The next morning I couldn

The next morning I couldn't stomach even a bite of breakfast. Despite my weakness I had to get out of the god-forsaken hole known as Lobuje. Off we headed towards Gorak Shep (17,000 ft.), but instead of me waiting on my sister, it was Ann waiting on me. I was barely moving up the trail, and several times had to make desperate lunges off the trail in response to another diarrhea attack. At one point I felt so weak that I just laid down off to the side of the trail. My sister tried to prod me along, but quite frankly, I was happy to just sit and stare at the most impressive site I had ever seen - the west face of Nuptse. After a couple of weeks of my slave-driving Ann was alarmed to see me in this state of lethargy. She set off on the trail towards Gorak Shep looking for help while I just sat and stared at the mountains. Pretty soon trekkers coming down the trail had reports of my sister running along the trail on my behalf. This was the same sister who couldn't even carry her own pack at 8,000 feet - now she was running at 17,000 feet! My sister came back to my aid and I was able to slowly stumble into Gorak Shep.

This is what I stared at while my sister went running for help. The ice on these peaks seems to defy gravity (Nuptse on right).

After spending the rest of the day laying in bed in Gorak Shep we were ready for action again the next morning. Most trekkers don't go all the way to Base Camp, opting for Kala Pattar instead. Kala Pattar is a subsidiary of Pumori (23,495 ft.) and basically just amounts to a large mound of dirt with a good view of Everest. We got up early and hiked to the summit in time to catch sunrise and the changing colors of Mt. Everest.

Ann hikes towards the summit of Kala Pattar (18,200 ft.) with Pumori in background.

View of Everest and Base Camp from the summit of Kala Pattar.

Looking back down the valley in which we had come. Thamserku (21,729 ft.) on left and Taboche (21,000+ ft.) center.

Mountains everywhere! Ama Dablam is the pyramidal-shaped peak in the distance.

Dave and Ann at 18,200 feet.

The guidebooks warn that Kala Pattar and Everest Base Camp should only be combined in one day by "extremely fit trekkers." At our pace Base Camp was another 2 - 2.5 hours hiking in one direction at over 17,000 feet. We set out trying to follow the trail along the Khumbu Glacier, at one point actually hiking on the glacier. I was still weak from my sickness, but was feeling better with each passing hour. After reaching the first few tents Ann grabbed a quick bite and started heading back towards Gorak Shep. After a day of running at 17,000 feet followed by some "extreme trekking" she had been pushing hard to make it this far. I wanted to see the rest of Base Camp and go as far as possible up the Khumbu Icefall. Base Camp itself wasn't how it's depicted in the movies. There were no wild parties, celebrities or nitroglycerin. The few people I did speak with were happy to tell me what great mountain climbers they were. I hiked a ways past camp and started towards the famed Khumbu Icefall before crevasses impeded further progress. After satisfying my curiosity I started hustling back down the trail as nightfall approached.

View of Everest (between notch) from the Khumbu Glacier hiking towards base camp.

Hiking along Khumbu Glacier.

I tentatively asked a climber to take my picture in front of the Khumbu Icefall. He obliged and even got down his stomach for this picture to get the whole icefall in the picture.

Everest Base Camp (17,500 ft) with prayer flags and icefall in background.

After spending a couple of weeks getting to our destination it only took us three days to get back to Lukla to catch our plane. I would have liked to spend more time trekking, but my feet were making walking tough. Not only did my feet stink, but the skin of my toes was turning to hash. Blisters and other abrasions were making each step painful, so I was more than happy to find myself back in Katmandu.

Airport at Lukla. That's a cliff at the end of the runway.

The trek turned out to be one of the highlights of my young life. The accommodations were adequate, the hiking pleasant and the mountain vistas exquisite. More importantly it was quality time spent with my sister. The trip started with adversity at lower elevations, but as the air got thinner we turned into a cohesive brother-sister trekking unit. Unlike most who come to this area we did the trek without a tour guide to coddle us along, or a porter to carry our packs the entire way. Whether it was me carrying Ann's video camera or Ann running for help at 17,000 feet we had only ourselves to rely on. I learned patience in dealing with my sister and her feminine aspects, and she learned perseverance in dealing with my stinky feet and other disgusting male behaviors. The memories of this trip will linger in my mind forever - especially those involving my little sister.