Mount Everest

 

At 8,848m, Mount Everest is the highest peak of the Himalayas and is the highest mountain in the world. Located at the meeting place of the Dingri county of Shigatse, Tibet and Nepal, the north slope of Everest belongs to Tibet, whilst the south side belongs to Nepal. The southern area is known as the Quomolangma nature reserve.

 

Rongbuk Monastery (5000m) is at the foot of Mount Everest and lodging is available but you have to take your own food. Lodging in tents is available on the track up to Everest Base Camp but picking a good tent can sometimes be an issue.

 

The track from Rongbuk is 8km to Base camp and a 2 to 3 hour walk due to the thin air. Unfortunately, our inexperienced guide had never been there before (we learnt that later) and he decided to take, what he perceived to be a shortcut off the track, which resulted in us getting lost and ending up some 200 metres above base camp, looking down on it, in an area that was beyond our permit!