Thursday 2nd November
The day got off to a bad start when Jill discovered Tania suffering from AMS. Tania did not look well at all. She showed the classic signs of ataxia; loss of co-ordination, making her look drunk. Her speech was slurred, her eyes glazed over, and we were all very concerned. AMS can result in death if it is not dealt with immediately. The only cure is an immediate and fast descent. A decision was quickly made. Jill, Paulo and John would go back with Tania to Machermo, and further on if necessary. John would carry her backpack. Paulo would carry her if required, and both would return later that day. Jill would stay with Tania while she recovered.
All of us were disappointed when they left and did not know what would happen from then on. Marcia did not know what her plans were. It would be a great shame to get this far and not see the spectacular views that the Gokyo region has to offer. Consequently to begin with there was quite a sombre mood at breakfast. After some discussion we decided not to let it affect us and to get on with some sightseeing. Marcia and Paul decided to tackle Gokyo Ri, and Peter and Martin joined me on my trek to the Fifth and Sixth Lakes.
We followed the trail north between the lateral moraine of the glacier and the hills to the west until we reached the next lake, Donag, the Fourth Lake (4870m). Near its east shore there are some roofless huts. The lake is large and beautiful, and is flanked along one side by sheer cliffs. The most exciting features are the Nameless Towers, north of the lake. These tooth-like towers have managed to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Peter and Martin were struggling to keep up with me so I forged ahead to Ngozumpa, the Fifth Lake (4990m). This jewel took about three hours to reach from Gokyo. Lunch was a packet of coconut biscuits and some water. I decided to head back thinking I had reached the last lake.
Peter and Martin finally caught up with me and told me that the views of Everest were superb. I had missed it due to walking on the valley floor so went up to the top of the moraine that overlooks the glacier. The views were stunning. Not surprisingly it is called Scoundrel’s View because no climbing is involved to reach this point. Mount Everest could be seen in its full glory including the icefall leading up to it. It was a great photo opportunity and hopefully the photos taken will illustrate the 360� panoramic views around Everest.
After spending some time admiring the scenery, we walked back to Gokyo. As it was mid-afternoon, the weather started getting colder due to a biting wind blowing through the valley. We covered up, putting our hats and gloves on. On our way back we bumped into the Australians and the Dane with whom we had eaten last night. They had spent the day climbing Nameless Towers.
Back at Gokyo we discovered that we had only gone as far as the Fifth Lake. I felt a right plonker because there had been enough time to venture to the Sixth Lake. On my return I chatted away to Marcia. She had a great time up Gokyo Ri and said the views were superb. We discussed our plans for tomorrow. I played cards with Marcia, Paul and Peter. Just as darkness was falling, Paulo and John strolled in. They were in good spirits because Tania had made a remarkable recovery on her descent. She is returning with Jill tomorrow. All of us were heartened by this piece of news because it meant we can stay together and continue with our original plans.
Another trekker is staying here tonight, Brent from New Zealand, who came over the Cho La. His birthday is on 5th November – would you believe it! Paulo, John and I have decided to go up Gokyo Ri early tomorrow morning to catch the sunrise. Bearing this in mind we got our daypacks ready. Everyone made sure that their torches were in good working order and that they had plenty of spare batteries. This is because batteries run out quickly at altitude. Then I went to bed early with my alarm set for 3.45 a.m.