Polish Standard Visits Everest Base Camp

by Ian Blackwood

As an Adventurous Training Officer, Winter Mountain Leader, and Übungsleiter Bergwandern mountain leader, I felt privileged to organize, and take a group of Austrian Alpine Club members, cadets from the Oldham Hulme Combined Cadet Force, on their expedition to Everest Base Camp in East Nepal, carrying with them the prized Polish Ex-Combatants' Standard, which had been entrusted to the cadets who work closely with the Polish community in Oldham. The expedition was the culmination of 2 years hard work by the 12 cadets and 3 adult instructors / mountain leaders.

At Tangboche Monastery
Photos Ian Blackwood

After completing the expedition admin and briefings in Kathmandu, the group flew east to the trek head at Lukla, for the start of their adventure. We followed the Dudh Kosi river, crossing many bridges as we headed towards Namche Baazar for the required acclimatisation stop.

Cadet group at Everest Base Camp

Leaving Namche Baazar, the group trekked for a further 11 days, as they continually gained altitude and passed through the Sherpa villages of Tengboche, Pangboche, Pheriche, and Duglha, until we reached the head of the Khumbu glacier, and then followed the trail along the lateral moraine of the glacier until we reached the village of Lobuche.

Early the following morning we set off towards Gorak Shep, which we used as our base for our visits to Kala Pattar (5545m) to get the best views of Everest, and Everest Base Camp (5364m), which was a further 6 hours up the trail across the Khumbu glacier. The trail from Gorak Shep left the group tired and exhausted, until we all reached Everest Bas e Camp, and fulfilled their dream. After congratulations, and excited and emotional telephone calls home, we took the obligatory photographs, before we proudly raised the Polish Ex-Combatants' Standard at Everest Base Camp, an emotional and cherished moment for the group. We re-traced our steps to Gorak Shep for a very cold night's sleep, with the temperature dipping to minus 16ºC, as the snow started to fall.

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