What was Everest Base Camp like, and why was Peak surprised?

• A. It was a pristine, organized base camp with spotless tents.
• B. Gigantic tents everywhere; it looked like an outhouse and a garbage dump with decades of junk.
• C. It looked like a modern resort with clean facilities.
• D. It had no tents at all, just open sky.

Answer: (B)

Base Camp is shown as a sprawling, chaotic hub packed with gear and people rather than a neat, orderly place. The description with gigantic tents everywhere and a look like an outhouse and a garbage dump with decades of junk communicates both the scale and the mess, capturing how cluttered and rough the environment can feel when so many expeditions collide in one area. Peak’s surprise comes from the contrast between any expectation of a clean, orderly setup and the gritty reality of crowded tents, waste, and improvised infrastructure. The other options miss that contrast: they imagine a pristine or resort-like scene or no tents at all, none of which fit the vivid, overwhelming impression described.