Shenzhen to Mount Everest

**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 01:54 PM

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Taken from the same hill where we saw Everest from a distance but looking in the opposite direction. You can really appreciate how fast the weather can change

**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 01:59 PM

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This is the dirt road to Everest
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**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 02:05 PM

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The first proper view we had of the mountain as we approached base camp
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**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 02:10 PM

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The monestry at base camp

**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 02:12 PM

24

Left Old Tingri at 11.15 to ride the 70 kms to base camp, first we had large rocks, then some small stream crossings, then sandy sections followed by 60 kms of corrugated potholed misery. After a bone shaking few hours we were treated with a full view of the mountain...I panicked again, convinced the clouds were about to cover the mountain and started taking photos. George and Nyima calmly pointed out that there was a better view about 1 km further on so I raced ahead and started snapping away in earnest. Finally I was satisfied, we had seen the whole mountain in pretty much the clearest conditions anyone could hope for. My biggest fears had not come to light but we realised how luck we'd been when the monks at the base camp temple told us they hadn't seen the mountain in a week.

We checked into the base camp guest house and met an Austrian guide and his group of 15 riders who were all one YBRs. Climbing base camp is about 8 kilometres passed the guest house so we rode the 4 kms to the bus stop and hopped on the bus. Private vehicles cannot go past this point so after bumpy 10 minutes on the bus we arrived at the deserted climbing camp (off season) and had a quick look around. By this time Everest was completely obscured by clouds so we hurried back to guest house and sank a few bevvies with the Austrians. We were well acclimatised by now and managed to sink a fair few but neither of us slept that well, I was really struggling to get enough air in my lungs as my nose was blocked so ended up panting like a dog, much to George's displeasure.

We shared a room for 240 – no bog or running water but we were used to that by now.

5759 total.

**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 02:16 PM

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Advanced base camp looking away from the mountain

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Advanced base camp. Here Everest is completely hidden from view

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**futianshenzhen** · 09-19-2014, 02:24 PM

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Advanced base camp
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The dirt track heading out of base camp
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We knew what to expect but it didn't make it any less nasty
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Near the bottom of an abosolutely epic descent