Mt Everest 2006 Nepal side: Dirk Stephan Namaste - Lodge 4790 meters

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Namaste - Lodge, Goyko 4790 meters: Four o'clock the Koreans are woken up by their leader urgently, my room is in between theirs......so I get up enforcedly too. It is dark and icy, all waters are frozen. I swallow two cereals bars and grap my small backpack. At five o'clock I go down, I meet Ngima. He drinks one last tea and soon we start. The Korean front lamps flash above, it does not take time and I pass them. The snow is still deep at 5380m in altitude, but he is consolidated and I rarely sink. Before sunrise the everest shows up at the row of mountains at my right. The sun disguises behind the Lhotse. The last twenty minutes I climb in glittering sunlight. Four of the summits at one glance: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho-Oyu directly in front of me. Goyko and the third saint lake are deep below. In the moment the sun reaches his ice the frozen lake issues strange tones, almost like an animal. Ngima fixes a scarf at the highest point, with his family's names and prays constantly. His first time at this place. We solve the descent in half an hour. The remaining day leaves time to admire the unreal beauty of this area. The summits at the opposite disappear behind clouds, the sun sends one small ray right between the the summits down to the lake. Mist arises from the lake, the wind let it dance onto the water. Ducks swim onto the lake with water crystal-clear.

Namaste-Lodge, Goyko, 4790m: Crystal-clear the most beautiful part so far! Next to incredible views to the Cho Oyu the most impressive are the saint lakes. Halfway frozen with stone creatures all over. Especially the view from the Goyko to the third saint lake recalls Scandinavian Fjords. I reach Goyko within 2 hour 30, true euphoric! It almost appears that the tough training pays off. On the other hand I know it needs weeks to get to the oath actually. My today's condition does not count. However I spend the night at least in a height like the highest Alps. Indeed here the climbing starts! In the afternoon the Lodge fills up, the English arises after four hour walk, completely burnt Dutchman returns from the Goyko-Ri and a Korean bunch falls asleep seated. I enter soon my sleeping bag, thus I want to leave early, no cloud shall block the view onto the Everest!

Dirk Stephan

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