13 Apr 2014 – EBC to Lobuche BC

Overnight low in tent vestibule 17F. Beginning 5260 metres (17260 ft). Ending altitude 4785 metres (15700 ft).

Today we would be leaving EBC and heading back down to Lobuche Base Camp. I was looking forward to descending. A drop in altitude of nearly 500 metres should help with the difficulty I would be having getting sleep. Moreover, as trekkers, there wasn't much else to do here at EBC. We had gone as close as we could to the Icefall, and we had hiked up Himex Kala Patthar to get some cool photos (as well as claim to have been above 18000’, which is a thing we can now claim). There wasn't anything left to do now except for climbery stuff, and we were not climbers. It was time to go.

One thing I had not counted on was that we would be in EBC for the Puja. The Puja is a ceremony in which prayers are chanted and offerings made, in order to secure the blessings of the mountain gods. A Puja is critical to an expedition. The Sherpa will not do without it, and the Sherpa decide when it will happen. It is held on a day that is deemed to be auspicious. Not being a Sherpa, I cannot offer any insight as to what qualifies. As a climber, it is a given that you will be at the Puja. As a trekker, you just don’t know. However, it turned out that the Puja would be held the morning of the day we would be leaving EBC, and we would get to attend.

Juniper fire is lit at the chorten

The Sherpa construct a chorten (altar). There is a juniper fire that burns, and prayer flags are strung from the top of the chorten in all directions, in some cases to points quite distant.

Prayer flags are hoisted

At the Puja, the climbers can bring personal items to be blessed. Many of the climbers bring their ice axe. Charlie, a veteran and amputee who is climbing Everest as part of the Heroes Project, would be bringing something else.

Kind of a no-brainer

Preparations went on for quite some time. By mid-morning it was time for everyone to gather around the chorten.

The film crew for the Sherpa film was doing quite a bit of shooting. Here is a camera position they set up overlooking the chorten.

There were offerings and things to be blessed placed all around the chorten. Here you can see trays of sweets and candies, beer, whisky, and baked items. Also present are the items that the climbers have provided to be blessed. There are thermoses of milk tea, and plates of rice.

Some of these things are to be offered to the mountain gods, and some to be blessed and then distributed to participants.

The ‘uniform’ for the day was a black down vest, over a red hoodie.

On the sleeve of the hoodie is the mountain the climber will be climbing.

The expedition includes members who will be climbing Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. There were enough hoodies to go around that the trekkers each got an Everest hoodie. I didn’t expect that, and thought it was pretty cool.

Seated front and center in front of the chorten were Russ and Phurba Tashi.

Phurba Tashi is a rock star

Here is a close up of the items the climbers have brought to be blessed

The Puja goes on for a long time. The main part consists of chanting of numerous prayers. Some prayers are from a prayer book. One of the prayers offered at our Puja was a prayer from the village from which most of Russell’s Sherpa come. During the prayers, rice is occasionally cast forth as an offering. Likewise, there is a multi-tiered cup that holds offerings to the mountain gods. Into this cup is poured beer, whisky, and Rakshi (Nepalese home-brew).

The offering is refreshed between prayers

When the prayers are completed, the blessed goodies are distributed amongst those gathered at the Puja.

The plate of candy is also passed around.

There is another item that all attendees got. A red string, with what locals call the ‘infinite knot’ (and westerners might think of as a Celtic knot). The knot is a symbol of safe keeping and good luck. The strings were blessed during the ceremony, and are tied around the neck like a necklace. The man handing out these protective artifacts was Phurba Tashi himself. I think this is one of my favourite keepsakes from the trip. I plan on finding a suitable vessel for mine, and carrying it as a talisman on future journeys.

The Puja went on for longer than was planned, surprising nobody. We (the trekkers) left before it was fully completed, to eat a quick lunch before we had to head out down the trail to Lobuche BC. Though the day had started off pretty clear, it had clouded up by the time we left, and we would be facing a cold headwind to start our day’s trek. It was necessary to make haste. Unfortunately, that meant some rushed, and even some missed goodbyes. I have mixed emotions about getting to be part of the Puja at the cost of being able to say a proper farewell to some of the people with whom I had spent the last two weeks.

Just the same, we hit the trail. It stayed cold and windy for a while, though the weather mellowed out somewhat and the hike ended up being relatively comfortable. Four hours later, we would arrive at Lobuche BC. As we climbed up away from EBC, I paused for one final look back.