EVEREST BASE CAMP DIARIES: DAY 7 OF #MHE2EBC

EBC 2014. Day 7. Rest Day at Dingboche.
Quote of the day: Khudam Bir: "No rest today. We have to gain 300 meters and we will stay there for at least 30 minutes."

Rest day is all hogwash. Khudam Bir has plans for us today and rest isn't part of that. We're up at 6:00 AM, done with breakfast and off for a hike to a steep hill nearby. We need to gain about 300 meters in altitude today, stay there for 30 minutes and then head back. It's a heck of a steep climb and the slippery slopes full of sand and rubble don't make it any easier. The promise of a splendid view of Makalu keeps pushing us forward - that and the fact that Khudambir isn't going to let any of us off the hook. This is an acclimatisation trek, the days ahead are going to get tougher and we need to get used to the conditions that we will be facing.

Ama Dablam of course, keeps watch over us as we climb. What a beauty she is! She's been following our trek since Day 3 and yet, I never fail to pause and stare up at her in awe. She was voted as one of the top 10 most beautiful mountains in the world - and when you stare at her self effacing lines, you understand why. Lhotse and Lhotse Sar also show off their best face. We reach the top in about three hours, exhausted and look around for a place to park our butts when Khudam Bir urges us to look up. Makalu! Right there, in your face. What an outstanding guest appearance! She's gorgeous! In fact, all through the trip, the one thing that has struck many of us is the fact that Everest isn't really a beautiful mountain. It is tall, yes. But it doesn't have the majesty of Ama Dablam, or the beautiful lines of Lhotse or the magic of Makalu. Everest is just, well...tall. The cold lashing winds are doing their job well, making the 30 minutes there uncomfortable. The power bars come out,mew much on channa and gud - after all, it's what the horses eat here in the mountains, must have some mystical powers! The Supertrekkers go ahead to climb for another hour and us Stragglers, we sit there munching from our goodie bag and stare at the range of snow peaks in front of us - like silent sentinels in a drama of our own making.

Time to head back now. Neema Sherpa guides us back. The downhill is tricky, the slopes are slippery and it takes us about an hour to reach our lodge by which time my headache has hit unbearable proportions. This is one of the high altitude bear bugs I have to get used to, the throbbing at the back of the head, like a gentle rhythm reminding you that base camp is nigh. Only difference is mine isn't gentle. Thankfully Gitu and her tiger balm comes to the rescue! A gentle massage later, I'm ready for lunch. That's one thing on this entire trip - there was never a time when I didn't feel like eating. The altitude never got to me that bad! Thank God! Like ever night, Khudam Bir takes the breakfast orders. "Okay" he says, "boiled eggs?" Not more than three hands pop up. "Fried eggs?" There's more of us looking for the sunny side up - but double fried. Khudam Bir looks mighty confused, but to his credit he persists. "Scrambled eggs?" I'm the lone soul looking for that tonight. "And no eggs?" That would be Nadeem. The powerhouse Nadeem who eats only porridge or nothing for breakfast. I look at him and wonder...where the hell does he get that energy from?? I'd seen these T-shirts back in Kathmandu when we'd arrived. "Dal bhat power, 24 hour" they said. Never understood them at that time. I do now.

Tips for first time trekkers to the Khumbu region:

1. Try out the two walking poles on your first day of trek. Some people find them really useful, and some (like I) find them another burden to carry. They do help on slippery slopes though - taking the weight off those painful knees.