The Magnet that is Mt. Everest

29 October 2014

We have arrived back in Kathmandu, still buzzing from the part of the ride to and from Mt. Everest Base Camp from Rongbuk Monastery on the Tibet side of Mt. Everest. Our original itinerary called for a 42-hairpin turn ride from Tingri up to Ronbuk Monastery where we would camp, the next day riding up to Base Camp, then another night camping near the Monastery, and then a ride back down toward Tingri, then on to Zhang Mu, a town in Tibet on the border of Nepal, and on the "rain" side of the Himalayas (and a much lower altitude). But our riding schedule needed to be shifted-the road to Mt. Everest was currently under construction (the roads, by and large, in Tibet were really quite good), and the alternate road was NOT in great condition, and the riding and camping conditions, both along that road and at Ronbuk Monastery, were not great, either, according to our Sherpa (in whom we trust). The camping season had ended (too cold!), and the winds were such that camping would be difficult (and we had ridden and camped in about 30 knot winds the previous night). So we piled our bikes in the truck and rode in the van to Mt. Everest. This was itself an experience!

The bridge was being repaired, so we drove through the water--our truck (with bikes and camping gear and everything else) goes first.

The Road to Everest, it turns out, isn't paved. At least this one wasn't. But the Mountain was definitely calling...

Once at Rongbuk Monastery, the highest monastery in the world, not surprisingly, we ate a quick lunch of noodles heroically prepared by our cooks in the courtyard of the Guest House run by the monastery (it was 3 pm by now). We then jumped on our bikes for the 8km ride to Base Camp. Tingri is at 14,268 ft (about 12.2% oxygen). Rongbuk Monastery is (depending on who you ask) at about 16,732 ft (5,100 meters and about 11% oxygen). We had gained over 2,000 ft in altitude from Tingri to Rongbuk Monastery, and we were about to gain an additional 600+ feet (200 meters) as we headed up to Base Camp. As a point of comparison, at sea level the air we breath contains (according to a couple of seemingly credible websites) about 20.9% oxygen. So we were dealing with a lot less oxygen. And we all could feel it. Pedaling uphill to Base Camp, it felt like each three inhales amounted to about one inhale in terms of oxygen. But there's something about Everest that is a magnet, and the lure of the mountain kept me pushing forward through those (relatively) short (but breathless!) 8 kms. 

Yukking it up with the Yaks on the road to Mt. Everest.

Advertised in our itinerary was the opportunity to take a donkey cart, or even a bus, to Base Camp if one chose not to ride. But not one of us would have done that even if we could (the carts and buses had stopped running--it was too late in the season). It just seemed like one had to bike if one could. 

I won't lie, my struggle was real (as my son would say) riding up to Base Camp, but I took it slow (of course!) when I needed to in order to catch my breath, sometimes stopping. This also gave me a couple of opportunities to take photos of ever approaching Everest. Every time I stopped to look at it I was amazed. 

Mt. Everest Base Camp road selfie. No private vehicles are allowed, and a permit is also required. Thouugh no one was there to check it that day.

This happened: me at Mt. Everest.

At the very end of the ride on the way back to the Monastery Guest House (which was largely down hill, predictably), there was one uphill stretch. It was so close to the Guest House and the end of the ride, I decided (what on earth was I thinking?) to give it a little push, attack the hill (like one might at a sensible altitude). Within 10 yards I had to stop and was desperately gasping for air. I had several seconds of fully not being able to breath (it seemed a lot longer). I was telling myself, "be calm, slow inhale, you will get air." But the experience reminded me--again--of the very real challenge of functioning at very high altitude.

Yak time after the ride. We are checking each other out. I didn't want to get any closer, as you can see.

North Face and Tibetan Prayer Flags. Totally cool.

Ironically, it was one of the best biking days that we had had in days. There  was hardly any wind, and it was, strangely enough, warmer than recent riding days. 

When we got back to the Guest House, we found our way to our very modest accommodations. No running water, no bathroom, no heat. But there were walls. And, as a saving grace, the beds had electric mattress pads. I pre-heated mine while we were eating dinner. What a wonderful moment, after several nights of camping in weather so cold that my water bottle and Camelbak container froze solid (from hot water) in the tent, finally to be warm. 

In another two days we would be down to 6,562 ft from 14,268 ft in one day.