shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNepal

above Gorak Shep, in the Khumbu

Kala Patthar

— — the dark rock that gives back Everest.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“The black ridge above Gorak Shep that climbers walk up at dawn because Everest is not visible from its own base camp. From the summit, more than 5,600 metres up, the south face of Everest stands clear across the Khumbu Glacier. Pumori rises directly behind. The wind moves. Nobody stays long.

from the studio

— bring it home

Kala Patthar, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Kala Patthar

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Kala Patthar, Nepali for "black rock", is the landmark above Gorak Shep at the head of the Khumbu Valley in Sagarmatha National Park. Summit elevation is commonly cited at 5,644 metres (18,517 feet), though survey figures vary by source. It is the standard viewpoint for trekkers on the Everest Base Camp route, since Everest's summit is hidden behind the Nuptse-Lhotse wall from base camp itself. The walk up from Gorak Shep takes two to three hours over loose dark scree. The Khumbu Glacier flows below; Pumori rises directly behind.

— informed by Wikipedia — Kala Patthar, Sagarmatha National Park

— the air

At 5,644 metres the atmosphere holds roughly half the oxygen of sea level. Most trekkers reach Kala Patthar after eight or nine days of staged ascent through Lukla, Namche Bazaar, and Lobuche to acclimatise. Headaches and breathlessness are routine; serious altitude illness is not rare. The Himalayan Rescue Association clinic at Pheriche, run each season since 1973, treats cases through the trekking windows. Above 5,000 metres the sky reads almost black at the zenith on a clear morning, and sound carries oddly thin.

— informed by Himalayan Rescue Association

— the dawn

The summit is traditionally walked at first light, when Everest's south face catches the sun before the valleys do. From Gorak Shep most trekkers leave around 4:30 a.m., headlamps tracking up the ridge. The east face of Pumori turns gold first; Everest follows a few minutes later. By mid-morning cloud often closes the view. The pre-monsoon window in April and May and the post-monsoon window in October and November carry the clearest skies. Winter is colder, emptier, and still walkable for prepared parties.

— informed by Wikipedia — Everest Base Camp trek

— where

Nepal · Sagarmatha National Park, Solukhumbu

— within

Sagarmatha National Park

— elevation

5,644 m · 18,517 ft

— position

27.9881° N · 86.8281° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

1 km W

Gorak Shep

trekkers' settlement

3 km NE

Everest Base Camp (South)

expedition camp

2 km N

Pumori

7,161 m peak

1 km E

Khumbu Glacier

glacier

8 km SW

Lobuche

trekking village

Kala Patthar

Gorak Shep

Everest Base Camp (South)

Pumori

Khumbu Glacier

Lobuche

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Kala Patthar — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

The summit sits at roughly 5,644 metres (18,517 feet) above sea level. It is one of the highest points routinely reached by trekkers without mountaineering equipment, on the standard Everest Base Camp route in Nepal.

Everest's summit is hidden behind the Nuptse and Lhotse ridges from base camp itself. Kala Patthar's higher angle clears that wall, so the south face of Everest stands fully visible across the Khumbu Glacier.

The two main windows are April to May, before the monsoon, and October to November, after it. Both bring stable air and clear mornings. December and January are colder, emptier, and still walkable for prepared trekkers.

From Gorak Shep at 5,164 metres, the walk takes most trekkers two to three hours up and an hour down. The altitude, not the distance, governs the pace.

Kala Patthar is Nepali for "black rock", named for the dark scree-and-boulder slope that distinguishes the ridge from the lighter granite faces around it.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. For trekkers who stood on the ridge at dawn, the piece reads as recognition rather than decoration. A Small or Medium sits well on a desk; the Large works on a wall they pass each day.

The slate, snow-white, and high-altitude blue of the artwork suit Mountain-modern, Minimalist Alpine, and Japandi rooms. It also lands in studios where the rest of the palette is warm wood.

Yes. Documented high-altitude and expedition imagery has carried strongly in the adventure-travel interiors category since the late 2010s, particularly in studies and home offices.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a four-tile Mural reads at the right scale. Above a narrow console, a Medium centred slightly higher than eye level holds the room.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and tolerate steam and splash well. The glossy finish is best kept to dry rooms where the surface can do its full work.

A soft microfibre cloth, lightly damp with water, is enough. No solvents, no abrasive pads. The colour lives in the surface and does not lift with normal cleaning.

— if this one stayed with you

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