Another Day at Base Camp: Finding Comfort in Routine
Yesterday was all about rest and recovery here at Base Camp. We took the opportunity to sleep in, do some laundry, and reorganize our gear for the climb ahead. I also shared a video of my nightly routine—mostly mundane, but with a few comforts that make life at 17,500 feet a bit more bearable.
The one luxury I allow myself at base camp is a battery-powered electric blanket. I’d never take it higher on the mountain, but since I’ll be spending close to three weeks here, it’s my go-to for taking the edge off these frigid nights. Call it a badge of comfort—I’ll gladly wear it as temperatures dip below -10°F.
Other essentials: a thick pair of warm socks, a Nalgene bottle filled with steaming hot water, eye mask when the sun rises at 5:45 am, and my Bose noise-canceling headphones—absolutely necessary when helicopters start landing just 100 yards away at 6 AM.
Sometimes, it’s the small rituals that sleeping in a tent at 17,500 feet night after night tolerable.
Shaking Off the Rust
After two solid days of well-earned rest, our guide Ryan Waters decided we were getting a little too comfortable. So, he rallied us for what was supposed to be a two-hour hike from Everest Base Camp toward the trails near Mt. Pumori. With a few slight wrong turns it turned into a 3.5-hour trek.
No big deal—unless you didn’t bring enough fluids or fuel. After two hours, I completely burned through my glycogen stores and started to bonk. Luckily, Jason tossed me a power bar and it was like flipping a switch—I bounced right back.
Lesson for Len: prepare for the worst. What would have happened if someone was injured ?
In total, we covered 4.2 miles and climbed 1,400 feet. The terrain was rugged, the wind biting, and the cold unrelenting—but it was exactly what we needed. We’d grown a little too sedentary recovering from our last rotation. After lunch, we all crashed for naps, and it couldn’t have been better timed—it’s been snowing ever since.
We watched in awe and silence as an avalanche thundered down the slopes, close to Base Camp. This happens every day on Mt Everest, as the sun warms up the avalanches are triggered.
The real excitement is building: tonight, we expect to hear a rough outline of the summit schedule. The rope-fixing team has completed their work—there are now continuous lines all the way to the top. Our logistics team is busy hauling oxygen, tents, and food up to Camps 3 and 4. Once that’s in place, the Sherpas and guides will descend to rest before joining us for the final push.
One of the more beautiful traditions at Base Camp is the small temples called a “chorten” each team builds for their puja—a blessing ceremony led by a local lama to ask Chomolungma the goddess of Sagarmatha (Everest) for safe passage. These intricate shrines, often made of stone, prayer flags, and symbolic offerings, dot the glacier like sacred landmarks. I’ve included a few photos of some of the stunning temples.
Today, we trekked in honor of Hopecam Child Jayden—every step a stand in his fight against cancer. Jayden is the oldest of four kids, and his dad is in the Army, and they live 400 miles away from family and friends. Hopecam has been a true blessing to their family, as it allows him to connect and talk to everyone back home. Jayden uses his tablet to connect and self-regulate since he has autism as well as cancer.