A first-person vlog by Nate and Kara Buchanan documenting day eight of their trek to Everest Base Camp with guide Sunam. The episode covers morning struggles with altitude (headaches after sleeping at ~5,000 m), scenic mountain views and glacier approach, lunch at Gorak Shep, witnessing a small avalanche, reaching Everest Base Camp (it begins to snow), local hazards discussed by guide Sunam (past avalanches that caused many deaths), brief interactions with other trekkers/expeditioners, and the snowy return to the tea house after an ~8-hour day.
Chapters
Hey, little baby.
Hey, little baby.
This is day eight of our trek to Everest Base Camp.
And it's the most beautiful day we've had yet.
And today we are actually going to Everest Base Camp.
Yay.
In all honesty, we both woke up with headaches.
Yeah, I wasn't feeling too great this morning. I didn't want to eat my porridge, but I battled through it.
5,000 meters overnight was not good to us.
But now I'm feeling great. Sunam gave me some medicine. I'm feeling good.
Check out this mountain behind us.
Everything is so pretty.
This is Kanteka, Hosado and Tamsuku. You saw that from Namche, Puja and Tabuche and Cholache when you can see the top. And all the way up is Laboche Peak. And this is.
Lukche, you know, this.
Morning we have a six hour trek from Laboche where we stayed last night. We have three hours to Goershep and then we'll have lunch there and then another two and a half hours to Base Camp. It could not be any more beautiful.
There's quite a few people on the trail this morning. I think we're moving about half speed than normal. Altitude probably has a lot to do with that, so it's probably a good thing. Even the yaks are moving about half speed. Me, Nate and Soonam all decided to run our thermals today. One day it's super sunny. We're all sweating. Thought it was gonna be our coldest.
First big climb of the morning. Straight up this hill. Can see little bitty people up there. Sorry if the shots are a little shaky this morning. Usually hold my breath when I'm shooting the zoom shot so it doesn't shake. Can't do that.
We're getting our first views of Base Camp right at the tip of this white glacier. This is the Kumbung Glacier. It runs all the way down to Laboche and all the way up to Everest Base Camp. We're being told that if it wasn't for that cloud, the tip of Mount Everest would be somewhere in there. Kara, hadn't we had several people tell us that Base Camp really wasn't that scenic?
Yeah, people are crazy. This is the most gorgeous. It's been surrounded by mountains at every angle.
We've got another good climb coming up. Straight up this hill right here. Feeling the strongest I felt all day. Our views of Base Camp gave me all kinds of energy. Kara, how you feeling?
Feel great. I'm actually a little hungry now.
It's good?
Yeah, Feeling good.
Kara only ate half of her bowl of porridge this morning. Good time.
Yeah.
I thought she was in trouble.
That was crazy. We just got to gore Shep. Which is where we're going to sleep tonight. We're gonna eat lunch, drop off our bags and then head to base camp. So far it's been very eventful. We just saw a rescue copter take off right in front of us.
That's one of the like most unnerving things about the trek to base camp. It's always kind of making you like second guess yourself about how you're feeling in your head Is that like we see at least three rescue helicopters per day. And now that we've been getting up higher, They've actually been landing in the towns that we've been in.
So we're really thankful for the health that we've had so far.
I almost forgot to vlog lunch.
We were too hungry.
We split this mushroom pizza. It was delicious. And then we're going to have a snickers and every face camp.
Just had some lunch.
Best pizza we've ever had.
Now it is 2 to 2 and 1. Two hours to base camp. We're almost there. Check out these mountains.
Feeling good. It's nice and hot right now.
Not what we expected coming out of our layers. We're currently down to just our base layers. Did not expect our last push to Everest Base camp to feel like it was 70 degrees outside.
Not complaining.
Look at all the snow on these mountains. And it feels like it's 70. Oh, you can smell the kerosene. Carrying empty kerosene jugs down from base camp. Kara's picked up the pace. She's getting inside it.
This is some thick snow right here. Soonam said it could fall at any time. We could see an avalanche.
Hopefully we'll capture it. There's a mini avalanche happening right there.
In there.
Sweet.
Yeah. I can't imagine what a big one sounds like.
That was awesome. That was one of the things that we were hoping we'd get to see. And I think the 70 degree weather made it possible.
I'm glad it's not avalanching on someone. I want it to be one of those where there aren't any people. Yes.
Perfect.
We're getting closer.
Base camp is like right thereish. Looks like we just walked pretty much straight across this ridge all the way down to base camp. It's insane how all these little tents sit right on top of this glacier. It's like they could just fall into the lake at any time.
During the off creek last year Creek Avalanche has come from Pumori Mountain all the way to the base camp. And 18 Selba died.
No.
Wow.
18 Expedition Leo died.
It's crazy that it came from all the way over there and not right there.
Two years ago, early in the morning, 16 separate died around the corner, you know, just around the corner.
Wow. When the trekkers leave to hike Mount Everest, they have to go all the way up here in between the valley of the two mountains. Currently descending into Everest Base Camp.
This is more like expected it to be.
The weather's changed a little bit.
Put all of our clothes back on.
No more sun, lots of wind.
This is Stuart. He flew from Bangkok to Kathmandu with us. Sat right beside us, and we ended up at base camp at the exact same time after eight days of trekking. Pretty insane. Oh, this is ridiculous.
I just feel like we're in one big fat glacier.
It's just changed like a winter wonderland.
We are officially at base camp and it is officially snowing right now. This could not be any cooler.
This looks like an Asian expedition group.
If that cloud is any indication, about to get a good snow.
Thank you, Sunam, for getting us here.
Yeah. Well done.
Now I think we need a picture in front of the official. Yeah, over there. Yes.
We did it.
Okay.
How you feel, guys?
We feel fantastic. This is the strongest I felt all day. I love the snow.
I can't believe it started snowing right when we got here. Okay.
A little bit yesterday, but this is like the first real snow we've had the entire trek. Getting pelted by the snow right now, but I could not be any happier. This is amazing.
Biggest snowflake I've ever seen.
They're massive.
Look how huge they are. They're bigger than Stipping docks. Insane.
Been looking forward to this moment ever since we started this trek eating a Snickers on top of base camp.
It's gonna be the best Snickers ever.
Oh, there's a world hard Snickers completely frozen. You break your teeth off.
Oh, yeah.
20 minutes ago, there was no snow on the ground. And about an hour ago, I was ready to take off all my clothes because I was so hot. This is crazy.
Earlier on the trek, we met the guy that started this energy drink company that was named after Tenzing Norgay, and he was here with his son filming something. We met him. He gave us one of them to try. Base camp seems like the perfect place to together.
Good.
It really is good. It doesn't taste like a gross energy drink. Pass it around. My red Bull. No, it tastes way better than Red Bull.
Tastes like soda.
Mine is good.
Try it out.
Cheers to tensing.
All right, Cara, we're blinking red. Camera's about to die. We're heading back. It's going like this. I think it's too wet. We're going to put it up.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
Could have asked for a better Everest experience. Base camp looks totally different.
Walking in snow all the way back. Two and a half hours. It's not broken.
It feels like a dream.
Couldn't have been better.
We've been hiking back for about an hour and a half now. And it's been snowing this hard the entire time. You get really giddy when it snows. Like a kid in a candy store.
Coming in on the home stretch. It's still snowing.
Amazing. Check this out.
Look how much snow is on your hat.
I think. Top.
Three. Top three coolest days of my life.
Everest Base Camp in the snow for sure. Amazing. Check out how much snow is on my backpack.
Best hike ever.
Greatest hike ever. Time for some starburst tea.
Woo.
Back at the tea house. Today's hike lasted about eight hours. This place is packed. Snow forced everybody inside.
Trying to charge the battery that died at the most inopportune time.
You're so mean.
Do you do one more?
One more.
Literally in my pocket, Nate. Oh, it was in my pocket.
Really?
Whoa.
Yeah.
Good one.
Kara's been singing the whole time.
Pretty sure our camera is getting ruined with water right now, so.
