Ascent to Kala Patthar

Outlook from Kala Patthar is really better at the sunset. So if weather and physical condition allows, it is ideal, after a short rest at Gorak Shep, set off for the ascent ideally the same day, when you arrive here from Lobuche or other even lower point. First you must go through dry lake, now polo ground. With a bit of luck you can see here riders on horses play polo. Just beyond the lake the path divides. You can either ascent to a small „right“ Kala Patthar (5 545m asl.) first, marked on the map, with the following short ridge to a higher peak (5 648m asl.) or go to the higher peak straight away. The ideal, of course, is to go through both :-). With increasing elevation meters, along the path in a grassy slope, opens more and more the view of the rocky „highway“ crossing of glaciers Khumbu and Changri. Gorak Shep colorful roofs glisten already far below.

You will be tempted to stop every now and then and take still the same photo of Nuptse and the tip of Everest panorama, which is still higher with the increasing height. It's really beautiful! Because this view it was worth to claw here for a few days. Also the views to other sides are not bad at all. Beautifully icy tip of one of the small peaks on the ridge leading to Pumori and small, much thawed snowy glacier under it evokes the question of how it must have been like here when the glaciers were still in full force.

Hands are needed for the last few altitude meters, so trekking poles are quite redundant here. But they will definitely come in handy during the descent :-). After about 75 minutes ascent you will be at the top of Little Kala Patthar (5 545m asl). Traditional flags welcome you here. From here there is a nice view of the small ridge to Pumori.

View to the east is exactly the same as the most typical postcard in every Kathmandu´s bo­okstore. But seeing it with your own eyes is much better than on paper.

After a short rest you continue through heavily fractured ridge with occasional slight climb into small pass under the Big Kala Patthar. From here you climb on stones around the meteorological antennas. There is still increasing clutter of flags, into which the legs can dangerously become entangled. Moreover, at this level one does not have entirely sure step, so watch out! The peak (5648 m asl) is only a tiny stone spike, looking as a dragon tooth, just right for one person. There are just immense abysses around. Further continuation of the ridge towards Pumori is already hard climbing and is not used as ascent way to the mountain.

Rising early evening clouds veil often lower Kala Patthar. Therefore, it is definitely more tactical wait for sunset at its higher brother. Even so, the majority of tourists waiting here for the sunset, in bigger and bigger cold, are afraid that the clouds rise even higher and spoil the expected performance.

Ama Dablam tip sticks out over the lower ridge and as a lighthouse tower above the clouds rolling to the 5600 meters above sea level.

The sunset is approaching and the vast majority of tourists already descend back to Gorak Shep. They don´t realize that they have missed one of the most beautiful sunsets in their life. It is definitely worth a little freezing :-)

Finally begins the expected beautiful theater in the form of coloring the peaks of the local giants. The color gradually changes from gold to orange and finally to red.

Finally shine just the spikes of the highest peaks that gradually, as burned candles, go out. It's finally here – only the pyramid of Mount Everest shines. Even without any measurement it confirms that it is without any doubt the highest mountain in the world. The performance finally ends after several minutes, and it remains nothing else than to run down in the growing dark and cold 500 vertical meters back to Gorak Shep for a deserved late dinner. The slope shines with headlamps worn by tourists, who were waiting for the sunset at a different altitude.