We continue with our expedition, just arriving in Base Camp.

Gelgin Sherpa serves breakfast at Ama Dablam Base Camp. Emery is on the left, and Seth Hobby in the center. Seth is another guide who joined our permit both to extend his enjoyable stay in the area and also to make an ascent of Ama Dablam, which he did a couple days later.

Our camp under Ama Dablam. By now you can recognize the tent scheme. Our route, the SW Ridge, is the right skyline.

Another view of Base Camp. There were other climbers there as well, but nearly all of them were finished with their climbs and heading home.

Prayer flags at Base Camp.

Emery moving up to Camp 1. Getting to this camp is mostly non-technical, though it is a very long way above Base Camp.

Camp One.

Sunset from Camp One. Cho Oyu is the broad peak in the distance. Tawache and Cholatse are the sharp summits on the left.

Looking up at flutings on the south side of Ama Dablam.

Camp Two. The tents get smaller as we have to carry them higher. We never actually occupied this camp as Emery's cold never went away, and continued with a bad cough and general tiredness.

Emery on the slabs between Camps One and Two.

Higher on the route, just below Camp Two.

But in the end illness got the better of us, and we were forced to retreat back to Base Camp. Here we are, packed up ready to go. Pasang looks for arriving yaks while Emery enjoys tea in the dining tent.

Yet more prayer flags at Base Camp.

The path leading down from the mountain.

Fields in Pangboche

On our trek out we passed the well-known Tengboche monastery.

Pasang Sherpa and his brother Gelgin. Wonderful people.

A Himalayan Thar, near Namche Bazar.

On the way out we stayed in the same teahouse as on the way in. And again we enjoyed seeing the owner's little daughter.

Namche Bazar.

A little girl on the trek out.

Cabbages! Yes, yes, perhaps getting a bit artsy, but you can move on, if you like.

On the trek out, it became warmer and warmer as we descended. Here we are back in the bamboo and greenery. You can see the previous cabbage in the field below!

Back at Phakding on the trek out.

The last day of the trek out coincided with a Nepalese festival called Tihar. As part of the festivities, singers would go house to house, do a dance and a song (singing the praises of the houses owners) and the owners, in turn, would bring out a large tray of sweets and tasty baked goods, lined with many rupee notes.

Lining up to get back on the Twin Otter and the flight back to Kathmandu. This flight came in with a large load of rice!

Back in Kathmandu, with all its amazing wonders.