan only had to look at me and he knew what to do. I also showed him where a small memorial should be placed, in case my dream also ended on the mountain. Even though I'm sure that won't happen, it's comforting to know that someone knows where my dream spot would be. Better safe than sorry 😉
This time, too, I found it difficult to leave this spot after half an hour, so I trudged silently behind our group. Nowhere, in my opinion, are you more exposed to the consequences of mountaineering than here. The path to Lobuche led us further along the valley between the slope and scree of the Khumbu Glacier, and just an hour later, we spotted the few houses. Our teahouse was called Altitude Oxygen, or something similar, and Phnuru had already reserved an entire wing for us. He had left Dingboche the day before to lead another group up Lobuche East and left the group in Lobuche to wait for us. This time, I had no luck with the single room, but since Xoe is just as easygoing and flexible, it didn't really bother me. She was also healthy, which is a priority for me here. We settled into the room so that it would be ready whenever we went to bed....
Setting up means taking the sleeping bag out of the compression sack and laying out the thermals inside so they won't be too cold when you put them on. Since I knew from previous visits that Lobuche is always quite cold, I decided to put on the thermals so I could get into the sleeping bag faster. I also laid out my toothbrush and tomorrow's clothes in the sleeping bag. After that, I refilled the snack bag and got the bottles ready to fill with hot water. There's not much else to do. Downstairs in the dining room, I ordered a small pot of lemon-ginger tea because I needed a break from the black tea. We also ordered dinner, and then I read a bit. A documentary was playing on the TV about a French influencer who had climbed Everest last year. I had read about it in a newspaper article, and it was exciting to watch. The guy's name was Inox or something and he prepared for a year. I think the documentary is on YouTube if anyone's interested. I hope the change he kept talking about was lasting, because at the beginning it didn't seem like he appreciated the Nepalese mountains. Another experience that shocked me a little was when some idiot deliberately stood in front of the TV to block our view. He saw all of us women looking at the TV, stood up and told his friends that he was going to block the TV. My first priority was to tell him that I had already climbed the mountain that was on TV (Ama Dablam), and that I therefore had my own pictures. But I let it go, assholes like that don't change when you say something. Man, I'm glad I'm pretty sure I won't have to deal with anything like that on the mountain. Unfortunately, there are idiots like that on every mountain, and I hope no woman has to deal with one. Luckily, he soon sat down again, so we could continue watching the documentary in peace. Dinner soon arrived – I had spaghetti Napoli – and we all filled our stomachs in gratifying silence. Afterward, we had to stay put for a while, as Allan doesn't want anyone in bed before 8 p.m. Acclimatization is much slower if you sleep in the afternoon, as your breathing rate is different and you don't drink anything when you're asleep. Shortly after 8 p.m., everyone had brushed their teeth and gone to bed. In the meantime, their sleeping bags had been filled with hot water bottles, so hopefully no one was cold.
The next morning we had breakfast again at 8am before setting off on the final leg of the trek to EBC. It had snowed about 5cm during the night, so the first part of the trail was very quiet. Some of the Aussies had never walked in snow before, so everyone had a smile on their faces despite the cold. The first part of the trail is fairly flat, before a small steep slope then leads onto the scree slope of the glacier. We followed the slope in many hairpin bends, constantly going up and down, and had to stop every now and then because yaks or porters wanted to overtake us or were coming towards us. Around 2.5 hours after setting off, we were already in Gorakshep. We gave the teahouses a wide berth, however, because the hygiene here is even worse than in Lobuche. We now headed directly to base camp. Or rather, indirectly, because even on this part, it was a constant up and down until we finally reached the ridge, from where we could see the EBC tents getting closer and closer. By now, the wind had started to bite and blow again, so none of us really felt like taking a break. Luckily, we had a tailwind, because the trekkers we passed had snow in their faces and some of them looked quite exhausted. Shortly before the EBC, Gjalzen and another EBC Sherpa served us hot tea and biscuits, which they had picked up from camp. This gave everyone a chance to warm up a bit before we set off down onto the glacier. Until now, I've always had to turn around at the ominous base camp rock, as this is the end of the line for trekkers. But since Allan has a special two-night permit for his group, and I'm a climber, not a trekker, we were able to bypass the crowded rock and walk into base camp. The Aussies have a tent group near the bottom of base camp, which is where Gjalzen and Phnuru led us. My camp would be 30 minutes further up, but I was able to enjoy popcorn and lunch with the group. The camp is right next to the glacier, and I couldn't help myself; I just had to absorb the view. I've never been this close to the glacier before, and yet my fear of going through it has never been so small. Allan said the first time is magical, and I hope he's right. I'm so excited to see how I'll do on the Khumbu Icefall and whether I can enjoy it as much as I did the glacier crossing between Camps 1 and 2 on Manaslu. But first, we had lunch together one last time. I'll be back down to their camp tomorrow for dinner, as they're not really welcome at my camp.
When it was time, I shouldered my backpack and followed Chirring and Gjalzen along the glacier another 80 meters to my camp. Everyone there seemed a little surprised by my appearance, because nothing was really ready. My tent, too, nor the toilets or the paths leading there. My tent was up, but it didn't have any bedding or mattress in it yet. In the dining tent, the alternator and cups were already on the table, but the heaters and sugar weren't there. I think they weren't expecting me until tomorrow. I was the first to move into the camp and briefly felt a little lonely after spending 10 days with such a great group. Luckily, I already had Wi-Fi, so I could at least let people know I'd arrived. Unfortunately, my other duffle bag, the one with the down pants and warm thermals, hadn't arrived yet either. So I had to somehow endure the cold with what I had and filled all the bottles with hot water so my hands would at least be warm. For dinner, there was a delicious dal bhat, even a small portion just for me. I finished it under the watchful eye of the cook (empty plate number 6?). They also managed to get the radiator running just before dinner, so it was a little less cold. Nevertheless, I went to bed after dinner; it was still too cold for me.
It was cozy and warm in my sleeping bag, so I was able to read a little more and then soon fell asleep.
This morning, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. because of the cold, but then I was able to snuggle up a bit and doze until 6:00 a.m. The tent was so bright that I hoped the sun would shine outside, and I was in luck. When I stepped out of the tent shortly after 8:00 a.m., I saw nothing but blue sky and the icefall directly in front of me. This view is priceless, and I almost couldn't tear my eyes away. I was truly and truly at EBC and was able to spend another 5-7 weeks here. Me at Everest Base Camp, to climb Everest and Lhotse... The fact that yesterday's arrival wasn't as planned is now forgotten, and I'm enjoying it very much. I got my breakfast at 8:30 a.m. I had ordered a piece of toast with gonfi. I received an omelet, two slices of toast, sausages, and a sliced ​​apple. Since I didn't want to upset anyone, I ate everything except the sausages, wondering how I would eat lunch again in a few hours. But I didn't want to make the chef feel guilty, because the food was very good. Afterward, he asked me if I wanted to see the kitchen, etc. I didn't need to be told twice, and so I was given a unique tour of all the tents, which are normally off-limits to us Westerners. The kitchen tent has four gas stoves, an entire shelf full of pans, bowls, etc. Another shelf full of plates and cutlery. Outside they had a small washing area for washing clothes and dishes. 10m next to it was the storage tent, where they stored everything edible. In one corner the stones had been removed from the ice, so that bare ice was visible. There couldn't be a more natural refrigerator. On one side they stored all the vegetables they used for cooking. He said that he had enough food for 25 people for about 30 days, and that more vegetables would always be arriving. He had bought the food about three months ago in Kathmandu, from where it was transported by truck to the end of the road below Lukla. From there, it was transported to Namche by donkey, reloaded, and carried to base camp by yaks and dzos. So his job began long before he moved into the EBC. His crew consists of seven people, who are responsible for 25 climbers. There are two dining tents: a private one for a group of seven, and mine for 16 people, which includes 15 others besides me who will arrive sometime in the next two weeks. I tried to remember the names and hope to be able to do them in a few days, because they are just as important as Chirring and Gjalzen for success in the next two months and a safe return. The names I can remember so far are Nati, Pasang (twice), Prem, and Brim. But now that I'm writing them down, I'm not entirely sure. I'll probably have to ask a few more times. But they definitely know now that I don't eat much, that I'm a vegetarian, and that I tell them if I don't like something. Yesterday, for example, I was given soup before the dal bhat. I'll have to stop that soon, because last time on Manaslu, the soup was the most difficult part for me.
After the tour, it was Chirring and Gjalzen's turn to set up my tent; I'm getting a bed frame. Although I never expected it when I was planning the expedition, I couldn't convince them that I didn't need a bed. So now there's a bed in my tent, and I'm excited to see how I'll sleep in it. It wasn't easy to straighten the frame so it was level. They had to remove the top tent canvas and adjust the floor with stones to make the frame stand straight. Then they covered the floor with a mat, and the entrance area with artificial turf. They also had to stretch one side wall because it had dripped into the tent during breakfast. If the roof freezes and the sun melts the ice, it shouldn't push through the inner tent. I'm curious to see if it's dry now. Meanwhile, about 10 Sherpas were busy outfitting the other box tents with frames, mats, and artificial turf. Unfortunately, no one spoke English, so I don't know when the next ones will move in. In any case, I settled into the tent somewhat afterward, stretched ropes, filled the small compartments, and hung up the khatas I'd received on the trek. Chirring also got me a few flat stones so I could make my stone pictures in front of the tent again. Now there's a smiley face and a heart in front of the tent again, and three stones next to it, symbolizing Chirring, Gjalzen, and me. I actually only wanted two, but Chirring said we'd be a team of three. I also took advantage of the sun to wash and hang up the small amount of dirty laundry. Unfortunately, I can't shower yet, as all my clean clothes are in the missing duffel bag. I really hope it turns up soon, because it contains all my climbing gear, including my boots and down suit, which are irreplaceable. I'm not completely worried yet, but I'm a little worried because apparently no one really knows where the bag is. It's somewhere between Kathmandu and the EBC, which includes quite a few possible locations.
Now I'm sitting in the dining tent and will be served lunch in half an hour. I asked for something light and am curious to see if my idea of ​​what to expect is the same as the kitchen team's :D