Geology in Action at Base Camp
Everest Base Camp sits on the Khumbu Glacier. It is not solid ground; it is a river of ice moving about 1 meter per day. This movement creates unique challenges for the Mount Everest expedition.
You can hear the glacier groaning and cracking at night. It sounds like gunshots or thunder. It is unnerving at first, but you get used to sleeping on a moving beast.
A tent spot that is flat one day might have a crack running through it the next. The Icefall Doctors must rebuild the route daily because the ice blocks shift position.
In the afternoon, you see small rivers running over the ice. The glacier is melting. Navigating these streams is part of the daily commute for climbers on the Everest summit push.
It reminds you that nature is powerful and constantly changing.
