Friday 3rd November
I don’t know whether it was the thrill of the impending adventure or not, but I was awake at 1:30 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. In the short time I had been asleep I dreamt that I was playing cards with the others. Being at altitude makes me have vivid dreams. John was kept awake all night by Peter and Martin snoring. At 3:45 a.m. I gave Paulo a shake. It didn’t take long for us to get dressed and get our gear together.
We set off towards the lake by torchlight at 4 a.m. The night sky was a splendid sight. Crossing the lake was rather hairy in the dark. It took us a while to get our bearings and find the stepping stones across the small stream that flowed into the lake. Paulo nearly toppled over when his foot broke through some ice but he recovered his balance quickly. Once we had found the correct route the crossing didn’t take long, but we had to be very careful.
My headlamp batteries ran out when we reached solid ground on the other side. Paulo shone his headlamp while I scrabbled inside my daypack for some spare batteries. After replacing them we headed off up the mountain. John took the lead followed by Paulo with me at the rear. It was quite slow going because we had to watch our step. The rock cairns beside the path helped us keep on track.
Despite the cold I was sweating because of all the layers of clothing I had on. It was hard work zigzagging up the mountain. Frequent stops were made to catch our breath. The top didn’t appear to be getting any closer as we picked our way among the rocks. Halfway up Paulo’s batteries ran out, then mine failed again. Just after 5.30 a.m. I switched my headlamp off because it was getting lighter.
John went on ahead and made the climb look easy. I told Paulo to follow John and that I would catch them up. I was hot and sweaty, and panting heavily – hardly surprising considering I had a thermal top, a T-shirt, a fleece jacket and my waterproof jacket on. At least I was warm but the last 200 metres were heavy on the legs. When I reached the top I was shattered, and felt relieved at having made it. John had set up his tripod and was snapping away. Paulo beckoned for me to join them. It was 6 a.m. when I reached the summit and the sun had begun to rise. I took my gloves off but immediately put them back on because it was that cold. Paulo took the temperature, it was -12�C and that was with the sun coming up.
The colour of the sky changed from a pale blue hue, to orange, yellow, pink and then purple. At the same time, the mountains changed colour in harmony with the sky due to the reflective properties of snow. It was an incredible sight. The panorama stretches into the distance, a blend of glaciers and grass, rock, snow and ice. As we watched, the rims of Everest and Lhotse were gilded by the morning sun. A narrow beam of sunlight coming through the South Col lit the surface of the Icefall. I savoured the moment and it will remain a treasured memory in the years ahead. Sometimes it is hard to believe that I am actually here in the midst of the highest mountains in the world.
It was an unforgettable experience and was just reward for our efforts. From the long, narrow Gokyo Peak with huge rocks sprinkled here and there we could see Cho Oyu to the north. To the east we could see the mountains at the Nepal-Tibet border: Ngozumpa Kang, Gyachung Kang, Chantse, Everest and Lhotse. Just beyond them Makalu stands up high in the sky and in the foreground is the extraordinarily long Ngozumpa glacier. East of the glacier are the mountains of the Khumbu range: Cholotse, Taweche, Ama Dablam and Thamserku, all over 6000m. The views were magnificent and will stay with me forever.
We used many rolls of film. There are not enough superlatives to describe the views up there – awesome and magnificent are two words that spring to mind. The Himalaya are a humbling experience and you realise how insignificant you are when standing among these giants. I was up there for about three hours and left Paulo and John just before 9 a.m. There were stunning views of the lake on the way down. The lakes are a sublime crystal blue and look like something out of a fairy tale.
My descent didn’t take long. In fact I was back in Gokyo at 9.30 a.m., but not before meeting Peter and Martin on their way up. Back at the lodge I cleaned myself up with a bowl of hot water and then sat down to a hearty breakfast. The adrenaline was flowing and I was breathless with what I had seen.
As it was early and there was plenty of time to kill, I decided to aim for the Sixth Lake. I left Gokyo at around 11.15 a.m. and made rapid progress through the valley. It was easier than yesterday because I knew the route and could walk at a brisk pace. The Fifth Lake was reached in less than two hours and I didn’t feel too bad. After the Fifth Lake my legs started to tire, but I was determined to make it to the Sixth Lake. I bumped into the Aussies and the Dane who were on their way back. They had decided to call it a day due to sheer exhaustion. Their failure to reach the Sixth Lake did not deter me.
The unmistakable luminous orange coat of Paul’s was discernible in the distance as I walked through the rocky valley towards Cho Oyu. I scrambled over the rocks and soon caught up with Marcia and Paul. They were pleased to see me and looked worn out. Paul said that, when I appeared out of nowhere, I looked as fresh as a daisy. The wind had picked up; they were well wrapped up, whereas I was still in shorts! They had left three hours before me but we arrived at the ridge facing Cho Oyu at the same time. We posed for photos with Cho Oyu behind us. It was like coming face to face with a towering ice wall and it is a most impressive sight. The Sixth Lake was nowhere to be seen. Marcia and Paul decided that they had had enough and set off back to Gokyo.
There was still time for me to reach my goal, the Sixth Lake. Fortunately it came into view after I had climbed over a few rocks. The scenery was good but not as spectacular as I had been led to believe. There was no point in hanging about for too long as the clouds were rolling in. The wind was blowing hard now so on went my fleece pants, fleece hat and ski gloves.
It was getting cold and cloudy at Scoundrel’s View so I decided to give the sunset a miss. However, I took a super picture of a full moon above Everest. Hopefully it will come out. As the moon was so bright it lit my path back to Gokyo while darkness fell.
It was 6.15 p.m. when I arrived at Namast� Lodge. The others were pleased at my safe return. Jill and Tania, who had rejoined the party, gave me a welcoming hug. It’s good to have them back with us. My knees were throbbing and I started to feel tired. I was still on a high after all my exertions and had worked up a huge appetite. Dinner came quickly and was duly wolfed down. I discovered I had lost my lens cover so a bit of sponge will have to be used to protect the lens.
We agreed, as we sat round the dining table, that we would meet up in Kathmandu on either 11th/12th November. This is because we are going our separate ways tomorrow. The others are going white water rafting near Pokhara when they return and want me to join them. Alas I can’t as I haven’t got the time to spare, although I would love to. It would mean changing the date of my flight and extending my stay, which I can’t do – bah, humbug!
Tomorrow Paul, Peter and I are going to negotiate the Cho La. This will involve crossing a glacier and an overnight stop at Dragnag. After a strenuous day I tucked in early for the night and was out like a light.