EVEREST TREK : DAY 23

Day 23.  Bupsa to Nunthala.

Monday April 1.

Beautiful rhododendron

This trip is turning into a nightmare I had cramp in my tummy and I felt sick from the food last night, when I woke up. We are both started coughing again in the lodges I think due to the smoke. We wish we were home.

At breakfast Moira ordered toast, which should be easily digestible but it was soggy mass of dough which she couldn't eat. I just had coffee, I couldn't even face porridge. Before leaving I once again told Brin in no uncertain terms that I wanted lodges, no matter the cost, that had well heated dining rooms. Now he informs us that the lodges from here to Jiri don't have stoves in the eating areas.

Luckily the first half of today's walk was downhill. It was a steep hour's descent to Kharikhola, I took it slow and steady. I was feeling sick and terrible the whole way down. Through the long string of houses and lodges that made up Kharikhola the track followed a contour line before climbing to the Gompa at the top of the hill. We stopped there for a cup of tea, all I could face was black tea, not even a Bounty bar.

From this pass it was more steep downhill for 1.5 hours to Jubling before the suspension bridge over the Dudh Kosi. As we descended we heard a distinctive tap tapping which I though might be a woodpecker but then it may have been someone joking, it was April Fool's Day. There was no mistaking the bird we heard later, the sound of our first cuckoo. When coming up the tea house at the bridge hadn't had milk for the tea, so we had continued to Jubling then for our refreshment. This time we stopped at Jubling before reaching the bridge, though this time I didn't want milk in my tea. 

Once over the suspension bridge I didn't know how I would fair on the long steep climb to come. I had taken a pain killer with my tea earlier and this seemed to be beginning to take effect. I was beginning to feel better and managed the uphill quite well. It was long and steep and relentless. This section to Tacksindu La was the equivalent on this return trip to the ascent of Lamjura La going out, a double Munro. Again we were only going halfway up to Nanthala.

There was a tea house after an hour's walk and we stopped for lunch. I had a Bounty bar with a cup of tea and Moira ordered vegetable soup. The soup was disgusting, Moira described it as heated dish water with grass. The tea I think used the same water. Moira sent back the soup and we headed off once I forced my tea down.

The climb was relentless and seemingly never ending. We met an Australian lad coming down and we asked how far to the top, Oh, hours away, but there is a village just ahead, he told us. The just ahead was the same as Brin's, near not far. There was a big slope to go up and then it was only the start of Nunthala, our lodge was at the other end of a long strung out village.

We had stayed here on the way down, there were three beds in the room and I pinched the extra mattress for my bed. I went to bed straight away, I was dead and soon sleeping. Moira went to dinner at 6:30 pm and had Sherpa stew which she said was nice but I stayed in bed. She brought me back a cup of coffee which I had with a Mars bar. I couldn't face any of their food. I read for a bit and then got off to sleep, and slept quite well.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 24

Day 24. Nunthala to Ringmu.

Tuesday 2 April.

I didn't fell too bad when I got up and I had some porridge and coffee for breakfast. It was a warm day and we both decided to wear shorts. It wasn't long after we started that we were sweating and the fleeces came off. It was nearly 4 hours of slow slogging to get to the top of Tacksindu La. There were so many false summits it was disheartening. We stopped twice for tea which was refreshing and got us going again. My stomach was feeling a lot better but I was exhausted, probably due to not eating. The harder the climb the worse I got and the top never seemed to be there. Moira pointed to a string of prayer flags strung across the top of the next steep slope, telling me it indicated the top. I didn't believe it until I went through the gateway and the path began to descend on the other side.

Small waterfall

We should have been going to Junbesi today but I couldn't manage it. Brin said the next village Ringmu was an hour down the hill, we decided to have an easy day and stop there for the night. It was a fairly easy and quick descent but I was suffering badly and very glad when we eventually reached the village.

Outside the lodge there were tents pitched ready for a Japanese party that we had passed on the way down. The lodge was a dump but it had beds and that was where I headed straight away. Moira went down to the dining room and had chips for lunch, she brought me back a bottle of coke and a packet of biscuits for my lunch. I stayed in bed all afternoon but later went down for dinner, I had a plate of porridge. There was no heating in the dining room but Brin managed to arrange for us to eat in the kitchen. It was very smokey but at least warm. As soon as I finished my meagre meal I went back to bed.

Mule-train heading for the river

The blankets we got were a ton weight and the bed was very narrow. This resulted in all the blankets slid off when you turned over and the weight caused them to fall to the floor. I didn't sleep very well and the toilet was outside at the bottom of the stairs, a mission to get to in the middle of the night.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 25

Day 25.  Ringmu to Junbesi.

Wednesday 3 April.

More lovely rhododendron

I was feeling much better this morning my stomach seems to have recovered fully. I had my usual porridge and coffee for breakfast and will probably be able to eat something more substantial this evening. We were eating in the kitchen again and had the benefit of the cooking fire for warmth. 

Brin suggested making the Lamjura La today, but not long after starting we decided that it was a bit ambitious. Although feeling a lot better we were both drained and exhausted. It was probable due to continuous walking in hard conditions,not eating enough, the cold and the altitude. The decision was to just make for Junbesi and another easy day would help recovery for the climb up Lamjura La tomorrow. From Ringmu the track dropped steeply to the river, Beni Khola, then over a suspension bridge, to the other side and a steep tough climb. Luckily it wasn't long and the route eventually picked up a level contour path around the face of the hill. As usual it didn't strictly keep to the contour and there were some short sharp steep ups to take us to new levels. We were looking for the Everest View Lodge for our tea stop, and had two or three false hopes when making for houses on the edge of the hill with with outstanding views, but each time frustrated. On our last disappointment Brin said had 20 minutes to go, it turned out to be closer to 45 minutes. 

Everest is somewhere in the distance

Once we reached the lodge we could see the Everest range but the only peak we could distinguish, because of the cloud, was the easily recognisable Ama Dablam. We both ordered coffee and got hot milk. When I complained Brin brought the jar of Nescafé and we spooned in the coffee to our taste. We bought some yak (nak actually which is the cow, the yak is the bull) cheese but it didn't taste the same and wasn't as good as the stuff we got here last time. 

It was now 1.5 hours to Junbesi and the track was a true contour path, smooth and level before the final drop to the suspension bridge over the river and into the village. It was good walking now and we could stay together and chat. Not with Brin though, he has taken to quickly walking well ahead of us, resting on a rock and as we caught up he is up an off again. I think I may have offended him somehow!

We stayed at the same lodge as previously, the Apple Farm Guest House. It had hot showers indoors and near our room. That was our first stop after dumping our bags and we felt much better afterwards. For lunch Moira had fried rice with vegetables and I shared some of it. Also we bought a packet of biscuits to have with our coffee. There were three Israeli lads who had come over Lamjura La this morning and were gorging themselves on food. Maybe that's what wrong with us, not eating enough.

It was cold and we spent the afternoon in bed reading. There was a fire in the dining room when we went down for dinner. The place was crowded with a large party of Australians and a group who were camping outside but eating in the restaurant. Moira had the Dahl baht for her meal while I risked the chicken fried momo, it wasn't too bad and my stomach survived. We were going to sit on after dinner and read but it was very noisy and crowded so headed for bed instead.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 26

Day 26. Junbesi to Sete.

Thursday 4 April.

Junbesi in the valley

It was another beautiful morning with clear blue skies. We have been fortunate with the weather it would have been really miserable if some days it was walking in heavy rain and mud to arrive at our cold lodge soaking. 

High white tops behind Junbesi

The first part today was a steep climb, out of Junbesi, of about 30 minutes to where the monastery stood near the top of the hill. Looking back there were white topped peaks in the background dotted above the lower hills encircling Junbesi which was nestling in the valley below. As we turned the bend in the hill the route now followed a nice contour path up the next valley. Ahead of us we could see Lamjura La our major obstacle today standing at 3500 metres. We had been walking for an hour before the the path began climbing, gradually at first then getting steeper. When we stopped for tea Brin said it was another 2 hours to the top. It did take us that and it was hard but the surroundings were pleasant through woodland with a profusion of rhododendron. I thought that once we cleared the tree line there would still be a massive rocky climb to overcome before we entered the pass. But we were pleasantly surprised when in the clearing the banners and prayer flags indicating the pass were only a short distance further to climb.

We wanted to stop at the tea house on the pass for lunch but the woman said that the owners had gone to Junbesi and they weren't cooking. We had to walk along the ridge for a further 30 minutes to the next set of lodges. Fortunately all the snow of our previous visit had gone but had left a lot of mud. Although it was still sunny there was a cold wind blowing across the col and we had to get our fleeces out when we at last sat down for lunch. The food seems to be getting worse, I had tomato soup which was weak but still edible. Moira chose the mushroom soup and she got what appeared to be dried mushrooms boiled up in water, it looked and tasted disgusting. She sent it back and made do with some of the cheese we bought yesterday.

A beautiful lake amongst the trees

It was downhill now but still tiring. Our destination was Sete but when we reached Goyam about 1.5 hours from Sete I asked Brin about stopping there. He indicated a lodge but it looked grotty, so I asked if there wasn't a better one in the village. I couldn't make him understand and all he kept saying was that this was a good lodge. I gave up and decided to carry on to Sete. By the time we cleared the village of Goyam I discovered the answer to my question, there was only one lodge there, the others were either closed or in ruins.

The 1.5 hours to Sete were all right, downhill, steep and rocky in places but although we were tired we got the section done now rather than in the morning. The lodge in Sete we didn't remember from before, it was basic, cold and the food all right. I did have about of indigestion during the night and used the last of the Milk of Magnesia tablets.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 27

Day 27.  Sete to Bhandar.

Friday 5 April.

Moira ordered four hard boiled eggs at breakfast. She ate two and kept the others for our lunch. It was another glorious day and with little wind it became very hot as we were now descending to much lower levels. The roughly 1000 metres downhill to Kinja was steep and rough in places causing us to take it slow and steady. We could see Kinja a long way down in the valley beside the river, Likhu Kgola, always seeming an illusion as it never appear to get any closer. But we eventually did reach it and there was a delightful little tea house which we reached in a credible 2.5 hours. 

Tea house at Kinja

Moira said the tea was the best she had tasted in ages and the coffee was also very good. We bought a packet of biscuits and a bottle of Fanta to add to our eggs and cheese for lunch. The lodge was very clean and had a neat compact little dining room which looked like it would be warm and cosy in the evening. 

On our way again the path after crossing and re crossing the river by two suspension bridges gradually climbed up the side of the hill running along the bank on one side of the river. Unfortunately the profile didn't level out and became steeper as it zig zagged up the hill. After 2 hours we stopped for lunch, eggs, cheese and biscuits washed down with Fanta. There was another 2 hours of stiff climbing after lunch. Moira was fading badly, sitting down every few minutes. I had to bully her to keep going and eventually got her to the top. We still had another hour's walking walking along a contour path but it was now pleasant going where we could admire the surroundings and the deep valley we had come up with the river now very far below. There was a final very steep hill to negotiate and then we were in the outskirts of Bhandar. Our lodge was still nearly 30 minutes away at the top end of the village, the consolation being that it was saving us a bit of a climb in the morning. 

Suspension bridge at exit from Kinja

Coming through the village there were lots of Buddhist monks about and lots of people congregated in the square near our lodge, there was some sort of celebrations taking place. At first I thought it was a wedding with lots of music playing but later found it was for the opening of a new Buddhist temple. After dropping our bags in our room we sat outside with a beer. It was still very warm and the beer hit the right spot after another hard day in the hills. The lodge was quite busy with people starting out on their trek towards Everest. We had seen a few parties and tours of the trail this afternoon, this must be the most popular season with the weather now warming up.

At dinner we spoke to a guy from Lincolnshire, now living in Australia, who was just going 3 hours north of Namche to a monastery to do three months meditation. Another guy who was an Aussie was doing the normal Himalayan visit to EBC etc. they had both walked all the way from Jiri today. 

Still getting distant views of the snowy peaks

When we got to bed the music and dancing was still going on. It did finish at a respectable hour, 10 pm, but I still didn't sleep very well. I had two foam rubber excuses for mattresses but they didn't stop the hard boards digging into my hip bones.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 28

Day 28.  Bhandar to Shavalaya.

Saturday 6 March.

How did a car manage to get to Bhandar

Another lovely day and much warmed at this lower altitude and spring has obviously arrived. It was still a 500 metre climb to Deorali and Moira was struggling with her breathing again. I estimated that it would take 2 hours to reach the pass and was surprised when Brin said after 1.5 hours that we were nearly there. His nearly there and my nearly there are plainly two different things, it actually took the 30 minutes more to get there. 

Even a bus managed to get up to Deorali

We stopped for a cup of tea at the lodge at Deorali then it was the long drop down to Shavalaya. There were a few very steep rocky sections and some nice smooth gradual descents. My back was beginning to get sore and required some pain killers, we were glad this was to be our last day. We stopped halfway down and sat on a wall for our picnic lunch. Moira got an extra two eggs at breakfast again and we had cheese and biscuits with a Fanta orange.

Soon after starting again we could see Shavalaya down in the valley beside the Khumti Khola. It was still a long way down and the final drop to the valley floor was very steep. We went to a different lodge from the last time but they all seem much the same. On the way through the village we bought apples at a stall and had one each when we got to our room, it was the first fruit we had had in over a month. 

Brin said the office for bus tickets to Kathmandu opened at 3 pm and Moira accompanied him. They were half the price the agent in Kathmandu charged us. The bus leaves at 7 am tomorrow and Brin said it now takes a shorter route to Jiri on the mountain roads, only 2 hours compared with nearly 4 when we came out. 

We had a beer and lay on our beds until dinner time. The meal wasn't bad, spaghetti for Moira with a tomato sauce and I had veggie fried rice. Moira packed the rucksack for a quick off in the morning and we got to bed early.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 29

Day 29. Shavalaya to Jiri

Sunday 7 April.

Shavalaya as we left in the morning

We got up at 5:30 am and began to get ready for the bus. Brin came and told us that the bus would be leaving earlier and would pick us up outside the lodge at 6:15 am. We quickly finished packing came down and had breakfast to be waiting outside in time for the bus to arrive. Brin then came down the road and told us that a National strike had been called and the bus wouldn't be running today. My guess was that the driver had learnt of the proposed strike and tried to get away early but was subsequently stopped. The surprising thing was that the office selling bus tickets was still operating and Brin was able to obtain a refund on our tickets.

We now had two options : one, sit in Shavalaya and hope the bus would be running tomorrow or two, walk to Jiri and pray that the bus would be operating from there in the morning or take a taxi if all else failed. We chose to walk to Jiri, so it was one more day's trekking to do.

It was now our earliest start yet, 6:30 am and it was still chilly as we headed up the river valley away from Shavalaya. Soon we were climbing quite steeply but our feet felt light today, we were wearing our trainers. Moira had packed the boots at the bottom of the rucksack. The climb was 600 metres to the pass at Patashi Danda. It wasn't too difficult a climb and we were both striding out well. It took only 2.25 hours to reach the pass. The walk today reminded us a lot of Scotland, with rolling hills through thick pine forests. The ground under the trees was covered in deep brown pine needles. There were many birds about, we didn't see them but took delight in their many and various songs and calls. One sound we did recognise was the cuckoo, that has been accompanying us for the last few days.

Little goats enjoying the spring sunshine

Going down the other side there was a lot was on the dirt road that the bus uses, but we took a number of steep rocky paths to cut the corners and hairpins on the road. We stopped halfway down for tea, she didn't have any milk but the tea was good if I added some sugar. On the trail again I was joined by a young Nepali lad who wanted to accompany me to Jiri. He was finishing off a can of cool drink and just tossed the empty at the side of the trail. I gave him a piece of my mind about spoiling his beautiful country but it didn't seem to have any effect as he just gave me a blank stare. He left me then, thankfully.

As usual there was a very steep final descent dropping to a wide dirt road into Jiri. It was an absolute dump. I don't remember places like this when we trekked Annapurna, it was like India. We told Brin we wanted a decent place to stay but he put us in the usual hovel. It boasted a hot shower but when I tried it the water only trickled out, and it was either cold or scalding hot. We packed up and left. The guide book suggested the hotel Gabila which it described as de luxe. We went there but it was only marginally better. The shower had plenty of pressure and flow but cold, we made do. I don't think there was anything better in this dump of a town.

After lunch Moira and Brin checked out the bus situation for tomorrow. The ticket office was closed but opened at 5 am tomorrow. Later the guy at the hotel said the bus was at 5:30 am for Kathmandu and he had booked seats for us, he would get the tickets first thing in the morning for us. We had a walk through the town in the afternoon and confirmed our first impressions of the place.

There was a small lounge near our bedroom which was comfortable and warm. We played cards until dinner time. We both had a chicken curry, Moira enjoyed it but I didn't like it at all. We got to bed early having to rise at 4 am to get ready for the bus. I didn't sleep particularly well the bed was uncomfortable.