Tibet > Basecamp Mount Everest at 5,280 m

Tamdul was supposed to start breakfast at six o’clock. Since this would take place in the cooking tent next to ours, we hadn’t set an alarm. At half past six, we wake up with a start. Tamdul is late, and the Tibetan hostess patiently waits for us to wake up. Then she quickly springs into action in our tent. The first fellow travelers arrive for breakfast as well. At half past six, Tamdul rushes into the kitchen. We quickly pack our luggage so that everyone can sit down.

Tibet - A walk through the snow to Mount Everest basecamp

Breakfast takes a while. Around seven o’clock, it still hasn’t appeared, so a small group of us decides to start walking. We set out with some muesli bars and evergreens. Outside, it’s chilly. It’s lightly snowing, and unfortunately, the sky is completely overcast. In the dark, we leave the tent camp. At the end of the tent village, it’s possible to rent a horse-drawn carriage, but we walk the last five kilometers ourselves. Gradually, it gets lighter, and the first rays of the sun cast a beautiful orange glow on the clouds. The road winds upward in hairpin bends, but we cut across via shortcuts. This makes our path steeper but much shorter. As a result, we miss the turn to the base camp and end up on a small hill about a hundred meters above it. The hilltop is decorated with Tibetan prayer flags. Officially, we are not allowed here, but the view is stunning. From the top, we can also see the base camp. It is little more than the last military post on the mountain; beyond the checkpoint, only expeditions are allowed. The actual base camp for climbers is still two days’ walk away. We take photos of where Mount Everest should be and capture a jump at an estimated altitude of 5,280 meters.

Tibet - The top of Mount Everest emerges through the clouds

From time to time, parts of Mount Everest peek through the clouds. It’s strange to think of how many climbers have lost their lives on this mountain. We walk back to the tent camp for breakfast and to warm up. On the way back, we occasionally glance at Everest, which gradually emerges more from the clouds. Just after ten, we return to the tent, where breakfast is finally ready. It turns out breakfast had been delayed, and in the end, no one waited for it. After the walk, it tastes even better. Slowly, the other travelers trickle in. Occasionally, a shout from outside sends everyone rushing out for a good view of Mount Everest. At times, the mountain looks magnificent. Shortly after noon, we leave the tent camp and head toward Tingri. To do so, we have to drive the entire way back through the national park to near Shegar, then continue via the main road to Tingri. There is a shortcut directly to Tingri. Initially, the drivers wanted to take it, but now that we are on the way, they decide against it. After some urging and the promise that any towing costs would be our responsibility if we got stuck, they reluctantly agree. In the last village before the turnoff, they peer under the bus, ask about the road conditions, and peer under the bus again. A motorcyclist leads us onto the turnoff, and immediately we have to drive through a riverbed. The driver deliberately drives the bus diagonally over the bumps, causing it to shake violently. He warns that sixty percent of the road will be like this. Since not everyone in the group is comfortable with this, there’s no choice but to turn back and drive all the way to Shegar before continuing to Tingri. On the way back through the riverbed, the bus barely shakes. This detour means we pass the pass again with views of the Himalayas. Perhaps we’ll have better visibility now, but this hope is soon dashed—it’s cloudy. Tamdul suggests having lunch at the bottom of the pass (even though it’s already half past three) so the drivers can refuel. We postpone lunch. When we finally eat at half past four (noodles again), it turns out refueling wasn’t necessary. The whole situation seems odd, and I get the feeling the drivers do only what they want.

Tibet - Ronald with Mount Everest summit in the background

Tamdul explains that one driver thinks refueling is necessary because diesel is cheaper here, while the other thinks it’s unnecessary. The older one’s word is final. Around six o’clock, we enter Tingri. The hotel with a view of Mount Everest just outside Tisgri is full. The reservation apparently didn’t go through. Tamdul thought it would work out. A hotel in the center has rooms, and here we can take a warm shower for 10 Yuan. I notice I’m a bit fed up. Tisgri isn’t very exciting, and ideally, I’d like to drive straight to Kathmandu—but that’s still a long way. To make matters worse, the plans for tomorrow have changed. On the way to Zhangmu, there are roadworks, and we must pass either before eight in the morning or after eight in the evening. To make it in time, we’ll need to leave at four in the morning. Slightly suspicious, I hope the drivers don’t plan to drive back to Lhasa the same day. We’ll see. In the evening, we eat at a small restaurant in Tingri. The village is dark and quiet at night. Back in the room, we set the alarm for a quarter to four and try to get a few hours of sleep.