Our lodge in Gorak Shep came to life very early as noisy trekkers prepared for a pre-dawn climb of Kala Patthar. Before breakfast I wondered around the lateral moraine of the glacier, watched a woman feed hay to yaks, and got some very close up shots with a 50 mm lens of a quite tame Alpine Accentor, a small bird. After breakfast we had a beautiful hike along and then on the Khumbu Glacier to Everest Base Camp (EBC). The photo to the right shows Everest before we reached base camp. Everest is not visible from base camp.

Please explore these panoramic images. You can double click to zoom way in and the left mouse to pan around. You can also use the + and – keys to zoom and the arrow keys to scroll. Please wait for the resolution to download.

The large peak in the center of this first pan is Nuptse (25,790 ft). Everest is the dark triangular peak behind and to its left. To the left of Everest is the West Shoulder of Everest, and the pass to its left is Lho La. The mountain behind it, somewhat in the clouds, is Changtse in Tibet. Below West Shoulder you can see part of the Khumbu Icefall. Everest Base Camp is to the left of the icefall. Even though we were still a ways from base camp when this pan was made you can see EBC if you zoom in.

In the panorama below you can see the lower part of Kala Patthar at the far left. The large peak behind it is Pumori. Right of center above the start of the icefall is a better view of the Lho La pass and Changtse. If you zoom in you can see EBC in the lower center. Everest is still visible from this spot. It is the small dark peak in the back right with the interesting clouds.

Nuptse is in the center right of this pan. The Khumbu Icefall is below and to the left of Nuptse. Above the icefall is West Shoulder of Everest. Over its right ridgeline you can just make out a bit of Everest, mostly in the clouds. EBC is on the far left.
This pan gives a more expansive view of the Khumbu Glacier. Thamserku is at the far right in the distance down the valley.

Closer now to base camp we see the Lho La pass above and to the right of it. The largest peak in this view is the West Shoulder of Everest.

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