Himalaya reloaded 2011-15th day-Phortse Tanga

READ HERE about yesterday 

15^th day of trek, 27th of December 2010

Gokyo (4.790 m alt) – Phortse Thanga (3.675 m alt.)

7 hours

Leaving Gokyo was sad

Gokyo Area meant ecstasy and exhaustion, and probably the peak of my sickness, because the apparently simple cold I cough aggravated and become much more than a cold. I had to leave Gokyo earlier than I thought because of my sickness, so, up there, at almost 6.000 m, I left behind two corners I did not explored. Which it means I will return. Which it means I have to forget about the sadness I felt leaving Gokyo Area ….

 Yesterday evening I went earlier to bed and I slept from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., when unfortunately I had to go out. From that point it was impossible anymore to fall asleep because of the stuffy nose and I had to clean my fluid bloody nose every ten minutes, it was terrible bad. Additional I had an awful headache which obsessed me the entire day. After 7 a.m. I started to pack, it is so much more easier to pack your backpack when you have only 5-6 things to put inside. Before 8 o’clock in the morning I entered the big dinning room. The big Australian group was already on the way to Gokyo Peak, I could see very clearly the long line of red jackets going up on the mountain on the opposite side of the lake. A wonderful, sublime day again, cristal clear sky. It was still warm inside from the fire. When they have big tourists groups, the lodges owners take care to make fire early in the morning. If there are only few  tourists, one ore three persons without any local guide, they do not bother for it. It is not about costs involved, because the yak shit doesn’t cost them money, but it’s easier not to bother about doing fire for one or two persons. This matter can be managed before you decide to overnight in that lodge, but you have to know about this aspect and to openly discuss with the owner from the first moment. Otherwise you will be surprised to come in the dinning room in the morning and to see that they don’t even intend to make fire or you also can be surprised in the evening, when no fire will be start.  Anyway the price for the room and food is the same, doesn’t matter if you get fire or not. This doesn’t influence any costs’ level.

 I left Gokyo at 8:25 in the morning, following the same path as two days ago when I came to Gokyo. But this time I enjoyed walking alone. I was sad because I had to leave the area and because I knew that in 2-3 days I will leave the mountains for a long time, returning back to Europe. I hate byes. I walked very, very slowly just to delay the separation and I looked very often behind, stopping, turning around, taking pictures, sitting for few minutes. On the first lake it was a ducks family. I delayed there probably 15-20 minutes. From that point, steepy going down, the landscape was going to change totally. 

follow the link and read about some emotions on the way 

I reached Dhole only after 4 and half hours. I recovered the stuff I left there, I had a small lunch, I had a chat with the Sherpa owner who was alone with the small white sweet dog. Her man was away in Khumjung, so she was alone and the small dog was her joy.

Now, with my heavier backpack, I went further. It was 2 p.m. and I knew that it wasn’t possible to reach Khumjung. I also knew that I had that forest segment with ice falls on the way and I fell twice. Once I almost lost my camera, but I could recovered it. It was a little bit strange that I met very few people and only two tourists groups going up.

I finished my trek today at 3:30, after 7 hours. I discovered only one hidden lodge somewhere steep down close to the river, so I had to leave the high narrow path in the forest and to go down. I didn’t like the place, but apparently I had no choice. It was a deep buried valley along the river, very cold, of course. Unexpected colder than expected. The host was a boy about 17 y.o. who wanted 100 rupies for the night. I asked if any other tourists inside. It was a lady from Holland with his guide. He didn’t want to start fire before 5 p.m. so I said I have to go outside and walk for a while instead to freeze inside. And I explored the area for about one hour. I was bored and sad. I stopped here because I knew the next segment of the trail will be one of the longest climb to the next settlement and as I was alone, I didn’t want to risk about trekking alone in the dark. I needed at least 2 hours longer of sun light and it was to late for that.

Above Dhole at 1 p.m.

The guy did the fire after 5 p.m. and after ten minutes I went inside the lodge, I knocked on the door of the Dutch lady, even I didn't see her before. I just wanted to let her know that it might be much nicer in the dinning room instead to lay alone in her frozen room. She appeared after 10 minutes, was very surprised that somebody thought about her and we spent indeed a nice evening. She actually belonged to a bigger group, but she was one day later in Kathmandu, so now she tries to catch her group.

I went to sleep about 8 p.m. I still didn’t feel better, terrible strong headache and very tired. As I already told several times, this cold consumes a large amount of energy for human body. Tomorrow will be another long and not easy day.

READ about tomorrow here

Himalaya reloaded 2011-13th day-Gokyo

READ HERE about yesterday

the trail - daily steps 

13^th day, 25^th of December 2010,

Dhole (4.110 m) – Gokyo (4.790 m)

7 hours

I will not describe here the diary notes of this day. It was long, I was sick, I wonder I could wake up and walk, we started the trail before 9 a.m., but I couldn’t keep close to the others, so I trekked solo again and it wasn’t funny at all for the last 2-3 hours of the day, when I practically collapsed for about 10 minutes. Solo adventure through the Himalayas in the winter is not an easy stuff. But ... gives a great satisfaction, if you survive.

The main difficulty was my stuffy and bleeding nose and the cough, because you are so high above the sea level and you need your entire respiratory system in order to breathe freely.

I could leave here in the lodge some stuff, alleviating my backpack, this was the best idea. Now I knew I have no choice to return on different route to Namche, I had to reach Dhole again. Normally I always avoid to return on the same route.

The breakfast at 8 was rather poor – 2 fried eggs on a chapati and two cups of lemon tea -, not much choice in this lodge and for a Sherpa Stew I’d had needed to wait to long, at least half an hours. I didn’t want to miss the start with the others, this was the reason, because I had the feeling it will be a long difficult day. The lodge’s owner said, we could reach Gokyo in about 5 hours, this is meaning seven hours for me. And I wasn’t wrong, I was pretty exact about the time estimation, as I always am.

The trail begins very steep behind the lodge. But the sun was already arised and this was exceptional good. After about half an hour you reach the top of that hill and in front of you streches a large valley, but you have to follow a narrow path cutting the mountains and after another 30-40 minutes you reach Lhabarma at 4.330 m, a small settlement built against a huge rock. Here, several porters, heavily loaded, took a break and had a chat. Half an hour later it comes Luza (4.340 m), on the banks of a large stream, having a year-round water supply. All the kharkas (small villages) on this side of the valley are owned by people from Khumjung. Families have houses in several settlements and move their herds from place to place as the grass becomes overgrazed and the snows melt. I reached Luza about 10 minutes later than the other 3 and the Danish guy was the one who asked in a sort of nervous way what am I intend to do today, because they are not willing to wait for me every time. I reacted very prompt: “OK, just go without me. If everything is all right, we meet tonight in Gokyo. I cannot walk faster. Go and don’t look behind after me!” I could not judge them after all. Their holiday, their money, their time ..... we were strangers, why to take care about somebody you just meet on the trail?! Everybody is on his/her own risks in the Himalaya, pay attention to this if you decide to go there trekking alone on high paths. The people you might meet on the same path do not bother to look behind after you and to spoil their vacation.

I lost them shortly because I stopped for some pictures and a loaded yak passed in front of me, having other two yaks behind. Normally they are going faster, but not today. The path was much too narrow, so I was blocked between the animals and only after about 20 minutes I found a spot to pass in front of the first yak and to follow my trail without any obstacles. But then I met a local Sherpa man having some troubles with the loading on his yak and I stopped in order to try to help him. As I didn’t was so strong even to move the heavy load, I just tried to encourage him and I walked further after I saw he succeded somehow to arrange the load on the animal back and to continue his way in the opposite direction.

The trail continued to climb along the side of the valley, high above the river, crossing sandy spurs to Machhermo at 4.410 m. It was in Machhermo in 1974 that a yeti killed three yaks and attacked a Sherpa woman. This is the most credible yeti incident ever reported in Khumbu, so the people mean you should be watchful as you visit this region.

In Macchermo I reached the other 3 guys again, they stopped there for lunch and I did the same. The soup wasn’t good, but it was fluid. The Sherpa stew was also very late and poor, so the person who is cooking is very important, because after all they have the same ingredients.

I was already tired, having the mouth and the nose covered all the time and struggling to breathe is not an easy task over 4.000 m altitude. But you cannot have other expectations from the thin air, when you normaly live close to the sea level, of course. A perfect acclimatisation needs longer time and no other health handicape. If you already caught a cold in Kathmandu, it isn’t a very good idea to go very high. But I was there and very decided to enjoy my experience, doesn’t matter if alone or with others. I started alone, so I took all the risks on me. Don’t expect much from people you are occasionally meeting on the trail, you could be very disappointed when you have expectations. Yes, it is a place for human ethic, but as I tried afterward to find out several opinions, nobody so far agreed that I should have been helped by others, because it was my own decision to go through this adventure alone and nobody has any reason in the world to be worried about my status there. I am my own responsability.

Maybe a good idea would be to overnight in Macchermo, but I didn’t think about it in that day. To have such a short day, only 2-3 yours on the trail, wasn’t my style, especially after the short day of yesterday. Descending into the valley, you need to climb up again. So, beyond Machhermo the trail climbs a ridge for an excellent view both down the valley to Kantega Mount and up towards Cho Oyu. Beyond the ridge, the valley widens as the trail reaches Pangka at 4.390 m. In November 1995 an entire trekking group was killed here by an avalanche and the three lodges in Pangka are located well away from the old avalanche path which I was walked on.

Leaving Pangka the trail drops briefly, then climbs to a large cave area known as Nilibuk. To be very honest, I remember the place, but I do not remember any caves around. I know that I got closer to a very different segment of the trail along the noisy river. The trail climbs steeply along a narrow, newly crafted staircase trail. Below on the right I could see the water coming from faw away on the top and joining with the glacial outflow from the massive Ngozumpa Glacier. Above the trail to the left is a 90° steep ridge that can be a dangerous avalanche area after a storm.

This segment of the trail, on the steep stairs, on a loud background coming from the river on the right, was totally in the shadow at that time – 1:40 p.m. -. I didn’t met anyone for the next 2 and half hours and because of the strong water sound it was quite a creepy time. And this feeling has been extended for the next hours until I reached Gokyo. Climbing all those stairs it takes about 20 up to 30 minutes and you become very curious to see what is next, because you cannot see any end of its. Atop the staircase the trail crosses a simple short bridge to the first small lake and from that moment you enter a total different world! 

You are at 4.650 m in front of the Longponga first lake – there are 5 lakes and the Gokyo village is at the top of the 3^rd lake, Dudh Pokhari, at 4.750 m. The first lake is pretty small, only about 1 m deep, due to the inscription there.

Entering this area is a special moment. The landscape is suddenly so different, the entire area was in full shadow, suddenly it became colder and after I filmed for a few minutes I stopped for getting out my dawn jacket and gloves. On the right side, behind that brown partially rocky ridge, was the longest glacier of Nepal (I even read about it of being the longest of Himalaya), Ngozumpa, which streches for over 24 km. 

On the first lake I saw a family of Brahminy ducks. Here starts also a different sound background. The lake surface is covered with a thin layer of ice – about 10 up to 20 cm I would estimate – and its forms change. The currents under the ice seem to be strong enough to move the mass of ice, so this doesn’t stay compact, but it cracks, breaks and all these moves ride out some echo sounds along the valley. Everything turns into a kind of movie about moaning, whining, squaling, collapse, fractures. It is like a new language, you are in another world and you want to get to meet something human as soon as possible, at least other people or even the village you’re going to. 

All around you is in a deep cone of shadow, a frozen, gray, cold and partially wet, windy shadow, the trail is running as a thread that never ends and you will not see the length of the valley. All around you are the Himalayan giants. You get close to the biggest, the highest mountains of the planet: the Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Kangchejunga (the 3^rd highest mountain with 8.586 m).

About 20 minutes later I reached the second lake, Taujung Tso, at 4.728 m, larger and much deeper than the first one (about 33 meters), totally covered with ice. I was too tired and frozen, I didn’t enjoy the place. I just wanted to reach a lodge and to feel secure in a way. 

The water was grey, the sun was gone, it was windy, no soul around, no idea about how long I had to keep it going on walking. I crawled through the shadowed, empty, cold valley and the lake kicked and moved and the path in front of me did not seem to have any end. I knew I can still walk for one or two hours, but not enjoying the time. I still could walk in a sort of mechanical move. 

When the third lake appeared and I still could not see any sign of human settlement, I felt getting very close to a collapse. And I collapsed. As I saw the small collection of the blue roofs of some lodges, far away in front of me at the top of that large and long lake, I knelt, I removed my backpack and I started to cry, hardly breathing because of the cold air, flu and because of the intensity of my emotional discharge. I was on the way only for 7 hours after all, but ....

But the collapse occurred on an inner background which terrible hurt and hang heavier than my backpack: the fact that none of the three people that started today together having the same trail and the same destination hasn’t turned their head to see what is happening with me, lonely in that wildness. The fact that, as I heard after fifteen minutes when I entered the dinning hall, they saw me through the large windows making my slowly appearance in the cold sunset and none of them was turning out to come and help me. They have arrived here one hour earlier than me. Because of this I snapped, because I expected something from somebody. It is very painful, in my acceptance, to see the lack of humanity of the human beings. I already knew, due to my life, that it is silly to expect certain things from people around you, but I will never be able to accept this reality.

next day ---> 

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