Wed March 20- At 2:30 in the afternoon our Jet Airways flight landed in Kathmandu, Nepal! We left Bali late last night and spent the short night in a 'low-scale' Singapore hotel. The next morning we flew from Singapore to Delhi, before continuing on to Kathmandu.
The Kathmandu airport was chaotic, but we actually got our visas quickly and our luggage arrived as well. We would be going on a trek with Adventure Great Himalayan (AGH) and our 'package' included a ride from the airport. That turned out to be true! A guy with a sign that read "Laura Beth" awaited our arrival. You would think he would drive us, but no, he just got into a taxi with us. The taxi must have been 40 years old, but we arrived safely at the Heritage Home Hotel in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. Once in our room with our bags, we could not get out! The door-handle was not catching the lock properly and we had to use substantial force to break out. Maybe not the safest in an emergency situation, so we switched rooms. Our next stop was a short walk to the AGH office where we met the owner, Babu. Over a cup of milk-tea, we took care of the formalities for our Three Passes Trek. After dinner outside in a pleasant garden restaurant, we headed back to our hotel for an early night.
Thu March 21- After breakfast we navigated Thamel's hectic streets for more information on a camping-trek. Nepal's most popular treks (Everest, Annapurna) pass through villages and the tourists stay in teahouses (simple lodges) - like we would on our Three Passes Trek. We were interested in doing something more 'hardcore' and tried to get information on a camping expedition - either around Dhaulagiri or Kanchenjunga. After some fruitless hours we figured that Kathmandu was not the place to get this specific information. There are 100s of trekking agencies and most just want to make a sale. We learned that if you want to do a camping/expedition trek, that you should plan this in advance. Best with a Western company that specializes in organizing these camping expeditions. Luckily there are many other excellent treks that do not require much advance preparation and we could arrange another trek upon returning from the Three Passes.
At three o'clock we went back to AGH where we met Babu and our guide nicknamed Man. Man seemed like a nice young man and he would pick us up at 6am the next morning. After the short meeting we went back to our hotel to pack our bags. Our hotel - although hotel is a big word - had no electricity during the day. We think this is quite normal in Kathmandu, but it is challenging to take a half-warm shower in the dark.
Around 5 we met Babu to go out for a Nepali-style dinner. We had good food and fun conversations. Babu has an inspiring life-story. He grew up in a typical Himalayan village where his parents had a farm. Not having enough funds to go to high-school, he started his working career as a porter- carrying heavy loads and wearing sandles as footwear. Quickly he learned some English and worked himself up to be a guide. About 5 years ago he quit guiding and started his own trekking company (AGH). He and his business are doing very well! Also according to TripAdvisor... The Nepali dream come true!
Fri March 22- 3PT Day 1- Lukla (2,840) to Phakding (2,610)
The Three Passes Trek is a +/- 18 day trek in the Everest Region of Nepal. In addition to visiting Everest Base Camp and climbing to Kala Patthar, we would also cross three high passes and explore more valleys in the area. It is basically the 'ultimate' Everest trek, only to be done by cool people. Read on to find out if we are cool! This trek is a so called 'teahouse trek.' The whole Everest area is developed and many people live in this area. There are towns, villages, electricity, mobile phone service, etc. But, there are no roads and no cars! Walking (or flying) is the only way to get around. The trek starts and ends in Lukla, a 45 minute flight from Kathmandu.
At 6am sharp Man picked us up from our hotel. The taxi required a push to get the engine going, but soon we were on our way to the airport. The Kathmandu domestic terminal appeared to be total mayhem. It was... No real check-in counters, lines moving sideways instead of forward and no visible flight information. Yesterday the weather had been bad both in Kathmandu and Lukla and there had been no flights. Therefore a lot of people were present in the terminal. Our guide Man proved very helpful. He moved countless times from the left Tara Airlines counter to the right, and back again. We were happy to stand back and observe the bureaucracy. Man did great! Our flight was supposed to leave at 7:45, but given yesterday's bad weather, we were happy to get on a 9:45 flight to Lukla.
The flight in the Twin Otter to Lukla was scary, but spectacular. We had awesome views of the highest peaks on Earth! We sat right behind the pilots and with the "TERRAIN" lights flashing, we could see the Lukla airstrip at 2,800 meters. The runway looked too short for comfort, but the actual landing was smooth. As an engineering side note: the runway has been constructed at a 12 degree angle, which helps landing aircraft slow down and aircraft taking-off speed up. One of the coolest airports we have been to!
We got off the plane and collected our bag. Our porter Niru, who would be carrying our backpack, was awaiting our arrival. While Man and Niru were getting organized, we had morning tea at a lodge overlooking the airstrip. Spectacular to see the planes come and go!
On our first trekking day we walked from Lukla to Phakding, 200 meters lower than Lukla. An easy 2.5 hour hike. We passed through many villages, had nice open views and in the distance we could see a few snow-capped peaks. We had lunch in the sun, sitting outside one of the teahouses we passed. Around 3pm we arrived at the Snow Lodge in Phakding. As would be the case during the whole trek; every time we checked in at a teahouse or ordered food, Man would take care of it. Our first teahouse was much nicer than we had expected a teahouse to be - definitely beat the huts in New Zealand! For acclimatization reasons we did not drink alcohol, but milk-tea. Or mint-tea, or peach-tea. We drank many pots of tea!
Sat March 23- 3PT Day 2- Phakding (2,610) to Namche Bazar (3,440)
In these mountains the weather is usually better in the early morning. Therefore, throughout the trek, we had breakfast at 6 and were on the trail 45 minutes later. This first morning in the Himalayas was a cold one - like all mornings actually. On this crystal clear morning we set out to Namche Bazar. We walked through the forest passing quite a few villages. The trail followed a river that we crossed 5 times on spectacular swing-bridges.
We made good progress and arrived in Namche around lunch-time. We checked in at the Namche Hotel. Once again a very nice teahouse with a great view of the mountains. After lunch we went for a walk around and above the town. Namche is a bigger town and is beautifully located in a natural amphitheater with high peaks all around. We were impressed! Since our bodies were busy acclimatizing we took it easy and rested the rest of the afternoon.
A little word about the porters we saw during our trek. There are trekking-porters, like Niru, that carry up to a maximum of 30 kilograms. (We actually only had one backpack of about 15 kg's.). Then there are the supply-porters that carry anything from bottled water to multiplex planks. These porters carry up to a mind-boggling 80 kilograms! The weight is carried by using a strap that sits on the forehead. Just imagine carrying 70 kilograms of door-size planks on your forehead, neck and back... (to convert to pounds - times two - plus 10%)
Sun March 24- 3PT Day 3- Acclimatization Day at Namche Bazar (3,440)
Right after breakfast we walked about 20 minutes uphill to a nearby viewpoint at the National Park Headquarters. It was a clear morning and we had our first view of Mount Everest! Hard to imagine that Everest was 5 kilometers higher than us. Many other mountains in our vista looked more spectatcular, especially the nearer by Ama Dablam. But they were not the highest.
After a visit to the Sagarmatha (Everest in Nepali) museum, we started our acclimatization walk. We walked a 4 hour circuit to the nearby village of Khumjung, located at 3,800 meters. For morning tea we made a stop at the Hotel Everest View. A luxury hotel with a million dollar view of the Everest range. Amazing! After our rest we continued on to Khumjung village, the local monastery with a yeti skull (or so they say) was unfortunately closed. Another interesting sight were the farmers plowing their fields. Two oxen pulled a simple plow, followed by the farmers family planting the potatoes. There was fine cell phone reception though... Both Man and Niru were on their phones as we passed this medieval scene. Back in Namche we had lunch at our teahouse. The rest of the day we took it easy. We had a shower and ate apple pie at the German bakery.
Mon March 25- 3PT Day 4- Namche Bazar (3,440) to Pangboche (3,930)
Today we walked straight towards the distant Mount Everest. The trail first led us high above valley floor with majestic views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. We had morning coffee (accompanied by apple pie) with another one of those brilliant views. Before getting to Tengboche we had to cross the river. This meant an easy downhill, followed by a long uphill. We could definitely feel the altitude! In the initial plan we would have stayed overnight in Tengboche, but now we only stopped for lunch. Man was impressed by our performance and we would continue for one more hour to Pangboche.
As a food side-note; for lunch and dinner we ate a lot of "dal baht." A typical sherpa dish with rice, lentil-soup, curried potatoes (in the veg version), a cracker and cabbage. A filling meal, tasty as well, but it did get old after eating it for many days. In general the food at the teahouses was good, but there is little variety.
We had lunch (you can guess what) and walked the last hour to Pangboche. The biggest obstacle this last stretch was a long yak-caravan. Yaks are the Nepali cargo carrier and this was not the first, nor the last caravan we came across. Yaks walk quite slow, but given their size, they are hard to overtake! It required some agility to get passed these animals. Once in Pangboche we checked in at the Eco Hotel. Hilarious name for this teahouse - we could not find the eco theme. Shortly after we had settled into our room, the clouds came in and it started to snow! Not for long though and by late afternoon the sun came out again. Before dinner we went for a short walk in Pangboche. We wanted to vist a 400+ year old monastery, but it was closed.
Tue March 26- 3PT Day 5- Pangboche (3,930) to Dingboche (4,360)
As we were getting higher, the nights got colder. We were nice and toasty in our sleeping-bags, but we both did not sleep well. We blamed the altitude. We only had a short 2.5 hour walk to Dingboche today. A beautiful cold and clear morning with great views. We were now above the tree line, not that there were that many trees, and by 9:30 we arrived in Dingboche. We checked in at the Moonlight Lodge teahouse and this time we got a room with a private toilet (no toilet-seat and hand flush using a water barrel). We had morning tea in the warm sun. The view we had of Ama Dablam was spectacular! We had an early lunch and at noon we set out an acclimatization walk up the hill. It had become a little more cloudy, but the scenery was still breathtaking. What a sight! Nuptse, Lhotse, Island Peak and in the distance Makalu (the world's 5th highest mountain). What an awesome trek!
Back at the teahouse we both had an altitude headache. Nothing to worry, but later in the afternoon Laura Beth also got nauseous. With some toast for dinner she went to bed early. We would decide tomorrow if we were taking another acclimatization day.
Wed March 27- 3PT Day 6- Acclimatization / Rest Day at Dingboche (4,360)
Laura Beth was feeling better in the morning, but we decided not to push it and stay one more day at Dingboche. No need to rush. Laura Beth, being a doctor, suspected a stomach bug more than the altitude. Hygiene is questionable in Nepal and it is easy to pick up some unwanted creature.
After breakfast - a couple of bites for Laura Beth and double portion for Maurits - we went for the same walk as yesterday. We climbed to about 4,800 meters and enjoyed the awesome views once more. The scenery does definitely not get old. By late morning we were back at the Moonlight Lodge. We sat on the patio, out of the cold wind and in the warm sun. An excellent place to rest and recover!
Thu March 28- 3PT Day 7- Dingboche (4,360) to Chhukhung (4,730)
Laura Beth was not feeling well on our 2.5 hour walk to Chhukhung. And as soon as we got to the Sun Rise Eco Guest House, around 9:30, Maurits was not feeling well either! "Stomach problem" is the politically correct term. Our plan was to climb a little ways up Chhukhung Ri (5,550), but instead we spent most of the day in bed. It was a cold and cloudy day, which meant we did not miss too much good scenery. We were focused on staying warm and comfortable in the damp teahouse.
Most teahouses are heated with a single stove in the dining 'hall' and the stove burns wood or dried cow/yak poop. Fuel is scarce at this elevation and the stove is only in use during dinner, and sometimes during breakfast. With the fire going it usually gets a bit smoky in the teahouses and maybe that is why the locals "hawk-a-lugie" (spit) so much! During the day when the sun is out and there is little to no wind, it is very comfortable sitting outside. But by mid afternoon it is usually cloudy, and just sitting around (inside or out) is cold!
Fri March 29- 3PT Day 8- Chhukhung (4,730) to Lobuche (4,910) via Kongma La Pass (5,535)
We were not in top shape when we left Chhukhung at 5:40. With just a few bites of muesli we started our ascent of the Kongma La Pass. The weather was fine, not crystal clear like the previous days, but some high level cloud. The trail was steep and there was snow. Walking uphill at 5,000 meters is hard in the best of circumstances, but since we were not feeling tip-top, it required a lot of mental strength to keep going. We got to the top of the pass around 10:30. Beautiful views to compensate our 'misery.' The sun was out, not much wind, very comfortable temperature! Weather wise we were lucky on the pass. However, when the sun was behind the clouds and the icy wind picked up, it was freezing!
The descent was more difficult than the ascent. Steep slope, snow and rocks made it treacherous going down. Our guide Man did an excellent job though, he made steps in the snow when it was very steep. And we were very impressed by our porter Niru, who crossed the pass in sneakers and jeans. By the way, next time we will bring our gaiters to keep the snow out of our boots and 'yak-tracks' for extra traction. After 9 hours of struggling with little more to eat than half a Snickers and a bottle of Coke, we were exhausted and dehydrated to the bone. We were more than relieved to arrive at the Eco Lodge Lobuche, in Lobuche. After we had rested for a moment and drank tea, coke and water, Laura Beth was feeling a bit better. Maurits resorted to antibiotics. To celebrate the survival of our ordeal, we bought ourselves a hot shower. All refreshed, we drank more tea and had some noodle-soup for dinner. From a bright perspective: today we burnt a lot more calories than we ate! And after we had a look at our pictures most of the pain was forgotten.
Sat March 30- 3PT Day 9- Lobuche (4,910) to Pangboche (3,930)
When we went to bed we both felt more or less fine. We thought the worst was behind us! But no. Around 10pm Laura Beth got very ill with a pounding headache and nausea - acute mountain sickness. We were considering packing up and heading for lower grounds in the middle of the subzero night. After taking 'diamox' LB was feeling a little better and since she was still coherent and could walk in a straight line, cerebral oedema was ruled out (for the moment). When the very long night finally came to an end we packed up and headed down. As we were walking down the valley, a dozen or more ultra-marathon runners overtook us. They were running 65 kilometers from Everest Base Camp to Lukla. Impressive! We however, arrived around 9am at the Snow Land Lodge in Pheriche at 4,240 meters. LB's condition seemed to be improving and she went to bed for a nap (luckily the teahouses don't have "check-in from" times). Her headache passed, but the nausea got worse. By mid afternoon, after LB had not had lunch for five days in a row, Man (our guide) insisted we pack up and go further down to Pangboche. Two hours later we arrived (back) at the Eco Hotel. LB was still nauseous and had two 'digestive' cookies for dinner, but she did drink plenty of water.
Sun March 31- 3PT Day 10- Pangboche (3,930) to Namche Bazar (3,440)
No overnight miracle change in Laura Beth's situation - nausea, no appetite, 'stomach' issues and a cold - but it had not gotten worse either. After she had a cup of black tea for breakfast, and half a slice of toast (with jam), we went further back the way we had come. Sadly this meant we were leaving Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, and the two remaining passes to cross behind. Maybe if LB starts to feel better soon, we could still go into the Gokyo valley and cross the third pass- Renjo La. We set off on a dusty trail towards Namche. Namche is a bigger town and, if needed, there is a small clinic. We had a beautifully clear morning with once more grandiose views of the mountains. But with LB struggling, the views did not bring the same excitement as before. Around 2pm we arrived for the second time at the Namche Hotel. Man somehow got us a 'deluxe' room with bathroom and bed-sheets (we suspect he got a deal explaining LB's sickness). LB could definitely use the extra comfort and after a shower she went to bed.
Mon April 1- 3PT Day 11- Rest Day at Namche Bazar (3,440)
Laura Beth felt a little better in the morning and even ate half a pancake for breakfast! But soon after she felt pretty miserable again with what seemed never ending nausea. Since doctor Chamberlain could not figure out what was wrong, we decided to visit the Namche Health Clinic for a second opinion. The clinic is situated high above the main center of town and a good 15 minute uphill walk. Seems not that accessible for the (really) sick... Luckily LB was still strong enough to make it to the clinic. The local doctor did not know more, but all vital signs were good. Still a worthwhile visit and a sanity check for Dr. LB. We both took a pill for parasite/worms - Maurits also not being 100% fit - and walked back to our hotel. The remainder of the day we rested, with the hope of a turnaround point in LB's situation - it did not come... LB did eat more today than on previous days, but the nausea remained. Very frustrating! Tomorrow we would decide to either go back to Kathmandu or to go up the Gokyo valley.
Tue April 2- 3PT Day 12- Rest Day at Namche Bazar (3,440)
Finally change for the better. Laura Beth was no longer nauseous and actually ate three (small) meals! We were both happy and relieved! But... we still decided to walk back to Lukla tomorrow and (hopefully) fly back to Kathmandu the day after. We both thought it not sensible to push ourselves and try another 5,500 meter high pass in the coming days. Sad as it was, we renamed our trek into the One Pass Trek :-( Oh well, there are worse things in the world and we cannot feel sorry for people who travel for a year. We still thoroughly enjoyed this shorter trek. A trek above the treeline with the world's highest mountains all around is exactly what we like!
And so another day went by in Namche where the weather was beautiful. Till about 3pm that was; then as per usual the clouds came in and it even thundered a little.
Wed April 3- 3PT Day 13- Namche Bazar (3,440) to Lukla (2,840)
The two days of inactivity were followed by breakfast at 6 o'clock. Shortly thereafter we left the high mountains behind and started the walk back to Lukla. We will have to come back to cross the other two passes and view Everest from Kala Patthar! We retraced our steps through the valley and crossed the many swing-bridges once more. This part of the trek was by the far the busiest; many (large) trekker-groups coming from the airport, porters and herds of yaks and donkeys carrying supplies up the mountain. We must say however, that despite the thousands of trekkers and porters, it was easy to escape the crowds. It was defnitely not as bad as we thought it would be. And the scenery was of course absolutely magnificent. It took us about 6 hours to get back to Lukla. We were both still not feeling as strong as before, but we did fine. A couple of additional rest days should get us back in shape! In Lukla, we checked in and had lunch at the North Face Resort. After lunch we said goodbye to our porter Niru - thank you for carrying our bag!! Plus tip of course. In the afternoon we went to a cafe for coffee and cake. We sat comfortably in the warm sunroom and made plans for our next trek, maybe in the Annapurna region. The temperature is higher at this lower altitude, which makes relaxing a lot more enjoyable!
Thu April 4- 3PT Day 14- Lukla (2,840) to Kathmandu (1,400)
After a week of absence when LB was not feeling well, the Gods were with us again (at least according to our guide)! We were scheduled on the 11am flight from Lukla to Kathmandu and, since the weather is better in the early morning, the odds of this flight going were low. But the weather stayed 'fine' and the Tara Air Dornier-228 flew us safely back to Kathmandu. The flight was scary though! We did not fly much higher than the mountains below, it was bumpy and windy and we were going up, down, left, right and back again. With two pairs of sweaty hands we were happy to be back in Kathmandu. The warm temperature in Kathmandu felt good! It was nice to warm up after a cold morning in Lukla. Man arranged a taxi and 30 minutes later we arrived in Thamel at the Adventure Great Himalaya office. We got our bags and after a coffee we said goodbye to our guide Man. He was great - especially on the pass! After a shower at the International Guest House - much better than the Heritage Home Hotel - we had lunch and contemplated which trek we should do next...
Blogsy is not the ideal app...
