I've been taking it easy today, just 70 metres of climb on a short walk. This takes me to 4631m. At this elevation is Dughla, where the Khumbu glacier melts into the Lobujya River, which later merges with the Imja Khola which in turn is a tributary of our old friend the Dhudh Kosi.
Here the Everest trail crosses the river, which being glacier melt is icy cold. We rock-hop across the huge granite boulders, with our guides standing by to help. I feel confident enough not to accept the hand Dawa offers me as I cross. Later he chastises me gently, saying "when you are in the mountains you should accept any help that is offered". I realise had I put a foot in the ice water I would have been very uncomfortable for the rest of the day.
After a pause for lunch at the tea-house across the stream, the weather closes in and it starts to snow as we head off. The next stage is up the Thok La Pass, a steep climb of about 300m. All traces of vegetation have petered out, and from now on we will travel on sand and stone.
At the top of the pass is an archway and when we pass through we find ourselves in a sheltered dell in which is located the climbers memorial. Dozens of cairns, prayer flags and monuments of all sizes are dedicated to the climbers who died in the region, mostly attempting Everest. Although there are some monuments with Sherpa names, It is noticeable that the majority of memorials are to people from other countries. We know that many Sherpas have also been killed on these mountains but do not seem to be as well-remembered. Dawa himself survived a catastrophe where 16 Sherpas died in an avalanche, 3 of whose bodies were never recovered. There is no memorial here to that.
Just inside the archway to the left one of the Americans in our group points to a cairn and says "that's your boy isn't it?". He's right, scratched on a simple cairn of rocks and concrete are the words "RIP for Rob Hall, peace and love".
We spend a long time wandering around the various memorials, it is a very sobering experience and a reminder that we are heading into very hostile terrain.
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