7th day of our journey - for the last couple of days we were trekking up towards the Everest reaching Gorak Shep (5,182m), the last village before the Everest base camp. Even though we are well acclimatized, every step on this altitude is challenging. It is great to see how locals are literally flying over this terrain, some of them in sandals only.

This afternoon we reached the peak Kala Patthar (5,600m) which offers an amazing view on Everest and Nuptse. Clearly, this is the top of the world.

Tomorrow we plan to go to the Everest base camp and have the rest of the day off before we will cross a pass at 5,500 to reach our base camp from where we will start our ascent of the Island Peak.

Lessons learned so far:

- it is ok not to shower for several days

- it is less ok not to change your socks for several days

- toilet paper can become a precious good high up

- yak milk may not be advisable as yaks are male only

- Germany may be the country you want to retire after having met so many 60+ people from there

K & S