From Gora Shep to Dingboche
With other young people who, like us, are independent hiking (Individual Trekkers), we have the situation analyzed
and decided to descend. Gora Shep is crowded, no space, little food, etc. it is better we go and make room. Our first
goal is Lobuche there we want to try to get Internet contact to read the weather forecast and the news and again assess
the situation.
We leave at six clock. The last aftershock was about an hour ago, so we hope to be behind Gra Shep Pass pass with its
blocks and boulders before the next aftershock. The risk of rockfall is here quite high, in case of a shake. S early in
the morning the Soil is still frozen, so we are progressing quickly and reach Lobuche in time for breakfast. We get
WIFI and can tell the world that we are doing well. The weather forecast does not look good, snowfall for the whole
week, no view and bitterly cold. Since the earthquake damage to the lodges are small, with one exception, and it is not
snowing we decide to descend as much as possible. Around noon we already reach Tukla and at early afternoon we arrive
in Dingboche.
We meet a Canadian mountain climber who has witnessed the earthquake in Everest Base Camp. He tells us that the
avalanche Basecamp had caught in the center and has passed across it. He estimates that about 80 people are buried
under snow. He himself had been close to the Khumbu Icefall, and so escaped with a fright. Like many other climbers
who are unharmed, he left everything behind and descends now to Lukla.
Above Pheriche it wobbles again really hard. As we later learned 6.7 on the Richter scale. But on the flat meadow
that's not bad. In Dingboche itself, there is little damage, most lodges are basically in order, where in detail
cracks and other damage can be seen. In our lodge, there are cakes and coffee and we enjoy the sun until the evening,
the earthquake is far away.
From Dingboche to Kyungjuma
Today, it goes through a canyon-like valley down to the river and then up to Tengboche. Fortunately there is no aftershockt, because here there is again an area of potentially falling rocks. In Tengboche the famous monastery has been destroyed. The Monksquarters are piles of rubble. In the gompa, the roof caved in and the walls are cracked. Also some older Lodges have major damage. The modern hotels with a reinforced concrete skeleton are almost intact, only the gable are fallen down. We go down to Duda Khosi Nadi cross this and climb to Kyumjuma. Here we go into the Ama Dhablam Lodge to Thashi Delek. Here is not much damage caused by the earthquake, but the people stay in tents and are affraid of aftershocks.
From Kjungjuma to TokTok
The panoramic path between Kyungjuma and Namche is, apart from a few points, in order. But, we have no chance to see the mountains, everything is in the clouds, only occasionally showing some white tips. Namche Bazar is supposed to be in ruins due to rumor. This is not the case. From the top everything looks completely fine. If you look, however, up close, you can see fallen gables and cracks in the houses. There is need of repair. The stupa in the center of the village is however severely damaged. Namche is deserted. Almost all shops are closed, hardly a Lodge or a restaurant opened. Ghost Town. We continue to descent to the Larja bridge. Here on a steep slope are the consequencesof the earthquake clearly to be seen. Fallen rocks, broken roads and landslides alternate. The suspension bridges are in order and we follow the valley to Toktok. Here in the valley, many houses have been destroyed. And it is precisely the Homes of ordinary mountain farmers, who in any case do not have much are once that are broken. Our lodge is built of wood and therefore remained spared from the earthquake and safely.
Lukla
Lukla is not really effect by the earthquake. At some houses, the gable have fallen or walls are damaged. The hospital, on the hill above Lukla, however has suffered greatly. But on the whole the place got off lightly. Now everything is crowded here. Many hikers are, just like us, dismounted and want to fligh out to Kathmandu. On top there are all those Climbers able to leave the Everest Base Camp on there own. And many climbers from other mountains as well. In addition no aircraft could fly in recent days due to bad weather. At the airport, the people are pushing. Although the airlines give every effort, the situation is really confusing. To run after Jiri is pointless, because the streets will be impassable. Let's see how we get out of here.