Three Passes Trek Day 16

Three Passes Trek Day 16 - Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp (5364m) then back to Lobuche (Again original notes missing) Trekked early to EBC, even though we got out of GS shortly after 6am there were already a number of other people ahead of us. The path was easy to follow except for the last bit, which was quite a confusing array of rocks and glacier, so it was convenient that there were a few others ahead to follow. The base camp itself is unrecognisable at this time of year and is simply marked as a few prayer flags on a cluster of rocks. The climbing season is around April/May so there were no tents, campfires, equipment or any kind of mountaineering activity as was the case at the previous two base camps we visited. The main reason people go there is because it's famous, and if you are on the EBC trek it's the place where you turn around and start heading back the way you came, but Kalla Pattar is generally seen as the highlight of the EBC trek and also the highest point. It was again somewhere in the minus 15 to 20 degrees zone, so I took the photos quickly while Sama collected some souvenir stones and headed back to Gorak Shep. The walk itself is a pleasant walk along a valley, and comparably scenic to other days. We stopped to eat at Gorak Shep, then continued on to Lobuche, enjoying the novelty of a mainly downhill stretch. Purih had already carried our gear down earlier so we travelled light.