Well - we have just got back from trekking in the Everest region - and what a great trip that it was. We had planned to walk to Namche Bazaar and then go up the valley that leads to base camp. Unfortunatley, we didn't make base camp as we had to return to Namche and so went to Goyko region and then over the pass into the Tibet trading route valley and back to Namche and down to Lukla. A highly recommended route.
We started and finished our trip with flights to Lukla. What an amazing airport. Going there the plane was 1/2 full of red bull. We could see out the cockpit and coming into land at the most dangerous airport in the world all we could see until the last minute was the cliff below the runway. We just lifted up, came into land and slammed on the brakes and went uphill st avoid the cliff at the other end!!!
The other big talking point for the first few days was what the porters carry. Some of the loads were well over 60kg - 3 bags of rice plus boxes of 2 minute noodles! The could run up the hills still talking while carrying all of this!
At teh lower altitudes a cow/yak cross and donkeys were used a lot - at the higher altitudes yaks were used but not as much as we expected - people did most of it. All had to cross the swing bridges whether they like it or not.
Ourt first, very unimpressive view of Everest. It is mostly blokced by Lhotse on the R and Nuptse on the left.
After crossing the above swing bridge we had a very steep climb up to Namche - the trading hub of the region.
Ama Dablam is a small mountain - under 7000m but it was one of the more beautiful and more challenging to climb.
We stayed two nights in Namche for acclimisation. It was cold at night and some of us were getting slight headaches. We went to the highest hotel in the world - great views from the deck but all we could afford was tea!
Everest
Ama Dablam
Yaks
Mark is looking down into Khumjung and Khunde. This is where a lot of the Nepalis live and where a lot of Sir Ed's work was based...
such as one of his bigger schools...........
There was only one way in Nepal to get the altitude - that was to go up and down thousands of stone steps!
But the views were worth it!
The bridge Mark on in the above photo is at the bottom of the valley - this photo is taken just near namche bazaar.
Everything that yak has is used - dung makes for great fire fuel especially above the tree line.
They are great porters
But sometimes porters are needed to carry the firewood.
The photos don't quite show it but the stars were amazing.
This is inside the Tengaboche buddist monastry. The whole area is very buddhist - lots of monastries, prayer flags, stones, wheels etc.
The accomodation on the trek was guest houses. The mostly were made our of stone with ply interiors. The walls of the bedrooms weren't thick or warm but were always clean. The living area had a fire but the windows leaked the heat so badly that they never condensated even if the water in the toilet was frozen! The toilets were normally communal and mostly squatty. Outside in the sun was always warmest and rummikub passed many hours away!
as did the daily task of filtering and treating water.
Unfortunatley, Jo had to use the services of the hospital. This is one of the main hospitals that Sir Ed built and is now staffed by 2 very diligent nepali doctors. We met one in another village who spent many hours with him and monitored his health on his last trips into the region. It was a small hospital but almost solely treats locals and has raised the health standards in the area very impressively.
We were really pleased to see so muhc wildlife. This is a himalayan thar
and this is a musk deer - we heard about them from an Ozzie who said they were a mix of a dog and a kangaroo which wasn't far from the truth!
Yep - it was getting cold - at night it was well below freezing, water in the toilet and in our drink bottles would freeze, my contacts went to be with me! During the day in the sun it was lovely but the rivers in the shade all froze.
The gates of the yak pastures.
We reached to Goyko lakes - there were five that we saw - this is the first one and had some wildlife on it.
This is the third lake, the lake where the village was. We stayed in the most amazing guest house. Structually it was.... interesting but they gave us hot towels everynight like the aeroplane and the food was outstanding.
Tibetian snowcock - we thought that they could be cooked easily in the solar dishes around!
The ethnic group in this region is the Sherpa people - here is a husband and wife wearing their traditional dress.
Camera is fogged up now that it has seen some suun!
The glacier behind the lodge - biggest in the world! Cho-Oyo is in the background.
Cholatse and the glacier.
Walking up to Goyko Ri - 5455m. The third lake, village, glacier and Cholatse can been seen.
Everest
Makalu
At the top of Goyko Ri - what an amzing creation God has given us.
And who sad that it was soo hard to climb!
Some of the hanging glaciers were incredible.
We met a fantastic Swedish couple who joined us in Goyko.
The next day we went for a walk up to the fifth lake.
Some places are real hard places to eat lunch!
Everest on the left, Nuptse and Photse are on the right.
We then went to 5th lake which was totally frozen - forgot the ice skates - we had lots of fun playing with the ice until we were told that it was sacred and the locals weren't happy about us being there.
Yes Mark - it is growing well!
In this photo is locals who are carrying the load below - it is all yak dung for the fires that are 2.5 hours away.
Some find the work just too hard!
This day we climed over the 5417m Renjo Pass. The route goes to the right of the tooth shaped peak on the far ridge line. The lungs worked very hard to get us up there!
But the effort was worth it.
This is the view down the other side.
This valley had lots of yak pastures and houses for the herders - all made out of stone.
We had to cross this frozen river - we had a nepali that was walking with us that knew all the tricks to get us safely over the other side.
And sometimes there were dodgy bridges!
We went to another monastry in Thame. This is an important town on the tibetian trading route. It was here we stayed in the house of the doctor that worked a lot with Sir Ed.
Prayer stones
This is the national bird of Nepal - the daphne. The female is really unattractive but the male is more attractive but more camera shy.
This little kid lived at one of the lodges we stayed in. He was very very outgoing and chatty andvery keen to filter water!
Every Sat in Namche is a local market. The porters all bring their wares in this dokos (baskets), that sometimes have soo much stuff in them you can barely see the doko!
One porter was carrying 15 sheets of 10mm ply!!!!
Hot chocolate at Starbucks never tasted soo good!
Then we had to leave ;( It was a great trip, the people were really friendly, the scenery incredible and the air and water so clean - would love to go back sometime.
