Week 6 - 13 May 2020
Acclimatisation at Dingboche: 6 hours, 1,080 floors
You wake up to your first morning in Dingboche, the temperature hovering just above freezing point in September. You feel just a smidge of a high, but you realise it's not from the mad honey you bought from a shady guide. For the first time ever, you just slept your first night at a very high altitude - 4400m. With that realisation, you slurp down more mad honey to calm your nerves, and you smile, knowing that you are addicted.
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High altitude = 1,500–3,500 metres
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Very high altitude = 3,500–5,500 metres
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Extreme altitude = above 5,500 metres (You will climb Kala Patthar 5643m)
Breakfast is a satisfying set of scrambled eggs, sausages, toast with honey spread (you are definitely addicted) and washed down with a piping hot cup of honey ginger lemon tea. Then it's off to climb Nangkartshang Peak and get acclimatised to 5100m. Endure.
It's a tough full day climb, and you gasp for air with every step. Welcome to the world of very high altitude climbing. The view of Dingboche from the summit is a sight to behold, and the panoramic view of the valley is simply breathtaking.
"Climb high, sleep low" is the mantra for acclimatisation. You come back down to 4400m as you prepare to sleep your second night in Dingboche. You are now ready to tackle the higher altitudes at Kala Patthar and EBC. You close your eyes, your legs exhausted by the climb and your lungs tired from sucking the thin air for oxygen. It starts to snow as you doze off, dreaming of bees merrily making honey.
Begin your Stage 6 trek by taking part in a Zoom video chat on 13 May 8pm Singapore time. Please observe all social distancing rules.