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.