Now things were getting exciting as we drew ever closer to Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp. I was thrilled when we made a detour to Shegar, a small village that is famous as the stopping-place of early British expeditions to Everest. Sadly, its stunning dzong - the White Crystal Fort - has been reduced to ruins by the Chinese. We then crossed the Pang La (5120m), stopping to buy some bracelets from some very hardy trinket sellers and get our first glimpse of Everest from the north side. Then it was on to Rongbuk Monastery and Everest Base Camp. We arrived in a white-out, but fortunately, a couple of hours later the clouds lifted and we got some excellent views of the stupendous north face of Everest, or Chomolungma as it is known by the Tibetans.
