Rotation hike from Everest Base Camp

 

April 20, 2024 | Ice Climbing at Everest Base Camp

Today was one for the books. I completed my ice climbing training right here at the Everest Base Camp, nestled at 5,364 meters (17,598 ft). There’s nothing quite like waking up in the shadow of giants—the world’s tallest peaks surrounding you—and feeling the buzz of mountaineers from all corners of the globe. The air is crisp, the energy electric. You can see the tents pitched in the backdrop in the Base Camp.

The training itself was intense and purposeful. Using fixed ropes, crampons, and ascenders on steep icy walls, I got a real taste of the technical side of high-altitude climbing. This wasn’t just a warm-up—it was preparation for one of the most dangerous and awe-inspiring stretches ahead: the Khumbu Icefall.

April 21, 2024 | First Rotation Begins — Into the Heart of the Mountain

The real climb begins at 1:30 AM, under a blanket of stars, we’ll start our first rotation. The goal: to acclimatize by reaching Camp 1 and Camp 2 over the next few days. My adrenaline is already surging. 

I am all set to move.

Our first challenge is the Khumbu Icefall, a surreal, shifting maze of towering seracs (ice pillars), deep crevasses, and unstable blocks of ice. It’s one of the most notorious parts of the Everest route—constantly changing and only passable in the cold, still hours of the night. The sound of the ice cracking echoes in the darkness, reminding you of nature’s unpredictable power. Crossing via aluminum ladders lashed together over bottomless gaps.

By late morning, we aim to reach Camp 1, perched at about 6,065 meters (19,900 ft) in the Western Cwm (a specific geographical feature on Mount Everest, a broad, glacial valley basin located at the foot of the Lhotse Face. The term "cwm" comes from the Welsh word for "valley," specifically a bowl-shaped, glaciated valley. The Western Cwm is a significant part of the route to the summit of Everest, especially when climbing from the south side). This area is a relatively flat, glacial valley, but don’t be fooled—temperatures can swing drastically, and the sun’s reflection off the ice makes it a true solar oven. Camp 1 is a critical point for acclimatization, where our bodies begin adjusting to the thin air.

The next day, we’ll push to Camp 2, at 6,400 meters (21,000 ft). Tucked beneath the imposing west face of Lhotse, Camp 2 is more established and serves as the main acclimatization hub for the summit push. It’s from here that climbers stage their attempts further up the mountain. We’ll spend a night here to condition our lungs and minds before descending back to Base Camp on the third day.

Moments That Matter

Before tomorrow’s climb, I had a special moment with the 8K Expeditions Base Camp manager—a true pillar of this community and a calming presence amidst the flurry of logistics and weather reports. We snapped a quick photo, a small souvenir from this massive journey.

And then there’s Nurbu Sherpa, my guide and now teammate for the summit bid. His quiet strength and deep knowledge of the mountain are humbling. We took a close-up photo together today. Nurbu will be with me every step of the way, from the Icefall to the summit of the world. I trust him with my life, and I’m proud to be climbing alongside him.