We left beautiful Tengboche today on our way to Pherishe, about seven miles farther up the valley, and we gained another 1500 feet.
The first stop along the way is Pangboche where the Lama Geshe resides; he offers a blessing of safe passage on the mountain to any climber or trekker who desires one. A small tip is much appreciated. It brought back memories of watching Tom Burton and Will Calton receive it when we were with them three years ago. I was jealous, wishing I was also receiving the blessing of safe passage high on Mt. Everest. My wish came true as I received the same blessing today. It was a very nice event and we all liked the old Lama who is witty and fun and reminded me a little of the Dali Lama. This was actually the second of three blessings. The first was a special one I received from my father, and the third will be the Puja ceremony at Everest Base Camp before we start the climb up through the Icefall.
By the way, I’m posting lots of pictures on Instagram under bartw55, and Alan at alanarnette.com has posted a picture of the new route through the Icefall. Also, IMG at their website, mountainguides.com, has posted several pictures of our group, including Judy and me.
From Pangboche we quickly entered a moon-like landscape, leaving behind the beauty of spring in the lower Khumbu. The winds picked up and the temperature dropped and I realized things start getting a bit more serious now. We’re in Pherishe at nearly 14,000 feet. We’ll have a rest day here but will do an acclimatization hike tomorrow where we will have beautiful views of Ama Dablam.
Mt. Everest 