The first portion of our hike led us through an alpine meadow occupied by hairy mountain yaks grazing on the sparse winter grass. I don't know why, but I find the yaks charming. These big hairy beasts seem to be able to wander about anywhere they want, unless of course, they are engaged in porting goods. Most have bells hanging around their necks, letting you know they're ahead on the trail. Some even have tassel earrings, which I really dig. It is evident that yaks have provided for the local people in many ways. Besides providing milk, cheese, and meat, the yaks are used to carry heavy loads from town to town. Their dung is even useful as fuel for the wood stove, particularly in the high altitudes where there are no trees. Recently, they have become popular for carrying the hundreds of containers to Base Camp for the expeditions.
After lunch, the trail started ascending rapidly. We hiked up, up, up. Unfortunately, my secret weapon, the iPod ran out of charge due to the cold, so I was forced to sing to myself (Crash Test Dummies was stuck in my head for some reason). When I got tired of that, I began singing "Om Mani Peme Om", a Buddhist mantra that I've heard many times in Kathmandu and here in the Himalayas. I found it to be quite soothing and powerful. After a while I made up my own mantras to encourage my continued trekking up the hill. "My body is strong and able and my breath will sustain me." Over and over I repeated this to myself, effectively pushing myself to the top.
One portion of the afternoon hike took us past stone memorials erected for climbers lost on Everest over the years. Gideon and I sought out the memorial for Scott Fisher, a highly experienced expedition leader lost on Mt. Everest in 1996. He was Nima's very good friend and boss. Nima had to walk through the area quickly. "It's too sad," he explained quietly.
The remaining of the hike was a steady ascent through ancient glacier fields against a stiff wind. We arrived to Lobuche totally beat. After refueling on tea, Nima lead Gideon, me, and two American friends we met along the way on a short acclimatization hike to the Italian Pyramid, an environmental research center. Nima worked at the research station for a number of years, coordinating supplies for the center. It was a bit strange to stumble upon this Louvre-like glass pyramid tucked in between high Himalayan peaks and glaciers. Unfortunately, no one was at the center when we visited, so we weren't able to look inside, but I found the outhouse and was most impressed with the clean facility. (There is a definite scale of cleanliness among Himalayan outhouses, and this one got a 10 in my book.)
Upon returning to the Sherpa Lodge, we relaxed with our American buddies in the dining room, swapping trekking tales, mainly about bathroom experiences, and playing cards. After loading up with liquids and carbs, we went to bed early in anticipation of the early start tomorrow—summit day!
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