Base Camp

Base Camp on the North Side of Mt. Everest sits at about 17,000 feet, in a valley carved out by the Rongbuk Glacier. The view of the North face of Mt. Everest is stunning and shows you just how massive this mountain really is. The days can go by real slowly in Base Camp but I know Kyle is prepared with plenty to read and taking naps never gets old. There are plenty of people to meet and talk to and I'm sure he is bouncing around the different teams doing just that.

Weather at Base Camp can vary but it is much more stable than higher up on the mountain. It can be bitterly cold and usually plummets below zero when the sun goes down. Your sleeping bag becomes your safe haven, and once you warm up inside of it, you don't dare leave it until the sun rises the next morning. Due to the high elevation, during the day if the sun is shining the temperature inside of a tent can rise to over 100 degrees while the air temperature outside of the tent can be below freezing. Snowstorms occur frequently but whatever snow accumulates usually melts off that day or the following day. It becomes noticeably warmer from April to the end of May. Because Base Camp sits in a valley, the wind often wreaks havoc on tents. Wind is funneled down the valley and theres not much to slow it down. Tents are heavily anchored with rocks and most people will build rock walls up around the perimeter of their tents for added protection.

Advanced Base Camp is a 15 mile trek from Base Camp. Most of this trek is over glacial moraine and it is a brutally long distance to cover while gaining almost 4,000 feet of elevation all above 17,000 feet. This trip is usually made three times due to acclimation and the first trip to ABC is sometimes split into two days with a night spent at an intermediate camp to help the body with the acclimation process. Most teams still have a cook tent and mess tent at ABC. It is definitely colder with the increase in altitude and the simple walk from the mess tent to your tent leaves you gasping for air. ABC is still very safe but from there on the real climbing begins.

I don't want to speak for Kyle but from my experience I can imagine that this whole climb and what he's about to undertake has just become real. You read about Everest in books and you see it in pictures, you hear first-hand accounts from some of the greatest mountaineers in history, you dream about what it "might" be like. That first glimpse of Mt. Everest is an intimidating wake-up call. The mountain commands your respect and there's a new focus and a new attitude among everyone there. These next 6-7 weeks are going to be spent pushing your body and mind to the limits of human capacity and now it's time. Hopefully Kyle will be sending his thoughts and feelings on his experiences soon.