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 2011-12th day-Dhole

PREVIOUS DAY: PHORSE 

12^th day, 24^th of December 2010, 

Phorse (3.810 m) – Dhole (4.110 m)

3 hours

I took this picture at 6 a.m., when I had to go outside to the toilet.This was the scenery from my room window.

Yesterday evening we agreed to start later today and to do a shorter trek. It wasn’t possible to reach Gokyo today after such a long trek yesterday, you need at least 10 hours to Gokyo. I could sleep for a short while, but not enough. I visited the toilet about 4 times over the night, it was a wonderful night, a big almost full moon, a huge mountain in front of the lodge, stars, quiet. Amazing time, a total different dimension of life. The bad news – no news actually – is that I loose more blood from the nose, having bigger breath problems because of my stuffy nose and cough and an unexpected specific body problem occurred this morning.
Am agreat aseară cu toții să pornim mai târziu astăzi și să parcurgem un traseu mai scurt. După o zi atât de lungă ieri, era aproape imposibil să ajungem în Gokyo astăzi, eram toți epuizați. Am putut dormi fragmentar, dar nu îndeajuns. Am fost nevoită să ies la toaletă de patru ori. Era o noapte minunată și o lună aproape perfect plină trona peste satul uitat de timp. Viața la alte dimensiuni. O veste proastă - de fapt nici o noutate - era că pierdem mai mult sânge din nas și aveam probleme mai mari de respirație din cauza nasului înfundat și a tusei. La toate aceste suferințe mai intervenea, total pe neașteptate, o altă problemă specifică corpului uman feminin. Și asta chiar era o veste neplăcută în acest context. 

I had a big breakfast at 9:30, very late: hash brown with cheese and Sherpa stew. In the dinning room were four Tibetan monks chanting.
La 9.30 savuram un enorm mic dejun: cartofi pasați cu brânză deasupra și Sherpa Stew. În încăpere se mai aflau patru călugări care-și incantau rugăciunile de blagoslovire a gospodăriei, în modul lor specific.

We left Dhole at 10:15, pretty enthusiastic. We talked about reaching at least Nha (4.400 m). We crossed the descending village, it was very sunny. Cold but sunny. I could see the settlement entirely, a very simple, but interesting corner in Himalaya, fixed into a nice terraced valley. It is interesting to see how these people choose their places to live and as I already observed two years before, in a different part of Nepal, the big surprise for me was to see how intense populated is the land of Himalayas, how many small settlements are so close to each other, only 2 up to 3-4 hours walking distance. The only notable difference from Annapurna Range is that I didn’t meet children and I only can think about the fact they are coming in the highlands only during the warm season, the rest of the year they are sent to live in lower regions, to relatives. It was a really challenge to find children for giving them the toys I am carrying with me, I still have 3 pieces of it hanging on my backpack.
Am pornit din Dhole la 10,15, destul de entuziaști. Ne vorbiserăm să ajungem măcar până în Nha (4.400 m). Prin soarele generos am traversat la vale satul. Era foarte frig, dar ținutul era inundat de soare. Aveam o privire de ansamblu asupra întregii așezări. Un colț uitat de timp undeva în Himalaya, amenajat de oameni și cuibărit printre terase îngrijite ce curgeau frumos orânduite spre valea îndelungă. Este interesant să vezi cum oamenii au găsit locuri să se stabilească și așa cum comentam cu doi ani în urmă, cea mai mare surpriză a fost să văd cât de populată este regiunea montană înaltă a Himalayei, maximum de distanță dintre așezări fiind de 2-3 ore de mers în general. Singura diferență notabilă dintre regiunea Everest și Anapurna este că aici nu prea am întâlnit copii. Presupun că aceștia sunt aduși la altitudine doar în perioada sezonului mai cald, în restul anului fiind trimiși la altitudini mai scăzute. A fost o reală provocare să găsesc copii cărora să le las din maldărul de jucării de pluș pe care le căram cu mine în rucsac.

 It was a cold morning, of course. Peter, the Danish guy, fell because the hidden ice under the thick dust. The descent until the forest took us about 5 minutes, then we entered a forest and the difference of 250 meters in altitude meant another 15 minutes of going down to the Dudh Koshi River. We stopped there to adjust our clothes to the huge steep climb of the hill on the opposite site of the river. We saw only a crazy path going straight up through the forest and we followed it, it seemed not to have a second choice. And it was crazy indeed. For almost one hour I experienced the steepest, longest, coldest and tightest forest climb I remember. Every step was like when the knees are touching my chin – of course it is a little bit of  exaggeration here, but I do appreciate a hill inclination of 70⁰. We knew that we probably took a shortcut because we didn’t find the normal route in order to reach the main way to Dhole.
O dimineață rece, cum altfel? Peter, danezul, a bușit-o rău pe un segment de gheață ascuns sub stratul gros de colb. Am tot coborât abrupt vreo 5 minute și am cotit la dreapta, pe lângă o stupă simplă din plăci de piatră, intrând în pădure. Diferența de 250 m altitudine negativă ne-a mai luat 15 minute. Ne îndreptam spre râul ce străpungea cu o culoare intensă de turcoaz ținutul împădurit, Dudh Koshi. Am oprit pe malul râului pentru a ne adapta îmbrăcămintea. De partea cealaltă ne aștepta o foarte lungă și abruptă urcare, care cu siguranță urma să ne epuizeze. Am pășit pe prima potecă care intra pe versantul împădurit, nu vedeam nici o altă variantă de traseu. Oricât de nebunească părea înclinația, pe care o aproximez la un 70 de grade, am început să urcăm anevoie. Și a fost cu adevărat o nebunie. Timp de aproape o oră am experimentat cea mai abruptă, îngustă, lungă, friguroasă și întortocheată urcare despre care îmi amintesc să o fi parcurs în viața mea. Fiecare pas făcut era ca un genunchi dat în bărbie. Bănuiam cu toții că nimeriserăm pe o scurtătură care ne va scoate pe drumul cel mare către Dhole.

 There are two possibilities to reach Gokyo from Phorse: one is to cross the river and to go on its left side, the other one is exactly parallel one on the right side of the river, but the British couple was afraid to choose that thinking that maybe we don’t find open lodges for overnight.

 Există două posibilități de a ajunge în Gokyo din Phorse: una este aceea de a traversa râul învolburat și de a înainte pe partea lui stângă, în amonte, fiind partea umbroasă, deci friguroasă. Cealaltă opțiune este de a merge paralel cu râul, la sute de metri deasupra, pe poteca ce șerpuiește pe dreapta lui, versantul fiind blagostovit cu toată puterea soarelui de decembrie. Cuplul britanic a ales partea de peste râu, temându-se că pe dreapta, care era mai puțin populată, am fi putut să nu găsim locuri de înnoptat și de mâncat. Am decis să merg cu ei.
We reached the main route, this is meaning following a larger way through the same cold forest, alternating the dusty path with long steep and high rocky stairs through icy waterfalls. Because everything was in the deep shadow and there were many long frozen waterfalls the hours on this segment were particular cold, varying between minus and plus degrees. We met about four short, but enough dangerous frozen rivers coming from the high mountain which framed the left side of the path. Dangerous because you can slip so brutal on these segments of ice.

40 minutes from our river cross we met a local guide accompanying an older American couple. He said us, we need about 45 minutes longer to reach Dhole. Again that sort of Nepali time, because we reached Dhole after one hour and half only, at 1:30 p.m. Although the shortest trek day, it wasn’t easy for me. Not only the heavy backpack, but a terrible headache and the stuffy nose disturbed me very deep, every step was a new suffer. In Dhole we entered the first lodge for a drink and we also ordered a Sherpa Stew. It took long time, half an hour. It was very early indeed for staying here, but the last three hours were pretty tough for all of us, so we were very unsure about what are we intend to do. In the dinning room were three Indian people with their guide, they stopped here for the night. The guide told us that the next village, Maccherma (4.470 m) is about 3 hours away and the route is the same exhausting. 

To be on the way at 5 p.m. wasn’t very appealing to us and we all agreed to celebrate Christmas Eve in Dhole, but to go in the valley to the next lodge. We already climbed about 500 m altitude today, it was more than recommended on highlands. Additional surprise was to see the sunset at 2:30 p.m.! All around was swallowed by the shadow and frozen cold. We choose Yeti Inn Lodge and I lied in my sleeping bag in the dinning room for three hours, getting high fever. I was official sick.

About six o’clock I collected all my positive efforts to enjoy the evening. The sympathetic owner of the lodge has a very small, sweet, full of energy, white little dog and this was like a Christmas present for me, I spend some enjoyable hours with the dog and writing my diary. There were another 3 Polish men going to Island Peak, two Germans and us. One of the German guy went outside

 and “had a bath in basin”, terrible thing or I was too sick for finding this as normal at about minus 15 degrees or lower.....

I shared with everybody – about 10 persons – the small halvah package (500 g) I carried with me from Bucharest especially for this evening, it was very nice.

 Tomorrow will be a tough day again, as we have an altitude gain of about 600 meters and start already at 8 a.m., this is meaning to wake up at 6,30 in the morning. I asked the lodge owner if it is possible to let here a part of my luggage, about 3 up to 5 kg probably, as I return in 2-3 days here. So, this was a very good solution and I gave up all medicine and other stuff I could miss for 3 days.

The best sign of the evening, besides I was sick, was the fact I had appetite. This is very important and a sign you don’t have altitude sickness. It was an undescriptible atmosphere in the guest room, like the time, the whole Universe would be stuporous/frozen ..... The Germans were discussing leise, the British couple snoozed in the warm air, the Danish guy was reading from his enormous book ....
I was part of a real Christmas Fairy-Tale ....

About 9 p.m. I took two paracetamols and I went to bed in the cold room, leaving the rest of them in the warm dining room.

 This is old expedition gear used for climbing also the Everest by the lodge owner's father who climbed with Sir Hillary. The owner himself never wanted to do climbing despite the will of his father. Very nice family here, I felt very well this evening.

Merry Christmas!

read further about the next day 

Himalaya reloaded 2011-11th day-Phorse

READ HERE about the day before 

11^th day of trek, 23th of December 2010

Lobuche (4.910 m alt) – Phorse (3.810 m alt.)

9 hours

After a new sleepless night - admire my face!! - and an early start from Lobuche, today was a terrible long day. It is so strange to read about „long hours“, isn’t it? Because one hour will always have 60 minutes, but sometimes the 60 minutes are shorter or longer. The group of 12 Americans (Exodus Group) and their army of porters began at 5:30 in the morning to prepare for their start, so my chances to get a short sleep were killed and this can give you a twitter. But .... I am in the middle of Himalayas, I enjoy these and I ignore the lack of common sense or respect which the people manage all the time.

Terrible cold, I almost feel my guts as being cold inside my body, can you imagine this?! Can you imagine how it is to feel your own shit inside you? Yeh, I know, it sounds disgusting, but it is so real. Last night I didn’t go outside to the toilet, so I used the plastic bin and I washed it up in the morning, it was no problem. You have to find solutions when you meet extreme conditions and I remember those cold nights in Bulgary at about 3.000 meters when you had no possibility than going outside in the snow for the toilet at minus 25 degrees Celsius, day or night!

Exodus group left the hotel before 8 a.m. going to Ghorak Shep and further to the Everest Base Camp. I didn’t understand the reason of starting so early, as they stay over night in Ghorak Shep and they don’t carry any heavy luggage by themselves. But of course, a group of 12 people climb in a longer time than one ore 3 persons. They seemed to me pretty spoiled people, as all other Aussi and NZ-people I met so far in big groups. I have to say the I was impressed in an unpleasant way of their behaviour, lack of education and respect for the locals.

The only advantage because of the very early start of this group was a warm dinning room. The disadvantage was the noise and the dirty toilet in the morning. So, I wouldn’t trek in Himalaya in high season! The lodges are crowded and can be terrible unpleasant to stay together with all these kind of tourists from all around the world and to assist to various rude behaviors.

I left Lobuche at 7:45. The British couple and the Danish guy started 15 minutes later, they walk faster than me, so it would be a wonder if I can keep their rhythme today. I intend to stop in Pangboche anyway, but it depends how I manage to walk after so many sleepless nights and not so much food.

Wonderful morning. Pretty sad about leaving this corner of the world where I found a sort of indescribable fascination. To see such of glacier for the first time can be a revelation for life. I climbed two vulcanos-glaciers in Ecuador over 6.000 meter, but I never saw such a long glacier as here, in Himalaya, it total different, everything is different. About 8:30 the other 3 guys reached me and following them I observed we go on a different trail as the one I followed when I came alone to Lobuche, that day when I was worried about trekking the right trail. I still don’t know where I took the different path, but anyway I reached my destination in due time. We reached Thukla Pass at 9:45. Amazing place, really! It is worthy to spend here several hours just looking around you or reading or drawing or listening some music, then going back to Lobuche or climbing down to Dukla. The descent takes only 15 up to 20 minutes, while the ascent takes about one up to two hours. I saw again a local Sherpa climbing uphill and carrying a very big door on his back, this is so impressive .... I suppose it is for that ugly and big and in the future expensive hotel they build in Lobuche. I asked yesterday evening about it, as the manager of that future hotel came in our dinning room for a chat. They want to offer in that hotel luxus conditions for the tourists, including wireless in every room. I asked about the prices then. They think to charge about 20/25 UDS per person per night. I wonder if the high Himalaya does really need such of things which only destroy a natural habitat. Just think about the fact that the toilet water coming from a hotel which claims to be in Eco style flows directly into the only river which crosses Lobuche at almost 5.000 meters o.s.l. and pours down into another river and so on, up down, finally reaching the lower villages and the urban areas, the Capital city itself.

We had also a break of 10 minutes in Dukla, after only one hour and 15 minutes of walk. We crossed the river, followed the narrow path and after about another 15 minutes the path splited left to Dingboche and right to Periche. Entering the long valley which leads to Periche is pretty spectacular. On the right side are some fascinating mountains and summits and a contrasting combination of colors:  dark brown and white snow, blue sky and grey rock. The valley is very similar with the valley from Muktinath to Jomson, but not so crazy windy in that day, I think we were lucky from this point of view.

For the next hour we really marched to reach Periche for lunch. Claire intended to reach Gokyo today, such a crazy idea! It must be about 14 hours from Lobuche to Gokyo, at least fourteen hours! But I didn’t comment, I just wanted to try to keep together so long I only could.

Entering dusty and windy Periche gives you another feeling of discovering a good preserved ancient small village, another isolated corner of this world where there are human beings and animals who live, eat, work, love, born children, speak and die. No local on the way. I filmed for some minutes. It looked like being left, nobody in the village. Only some cattles. There is a specie coming from a mixure of yaks and domestic cattles, used for carrying stuff especially, not such a long hair like the yaks and different constitution, different horns. Black, brown, white and mixed. Because of the icy irregular way we had to find entrance and to cross some yards. You don’t want to fall on that ice, having 15 or 20 kilos on your back, this is for sure.

11:15 – 12:15 – nice, but very small lunch in Periche (4.240 m). I had a cup of hot lemon tea (60 NRP), a cup of hot delicios seabuckthorn juice (absolutely delicios drink!) for 60 NRP and a Sherpa stew, my daily choice (280 NRP). To drink was much more important than to eat. I knew that I have a cheap lunch, I cann afford much better for the dinner. The breakfast in Lobuche eas 580 NRP, the lunch 400 NRP, so I had a rest of 1.000 NRP for my dinner and accommodation + some tip, of course. I take care to have the decent tip every day and I decide due to the hospitality conditions of the owner.

Leaving Periche started already too fast for me, I mean that in 5 minutes I already lost the others who didn’t care to wait for me at all. I stopped to shoot some pictures and this was enough to gain relevant distance between them and me. Hm .... I dislike these situations, but in that day I had a particular feeling I simply have to keep close to them. And it was a right feeling, I have to say it.

Claire was probably obsesed about reaching Gokyo, so they marched terrible fast. I needed about half an hour of almost running with my 19 kilos backpack to catch them, it was bad. Not to mention that I tried also a feeling of being upset because they didn’t wait for me at all. So, at about 1 p.m. I had every reason to feel physically exhausted. From Periche, you go down to cross a bridge, then steep up again, then you reach the large plateu in Orsho and you enter again the path to Pangboche until the point the way is splitting up to Upper Pangboche and left to Lower Pangboche, of course. The trail is so different! We went right, starting to climb to Upper Pangboche and looking down to the villages I crossed when I trekked from Tengboche to Dingboche.

When I had to stop again for a few minutes to drink some water, they dissapeared again and I run again up and down. I felt some disconfort about Peter who wasn’t happy about waiting for me, I saw him looking behind him several times. Crazy day. I reached them after 2 p.m. in Upper Pangboche, here they waited for me. It was much to early to stop here, but a little bit late to go further to Phorse, as we didn’t know exactly how many hours will take and how it is the trail, up or down?

As the trail up to here, the settlement of Upper Pangboche (3.930 m) was also quite different. Only one lodge, maybe 10 houses, isolated, ancestral picture, for sure not so often visited by the tourists. To cross this settlement needs about 10 minutes, not longer. Very-very narrow and steep settlement, you hardly could find a straight place to put a tent, for instant. I didn’t explore the village, but this was my impression, maybe I’m wrong. Down on left side the terraces of Pangboche maximize every cm of space on the mountainside. There is a gompa in the center, but we didn’t stop here. 

We didn’t know what to decide: to stay over night here or to trek further on, taking the risks of a long segment without any other accommodation possibilities? We entered the first and probably the only lodge in the village. In the yard was an old Sherpa man with a very beautiful hut. Peter asked him, if he can take a picture of him. And the man said something about payment. 

Then, Peter said “OK, thanks, than no picture.” It is somehow strange to pay somebody for taking a picture of him, it is not about the money itself, but rather about the value of the gesture and demnity.  The old sun burnt Sherpa said “joke, joke” and he laughed in his way. So I also took a picture of him then.  

Upstairs on the first floor of the lodge we discovered a very cosy dinning room. All the sun was inside like a crepuscular aura and all the warm colors of the manufactured pillows and carpets offered a real show of beauty. A tall Sherpa woman about 40-45 y.o. appeared. She didn’t know any English, but we asked about Phorse (3.810 m) and she communicated through clear gestures that we reach Phorse in about 2 hours and the trail is nicely descending. 

So, we decided together to keep the group and to rush to Phorse, because in about one and half hour the sun will go away and it will be to cold. So, we were late in a way and started immediately. It was 2:20 as we left Upper Pangboche and the next almost 3 hours were terrible long, cold, windy and endless, on a terrible narrow wavy path. Crazy adventure, but we kept together and this was the best idea for us that afternoon, not only for myself.

The trail becomes a sort of sensational from the point it split between the both Pangboche. A lot of ascending, then descending again, the path is narrow, not even 1 m, you cannot follow this trail if you're suffering of altitude sickness. It is so spectacular, it throws you to heaven and down you to deep ravines, is stretches in front of you like an enormous anaconda. Sometimes you can see the next 800 m in front of you, waving into and outside the mountain, sometimes you see the trail in the cold shadow going down and up and you have no idea what is next behind that high point. You look behind and say “good bye” to the AmaDablam.

We all four marched in line, with Peter in front, me in the middle, Claire and Andy behind me. I cough and loose blood through my nose, but I sang the “Edelweiss”! I was in a sort of lost paradise, I must missed the sun and warm. We marched through thick white-gray-black clouds. The dusty narrow path threw me up to the heaven and all I could see 10 steps in front of me was a close horizon line and the blindness caused by sunlight that pierced the cloud on the trail.

We had to stop at half past three and to put some thick clothes on. The sun was almost gone, we marched 90% in the cold shadow and the trail seemed to be really endless. Behind me stretched out the last panorama of the entire Imja Khola Valley with AmaDablam on the sky, so I felt I have to enter a new stage of my trip. From that point we clearly decided to keep close together, it becam to creepy to stay alone on that trail in the coming dark.

After a while I took over the leading of the small group and it was more convenient for me as I wanted to film the trail without Peter’s legs. Unexpectedly it came a very steep zig-zag descend and I started to sing and to talk to myself: “This is crazy! They said nice trail to Phorse, only two hours, no problems! We're already marching since two hours and I am so tired, so much climb and so cold, I have terrible headaches.” I descended very carefully, filming in the same time, that was crazy indeed! I was so excited. Tired, sick, but excited, I enjoyed each moment and I wanted to keep for ever. It was a moment when I gave up to expect the end of this day and I felt prepared in my mind to walk entire night. I felt the taste of a new adventure. All around dark clouds and a rest of the sun light. Looking behind me I didn’t see Andy, Claire’s husband and I said we have to wait for him. We just came out from a high curve and could see about 200 meters behind us. And we waited for five minutes, but Andy didn’t came at all. It was strange, as he always was fast. Claire left her backpack on the spot and went back looking for him. It was everything OK, Andy was OK, he just stopped for some minutes because a sort of feeling sick and tired.

We met 2 men coming from the opposite direction. It was 3:40 p.m. and we asked how long would be to Phorse. They said: “Oh, Phorse, very close, fifteen minutes!”. Wow, only fifteen minutes? Great!  After 20 minutes a young Sherpa woman coming from behind exceeded our group in full speed. I saw her coming and I started to film. At the moment she reached me I asked if we still have long way to Phorse and, without stopping, she said only “Phorse ja”, so it was a confirmation of the right direction at least. I didn’t stop my camera, but I increased my speed following her and keeping a visual distance from her. She stopped twice and looked to me, I didn’t know why. I talk to myself again, in a sort of irony: “Oh, yes, 15 minutes. Where are the 15 minutes? 25 minutes have passed since they said 15. Ah, of course, there are Nepali 15 minutes, this can be half an hour or one hour ....” but in that moment, as I stepped into a cloud and followed the path into a very tight curve I suddenly saw a blue roof of a house, somewhere away deep in a new valley! 

Sensational scenery, we were for sure in another universe. A valley lost in clouds, some red and blue points seemed to be roofs of some stone buildings of a human settlement. The others were behind me about 300 m so I stopped and said: “I see a roof!!”. In that moment, the Sherpa woman in front of me had a panic reaction, she probably didn’t expect my voice sound, she stopped and turn to me and made desperate gestures saying “no pictures!”, so I just stopped my camera.

It was 4:30 as we reached Phorse. It was cloudy, we were at 3.810 m high deep in the clouds, we couldn’t see much from the entire village, only the steps in front of us on the descending path. We didn’t find any entrance in the village, so we just climbed down a little bit chaotic, entering a yard, crossing a stone fence. We saw a large red roof and a large yard, so we supposed that could be a lodge. As we got closer to the lodge at our feet a very friendly Sherpa woman came outside and it was the warmest welcome I ever met  in my life! Due to her reactions I realized she didn’t met tourists since long time and she has exceptional happy to have guests again.

Everything was perfect here. Very clean, a perfect toilet, even outside the building, she started immediately the fire in the dinning room, so in 10 minutes was a nice atmosphere inside. We were the only guests. I could charge my camera battery here, 150 NRP/hour. I felt so terrible well in this place, that I let also the biggest amount for only one evening: 2.200 NRP!!

She stayed with us the entire evening, talking about her family and the building of this lodge during 6 years. She still have plans to extend the lodge, so until it will be ready it will take 4 years longer. I enjoyed staying with her in her kitchen while she prepared our food. One of her children was studying in America. Her husband and son were on the way to Periche, the two men we met on our trail. She was very worried about them, as they started very late and the way to Periche was terrible long in the dark evening and her husband had a little to much alcohol.

I was amazed to hear how much money the people in the heart of Himalaya can manage. The construction of her big lodge has cost so far about 40.000 USD. They don’t loan from the banks. They start renting a room, saving money, then expanding the house. Everything is made in long time, everything have to be carried up to here and it costs a lot of money.

I felt so well and so familiar that evening, despite the strong headaches. I also had my second bier on this trail, 330 ml for 350 rupies (5 USD!!). Thousand meters lower and 50 rupies cheaper than in Lobuche. I wished to stay there for the Christmas Evening, but not alone. The others wanted to reach Gokyo tomorrow. Being in such an isolated place, I said it is better to keep walking with the group. We all were very tired, in the dining room was very warm, we enjoyed the evening a lot. I went to bed about 9 p.m. and I was sure I will sleep over night, I was much to tired.

The best lodge, really! The best host, she really knows how to be pleasant for her guests.

the story of the 12th day: Christmas Eve

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