• Monday 2nd October 2017
• Day 5 – Debuche to Dingboche
• Altitude Start : 3,918m (12,800ft)
• Altitude Finish : 4,410m (14,465ft)
• Maximum Altitude Gain : 492m/1,665 ft

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Jumped out of bed this morning at 5.45am as there is only one sink/one toilet in the whole place to wash/brush teeth and do ones business and it was freezing…I am grateful to the one toilet/one sink though…that is sheer luxury at this stage…let’s just say the squat has been perfected (well almost).

Washing facilities are becoming non existent but who cares were in the Himalayas.

The room was that cold that condensation dripped from the ceiling. In fact the whole place was damp and cold and I actually couldn’t wait to get started on the walk to warm up!!!

After the usual routine we headed off. It was a short steep and muddy decent through a forest of birches, conifers and rhododendrons.

We then crossed the Imja Khola on a very very swaying suspension bridge high above a spot where the river rushes through a narrow gorge, the trail climbs past some magnificently carved mani stones.

Then all of a sudden just like that there in front of us poking her huge head out of the skies was Ama Dablam…utterly stunning…so huge it almost looked fake…it felt like she was a within reach…she has always been right there in my top 3 favourite mountains…today confirmed why.

As we gazed at her beauty, boom Everest appeared in the distance, actually looking like the smaller of the mountains due to the angle…but simply stunning all the same…a few photos and she was gone…she still continues to tease us…pulling us further and further in to her grasp.

We continue to hike up (naturally!!!) until we get to Pangboche where we stop for lunch…with beautiful views…unimaginable.

Then we continue on passing many large boulders with amazing clear Buddhist prayer inscriptions carved into the sides of them.

Yak train after yak train passes us by, and everytime I admire their beauty.

So many views everywhere you turn, so many photos!

After lunch the uphill trek continues, taking you to the quaint traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak and Ama Dablam….and more, so many more.

We arrive pretty early and dump our bags, quick baby wipe down and we head out to explore the ‘village’.

Later we have dinner round the warm log burner, chat, then bed…it feels like it’s been a long day.

As mentioned before there is so much up and down climbing…you gain the altitude only to loose it again and this continues over and over and over…every single day….but I ain’t complaining…not with these views!

Tomorrow we stay in Dingboche for another acclimatisation/rest day. We have been told if the weather is clear we are being woken up at 6am to ascent a ridge at 4,900m/16,000ft. This hike if clear gives views to Ama Dablam (6,856m/23,495ft), Island Peak (6,189m/20,305ft) and Tabuche (6,367ft). If weather ain’t to clear it’s an 8am wake up and another hike…no matter what we have to hike upwards!

Please let us have clear views!!