Mount Everest Base Camp

Day 7: Gokyo - Dragnag

I woke up in the middle of the night again, but without a headache. At 5 o'clock, we started the ascent to the 5357 meter high Gokyo Ri. The climb turned out to be agonizing. My headaches returned, my nasal mucous membranes turned into bloody clumps, and breathing becomes increasingly difficult at this altitude.
Once at the top, we were rewarded for our efforts. Another view of Everest and a 360° panorama. Not like in the Alps, with a view of hundreds of peaks at eye level, no, here you look at more rock walls and glaciers. After breakfast, we will cross one of these glaciers. I had imagined a glacier crossing differently, going up and down only between huge rocks and small lakes.
The glacier consists on the surface of thousand-year-old rocks that are pushed down from above.
The cracking of the glacier crevices will stay with me for a long time, indescribable.
I am slowly but surely running out of energy. Tomorrow we have a pass crossing ahead, even more demanding than the previous days.

Day 8: Dragnag - Dzonglha

Wake up at 6 o'clock. I slept well, although my headaches are still noticeable, although not as intense as in the last few days.
Following the valley, we headed uphill again, as every day.
After reaching the halfway point, we were faced with a wall, the Cho La Pass, and it started to snow. The first 200 meters are simply torture, I feel like I'm breathing in and out twice a second. Suddenly, the rocky path turns into a snowy path, complete with steel supports. That looks familiar, but here I'm missing the equipment. No spikes, no via ferrata set. But it's fun, and the last 200 meters to the summit go pretty well.
On the other side, we continue through heavy snowfall. My shoes have good grip, fortunately better than my last ones. Visibility is only 30 meters and we still have two hours to go.
We arrived at our lodge again at 13 o'clock.
It's cold everywhere, but everyone sits around a stove in the main room. Reading (I have already read 1 ½ books), writing, vegetating (or however you spell it, I don't have the strength or internet to look it up), drinking tea, or just thinking about something, whatever it may be. Right now, I'm thinking about the end of July, Colombia, the beach, 30 degrees, sunshine, Cuba Libre.
Like in the past few days, I pass the time until 9 o'clock before going to bed with a hat, long underwear, and 2 layers of shirts.

Day 9: Dzonglha - Gorak Shep - Everest Base Camp
Day 9. What? It should easily be Day 14 by now.
Today we returned to the main trail of the Everest Base Camp. So more people and no more small paths. As if the last few days hadn't been tough enough already, we're going straight to Everest Base Camp. We decided to go in the afternoon, as in the morning you can easily spend an hour waiting for a photo. Not with me, not even at Mount Everest.
Tomorrow we might go to Kala Patthar 5648 meters, and then I will decide whether to really go for the ascent of Island Peak 6165 meters or return a few days earlier.
The ascent of Island Peak means 2 days at Base Camp and training for the climbing equipment. Departure at 2 o'clock in the morning and 1200 meters without oxygen. We'll see, at the moment I don't see myself or especially my body.
My headaches are still the biggest problem.
Since Day 3, I've been taking paracetamol, sometimes half a pill a day, sometimes a whole one. Hiking with a headache definitely diminishes the experience. I now know that I have too little oxygen in my blood, but I don't really know what I could do about it, apart from descending to lower altitudes again and going to see a doctor at home.

Nevertheless, when a yellow tent city suddenly appears on the horizon in the middle of nowhere in front of a huge glacier, it's simply goosebumps! The photos can't even come close to capturing the rest, but I'll still give it a try.