 Rongphu Monastery 4980m (16,338 ft) the highest monastery in the world |
 Everest Base Camp Hotel at Rongphu |
 The checkpoint and Rongphu |
 Cyclist returning from Everest Base Camp |
 Land Cruisers waiting at the Rongphu checkpoint |
 Crazy! |
 Land Cruiser at Rongphu |
 Rongphu Checkpoint - we got held up here for about 4 hours because the f*** agency didn't have the permits in order |
 Mt. Everest, in Tibetan Qomolangma and in Nepali Sagarmatha |
 Mount Everest to Rongphu is around 25 |
 From Rongphu the view of Everest is excellent but I paid good money to get here so I want to get as close as I can |
 Everest from Rongphu |
 Stupa of Rongphu Monastery |
 North face of Mt Everest 25 km away from Rongphu |
 Weather-beaten old marker near Rongphu Monastery |
 Strong wind blowing across the summit of Everest |
 The Rongphu Checkpoint - we weren't the only ones held up at the checkpoint |
 Killing time at Rongphu checkpoint |
 We had been booked to stay at Rongbuk Monastery hotel, a very very simple accomodation |
 Lunch at Rongphu Monastery guesthouse while waiting for the guide and the agency in Lhasa to sort out the red tape |
 The stupa of Rongphu Monastery with the north face of Mt Everest |
 I used some more of the delay to visit Rongphu Monastery on my own |
 Entrance to Rongphu Monastery |
 Prayer flag at Rongphu - clouds moving in... |
 Stupa (chörten) of Rongphu Monastery |
 Courtyard, Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery was founded in 1902 |
 Interior, Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery guesthouse ("Hotel" is pushing it) |
 Buddha images, Rongphu Monastery |
 Chana Dorje (Vajrapani) Bodhisattva of Energy |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 TibetOct08 4076.jpg |
 Buddhas of the Three Ages, Past, Present and Future |
 Tamdrin (Hayagriva) with Palden Lhamo (Sri Devi) in Tantric yab yam |
 Guru Rinpoche, Rongphu Monastery |
 Another image of Guru Rinpoche at Rongphu Monastery |
 TibetOct08 4084.jpg |
 Tantric deities in yab yam pose |
 Yab Yam = Honorable Father, Honorable Mother |
 TibetOct08 4087.jpg |
 TibetOct08 4088.jpg |
 Sacred Tibetan books carefully wrapped, Rongphu Monastery |
 TibetOct08 4091.jpg |
 Thousand-armed Chenresi, Rongphu Monastery mural |
 Guru Rinpoche at Rongphu Monastery |
 Palden Lhamo (Shri Devi) mural, Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 At this point, the driver came and fetched me saying they'd made a breakthrough |
 We would be allowed past the checkpoint for 30 minutes at Everest Base Camp with military escort |
 But the soldiers were at lunch...and the clouds are moving in |
 Rongphu Monastery, after the visit to EBC |
 The summit was hidden in clouds during our 30 minuntes at Everest Base Camp, but it cleared by as soon as we were back |
 Mt Everest with the stupa of Rongphu Monastery |
 The best view of Everest |
 Rongphu Monastery with Mt Everest |
 Top of the Rongphu stupa with Mt. Everest |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Mt Everest with Rongphu Monastery |
 Mount Everest, late afternoon |
 Rongphu Glacier at the foot of Everest |
 Prayer flags and a shrine on the slope above Rongphu Monastery |
 Shrine with Mt Everest |
 Rongphu Monastery from the hillside |
 Wandering around Rongphu |
 The road to New Tingri from Rongphu |
 Climbing the slopes above Rongphu |
 There was no path so I didn't get very high |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 The summit of Mt Everest 8848m (29,029 ft) |
 The summit of Mt Everest 8848m (29,029 ft) |
 TibetOct08 4258.jpg |
 Mt Everest from the slopes above Rongphu |
 Stone cairns with Mt Everest, Rongphu |
 Prayer flags at Rongphu with Mt Everest |
 A forest of green prayer flags on the slope above Rongphu Monastery |
 Mt Everest through the forest of green flags |
 Mount Everest - Qomolangma - from Rongphu |
 Rongphu |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 The stupa at Rongphu Monastery looking north, late afternoon |
 Stones carved with Tibetan inscriptions |
 Pile of seemingly discarded stones next to Rongphu |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 The tour company upgraded me to the Government Hotel |
 I feel sorry for the guys in tents |
 It's cold and windy up here |
 Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse (primitive) |
 Government Hotel at Rongphu (better) |
 Mt Everest north face |
 Rongphu |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu weather station |
 Rongphu Monastery and the guesthouse flanking the road to Everest Base Camp |
 Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse with Mount Everest |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Rongphu Monastery |
 Strong wind blowing, Mt Everest |
 North face of Mt Everest from Rongphu, late afternoon |
 North face of Mt Everest from Rongphu, late afternoon |
 North face of Mt Everest from Rongphu, late afternoon |
 North face of Mt Everest from Rongphu, late afternoon |
 North face of Mt Everest from Rongphu, late afternoon |
 Everest retreating into shadow |
 End of the day at Rongphu |
 Nearing sunset at Mt Everest |
 North face of Mt Everest |
 Moon high above Mt Everest |
 Sundowner from the terrace of the Rongphu Hotel |
 It's soooo cold out! |
 The driver |
 Mt Everest at sunset from the terrace of the Rongphu Hotel |
 Mt Everest sunset from Rongphu |
 Mt Everest sunset from Rongphu |
 Mt Everest sunset from Rongphu |
 Mt Everest sunset from Rongphu |
 Mt Everest sunset from Rongphu |
 Mt Everest sunset from Rongphu |
 Early morning, north face of Mt Everest from Rongphu |
 Calm, clear morning with very little wind blowing around the summit of Mt Everest |
 First light, Mt Everest |
 Mt Everest catching the morning's first light with the valley at Rongphu in shadow |
 Early morning, Mt Everest north face from Rongphu |
 Early morning, Mt Everest north face from Rongphu |
 The morning sun reaches the white peak west of Rongphu |
 Mural of Shegar Dzong at the Rongphu Government Hotel |
 Early morning around Rongphu |