Kala Patthar
Encyclopedia
Kala Patthar, meaning 'black rock' in Nepali
and Hindi
, is a mountain
in the Nepalese Himalayas. It appears as a big brown bump below the impressive south face of Pumori
(7161 m (23,494 ft)). Many trekkers in the region of Mount Everest
will attempt to summit Kala Patthar, since it provides the most accessible point to view Mt. Everest from base camp to peak (due to the structure of Everest, the peak cannot be seen from the base camp). The views from almost anywhere on Kala Patthar of Everest, Lhotse
and Nuptse
are spectacular. The world's highest webcam, Mount Everest webcam
, is located here.
The ascent of Kala Patthar begins at Gorakshep
(5164 m (16,942 ft)), the original base camp for Mt. Everest. After a brief dip to an ancient lake bed (which now contains a small lake and a helipad), the ascent makes its way up a series of steep switchbacks before levelling off somewhat as it traverses to the eastern side of the mountain. The trail then becomes steep once again until it reaches the wind-swept summit ridge. From there, a five to ten minute scramble
over boulders takes one to the top, which is marked with prayer flags. The full ascent usually takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. If the attempt is made starting from Lobuche
, an additional two to three hours (one way) is required.
Although the elevation is commonly listed as 5545–5550 m (18,192.3–18,208.7 ), Portland State University Assistant Professor Dr. Luis A. Ruedas took a Garmin eMap GPS unit to the summit on 6 December 2006. These units have the capability to average a series of individual satellite readings, making them more accurate than single reading machines. Averaging 48 readings at 0625h Nepal local time, temperature −20 °C, the GPS recorded the location of the summit as 27°59.750'N, 86°49.705'E (datum: WGS84), and elevation as 5643 m (18,514 ft). Even accounting for the fact that the summit may have approximately one meter of stones added as a celebratory cairn, this is a significant discrepancy with previously recorded elevations. The same unit was consistent with respect to previously recorded elevations for Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp. In October 2008, a GPS with WAAS recorded the summit at 27°59.751'N, 86°49.705'E (datum: WGS84) with an elevation of 5644.5 m (18,519 ft), confirming the 2006 data.
It is possible that since Kala Patthar is merely a minor summit on a ridge leading to Pumori, different people may have measured different summits. There is a minor summit along this ridge near 27°59.51'N, 86°49.62'E with an elevation of approximately 5545 m (18,192 ft). The summit traditionally referred to as Kala Patthar is, however, completely festooned with prayer flags, making it quite readily recognizable. It is that summit that was recorded as 5643 m (18,514 ft). It is quite clear that the point trekkers climb to is a local maxima on the Pumori ridge, not the summit of Kala Patthar proper. This point is clearly higher than the summit of Kala Patthar, but the name has remained in popular use.
In December 2009, Madhav Kumar Nepal
and the Nepali Cabinet held a short cabinet meeting at the base of Kala Patthar as a response to climate change
.
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, is a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Nepalese Himalayas. It appears as a big brown bump below the impressive south face of Pumori
Pumori
Pumori is a mountain on the Nepal-Tibet border in the Mahalangur section of the Himalaya. Pumori lies just eight kilometres west of Mount Everest. Pumori, which means "Unmarried Daughter" in the Sherpa language, was named by George Mallory...
(7161 m (23,494 ft)). Many trekkers in the region of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
will attempt to summit Kala Patthar, since it provides the most accessible point to view Mt. Everest from base camp to peak (due to the structure of Everest, the peak cannot be seen from the base camp). The views from almost anywhere on Kala Patthar of Everest, Lhotse
Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
and Nuptse
Nuptse
Nuptse is a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Mahalangur Himal, in the Nepalese Himalayas. It lies two kilometres WSW of Mount Everest. Nuptse is Tibetan for "west peak", as it is the western segment of the Lhotse-Nuptse massif....
are spectacular. The world's highest webcam, Mount Everest webcam
Mount Everest webcam
The Mount Everest webcam is a camera located on Kala Patthar, a mountain in the Nepalese Himalaya, at an altitude of . The webcam captures video footage of the summit of Mount Everest and is the highest webcam in the world...
, is located here.
The ascent of Kala Patthar begins at Gorakshep
Gorakshep
Gorak Shep or Gorakshep is a frozen lakebed covered with sand and also the name of small village that sits on its border at 5,164m , near Mount Everest....
(5164 m (16,942 ft)), the original base camp for Mt. Everest. After a brief dip to an ancient lake bed (which now contains a small lake and a helipad), the ascent makes its way up a series of steep switchbacks before levelling off somewhat as it traverses to the eastern side of the mountain. The trail then becomes steep once again until it reaches the wind-swept summit ridge. From there, a five to ten minute scramble
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
over boulders takes one to the top, which is marked with prayer flags. The full ascent usually takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. If the attempt is made starting from Lobuche
Lobuche, Nepal
Lobuche is a small settlement at elevation, near Mount Everest in Nepal. It is one of the last overnight stops with lodging on the "trail to base camp"—a hike that climbers make on their way to Everest Base Camp when attempting an ascent of Everest via the standard southeast route. It is also a...
, an additional two to three hours (one way) is required.
Although the elevation is commonly listed as 5545–5550 m (18,192.3–18,208.7 ), Portland State University Assistant Professor Dr. Luis A. Ruedas took a Garmin eMap GPS unit to the summit on 6 December 2006. These units have the capability to average a series of individual satellite readings, making them more accurate than single reading machines. Averaging 48 readings at 0625h Nepal local time, temperature −20 °C, the GPS recorded the location of the summit as 27°59.750'N, 86°49.705'E (datum: WGS84), and elevation as 5643 m (18,514 ft). Even accounting for the fact that the summit may have approximately one meter of stones added as a celebratory cairn, this is a significant discrepancy with previously recorded elevations. The same unit was consistent with respect to previously recorded elevations for Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp. In October 2008, a GPS with WAAS recorded the summit at 27°59.751'N, 86°49.705'E (datum: WGS84) with an elevation of 5644.5 m (18,519 ft), confirming the 2006 data.
It is possible that since Kala Patthar is merely a minor summit on a ridge leading to Pumori, different people may have measured different summits. There is a minor summit along this ridge near 27°59.51'N, 86°49.62'E with an elevation of approximately 5545 m (18,192 ft). The summit traditionally referred to as Kala Patthar is, however, completely festooned with prayer flags, making it quite readily recognizable. It is that summit that was recorded as 5643 m (18,514 ft). It is quite clear that the point trekkers climb to is a local maxima on the Pumori ridge, not the summit of Kala Patthar proper. This point is clearly higher than the summit of Kala Patthar, but the name has remained in popular use.
In December 2009, Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal is a Nepali politician who was Prime Minister of Nepal from May 25, 2009 until February 6, 2011. He was nominated as a PM through internal arrangements within the current ruling coaliation government of Nepal. Nepal announced his resignation as Prime Minister on June 30, 2010...
and the Nepali Cabinet held a short cabinet meeting at the base of Kala Patthar as a response to climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.