EVEREST TREK : DAY 16

Day 16.  Lobuche to Pheriche 

Monday 25 March.

One of the best sections of the trek.

We had ordered breakfast for 8 am this morning hoping for a long lie but it was too cold in bed so we wrapped up and were down on the dining room at 7 am. There was still a little bit of a fire burning in the stove, just enough to take the chill out of the air and it got warmer when the sun shone through the windows. We still didn't get breakfast until 8 am but Brin managed a pot of coffee to revive us. There was a small party heading up this morning having breakfast, a Scots girl from Tain among them. A few of them were suffering from headaches, one guy was so bad he was heading back down to Pheriche. We said that we were heading that way and would be going slowly and he could come with us, but he decided to head off earlier. He didn't have either a guide or a porter. 

When we left at 8:30 am the sun was shining brightly again from a blue cloudless sky but it was still cold and we had our rain jackets on to keep out the bitter wind. It didn't start getting warm until we dropped down from the Thukla Pass. Moira had told the guy with the headache that we were slow but she set off this morning at a quick pace on a slightly downhill track. She only slowed down on the icy rise up to the Thukla Pass and down the other side as we stopped to talk and encourage those slowly on their way up. The scenery in front of us was outstanding. On the way up we had to keep turning to admire it but but now it was always in front of us confirming in our opinion that this was the best section of the trek. This time the mountain eagles, that circled overhead on the way up, were missing.

We stopped at the Yak Lodge at Thukla for tea. I had dropped nearly 1000 metres from my high of the trek on Kala Patther yesterday. We were both now feeling the advantage of the drop in altitude and the richer air. While we were having tea the Cancer Research party passed, they didn't stop for refreshments and some didn't look very happy. We wondered if they had come all the way from Gorak Shep this morning and stopped at Lobuche for their break. 

When we started again there was a short climb which we took too quickly, forgetting that we were still at 4600 metres and were puffing. A short distance further there was a fork in the track, to the right was the route to Dingboche, the way we had come up, flattish before dropping to that village. For a change we took the left track which dropped right away down to the Khombu valley. It was then fairly flat all the way to Pheriche which we could see in the distance but as usual never seemed to get any closer. There were a number of small streams to cross which were flowing strongly showing the temperature was a few degrees higher at this lower level. The valley had beautiful peaks down either side and facing us again was the range of mountains dominated by the attractive pointed shape of Ama Dablam. 

At last we reached the village and in our room at the Pheriche Resort lodge. We relaxed on our bed for half an hour before going down for lunch. They were just installing and tuning a new satellite TV In the dining room, I thought it would have been better to spend their money heating the place. While we were enjoying a nice veggie curry the Cancer Research group passed by outside giving us waves as they went, they must have stopped somewhere in the village for lunch. They were continuing but we stopped here for the night, it was our easy day. 

It turned out to be a lovely lodge and they appeared to be trying to make the trekkers stay more pleasant. They had the TV installed and when I asked if I could pay to have the fire lit earlier they put it on straight away without charge. We had a nice lunch, I shared a veggie curry with Moira after having a bowl of spicy tomato soup. My appetite is improving now that were dropping in height. In the afternoon I selected a book from a small library they had on a shelf, that was available to borrow for the stay. It was a Bill Bryson, At Home, about the history of the rooms in a house. It was fascinating, I will now have to buy it on Amazon for the Kindle.

For dinner we orders chips and vegetable fried momo. Moira had the chips and I enjoyed the momo which were more like samosas than the steamed dumpling that they served last time I ordered them. A nice touch they had was to give us warm damp towels to wipe our hands and faces before starting our meal. We read for an hour before going to bed. It was another very cold night and I ended up putting my track suit pants on top of my long Johns. Moira is beginning to suffer, she is coughing and sneezing. It is as well that we are going down, I don't think she would have managed if we were now climbing up into the thinner air.

Himalayan panorama

EVEREST TREK : DAY 17

Day 17.  Pheriche to Tengboche.

Tuesday 26 March.

Some of the mountain scenery on the route to Tengboche

Moira didn't have a very good night, coughing and sneezing. She revived a little after having a few puffs of her ventilin inhaler. Also when we went down for breakfast they had the fire going which was the best reviver. 

We started with our rain jackets and gloves on but it was only for a few minutes and at the top of the hill out of Pheriche that we were warmed up and off they came. It was another fine and glorious day, the deep blue sky enhancing the snowy white of the peaks. After the initial climb it was downhill to the junction with the path to Dingboche that we took on the way up. We were now following the contours above Imja Khola river valley. There was a lovely flat section which we had enjoyed so much coming up, before dropping to Somare for our tea break. After our tea it was still easy going still above the Imja Khola and along the contours to Pangboche. Moira wasn't feeling very good at all, and the infection she had was now in her chest. Hopefully the antibiotic she began taking this morning will help. We stopped again at the same place in Pangboche where we had tea on the way up and had another cup and a half hour rest for Moira, she was feeling a little better as we continued.

We remembered this part of the route as the place where we first met the British group walking for Cancer Research. The track dropped to the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola. This time we noticed the old bridge underneath. It was wooden slats strung together by rope, not one that Moira would have enjoyed. On the other side of the river the track was wide and smooth. It dropped down gradually to the few lodges and Buddhist nunnery at Deboche. After that it was a long steep climb to Tengboche. The underfoot conditions were poor, mud churned up by the numerous yak trains. It was a relief to make the top, but disconcerting when Brin said that the lodge we stayed at previously was full and a lot of the others as well. Eventually he got us into a very big place and the room was very good. 

Moira got into her sleeping bag and had a sleep. I went down to the dining room and had a bowl of soup. A young couple I sat beside, Nick and CarriAnn were South African. They had been working in the UK for the last 7 years but were now returning to SA to work in Cape Town. I spent an hour talking to them about trekking and South Africa. They intend to do the Camino de Santiago when they finish here. Moira came down a little later feeling better for her sleep. She had some soup then decided to go back to bed. I sat reading most of the afternoon, it was warm when they put the fires on at 4 pm, there was a fire at each end of the dining room. Just before dinner I had to get Brin to go up and waken Moira. The lodge was very busy and we had a Russian sitting beside us at the table. Next to us was a large party of Australians, which included I think , grand parents, parents and children. Maggie Piper was the wife of the head of the UN in Kathmandu. He had been there for 5 years but was now being relocated to Senegal. Friends and relations had come to Nepal to join her in the trek to Everest before she left. They were good company and we talked about Australia, trekking worldwide, and our recent visit to Senegal when we cruised to SA, albeit for only one day.

It was nearly 9 pm when we got to bed. There was a lovely thick duvet and we were lovely and warm for a change. The only problem was that I have now started coughing, caught what Moira has got maybe.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 18

Day 18.  Tengboche to Namche.

Wednesday 27 March.

South African flag at Tengboche tea house

Today we had a big disagreement, not between Moira and me, but with Brin. A few days ago I asked him for the route plan for our return. He said we would do a different route to Namche for a change. This would take us the other way round the big hill that we climbed to the Everest view point when in Namche previously. We would now go via Khumjung and Khunde. I confirmed this with him this morning before leaving Tengboche. When we came to the lodges just before the junction to Khumjung Moira suggested we stop at one of them for tea, only to be told that we would stop at one a little further on. Brin's little further on can be anything up to half an hour and he pointed to some other lodges around a far bend. It was then that I noticed the junction signposted to Khumjung and we backtracked to the previous lodges. That was when the argument started, he said we were going straight to Namche, I disputed this and said we had agreed on the different route. I got the map out and realised then that our guide couldn't read a map when I pointed out the villages we should pass through on the alternative route. He then said that he wasn't familiar with that route or how long it would take. I was now furious that we had been landed with a guide who didn't know this loop that was clearly marked on the map and described in the guide books. We finished our tea and were forced to continue along the normal direct route to Namche. He kept well back at the rear as we proceeded, either sulking or afraid of my wrath.

The day had actually started well, we both had a great night's sleep, warm and comfortable. Moira had done some coughing during the night and started me off. In the morning I took some antibiotics as well, just in case. At breakfast we spoke to Nick from SA, his girl friend was suffering from a queasy stomach and they decided to take it easy today. It was a lovely day, blue sky and warm for a change. Soon we were down to our t-shirts and wishing we had worn our shorts. The enormous hill from Phenke Tenga on the Dudh Kosi that took us nearly 3 hours to climb we now descended in slightly over an hour. We stopped for a cup of tea at the bottom, Phenke Tenga is the village with the water driven prayer wheels. When we started off again we met the Russian from the lodge last night on his way down, he said he had insufficient time and was heading back. Unbelievably his name was Boris. 

Himalayan scene

From Phenke Tenga is was up again and we made quite good time, Moira was suffering again but she maintained a reasonable pace with much fewer stops for rests than before. Plenty of trekkers were on the trail heading up but not many making for Namche. It was at Semasa, at the top of another steep climb that we had the argument, but from there taking the recognised route it was easy going as we followed the contours round the hill. I was very annoyed and strode out strongly with Moira endeavour in to keep up, and soon Namche was in sight. 

I thought about being petty and insist that we go to a different lodge to the one we stayed at before, the Nest, but decided to just go with the flow. When we got to the Nest, Moira insisted on an en suite room. We expected just an integral loo but there was also a shower and the water piping hot. This was our first shower in 8 days and we managed to wash our clothes in the hot water as well.

The dining room was warmish and we stayed down there reading

More Himalayan peaks

 after having soup for lunch. At dinner time we both had a delicious chicken curry. We went to bed early and read our books in our sleeping bags and under a heavy cover. The power points were working in the room and I managed to get the camera batteries, the iPad, the Kindle and the phone all charged. It was warm in the bedroom and we didn't have to get all wrapped up to get comfortable, the sleeping bag and the cover was enough.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 19

Day 19.  Namche, rest day.

Thursday 28 March.

Namche Bazaar

Today was a definite rest day and we did nothing energetic. We had a long lie until 8:30 am then headed down for breakfast. Moira still wasn't feeling very well and went back to bed after our meal. I stayed in the dining room and read and brought the notes for this blog up to date.

Later we walked into town to a restaurant/pub offering free WiFi, where we had lunch. The noodle soup we had was Rs 200 but they charged Rs 250 each for a cup of coffee, so the WiFi wasn't exactly free. We managed to check and sent some emails and I downloaded the Bill Bryson book from Amazon that I had read the first few chapters at Pheriche the other day. On the way back to the Nest we stocked up on Mars and Bounty bars for the return trip. At a lodge we passed they had their tariff up on the door, it was Rs 200 for the basic room and $20 for en suite, so I'm expecting a big bill for our fancy room at the Nest.

Lunch in Namche with mountain scenery

We had a discussion about what to do next. I had suggested that we stay here another day then walk up to Goyka. It would take 4 days there and a further 3 days back. We would then have another rest day at Namche before making for Lukla where we would get a flight to Kathmandu. At first it seemed a good idea but later Moira decided and I agreed that we didn't really want to face the freezing cold again. So it's back to the original plan and we start back to Jiri in the morning.

Tonight I had a yak steak and chips while Moira had grilled chicken and chips. It was a very nice meal. The place was packed, it's the Easter holidays, so we had our meal early and then got to bed to read for a couple of hours. It was lovely and warm and we both slept well. Moira is still coughing but not so much and I seem to have recovered.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 20

Day 20.  Namche to Ghat.

Friday 29 March.

The cost didn't turn out too badly, Rs 1500/night for the room, about £12. It was worth it, shower, toilet and charging point for all the batteries.

50 Km in Everest Ultra-Marathon at Munjo

Today it was a bit cloudy but when the sun did manage to break through it was very warm and off came the fleeces, but when it got behind a cloud it got quite cold. The steep hill from Namche to the extension bridge at the junction of the Dudh Kosi and the Bhoto Koshi rivers took us 1.25 hours compared with nearly 3 hours to climb in the snow over a week ago. Once over the suspension bridge there was the path that ran along the side of the Dudh Kosi to Jorsale where we stopped for tea. After that it was a steep climb up to the National Park gate. The path was now along the contours high above the river going through the villages of Monjo and Benkar before dropping to Phakding. Brin wanted to take us to the lodge/restaurant where we stayed coming up but instead we turned into the first decent looking place that we came to in Phakding. We had noodle soup for lunch and told Brin that we wanted to walk for another hour before finding a place for the night. This took us to Ghat and we went into the first lodge we came to that looked good. It was basic but all right.

Red rhododendron

The rhododendrons were looking a lot brighter than when we came up, the reds more intense. A lot of trees were out in what looked like pink cherry blossom, spring must be arriving. Today the trail was exceptionally busy with porters carrying very big loads, and lots of yak and mule trains making their way up towards Namche. I assumed it was for market day which is held every Saturday in Namche. 

When we came down for a pot of tea, in the lodge, at 4 pm, the place was freezing. When I asked Brin when the fire would be lit the woman told him it was warm enough. I then asked how much it would cost to light the fire. They talked away in their own language but I didn't get an answer, instead Brin lit a few papers and some cardboard in the stove. We gave up and went to our room where we kept warm in our sleeping bags. A little later a girl arrived with huge duvets for us. I cannot for the life of me understand the business sense of these people. I would think it would better to keep the customers warm in the dining room where the might spend money than to have them stay in their rooms for comfort. 

We went for dinner at 6:30 pm and it was even colder. At least the meal was good, Dahl baht. As soon as we finished it was straight to our room and warm beds. We were both coughing nearly all night, it is either cold or something coming from the duvet.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 21

Day 21.  Ghat to Surke.

Saturday 30 March.

The mountains behind us

It was cold first thing this morning and still no heating in the dining room. The most annoying thing is that the staff, porters and our guide hang out in the kitchen which is nice and warm from the cooking fire. The second most annoying is that nobody closes doors and a draught kept hitting me every time anybody went in and out the front door. I can remember in Scotland before the luxury of central heating and we were all huddled around the coal fire in the winter, nobody would be allowed to leave a door open or there would be a loud chorus of : were you born in a field : from the others. In those days we even had rolled up towels or sheets along the gap at the bottom of doors to stop the draughts. And this place is much colder then Scotland in winter.

Moira said her chest was beginning to feel better but she still did a lot of coughing during the night. When we got going though it was her stomach that started to give her problems, she had severe pains in her tummy and back with indigestion. We had lots of stops between Ghat and Chheplung as the pain became too sore for her to walk. Gradually it eased and when we made Lukla headed for a pharmacy. They had pain killers but they had never heard of Alka Seltzer or Milk of Magnesia and ther didn't appear to be a local equivalent. Luckily by that time Moira had improved considerably.  

The walk to Chheplung was along the Dudh Kosi valley high above the river. It was mainly following the contour but there were the normal steep ups and downs in places. Behind us the peak, Kusum Kangguru, a high ragged rock with three summits was prominent, it's the first real climbing peak on the way to Namche. We stopped at Chheplung, just before the junction with the path to Jiri, for tea. Moira orders black tea and it came loaded with sugar, she sent it back. The only way they will learn how to treat customers is to complain. If we keep making excuses and say they don't know any better then they will never improve. 

The finish of the Everest Ultra-Marathon

For a new route back we took the path to Lukla at the junction and we could see the planes coming into land on the other side of a hill. It wasn't a steep climb but up all the way. At the top there there was the arch to the entrance of the town bedecked in the usual strings of prayer flags. Also across the arch was a banner for the finish of the 65 km Everest Ultra Marathon, being run this morning from Gorak Shep to Lukla. It had started at 6 am and they were expecting the winner to finish in about 5 hours, a few minutes after we had arrived. I doubted that time but we didn't hang about to find out. 

Lukla was a dump and people arriving at the airport headed out on the trail as quickly as possible. I thing the only people who stay in the many lodges are those leaving the following morning. We stopped at a restaurant with a sun deck, the sun was shining and we were feeling warm for a change as we sat and relaxed with a cup of tea for half an hour. We were going to have lunch there but Moira was still feeling a bit sick so we decide to carry on walking. 

The sloping runway at Lukla airport

The route took us to the edge of town then down beside the airport. It was a very steep sloping runway. Planes landing have to go up hill but presumably it makes for an easier take-off. The planes only operate in the morning because of the thickening cloud that starts to build up in the afternoon, as was now happening. There were still a few sight-seeing helicopters coming and going from just off the runway. 

The mountains around Lukla

The path was very steep all the way down and we could see Surke far below sitting on a plateau but still high above the Dudh Kosi. Moira was beginning to feel a lot better and we made good time. The clouds that prevent the planes landing at Lukla were now dark and we got to the lodge just as the rain was starting.

Before entering the lodge we insisted that a fire be put on and it was kindled and lit while we were have our soup for lunch. The fire was hot as long as you sat right next to it, which I did while reading my Bill Bryson book all afternoon. That is the problem with finishing the day early, you can only sit in the lodge reading as there is nothing else to do in these small villages. If it isn't heated then the only alternative is to get into your sleeping bag in bed. 

There were a few more people at the lodge, all making their way up. They all kept leaving doors open, I think I have got Brin well trained, he sits at the front door and makes sure it is closed after anybody goes in or out. We had a veggie curry for dinner followed by apple pie, it was very nice. We went to bed at 7:30 pm, read for an hour then got to sleep. We had a big, heavy duvet which kept us extra warm.

EVEREST TREK : DAY 22

Day 22.  Surke to Bupsa.

Sunday 31 March.

It was very tough going today, uphill right from the start. There was 665 metes of climbing to Chutok La. We took it steadily and are beginning to move better, now we are recovering from high altitude and coughing. We stopped at a lodge just before the top of the pass for tea, we watched the planes from Kathmandu turning in the valley at Lukla to land, one every few minutes. There seems to be about four aircraft and after a pause of 15 minutes they took off again in sequence for the return trip. 

A display of mountain flowers

Once over the pass and into the next valley, Paiya Khola, the path descended slightly but then stuck to the contour line. At the village of Paiya we stopped for another tea and shared a Mars bar. It was now about mid-day and Brin said it was about 2 hours to the next eating place. We decided to carry on and have a late lunch.

This was now the section that we recalled when coming in the other direction, where the route took us all the way to the head of the valley then down the other side. From Paiya it was only a short distance to the bridge at the top of the valley and then another climb, steady this time to Kari La. When we came to the other way this section was very muddy and slippery but it wasn't so bad now as we made our way up. There was some mud from the rain last night but nothing serious. The rhododendrons were really beautiful and the whole hillside was covered in blooms of various colours and shades.

At the top of the pass there was a restaurant with a tremendous view, right up the the length of the Dudh Kosi valley where we could see Lukla and Chheplung in the distance. The weather which had been sunny and warm all morning was clouding over and becoming cool. We moved inside for our lunch of noodle soup.

A mule having a day off !

From the restaurant we could see Bupsa our destination for the day. Brin said it was 1.5 hours away. The downhill was fairly easy and we would have made it faster than his estimate if it hadn't been for the number of hold ups by mule trains. At one point we had them coming in opposite directions causing a total jam up. Coming down this last section we had a couple of showers of rain, we donned our waterproof jackets but fortunately it didn't get heavy or last very long.

We stayed at the same lodge as last time in Bupsa, it was all right and the beds had good thick mattresses. When we went down later for dinner we found there was no heater in the dinning room. They filled an old paint tin with embers from the cooking fire which we at huddled over to keep warm. This wasn't helped by the little boy who wanted to play by running in and out of the front door, leaving it open on the way. This resulted in tantrums when he was scolded for it. This place was another example of the family and porters sitting comfortable in the warm kitchen while customers freeze in the dining room.

The food was diabolical. Moira thought she had ordered spaghetti with tomato sauce but got an inedible gel of sour baked cheese and spaghetti. I had a meat curry, the meat was so tough, like rubber, that whatever animal in came from died of old age. The mistake I made was to eat mine, Moira refused to touch hers. 

We went to bed early the only place that was warm.