Day 17 and we find ourselves, all of a sudden, back in Kathmandu.
The last two days have flown by - the walking has been good (even through the snow on the way to Namche), the appetite is well and truly back, and the lower altitudes allow us to consider that alcohol might not be a bad thing any more. In fact a few of us have hangovers and a need for sleep after last night's shenanigans.
Not a lot gets accomplished today - after a lunch of Sushi and a quick trip all the way to the hotel foyer to pick up some souvenirs, its time for a kip before dinner at Kilroys.
Day 18 is a lot more successful. Although we're leaving today, our flight is not until late afternoon, so we have the morning free. We have heard recommendations for the 'monkey temple' so we jump in a cab and ask for it. Twenty minutes later we're there.
The real name of the area is Swoyambhu, but tourists know it better as the Monkey Temple due to the number of monkeys living wild around here. They are fairly tame, but won't let anyone get too close before running.
Its a common misconception that a sherpa is the same as a porter. This isn't true - a sherpa is a mountain guide, and a group's guide will often hire separately one or more porters who actually do the carrying.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that our luggage is being carried by Yaks, and not by porters, but we still see many porters on our trek and its amazing to see how much they can carry - often overtaking us uphill.
The first photo below shows a group of porters all wearing the same 'uniform' - these have been hired by an expedition and are on their way up to base camp to set up before the foreigners turn up. The second photo is of a group heading up between Lukla and Namche for the weekly market. These guys are probably carrying over 30kg on their backs, but they still manage to make it up the climb faster than our group did last week.They might be almost superhuman in stamina, but even porters need a rest sometimes.
Day 13, and as predicted yesterday I have a lie-in this morning. Its not that I don't want to get up at six a.m., honest, but my legs are a little shaky after the long walk yesterday and I have no energy - it seems Snickers can only keep a guy going for so long before real food is needed. So, after the 'wake up tea' another three hours sleep is in order, followed by a leisurely breakfast while we wait for those who did manage to pull themselves out of their sleeping bags to return from the climb.
Once we do set off, we're heading steadily downwards - the high altitude is still a problem so the speed isn't high, but the climb down the hill into Duglha is great, especially when passing groups struggling upwards. That's what we looked like just two days ago!
We finally learn the phrase 'chito chito' - Nepalese for 'quickly quickly' - as we begin to pick up speed and we reach our next stop, Pheriche, mid-afternoon.
On day 14 we arrive back in Tengboche after a tortuous walk through the snow (the weather has finally changed: its snowing and the paths have become extremely slippery). Each day the monks at the monastery gather twice to chant - once in the morning and once in the afternoon - and we make our way over to the monastery for three o'clock to sit and listen.Later on, back at the lodge, it appears that the appetite is back to normal. Just in time too as this is the place to try the local specialities of Snickers and Mars Pies. They are both pretty good, but I'd have to go with the Mars variation as my favourite - like a cross between a profiterole and a deep fried Mars bar. Mmmmmm.
Day 12. Today we attempt to reach Everest Base Camp.
There's a lot of walking to fit in today, so its an early start - we are woken at five to be ready to head out by six o'clock. After a meagre breakfast (appetite is still not what it should be) and attempts by everyone to thaw some drinking water near the stove, we're ready.
We head out into the slowly lightening day and begin the three hour walk to the final settlement on the trek, Gorak Shep, at about 5200 meters. The sun won't make it high enough for us to benefit from its warmth for over an hour, meaning that all the water we thawed just freezes again - I get brain freeze each time I try to take a sip (check out the link - apparently your brain doesn't actually freeze!). Just after nine we finish the climb to Gorak Shep - time for an early lunch.
At ten thirty we leave for the three hour walk to base camp. The climb is not great - about another two hundred meters - but the walk is difficult: the path continually climbs then falls, air is thin, energy is scarce due to lack of food, and because the route has only been open a few days the trail hasn't yet been worn into a proper path and in many places is simply loose stone which could slip us over at any moment.
At about half way, we can see base camp in the distance. Its at this point that I start wondering whether to continue. I'm fairly sure I can get there, but I'm not so certain about getting back. Its time for a chocolatey treat. Fortunately I stocked up on Snickers at Gorak Shep - they might have been expensive, but they were well worth it.
Reaching base camp itself is quite an emotional moment - I made it(!), but I am still wondering about the walk back. There is absolutely nothing here either - its too early in the year for any expeditions to have come this far and the only things around us are mountains, glaciers, another couple of walking groups, and a crashed helicopter. Its very tranquil and, contrary to belief not covered in litter - although that may be because there are no camps here yet.
Everest itself is barely visible from here - behind the helicopter we can see the glacier up which those attempting the summit will climb, then, peeking out between the sides of Nuptse and Khumbutse we can see only a small portion of the highest mountain in the world.
The views are amazing though - the weather has still held for us and the sky is amazingly blue this high up. We stop for as long as we can in the cold, which gives us enough time for some group photos to prove we made it, followed by another Snickers - energy for the walk back.
Today - day 11 - is another long-ish walk with an ascent of between five and six hundred meters (depending on how high Dingboche really is). This may be a problem - no one seems to have really come up with a hard-and-fast set of recommendations on the rate of ascent at all altitudes, but above 4000 meters some would say you should only climb two or three hundred meters before stopping for a night to allow the body to adapt ... altitude sickness might become an issue again today.
The day starts with an undulating walk with a slight upwards trend towards Duglha, which is really just a place to stop and have a cuppa while you take stock of the seemingly massive four hundred meter climb just in front of you.
When tea is finished we head out, and not a lot is said for the next hour or so, as breath is in short supply. Finally we make it to the top and the views are amazing. The first photo below is looking back the way we came towards Cholatse and Tawoche Peaks.
Moving on we're heading downwards for a while, walking carefully in single file along a narrow path which has been created through the snow by other people on the same route. Crossing the bottom of the valley (second photo) we are met by one of our guides, who has been ahead to the lodge already and come back again with a large thermos of tea and a bag full of cups. Most welcome!
Another short walk sees us in Lobuche at 4930 meters - a tiny settlement at the base of the Lobuche East - where we're spending the night.
Later on, the clouds clear and the lack of a sunset the previous evening is suddenly rendered unimportant - we get a spectacular show. Both photos below are taken from just outside our lodge - the first is a shot across the valley, with the sun shining on a peak that might be Pokalde, while the second is looking on the other direction at Nuptse - as well as catching the top, the sun is also reflecting off haze at the base of the peak, making it seem as if the valleys are on fire.
We also receive some good news this evening - the trail to Everest Base Camp is open. Apparently the first set of trekkers got there a couple of days ago. Our good fortune with the warm weather has extended this far. Tomorrow we head for Base Camp!
Mani stones are rocks, boulders or stones that have been inscribed with mantras. They are associated with Tibetan Buddhism.
The stones can be huge, standing on their own, or small and made into walls or piles.
We're seeing a lot of these stones on the walk - especially at the lower altitudes where the more permanent settlements are located - dotted along the path, sometimes to one side and sometimes in the middle of the trail.
It is important to remember to always walk around the stones clockwise if possible.Prayer flags are also often seen, wrapped around Mani stone piles or walls, strung between walls or stupas or between trees or hilltops.
Each flag is one of five colours and is printed with mantras and symbols, and each colour represents a different thing: red for fire, green for water, blue for sky or space, yellow for earth and white for wind or air.
Monasteries often have thousands of flags outside.
Whatever the actual altitude in Dingboche, we're now above the tree line and, although its still clear during the days, its cold out of the sun, and last night the temperature dropped to minus eight (Celsius).
Because the air is so thin and cold, we lose a lot of moisture through breathing and so need to drink extra fluids. This results in me waking up several times a night with a dehydration headache and needing to drink. The low temperature causes an issue when I find my water starting to freeze by the morning. The altitude is also playing havoc with my appetite and its very difficult to eat much at mealtimes.
Today - day 10 - is another rest day. We have climbed around a thousand meters since Namche and we need to give ourselves time to get used to the extra height before heading further. We go for a walk up a few hundreds meters in the morning, passing several stupas on the way and take it easy in the afternoon.
The afternoon looks promising for another good sunset, but the clouds come back in at the last moment. The clouds look more ominous today, and our guide says the weather is going to change for the worse, but hopefully not for a couple of days.
From Dewoche where we spent last night we now have what looks on the map to be the longest day of the walk upwards towards base camp - not only are we climbing another several hundred meters, but we also covering over ten kilometres.
The scenery however is absolutely stunning and simply takes the breath away (OK, so the altitude doesn't help either). For me it no longer matters that base camp may be unreachable, the sheer scale of this place and the sense of wonder I get looking around is enough and I think I could now go home happy. There is one rest stop in the afternoon - no tea houses or any other sign of civilization nearby, just a breather - where the whole group seems to break apart for once, and I think everyone is just trying to take in everything around them.
We reach Dingboche mid-afternoon. There seems to be some confusion about how high we now are - the map says 4260 meters, our guide says 4350, the business card of the lodge says 4410 and trip notes say 4530.
Later on I'm reading in the dining room and something catches my eye through the window - looking around I literally utter the word 'wow'. Everyone else looks up to see what's happening. There's a short pause as we all take in what we're seeing, followed a few seconds later by a mad scrabble for cameras. A photo really doesn't do it justice, but here's what we saw - sunset on Ama Dablam.
Day 7 - the altitude problems have gone and we're heading up and over to Khumjung and Kunde and on to Kyanjuma. It's not a great distance today, because the plan is to stop at a few places along the way.
We start by heading quite steeply out of Namche Bazaar and are soon in the snow. Clouds come in and we are soon covered - visibility drops and we enter a world that's all whites and greys. Our first stop is meant to be the Everest View Hotel, which claims to be the highest hotel in the world, but as there is quite a lot of snow to get through - and there would be no view anyway - we decide to head straight for Kunde, where we drop in at the clinic for a look at how they cope with the limited supplies they receive.
After Kunde its on to Khumjung. The clouds start to part and we can again see the mountains around us. The view approaching Kunde is quite amazing - seen below.
On day 8 the aim is to reach Tengboche and beyond. Tengboche is home to the largest Sherpa Monastery in the region and we can actually see it before we start - about six kilometres away and not much higher than Kyanjuma. All is not quite as easy as it appears though, as it is on the opposite side of the Dudh Kosi from us. In order to get there we need to drop 600 meters to cross the river, before climbing the same distance to get back to the height we started. Just when we would appreciate another 'unnecessarily high bridge' there is none in sight.
We will stop for a night in Tengboche on the way back, but for now we just stay for lunch. There is a sign outside the lodge advertising the specialities of the house but we stick to the usual favourites and just have soup. We'll come back to the Snickers and Mars Pies another time.
Time for some Himalayan fauna and flora.
Firstly the yaks. We're seeing lots of these - in fact our group includes three of them, which are carrying our luggage between stops. Below about 3000 meters a cross between yaks and cows (caks?) is used - seen in the picture to the right - as yaks themselves prefer to the thinner air at higher altitudes and don't do well down low. The first photo below shows some proper yaks - longer-haired and larger than the cross.
We're also seeing 'Yak Steak' on the menu at the lodges each night. It's probably buffalo (we're told) but tastes good none-the-less.
There's not a lot of flora around - we're a bit early in the year and had we arrived a few weeks later we might have seen the rhododendron forests in full bloom. However as we start our trek there are already a number of primula coming up and on the way back the ground will be covered.
A couple of our group - me included - are suffering a little with mild altitude sickness at breakfast on day 6. Nothing serious - just headaches - probably brought on by dehydration and quickly solved with water and paracetamol.
In the last two days we have climbed from 2800 meters at Lukla to 3450 meters at Namche Bazaar. As altitude is gained the air gets thinner, meaning there is less oxygen available to inhale. It takes time for the body to adapt to this and so as a general recommendation, a rest day should be taken for every thousand meters climbed. Today is our rest day and we'll be staying at Namche one more night.
A rest day it may be, but we're not going to be completely idle. It's beneficial to sleep slightly lower than the maximum height reached during the day when trekking, so we're heading upwards on a path that takes us out of Namche Bazaar (for some amazing views over the village) to the National Park Visitor's Centre and the Museum of Sherpa Life - where someone appears to have crashed a helicopter ... careless.
When we return to Namche it's time for lunch and we opt for pizza at one of the seemingly many places called 'Bakery', followed by a bit of shopping to get all the bits and pieces we think we're missing. Prices here might be higher than in Kathmandu, but they are a lot lower than in the UK. I pick up a North Face down vest jacket for just $50!
For the afternoon we head back to the lodge (the same lodge it turns out where President Jimmy Carter stayed during his trek in 1985 - there are pictures and plaques dotted around to remind you in case you forget) for a bit of relaxing. Got to be ready for tomorrow after all.
Day 5 of the Base Camp trip - the second day of trekking - dawns bright and clear. So far we are being incredibly lucky with the weather - previous to our trip there had been a reasonably bad spell.
The average weather for this time of year is for mornings to be clear and sunny, with clouds coming over in the mid-afternoon, making for a dull finish, and that's exactly what we're seeing. We might head out before the sun has made it high enough to hit the bottom of the valley, but pretty soon we're in the light and layers are quickly removed.
Here is a typical view, taken from our morning tea stop.
After a couple of hours during which we all find our own pace, the whole group reaches our destination for the day - Namche Bazaar. We are greeted by this Stupa - its almost too much effort to reach for the camera to take the photo - before entering the village proper and finding our lodge for a nice welcoming cup of lemon tea.
Day 4 of the Everest Base Camp trip sees the start of the trekking. But its a relatively easy start. After an early wake up its a short bus journey to the domestic terminal of the airport for check-in (best described as 'slight chaos', but everything comes together and no bags are lost) for the 30 minute flight to Lukla at 2800m.
Lukla airport is quite a thing to behold, let alone land at and take off from. The airstrip itself is short. To help planes slow down on landing its angled upwards, which also helps them to gain speed on take off. When landing, the pilot has to hit the start of the runway as closely as possible and then brake hard. All you can see looking out of the front of the cockpit is a wall of mountain coming towards you at a fair pelt. At the last second the pilot yanks the controls to the right and the plane swings around into the holding area for disembarkation. Below is a picture showing a plane taking off - when heavily loaded, they don't quite get enough speed to take off cleanly and actually dip down a little as they fall off the end of the pavement before climbing back up again. Pretty amazing to watch, especially knowing that in a couple of weeks time that will be you heading back after your trek.
After a quick cup of tea, plus time to make sure any necessary items are taken out of the kit bags before they are loaded onto the Yaks, its time to set off on a steady, undulating but averaging downwards walk to Phakding, where the night is spent at 2640m. Along the way there are plenty of enticing views of the Himalayas, small villages and the Dudh Kosi river ('milk river'), whose valley we are following. I could post any number of photos, but I've picked my favourite of the day, below.
The weather on the way is pleasantly sunny and nice and warm, although we are already hearing rumours that base camp itself is probably closed due to snow - since the snow started this year, no one has made it to camp, and there is a chance we may not either. That doesn't seem to bother anyone and there are high spirits around the stove that evening - helped along with a couple of bottles of Everest, the local beer, which appears to be Tuborg but with different labels.
Tomorrow is the first big day.
I'm back!
I realised I may have been a little misleading in the last post. I wasn't walking up Everest at all - just to Base Camp. I was away on a trip organised by Exodus ... and it was great.
It feels weird to be home after so long away - especially so because I had no contact with the outside world for almost the entire time away - there is still no mobile reception anywhere on the trek route, and internet access is sparse and wasn't used except to send the odd e-mail home.
Over the coming few posts I'll be explaining what we actually did and how it was - accompanied by photos of course.
Days 1 and 2 of the trip were both taken up with travelling to Kathmandu from London. Not helped much by a delay to the second leg of the journey, meaning ten hours in Muscat airport. Fortunately, access to the business lounge made this slightly more manageable.
Day 3 was given over to a brief tour of Kathmandu and a free afternoon. Nothing too strenuous to start with! Here are some shots from the tour.
