Sherpa Village Gorak Shep

The end of the trail for many hikers in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas is just beyond the village of Gorak Shep (17,350 feet), which translates as "dead raven" in the Sherpa language. Despite its name, the village is home territory for great flocks of live and soaring ravens. Gorak Shep is the last village before the Mount Everest base camp (17,600 feet) and is the final stop for hot lemon tea and Pringles for trekkers before the day hike to the summit of Kala Pathar at (18,192 feet). It is a long but fairly level hike along a glacial moraine from Lobuche (16,110 feet). The village itself is made up of a small number of tea houses and is not really settled for farming and livestock, it is for the convenience of hikers. It is adjacent to a wide and flat expanse of what looks like fine beach sand and the area shows signs of extensive geologic activity. The flat ground contrasted with the steep foot of Kala Pathar lets you know precisely when you're beginning the ascent.

The vendors of Gorak Shep charge rates that reflect the remoteness and the effort required to transport the goods so far. The prices for a candy bar or a soda are in the range of US $4 each, but after persevering and reaching so far hikers often reward themselves with a little indulgence. The flat, sandy ground between the village and the foot of Kala Pathar makes for a reliable landing area for equipment and emergency helicopters. You'll find a number of equipment storage piles, including the aluminum ladders that are used about the Mount Everest base camp for traversing the gaping ice crevasses of the Khumbu Ice Fall. Gorak Shep is only a few miles from the Chinese (Tibetan) border and certainly at the limit of casual hiking, so it feels like reaching the edge of the map. For those who continue on it is the last link with the outside world.