Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Twelve

Sunrise at basecamp day 12

This morning’s sunrise at Base Camp

Brigantes Everest Expedition Day 12

This was our second rest and acclimatisation day at Base Camp. When we got here we all thought it was a great achievement – lots of backslapping and congratulations. But really it’s not much of a place and the longer you’re here the less attractive it seems. There was one wonderful moment – this morning’s sunrise, which was amazing. It suddenly gets very bright as the light is reflected off the snow. You need to wear glasses as soon as it’s up and it’s not like anything you see back home.

Today we chose who goes further on with the President and Dowting and his top Sherpas. There are five others and Dowting’s tipped me the wink yesterday that I’ll be one of them. Actually I asked him. Said I needed to be there to write the reports. The others pretty much chose themselves. It’s now clear that one or two should never have signed up at all. Dowting thinks it’s a miracle they got this far. Then quite a few have altitude sickness. It’s like a bad hangover so I think some of them are probably used to that. We’ve been pumping them with ibubrofen and keeping them hydrated but I could hear one of them groaning during the night. The ones going on with us are solid, reliable characters who get on with the job and don’t complain.

Base Camp where we spent two not very relaxing ‘rest’ days

Something unfortunate happened to the Base Camp toilet today. There was a bit of a blockage. It really is primitive and I’m so looking forward getting away from here tomorrow and doing a bit of proper mountaineering, in the footsteps of Hillary and Tensing and all that. Dowting’s been telling us about the Khumbu Icefall and the dangers of climbing over moving ice. I can’t wait to get started and to telling all the people back home about how our elite group is doing. It’s amazing we’ve come this far and that now we’re going even higher. Onward and upward!

Luke N Brightside

Communications Officer

Elite my foot! The only elite thing about this lot is their ability to fool themselves. I’ll be pleased to see the back of some of them. They mean well but honestly – they’ve punched way above their weight (which is considerable in a couple of cases) to get to Base Camp and we can’t wait for people like that from now on. Tomorrow’s the Icefall – one of the most dangerous places on the whole trip and they’re treating it as a fun day out. I’m a bit bothered about the Brightside chap. Think he’s way too casual. Hope we don’t find him at the bottom of a crevasse tomorrow. 

Sherpa Dowting

Head Porter  

Contact Graham Chilvers about this page:

(ALL fields required)

(If you are a Rotarian, please name your club.)

Related pages...

President David

How We Climbed Everest

more Everest, but not as you know it !

Farewell

Farewell to the Himalayas

more A summary of our virtual Everest trek

Basecamp

Our Virtual Everest Trek Back At Base Camp

more Back At Base Camp, What A Relief !

Thesummit

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Twenty Two

more Despite everything our President has made it to the top of the world.

A weary trudge

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Twenty One

more Onward and upwards to the south col and camp four.

Major Lil

Half Way There

more About our friend in Nepal, Major Lil

Another Whiteout

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Twenty

more Held back again.

The Lhotse face from camp3

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Nineteen

more Camp 3 rest day.

Everest Peak ahead

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Eighteen

more Ever upwards !

View from Camp 2

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Seventeen

more Here we are at Camp two.

The valley of silence

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day 16

more In the valley of silence.

Whiteout

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Fifteen

more Not much to see through the whiteout.

Climbing on the ice.

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Fourteen

more Climbing the Ice Fall

Ice fall from base camp day 13

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Thirteen.

more A taste of the real thing.

Base Camp 1 day 11

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Eleven

more Settling into base camp

Our Avalanche

Our Virtual Everest Trek Day Ten

more Finally reaching base camp.

PrayerFlags

Our Virtual Everest Expedition Day Nine

more On to Gorak Shep

Ama Dablam

Our Virtual Everest Trek day Eight

more Getting up amongst the real Himalayas

Keep inside the yaks!

Our Virtual Everest Trek, Day Seven

more Our yaks on the trail.

Dingboche

Our Virtual Everest Trek, Day Six

more Onwards to Dingboche.

Tengboche

Everest Expedition Day Five

more Onwards and upwards

Everest Trek Day Four

more Leaving Namche

Brigantes Everest Expedition Day Three

more A rest day in Namche

The bridge at Namche

Everest trek day two

more We move on towards Namche

The airport

Everest trek day one

more Arriving at Luckla Airport

back to page above this...

Sunrise at basecamp day 12

Our virtual Everest expedition

back We are staging a virtual climb of Mount Everest to raise money for Wellspring, Carers Resource and Covid relief. All the previous daily blogs can be read here.