Qomolangma

Everest: we came, we saw, we took pictures. Unfortunately, uploading pictures is pretty slow, so we can't post that many.





We really lucked out with our trip to Everest. First, the sky was clear blue. There were a few passing clouds here and there, but they quickly disappeared. Apparently November is one of the best months to see Everest as the skies are usually clear. Second, since it is offseason, there were no real guards, so we were able to drive all the way up to 2nd Base Camp. Usually you are stopped before 1st Base Camp unless you pay US$100 per person, so it was great to get in for free. Once we got to 2nd Base Camp, we hiked another 30 minutes up a hill to get a better view. So, these pics are some of the closest pics you can get as an ordinary tourist. The only slight downside is that we were there in late morning, so the face we saw wasn't fully sunlight yet. No major worries, though, as the sight was still truly awe-inspiring all the same.

We took these pictures at 5,200 meters. Considering Everest is "only" just shy of 8,850 meters, we were well over half way to the top. I still think we should have gone for the summit.