Himalaya reloaded - SOLITAIRE trail of Everest and Gokyo

LONG TREK IN DECEMBER 2010 – 18 days – 
by myself, 19 kg backpack - aprox. 150 km

LUKLA – TOK TOK – NAMCHE BAZAR – KUNDE – KHUMJUNG – THAMSE - TENGBOCHE – DHOLE – DINGBOCHE –CHHUKHUNG – ISLAND PEAK B.C. - LEBOCHE – GHORAK SHEP – EVEREST B.C. – KHALA PATAR PEAK – PERICHE - UPPER PENGBOCHE – PHORSE -DHOLE - GOKYO – GOKYO RI PEAK – DHOLE – PHORTSE TANGA – KHUMJUNG - NAMCHE BAZAR - LUKLA

01. Kathmandu (1.300) – Lukla (2.840) - flight of 45 min., 

      from 1.300 to 2.840 m alt.

      Trek from Lukla to Tok Tok (2.710), 3 hours of descent 

      (mostly), from 2.840 to 2.710 m alt.

      Crossing through the following Sherpa villages: …..

02. Tok Tok – Namche Bazar (3.440)

       Trekking, 5 hours, some descents, mostly very steep 

        ascent, from 2.710 m to 3.440 m high.

        Crossing through the following Sherpa villages: …..

03. Namche Bazar – Syangboche (3.720) – Khunde 

      (3.8400) – Khumjung (3.780) – Namche Bazar

      Trekking, 7 hours, ascent and descent, acclimatization 

       day. My insomnia started last night and I suffered 

       about it for 14 nights. Terrible times.

04. Namche Bazar – Thamo (3.493) – Thame (3.800)

      Trekking, 7 hours, ascent and descent, acclimatization 

       day.

05. Namche Bazar – Tengboche (3.860) - cold over night

      Trekking, 7 hours, no break, one of the most difficult 

       days: long, dusty and steep trail.

06. Tengboche – Dingboche (4.410) - much too cold, 

      -10 degrees C inside.

07. Dingboche – Chhukhung (4.730) – to Island Peak 

      Base Camp-back to Dingboche.

08. Dingboche – Thukla (4.620) – Thokla Pass (4.830) – 

       Lobuche (4.910).

       Another difficult day, very steep and rocky from 

       Thukla to Thokla Pass - mirific place.

       The day I had the feeling I lost the right direction, 

       as I met nobody after the Pass.

09. Lobuche – Lobuche Pass (5.110) – over Kumbu 

      Glacier to Ghorak Shep (5.140) – to Everest Base 

      Camp (5.364) – Ghorak Shep – Lobuche.

      About 6 hours, very slowly, thin air, I was sick.
       Sicker, since today I started to bleed every time I 
       blow my nose, this is meaning every 10-15 minutes, 
       day and night.

10. Lobuche – Lobuche Pass – over Kumbu Glacier 

      to Ghorak Shep – Kala Patthar Peak (5.643 m alt.) – 
      Ghorak Shep – Lobuche

      - 7 hours, slowly. Ghorak Shep – Kala Patthar Peak

      took 2 hours ascent and 30'descent, almost wiped out 

      by the wild wind!

      In Lobuche there were -15 degrees C inside. 

      This cold steels a lot of energy ....

11. Lobuche – Periche (4.240) – Periche Pass (4.270) – 

      Orsho (4.190) - Upper Pengboche (3.930) - Phorse 

      (3.810) – again, one of the most difficult and long 

      days, 8 hours trekking.

12. Phorse – crossing Dudh Koshi River – Tenga (3.950) 

      – Dhole (4.110)

      Shorter day, only 4 hours trekking, but very-very steep.

13. Dhole – Gokyo (4.790) - much too cold, much too 

      sick, strong cough, I cannot breathe.

      Terrible long and difficult day, long ascent, partially 

      steep, the last 3 hours very cold, crippy and no people. 

      Almost terrifying, I reached Gokyo and collapsed in 

      tears for 10 minutes. I was too sick, fever, strong 
      cough, could not breathe.

14. Gokyo – Gokyo Ri Peak (5.550) - just incredible 

      to be on trail today!! Strong cough, pretty bad.

15. Gokyo – Dhole (4.110-) Phortse Tanga (3.680)

      - 4 icy water crossing, I fall twice.

16. Phortse Tanga – Khumjung – Namche Bazar – again a 

      terrible difficult and long day, starting with a wild 

      steep climb for 2 hours before sun rise, having 

      breakfast in Mong. Very few people met. 

      Hurrrraaaa, I could sleep again, it was the most beautiful sleep I remember!!

17. Namche Bazar – Lukla – terrible long and difficult day, 

       especially the last hours. 8 hours, I reached Lukla on 

       darkness. Do not plan your descent to Lukla for only 

       one day, people, it is crazy and senseless!!

18. Flying back to Kathmandu. Sick, but happy. 

      Happy, but tired. I lost about 5 kg. 

      I dream about sleeping, then eating. 

      And yes, the first 2 days in Kathmandu I ate nothing at 

      all, it was a strange experience after all ..... then I ate 

      only stupid stuff as beer and tortillas and some 

      biscuits and chocolate. 
      Nose bleeding stopped after 3 days after my returning 
      to low altitude.

for the story in pictures click here

Read here about the 1st day of the trek

P.S.

I don't know how other people are, but for me, doing this trek alone, getting quite sick on the trail, carrying my own backpack, going forward and never giving up, keeping my daily diary and costs overview, taking care of myself and my stuff, following the right path, taking decisions, knowing when to say "stop" or "start", packing my backpack every morning, fighting not only with the cold and thin air, but also with my sickness - it was a big, very big challenge I assumed before. I assumed it as I already had an idea about the trekking conditions in Himalaya. 

It is worthy to hire the services of a porter, through a local travel agency. If you are several persons, hire even a local guide, use the services of a good travel agency, the costs are really worth and you can enjoy your holiday 100%, you do not have the stress of choosing the right path, the right start hour, calculating the duration of a trekking day, finding the right accommodation and negotiating the room price. The only stress you have, is to walk, make pictures, filming, eating, drinking, resting and enjoying everything, because this is the reason you came to Himalaya after all, right?

I didn't hired a porter from three different points of view, which I cannot put in a particularly order:

- I didn't had the money;

- I would probably could not accept the idea that another human being  is carrying my own luggage on such of .... not easy trail, even if I pay him and even he wants to do this for money;

- I didn't feel in the mood to have company all the time and to hire somebody and treating him only just someone who has to carry my stuff, is not my style. You should socialize, talk and share almost everything with your companion. I wasn't in the mood to do this, as it were been an absolutely stranger for me.

In these conditions, the 18 days were a special experience for me, a very different experience as the one I had two years ago doing Annapurna Circuite and having a local guide. Annapurna is very different from all points of view, is much easier and relaxed. Everest Area offers a total different landscape, a different local language, other lodges and facilities. Both areas offer you great emotions and December/January are actually very good periods for trekking, as the sky is always cristal clear and you can admire all the details. If you come here during the summer, you can have such a cloudy sky, that you have no chance to see the Ama Dablam or Everest of Pumo Ri or what ever - I was told from people who were here in June, for instant.

Do not forget to appreciate everything the human being did on high altitude, do not forget to give priority on the trail to the carrying animals caravans, as they assure your meals and beverages, when you find a very simple lodge, do not forget to appreciate the fact it was built in that wild place, for you, the tourist, as for instant the big and heavy doors are carrying by human beings, on their back (see on my pictures) ..... the entire infrastructure on the trails of Himalaya supposed a difficult to imagine human effort. Do not expect to be served like in a hotel or 3* or 5*, you should be able to bring your empty cup or plate to the kitchen, when it looks like. Do not treat the owner or the employees of your lodge as being your personal servants, as I saw some tourist are doing, considering that they pay for their missing education and common sense. Do not waste the water, if any. Do not expect toilet paper or serviette on the table. Be happy if you get some fire in the dinning room, early in the morning. Take some extra amount with you and budget your daily costs including some tips for the places you are eating, drinking or spend your nights, to let 2-3 dollars more should be a thing everyone can do, really. As I did Annapurna, due to some false information, I had almost no extra amount to let behind me and I have to tell you that is was a bad feeling during the last two years, believe it or not. Now, I let always some money and I carried toys and bonbons for the children of my host and I have had a nice feeling all the time.
When off season, accommodation price can be negotiated, but never the meals and beverages prices.

Let me know about your decision and experience!  
2011 is the year of tourismus in Nepal!

 Total costs (without international flight): 1.100 EURO
Flight with AirArabia from Istanbul to Kathmandu via Sharjah and return: 400 EUR
Value of the entire experience: no value you could translate in numbers!!!


Read here about the 1st day of the trek

N.B.

Prima mea poveste himalayană se regăsește redată pe blog, pe episoade, la nivelul anului 2009, martie.

 

Himalaya reloaded 2011 - 8th day - Lobuche

READ HERE about the previous day

8th day of trek, 20th of December 2010

Dingboche (4.360 m) – Lobuche (4.930 m)

Solo trek, 19 kg backpack – 5 long hours

-10°C in the room and -16°C outside in the morning at 8, in Dingboche. No sun, no move ..... all around seems to be stuck in cold and silence and shadow. A stunned time in a frozen area. Am I still on Earth?

After a new crumbed and sleepless night – still only twice going outside -, at 6,20 I gave up my struggle to fall asleep and I remained squatting in my warm sleeping bag, still having the desire for a deep and long sleep. At 6:50 a.m. I dared to leave my warm bank, tired of looking to the ice flowers on the window :-). I started to pack again. After a while, when you have a lot of stuff and the mornings are becoming earlier and colder, you start hate packing, believe me! But there is always the compensation of a wonderful day on the trail, which you will never forget! In the middle of the action, before 8, I went to the dinning room for ordering my breakfast, then I returned to finish my work. Two fried eggs (250 rupies), 1 sherpa stew (350 rupies) and a small pot of boiled water (200 rupies). I added the rest of the potatoes I couldn’t eat last evening. The owner was very surprised about my idea to keep the rest of the food til next day. He said, it is not a good idea to let it in the kitchen, because it will be totally frozen, I should take it in my room over night. I let it in the dinning room and he just warmed it again in the morning and it was just perfect for me. It was safe and I saved some money. I knew a long difficult day expects me, so the breakfast was very important this time.

At 8:15 I started to eat, very slowly. The Danish guy came, at 8:30 came the British couple too. Peter’s intention was to have a rest day in Dingboche, Claire and Andy changed their plans, so they planed to go to Chhukhung and stay over night there. This was meaning, we should meet tomorrow in Lobuche, eventually. The people on the trail do not remain connected, even if they start the day together. Changes can occurs every time in the name of freedom. So, I understood I have to leave solo again and to find my way in the wildness.

See the retreat of the morning cold shadow over Dingboche and Imja Valley

My trail today started in front of the lodge, steep climbing to the top of the hill, behind the white chorten. I sat inside finishing my rich breakfast and sadly looking outside. It was already 9 o’clock and still full cold shadow over the area, some wind. I had a strange feeling this morning. The fire in the dinning room was started very late, after 8 a.m., because the owner did not bother to be earlier for us today. For the group yesterday, they did the fire much earlier.

To be very honest, this morning at 9:15 I reluctantly started in my dawn jacket, following the steep path to the sky. The sun’s light up on the top of the hill, higher than the Nangartsang Gompa – the white chorten -, gave me some courage. After ten minutes without looking behind, I stopped to see what is happening with the sun, I wanted the sun light, the sun warm. Still hidden behind the majestic AmaDablam, the sun seemed to groan in its own rhythm, but it was a very promising day. I really waited for the sun as never before and I was very happy as it fully came outside after other 10 minutes longer, flooding the entire valley and village of Dingboche. Because of too heavy backpack, I reached the ridge of the hill only after 40 minutes and I took a break for 10 minutes, removing all dawn cloth and preparing myself in a much lighter equipment (but heavier backpack now, of course) for a long trail along the valley that opened down to my feet.

 I looked around to the east, greeting for the last time the Imja Valley and the Island Peak (last peak on the right of this picture, very small), I said “good bye” to the Dingboche and the big lodge, I took some memorable pictures, I saluted AmaDablam again, saying a grateful “thank you for the sun!” and I started my descent on the other side of the hill. The adventure goes on to the higher levels of the Earth and Senses.

Periche Village down in the valley

Due to the map – not the best one, unfortunatelly, but good enough – on the right side there are the peaks of Nangkar Tshang (5.616 m) and Pokalde (5.693 m). After 15 minutes I could see the Periche village far away in the down valley left, behind me. I imagine myself for some minutes walking along that very long valley of Phalang Karpo (a quite impozant peak of 4.340 m that accompanied me all the trail til the river cross) and I remembered about the terrible days I spent on a similiar valley two years ago, going to Jomson. These are usually very windy areas and you almost have to keep going with closed eyes because of the fine dust.

If I’m not wrong, also due to the map, the mountain chain on my left were formed by Taboche and Chola Glacier with Taboche Peak inbetween (6.367 m). The trail was very pleasant, sun and wind behind me, my backpack protected me very well. I crossed through the long dry valley for 2 hours, enjoying very minute. The path coming from Periche joins the trail from Dingboche and contours down to a stream, crossing it on a bridge just before Dhukla (4.620 m). I stopped on the bridge admiring the various colors and forms of the ice, large or small icy caps and the water seemed to angry boil under those, upset that its freedom of movement was limited by the ice.

I stopped for only 5 minutes here, leaning the backpack so that I don’t feel it anymore how heavy it is. Lord, how stubborn can I be sometimes .... I do not understand myself. So, after two hours of walking without a break, although I clearly see what a terrible climb expects me for at least one hour, I do stop for a rest only for five minutes?! Not even removing my backpack?! Unbelievable! Sometimes I think, I feel that on the mountain, in certain situations, another person stands out from my inside and works for me. And I have to humbly admit that it makes thinks working great in the end! It must be an angel!

Dhukla - The HRA doctors at Periche urge everyone to stay a night at Dhukla to aid acclimatisation. The elevation gain of 700 m from Perische to Lobuche (600 m from Dingboche) is twice the recommended rate of ascent for a day.

From Dhukla the trail goes directly up the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier for about one – one hour and half. No technical skills needed, but it’s long and steep and dry and rocky. Like the climb from Ciucas Cab (1.560 m) to the Ciucas Peak (1.954 m) as I remember for 25 years ago, but here you are “just” about over 3.000 m higher and this is the difference. I didn’t rush, it would be silly to rush in such of places, you just kill yourself for nothing. So, I took every step, every rock like I’d knitted a shawl! Who ever did knitting in his life, knows exactly how much time and attention and patience you need for finish it. So is the trek through Himalaya like. You are middle on the way and you may not stop and stay there, you have to go forward or backward, it doesn’t matter really. The direction, so far the right one, is not important. Important is to keep walking before you are too tired, before the night is coming and so on.

After one and half hour under the shinny sun I reached the memorial area known as Chukpilhara, on the top of Thokla Pass. It was 1 p.m. There is a row of stone monuments in memory of six Sherpas who died in an avalanche during the 1970 Japanese skiing expedition on Everest. There are many other monuments to climbers, mostly Sherpas, who have perished since then. 
Two new large chortens memorialise the American climber Scott Fischer, who died in the 1996 Everest disaster, and Jangbu Sherpa, who was killed on Everest one year later. I felt so emotional in that place, so I stopped for about 20 minutes to walk around. The place is fantastic, I imagine spending a night there in a tent.

After I ate a small isostar snack I had in the pocket, I went further to the single way it seemed to have connection to the trail. From the wide large plateau I entered then a narrow path along a rocky wall and in front of me a total different scenery opened. I walked on a somehow high hanging path leading to a broad  mild valley, which seemed as endless as the valley that I had come for two hours until the bridge before Dhukla. One of my type of landscape, so much freedom, emotional freedom. You just forget about your tired or hungry or lonely stats. You live the life and every drop of it.

At the moment I took this picture I had no idea that I will reach the feet of that  

"big white guy" in the background, the majestic Pumo Ri, border point to Tibet 

(as the entire range of mountains there, of course). 

I will never forget that white giant in front of me for several days. 

I was walking along the Khumbu Glacier, which streched itselft behind the hill on my right. On the left side, Awi Peak (5.245 m). After about half an hour along the valley, following a path that became  increasingly narrow, I only met three peaceful yaks in that desert of dry frozen everything. Then I began to get ideas about being on the right or on the wrong way, because the perspectives in front of me were without any end indeed. Having a feeling of dimensions, I knew that today was to short for reaching the mountain range at the horizon. It was strange not to meet any Sherpa, any porter, any nobody and I expected the sun will be gone in about one hour later, that was the only problem. When the sun is gone, everything is changed, including your brave mood. So, I have to admit that in such of situations I am dependent of the sun light and warm. On the other hand, on the path’s dust were a lot of shoes signs, so the area was visited or even crossed also by people, not only by animals. I shooted a short movie, in case of something and I began to start about taking into consideration an overnight under the open sky, without any food.

It was about 2 p.m., so, after I’ve got used with the idea of sleeping somewhere outside I decided to go forward, not backward to Dhukla (it was a rational option, of course).

I had planed a trek of 4-5 hours today, taking into consideration the much higher level I gained in just few hours. The general strong advice in the highlands is that after you have passed the threshold of 3.000-3.500 m above sea level you must keep moving every day for several hours, but avoid gaining in altitude higher than 350-500 m, because your body will collaps in a few days. And indeed I heard about such stories in Namche Bazaar, as some brave tourists didn’t feel the danger of the high altitude and refused to stay in Namche for 2 nights. They then had to return from Tengboche or Dingboche to lower lever and stay there for a while, before going up again.

I still expected to reach Thokla Village, although on the map was clearly mentioned, that Thokla is not a village, but a pass. This can be one disadvantage of trekking alone: a few seconds of misunderstanding or not paying enough attentions to your map! Thokla Pass was behind me. But as I didn’t trust myself to reach over 4.900 m today, of course I was relaxed about the distance.

When I saw the first blue roof of a building it was about half past two. Then, far away on the background I located two aluminum opened hats, those where the locals boil the water through the raw sun power. Then I knew I will find a lodge for the night. It was still very early ..... I always say, that the time is purely a matter of relativity. I entered the village full of joy and I tried to find an inscription to be sure about the name of the settlement. No tourist to be seen. I counted about 3 very small lodges and 3 big hotels, one of them quite a new building, terrible hostile, ugly light yellow building, I wonder how they can build such an unaesthetic thing here, at the end of the world, why don’t they just respect the environment colors and context, the local architecture and colors and forms .... awful building, I am very-very sad about this. Because it is Himalaya, not a doesn’t matter what big city, you know? Bad idea! They thing only about making more and more money, they don’t want to learn from the lesson of so called “civilised world” and its disasters. They want to be blind.

I walked among all the shelters looking for an appealing one. The big hotel made from river stone, where I saw the aluminum huts, was located over the river and as I supposed it is too expensive for my budget, I didn’t even go there. After checking almost everything I still was undecided where to go. Suddenly I saw an inscription: “way to Above the Clouds Lodge” and I remembered what Anna said: “I meet you tomorrow at that lodge in Lobuche”. So, I am in Lobuche .... already?! (what a joke, right? “already” after five hours!). I followed that direction and I saw an old terrible small lodge: “Above the Clouds Lodge (Lobuche 4.930 m)”. 

I dared inside and I remarked the ingenious system of “automatic closing door”: on the old pulley principle, a bottle of water took care the door was closed behind you. This funny detail of closed or open doors becomes quite important in such cold locations and it is very annoying when it is very cold, inside just becoming warmer from the evening fire, but the people who are entering or outgoing the room don’t care about closing the door. It is a waste of energy, why do you care about fire then, if you always let the door open? But of course, the local people do not care about such of things, they enjoy to have warm inside, but they cannot warm their houses. They do some fire only when they have several tourists inside, otherwise they don’t do it. So, they are so accustomed with the conditions, that it’s almost impossible to expect from them to take care of this. This is why I was really surprised about this ingenious idea here. n the small dining room was a young man, under 30 y.o.

I asked if this is really Lobuche and he confirmed. I asked about the room price (50 rupies per night) and the toilet location and I checked in. I realized it was terrible cold inside, the rooms were colder, because got no sun, but I promised Anna to meet her here, so I stayed. I ordered a soup, I brought my sleepig bag in the dinning room and I comfortably lied on the bench parallel to the glass window that covered half of the wooden wall of the dinning room (yes, glass window, no mistake! You don’t see everywhere glass windows, but wooden “windows”). And I started to study the map and the lonely planet book, then to write about the day. In the lodge, no other tourist. I was alone with the young Nepali who barely spoke some poor English. But I understood he is not the owner, just an employee and he is going to have holiday for one month starting 20^th of January, so the lodge will be close. His home is 3 days walking down (for me probably 5 days). I wondered such a primitive lodge is opened in the winter. Made only from thin sheets of wood and tin, the lodge can be pleasant for the summer, but can be cancerous cold for the winter nights. And I was right, unfortunately. 

The sun gone down at about 4 p.m. and I couldn’t write very long, after 5,30 I gave up, my fingers were frozen. I felt very good, almost happy because I was able to reach that point today, alone. Very sob, whimper and wrapped in my sleeping bag, having again breathing problems due to my old cold, losing blood through the endless mucus, at 7 p.m. I decided it was time to sleep. I was tired. This cold steels a lot, a lot of energy. I feel stupid about insisting, but this is a real diary, not a marketing story. And I am very sensitive in front of cold and frozen air.

I found terrifying the thought of retiring to my dark room, so I took advantage of being the only guest and I spent the night in the dining room. It was the first night when I kept my dawn jacket on. And it was the first night when I could really sleep!

Costs of today:

Breakfast: 800

Lunch in Lobuche: rara noudle soup (350), S.M. lemon tea (300)

Dinner: vegetable fried rice (400)

Total: 1.850 NRP / 27 USD

My advice for such of trekking trips in Himalaya: 

Buy the services of a local travel agency. 

If your backpack is over 12 kg, hire a porter. 

Think about hiring a local guide. 

read here the daily schedule of the entire trail 

N.B.

My first adventure in Himalaya can be read March 2009

and click here for the story in pictures

READ HERE about the next day 

 

Himalaya reloaded 2011 - 7th day - Chhukung

READ HERE about the day before 

7^th day of trek,19^th of December 2010

Dingboche (4.360 m) – Chhukung (4.730 m)

No backpack, acclimatization day, relaxed trek

I know, I know, my English is a sort of ”Google Translate”-English, but I still hope is not killing the entire charm of the story.
Știu, știu, engleza mea e un fel de ”Google-Translate”, dar tot sper să nu ucidă întreg charmul povestirii, deși povestirea în sine am scris-o inițial direct în engleză. O engleză trecută prin filtrul de gândire al limbii române, din păcate. Așa se nasc cele mai nereușite traduceri de fapt.

Today started already at midnight. I am already so accustomed not to sleep the night through, that I find it almost normal. It would be awkward to manage a full night’s sleep. So, here some thoughts somebody can have on the spot in a night like this and I quote from my own diary:
Ziua de astăzi a început deja de la miezul nopții. M-am obișnuit deja atât de mult să nu mai dorm o noapte întreagă, că aproape mi se pare normal să fie așa. Ar fi chiar ciudat să mă culc seara și să mă trezesc a doua zi, fără nici o pauză în acest interval. Așa că, iată câteva gânduri pe care le poate avea cineva, spontan, într-o noapte de genul acesta:

“19.12.2010, Dingboche, Peaceful Lodge, Zimmer 104, 00:10’

Like every night now, I just had to go to the toilet. It’s nice to be inside the building. My window opens the horizon to the high plateau from the direction I was coming up to here, a burnt-brown color with dry tundra vegetation. In background, some snowcaped peaks in the very strong full moon light. An excellent colors contrast. Not so many stars like last night in Tengboche. And somewhere up, a giand dark cloud – such an exceptional scenery in this absolute silence. I cannot hear anything. Only the guy in the room 103, who is breathing. I can hear his breath. And the cough of the lady in the room 105. I am in the middle.
Ca deja în fiecare noapte, a trebuit să ies afară, la toaletă. O toaletă în interiorul clădirii unde dormi este o minune plăcută în aceste ținuturi. Fereastra camerei mele deschide orizontul către ținutul vast al direcției din care am sosit aici, un platou generos acoperit de vegetație de tundră, uscată și vânturită de frig și curenți, de culoare maro închis, uscat. Pe fundal, în lumina puternică a lunii pline, se disting câteva vârfuri înalte acoperite cu zăpadă. Nu sunt atât de multe stele pe cerul întunecat, așa cum erau astă-noapte în Tengboche. Un imens nor negru planează peste peisajul acestei ore. Este un tablou de excepție și încărcat de tăcere. Nu aud nimc. Doar respirația tipului care doarme în camera 103 și tusea fetei din camera 105. Eu mă aflu între cei doi.

I am again in the heart of Himalaya and this gives me the entire life energy .... what can I desire more?! (...) The entire time today I felt the look of AmaDablam Mountain, the most spectacular sillhoute among all these icy and snowcaped rock giants of the Planet Earth. From now on I will see it from a different ungle. I wonder how it is to sit up there, on the top ... to sit there and to look back here, on the lodge I am now and write about it. Life is so full of surprises. I cannot stop thinking about the plane crush from 15^th of December, in Lukla. I do not know anymore how many times I sharply escapded death situations .... as I was supposed to be in that air plane.
Mă aflu din nou în inima Himalayei și acest lucru îmi dă energia vieții .... ce-mi pot dori mai mult?! (....) Întreaga zi am simțit ațintită asupră-mi privirea AmaDablam-lui, cea mai spectaculoasă siluetă dintre toți acești giganți înghețati ai planetei Pământ. De acum înainte voi vedea AmaDablam din alte unghiuri. Mă întreb cum arată lumea privită de acolo de sus, de pe vârf .... să stai acolo și să privești în jos, aici, spre casa unde eu mă aflu acum și din interiorul cărei scriu aceste rânduri. Viața este atât de plină de surprize. Nu mă pot opri să nu mă gândesc la prăbușirea avionului din 15 decembrie.

04:10 a.m.

I still not sleep. The water in the toilet is frozen. But this lodge is much more better. I am over 4.300 m and I can write in the room, the fingers are not frozen, my breath is not visible. Very warm inside the sleeping bag. But I still have the hood on, otherwise I feel cool head and I have this ugly cold, my nose and all the sinuses are squeaking.
Tot nu dorm. Apa din toaletă este înghețată. Dar totuși este o lodge mult mai bună. Mă aflu la peste 4.300 m altitudine și pot scrie în cameră, degetele nu au înghețat și nu-mi văd aburii respirației în aer. Foarte cald în sacul de dormit. Dar tot am cagula pe cap, altfel mi-ar fi frig și mă tot chinuiesc cu răceala asta urâtă, cu nasul și toate sinusurile care scârțîie permanent.

07:20

At 6 o’clock I had to go again to the toilet. No, it isn’t funny at all. It was such a divided night, that at the moment the Australian pack began to roam at seven a.m. I had a single desire: to sleep and lie warm the rest of the day. In the morning is the worse, much colder that in the evening. You simply feel the shit inside you, no joke! I should admire the ice-flowers on the window. The Australian are going for breakfast and their porters take care of their luggage. Luxus travelling through Himalaya is possible. They will probably start at nine, I want to see them out of here, really.
La 6 a.m. a trebuit să merg din nou la toaletă. Nu, nu e deloc amuzant. A fost o noapte atât de divizată, încât la momentul în care haita de australieni au început să-și facă zgomotos bagajele, aveam o singură dorință: să dorm și să stau la căldură pentru restul zilei. Dimineața este cel mai greu moment, pentru că este mult mai frig decât seara. Pur și simplu îți simți fecalele din propriul tău interior, nu glumesc! Ar trebui să admir florile de gheață de pe geam. Australienii se duc să ia micul dejun și cărăușii au grijă de bagajele lor. Da, călătoriile de lux prin Himalaya sunt posibile. Presupun că vor pleca la 9, vreau doar să-i văd dispărând de aici, pe cuvânt.”

I had a late and a more expensive breakfast (890 rupies/12 USD), but yesterday I didn’t eat much and I have to take care about this. As I entered the dinning room, the Australian pack was still there, ready to start. I envy them for not carrying their backpacks.  But today I have a sort of rest day, I mean just a short trek and a very light backpack, about 3 to 4 kg only. I enjoyed the quiet of the place after all of them left the location and I accompanied them by looking how they dissapear in the cold morning, up to the white stupa on the hill in front of the lodge.

I could choice what to do today: to trek to Chhukung or to stay around, sleeping, writing, peering the area. How to stay around, when you feel the call of the peak you wanted to climb, but you had to give up the plan because of lack o money? So, of course I decided to go to Island Peak today, to see it with my own eyes.

Despite the fact that I advanced in altitude about 400 meters, the way to Chhukung is very relaxed as is crossing the Imja Valley. The landscape is tremendous, you are surrounded by vegetations, birds, rocky mountains and absolutely unreal, magnificent immense fluted ice walls.

I left the lodge at 10:20, daring out in the cold. I started solo today, as the British couple, Claire and Andy decided to have a washing day for clothes and hair. The lady is amazing, she has very long hair and she washes it every 3-4 days, doesn’t matter how cold is it. She just pay for some hot water, combines it with cold water and she manages to wash her hair. I wouldn’t do it for nothing in the world, this is why I cut my hair very short before coming to Nepal this time.

The ground was frozen, the sun still hidden somewhere, no other people outside, so I started up hill to the north crossing the entire long village of Dingboche. I knew the direction, so I supposed I will find the right pass. At the end of the village there are two inscriptions: left to Lobuche and right to Chhukung.

You follow the narrow path for about ten minutes and then the large Imja Valley opened in front of you. The sun is behind you, the wind is all arround, the day is great, just step inside the halucinating world of the best thing we have on the Earth: pure Nature!

It is so relaxing to trek on a large valley, it’s a very different emotion comparing with trekking a long ridge, which also can be very relaxing. After 20 minutes I met a local carrying a heavy basket hanged on his heand along the back. It was full of yak shit, the most important surviving element around here. So, they spend days on these areas for looking for yak shit and they collect it, than carry back for kilometers to their homes. As the sun is so strong here, is not a problem to collect by hand the dry yak sheet and, as I already mentioned before in my story, I never felt any kind of bad small coming from it, really.

After one hour I reached a white rock shelter, it was locked. In front of me, far away, the Island Peak let be seen in its splendor. I was so sad I had to give up my plan for it.

I crossed the frozen river three times and after 2 hours I reached Chhukung at 4.730 m. This is the staging place for climbers attempting Island Peak. A very isolated place. I felt like reaching an end of the world before entering a new begining of a different world. I went further on the path to Island Peak. I was overwhealmed by the scenery and silence. It was very cold, sunny and windy, very windy. I had to use dawn jacket and dawn gloves. 

I stopped before going to far to the base camp, I was afraid I cannot control myself and go further and further, then it would became much to late for the long way back. And I wanted to leave Dingboche next day. As I decided to do Gokyo Lakes too, my time in the Everest area was suddenly shorter because of limited budget I had with me.

I stopped to one of the lodges – there are about 4-5 lodges there – and had a sherpa stew. Very small portion for 250 rupies.

The way back to Dingboche was a sort of march and because now I had to face the sun and the strong wind, I had a quite focused rhythm. I enjoyed it a lot, but far away of being relaxed. I reached Peaceful Lodge in about one and half hour.

The evening was finally quiet, pleasant, we were 6 tourists inside. The British couple, Anna, a guy from Denmark – Peter – and a guy from Israel. He wore no socks, bar foot in sandals. I wore dawn slippers and the others had their walking boots. Anna had dawn slippers too. Oh yes, I forgot! Anna expected me in Dingboche much earlier I thought she will be able to reach this altitude, as she left Kathmandu only on 16th of December, after her piano concert! I will never understand her, as we finally didn't trek together. She wanted to stay alone and disappeared each time without any explanations.

On the way back I met another Sherpa. He was singing collected yak shit. He was happy about it. I sing when I feel happy too and this is happening only when I trek.

Costs of today, in rupies:

Breakfast: 890, lunch: 270, dinner: 485 (mixed fried rice), room: 100. Total: 1.745 NRP / 26 USD.

 I had an excellent day!! So, I could sing today 

and I actually did it!

SEE HERE the story in pictures

READ HERE about the next day

Himalaya reloaded 2011 - 6th day - Dingboche

READ HERE about the previous day

6^th day of trek,18^th of December 2010

Tengboche (3.870 m) – Dingboche (4.360 m)

5 hours slow trek, backpack 19 kg

As I left the dinning room yesterday evening at about 8, going outside to my room, for 5 minutes I thought: ”It is so pleasant outside, not cold at all! Superb full moon, billion of stars, peacefull .... what can you dream more? You are actually in Shangri La!”. The entire range of the Himalayas Giants opened in front of my hungry eyes, hudge white shadows in the dark under the moon light: Kwangde (6.187 m), Tawachee (6.542 m), Everest, Nuptse (7.861 m), Lhotse (8.501 m), AmaDablam (6.812 m), Kantega (6.779 m) and Thamserku (6.623 m). After five minutes I felt already frozen. It was very cold indeed, maybe minus 10 degrees Celsius.

I had a difficult night because I had to clean my nose every ten minutes, it was terrible stuffy. In the morning at 5 I had to go outside to the toilet, the biggest challenge of the winter nights in Himalaya. Pitch dark, no sound. Only a light on the path moving up from Dingboche. So cold, so dark, but somebody was on the way to Namche probably. A man in the silence of the cold night .... It is such an emotional fragment of life.

I could sleep for about one hour, at 6:20 a.m. I was awake again and I didn’t feel able to leave the bed, so I lingered one hour longer and after 7 a.m. I started to pack my backpack. But it was too cold, so I gave up at 8 and I went to the dinning room to see if the others are on their feet and to order my breakfast.

I was surprised to see that everybody was there and they even already had their breakfast. And the biggest surprise was the warm room, the nice owner did the fire early in the morning. Wow! So, I went back to my outside room, I took all my stuff and I brought it to finish packing in the dinning room, much better!

For breakfast I ordered only a chapati and 2 eggs. I had to buy a new toilett paper set for my nose (80 NRP). I felt confortable about saving money again, because yesterday I had spent less than 2.000 rupies, so I left 40 rupies tipp to the nice owner family. They were really great! Oh, and in my room I left some soft bonbons and a small toy, a plastic teddy bear, I hope they will smile when will see it :-), this is the main idea.

We started all nine guys from different corners of this world at 9 a.m. following the descending path to Dingboche and meeting very soon an icy trail segment that needed special attention from our side. It was the first morning when I started having the gloves on, the hat and the wind stopper. We expected a short trekking day for only 4-5 hours, but an altitude difference for 500 meters.

From Tengboche it is a short and steep descent to Devuche through a forest of birches, conifers and rhododendrons. I like this kind of forests, I find them very interesting, very different actually. The very few houses and the gompa of the tiny village of Devuche (Deboche) are off in the trees to the west, and the nunnery is up the hill to the east. I saw a small house as a kind of “hospital” (in the picture above), but I saw no human soul anywhere, no sign that was inhabited, no smoke, no move, nothing.

After 15 minutes from our departure I  remained alone behind the group and I didn’t meet them again til the final destination of today. I was interested to take pictures and movies, to enjoy every second, every step, and I had a heavier backpack, so I couldn’t keep the line with them, but I wasn’t worried at all.  They talk and talk, I don't remember the subject, but they focused too much on talking and walking, not at all on the way and sceneries. From this point of view, I wanted to find my peace and to feel everything around me, even the cold air and the dry dust. I took a short break for taking off my wind stopper and gloves, I kept the hat on. I suppose here I lost my valuable stick for the sun protection, it will be a problem as I have no other protection for the face, especially lips and nose.

From Devuche the level trail passes many mani walls in a deep rhododendron forest. Watch the leaves curl up in the cold and open in the morning when the sun strikes them. After crossing the Imja Khola on a steel bridge, swaying a terrifying distance above the river at a spot where the river rushes through a narrow cleft, the route climbs past some magnificently carved mani stones to Pangboche at 3.860 m. Just before the village are two chortens, a kani and a resting place. East of the chortens is a monument where you can see the footprint of the patron saint Lama Sange Dorje preserved in stone – due to lonely planet, because I didn’t see it at all.

“Pangboche is the highest year-round settlement in the valley. The Pangboche gompa is the oldest in Khumbu and once contained relics that were said to be the skull and hand of a yeti. These items were stolen in 1991, so another chapter of the yeti legend continues unsolved.”

There are two different villages: lower and upper Pangboche. On the way to the Everest you choose better the lower route. When I returned, I went to the upper Pangboche, a very different trail leading to Gokyo Lakes.

Beyond Pangboche the route enters alpine meadows above the tree line. Long way. All the time you are going up you think about at least three elements which are against you: the altitude, the heavy backpack and the ascent itself. I could add the strong sun, the cold, the wind, stuffy nose and lonelyness. I met very few people on the trail.

Leaving Pangboche I met a local men. He was worried about some water pipes, so far I could conclude. It was a small frozen river and from there some thin pipes to the village. The man was checking them out. My eyes were drawn to his shoes. He wore white socks and varnished black shoes! I just was probably suprised about that, but it seems that such of things are happening all over the world, I saw it in Tansania, in an isolated village of Romania, in Ecuador, now in the highlands of Himalaya.

I felt on the trail today the presence of Hillary again. A wooden inscription informs you about the”primary school established by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1963”. Quite touching, I have to admit this. Again. You don’t realize the impact of this man until you go and see all these things he acchieved here. I feel touched by the fact that the locals still respect his role in their lives.

 It was a short trekking day, but somehow a long trail today. Probably because of the intensity of every step I did. I had to cross about three dangerous spots on the very steep and narrow high path, which creeps acrobatically up on the level curve. And I even filmed while walking, crazy thing. On my right, deep down was the river and the left side was dominated by the mountain wall.

At 12:30 I entered a large alpine desert and I had to stop to get dressed, it was very open space and too cold wind. Unfortunately I couldn’t take pictures, the small camera had probably frozen batteries by now (I filmed before for longer time) and the bigger camera was inside my backpack, too much trouble to get it out. I walked further for about 45 minutes, no soul around. I can imagine how beautiful and warm can be during the summer, for sure billion of edelweiss flowers!

I passed through Shomare without stopping for lunch, but stoically climbing further on the trail. After 10 minutes I left behind a single lodge in Chejungma. It was locked, nobody seemed to be around there.

Orsho (4.130 m) is actually just a single big lodge, 3 buildings. I didn’t know that at the moment I reached the locked building or I missed something. It was suddenly too windy on the open plateu and I just was looking for a spot to get out my wind stopper and the gloves. Going to the building with the strong shiny sun in front of me, I couldn’t see the name of the place and I thought I will find an inscription to the other side of the lodge, so that I will have the sun behind me. But I saw no other inscription and I didn’t want to go there to see exactly what place it is. I just supposed a long way expects me, so no time for unnecessary stops. When you are alone on the trail, the judgement is quite different as when you are a couple or several people together.

From this point, some further down actually, the peak of Everest can be seen peering over the ridge of Nuptse.

Beyond Orsho the trail divides and you just have to pay attention – as I didn’t, I was just lucky to reach Dingboche, as no signs or inscriptions are available! -. The lower, more important-looking trail leads to Dingboche, while the trail to Periche goes up to the left, through the front yards of a few herders’s hut, over a stone wall and climbs a small ridge before descending to the Khumbu Khola, crossing it on a wooden bridge. From the ridge it is a ten minutes walk, usually in the wind, to Periche, at 4.240 m.

Dingboche is 100 m higher as Periche, so it is a better base for acclimatisation. As my initial plan was to climb on Island Peak and as from Dingboche you are only one day away from that mountain, it was a logical matter to go directly to Dingboche, climbing up instead of going down. Except the fact I started to cough, I felt quite acclimatisated and I don’t know if my bad condition was because of the cold winter or just because I had left Kathmandu having already a cold. I assume the combination was not a happy one.

So, beyond Orsho I stayed on the large wide trail and after 15 minutes I descended to a bridge across the Khumbu Khola at 4.150 m. The path is climbing about 40 up to 50 minutes from the bridge to a crest and traverses to the lodges at Dingboche. The funny thing was that as I first saw the roofs of the lodges I had no idea it could be Dingboche and it was about 1:40 p.m., so a little bit late. I intended to stopp for a short lunch. I entered the big village about 10 minutes later and I looked amazed to the first lodge on the right side. “Peaceful Lodge” is a complex location, big yard, having a wooden high gate. At the gate, inside, on the paved way, an old man was sitting on a chair and revolved in a constant rhythm a prayer wheel. I looked at him and I walked further. On the lodge I read the name of the place: Dingboche. I was very confused, as I expected to be in Orsho! After some steps I heared my name. It was Claire, the British lady. They arrived one hour earlier hier and expected to see me. She confirmed to me I reached Dingboche and I exploded for surprise, I felt relieved, although I was in the mood for a further 2-hours walk. But yes, I felt relieved. I was hungry, it was 2 p.m,, the clouds got closer and closer, so it was excelent that I reached today’s destination. I was walking for 5 hours now, time for a hot drink.

There are several great lodges in Dingboche. I wouldn’t stopped by the first lodge, but it was a very good idea, as the trail to Lobuche starts in front of it, climbing the hill to the high ridge to be crossed.

I’ve got a wonderful small room with a single bed, on the sunny side and as I entered the room it was pleasant warm inside. The toilet was also inside the building and as I had this big problem of going out 3-4 times every time, it was an important matter for me.

It was a very long afternoon and evening, I missed having a good book with me. I had that political science book, but not appealing enough. I spent the entire time in the dinning room, where a big group of very young Australians cherried the atmosphere, but in a less pleasant way. They were very noisy, bad mannered and ignored all other guests in the lodge. When the fire were started after 5 p.m. and it began to be warmer inside, their group monopolized the entire space around the stove, the other tourists felt marginalized. On the walls were some small hanging lockers and inside the thick, colorful, warmkeeping blankets. But a note claiming “not for use” stopped us to use it. I had my own sleeping bag down with me, so I didn’t care too much.

A very old Sherpa man came inside, I suppose it was the father of one of the owner’s family. He didn’t see very well. He approached a tourist who was reading and started to star to his book. The tourist let him the book and the old Sherpa began to study the book all over, looking for pictures. I didn’t hear the old man speaking during the 2 days I spent there.

Costs of the day in local rupies:

1 cup hot chocolate 65,

1 vegetable cheese fried potato 395

       1 small pot boiled water (1 l) 200

         READ HERE about the next day                   
1 night single room 100

+ breakfast in Tengboche 350

TOTAL: 1.110 NRP (16 USD) 

My advice for such of trekking trips in Himalaya: 
Buy the services of a local travel agency. 

If your backpack is over 12 kg, hire a porter. 

Think about hiring a local guide.  

read here the daily schedule of the entire trekking

click here for the story in pictures

N.B.

My first adventure in Himalaya can be read March 2009

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