Gorak Shep to Kala Pattar (5545 m)

'Knock, knock' at 4.30am.  The sky is clear and after a good night's sleep, I feel fit enough to at least attempt Kala Pattar.

Three members of the group not well enough to join the trail of head torches which snake up the mountain.  They stay at Gorak Shep.  It is freezing cold, but dry and clear.

We are surrounded by huge peaks which turn pink as the sun rises.  We really do feel as though we are near the top of the world.  The sound of avalanches are a reminder of the distructive power of snow in the mountains.

Three members descend before the top due to exhaustion and altitude problems, mainly severe headaches.  The air is so thin at this altitude that even putting one foot in from of the other takes an enormous effort.

After what seems like an eternity, I made it to the top to be rewarded by fantastic views the Khumbu Glacier, Lhotse (8501m), Lhotse Shar (8393m), Nuptse (7879m), Taboche (6367m), Ama Dablam (6856m) and Sagarmatha or Everest (8848m).  Sagarmatha is the black mountain with the characteristic spindrift
 coming off the top.

Eight of us made it to the top of Kala Patar, plus Barnaby!

We returned to Gorak Shep for a snack, followed the endless trek to the village of Dugla for the night.  This was an extremely long walk during which the thought of spending a holiday sitting on a Greek beach suddenly became rather appealing!