Day 15 - Khumbu Icefall

Rob McCarthy
Nov 1, 1988
2 min read

Today, we are given the option of resting in camp, or a trip to explore the Khumbu Glacier up towards the Khumbu Icefall and Everest Base Camp. 6 of us choose to go and explore (Jesse, Ian, Elizabeth, Howard, Muriel and myself), while the other 2 (jo and Anita) decide to stay in camp to recover from yesterday’s climb. We set out, with Jacko as our guide, and initially proceed up the left side of the glacier, but then onto the glacier itself.

The glacier surface is similar to the Ngozumba Glacier we crossed a few days ago, except that there are some small crevasses that are bridged with semi-permanent ladders. Additionally, there are huge pinnacles of white ice that have been forced up by pressures from within the glacier. We continue slowly towards the base of the icefall and Harold, Muriel and Jesse decide to turn back. Jacko, Ian, Elizabeth and myself continue until we reach the base of the icefall, where the glacier becomes steeper and the surface becomes ice, rather than rocky.

This is about as far as we can go without getting into more difficult and dangerous territory, but it is a spectacular spot with the icefall rising above us. Here we are only 4 miles or so from the summit of Everest, though these last 4 miles are the difficult ones that have claimed many climbers and Sherpas lives, and only 2 miles from the Chinese border.

Many trekkers who venture up to the top end of the Khumbu Glacier aim to go to Everest Base Camp, but Jacko tells us that it is fairly unimpressive and dirty, and that this spot is much more interesting and rarely visited. It would be hard to disagree.

We return to the camp site at Gorak Shep in high spirits. Although the trip to the icefall does not have the views one gets from a summit like Kala Pattar, it has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of the trek.