by site editor Rick McCharles

Gokyo to Namche

Renjo La should have been the last high alpine crossing on my Three Passes of Everest trek. … It starts with a steep climb from Gokyo over the ridge (5345m) at the top right corner of this photo:

A particularly grueling 10hr trek to Thame.

… Instead I turned south, deciding to end my trek as quickly as possible. I could make it to Namche from here in a long but easy walking day.

My 3 Passes route became a 2 Passes route. In the end, I did the lollypop loop in orange, skipping the Renja Pass in red.

Highlights of this day included 2nd Lake, Taujung Tsho …

… and the Brahminy ducks on Longponga Tsho, 1st Lake.

Nobody knows why these birds decided to make their home at such high altitude.

Gokyo Trek

Very quickly I left the snow behind.

The trail got busier and dustier as I descended.

I spotted a colourful male Himalayan Monal (Impeyan Pheasant), much less common than the female, it seemed to me.

Finally, large trees started providing some shade.

That night in Namche I enjoyed “civilization”, staying (I think) in the same room slept in by Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in 1985.

Namche at night

It felt great to be finishing such a long hike.

see all photos from day 16

by site editor Rick McCharles

I awoke to this gorgeous view from Gokyo village 4790m (15,715ft).

The brown hill off to the right (in shadow) is Gokyo Ri (5360m). Famed for its view of four 8000m peaks, including Everest.

Here’s the world’s highest mountain from the top:

That’s not my photo. Actually I did not make the ascent because a guide had told me that the view en route to Renjo La, was identical. Renjo La would be the last alpine crossing on my Three Passes of Everest trek.

Instead I waited for the sun to come out while chatting with guests at Gokyo Resort.

The most interesting and entertaining was Doug Benn, Professor of Glaciology, teaching at University of St Andrews, UK and The University Centre in Svalbard, Norway.

This was Doug’s 6th trip to Gokyo. He and a number of researchers were taking measurements on the Ngozumpa Glacier, the largest in Nepal.

Diplomatically, Doug answered my questions about “Climate Change”. Al Gore is not measuring glacial retreat, Doug is.

Doug confirmed that all glaciers are retreating aside from 4 areas of the world. Climate is changing, as it has been changing since the beginning of the Earth. He wouldn’t speculate as to why. Or what could be done about it.

photo - Ngozumpa Glacier Project

Later I found Doug’s Ngozumpa Glacier Project page online:

… Glaciers in many parts of the Himalayas have undergone significant shrinkage in the last century in response to climatic warming, which in some areas is occurring faster than the global average. Some of this warming is part of a natural climatic cycle, although over the last 50 years or so probably about half of the warming is attributable to human sources (greenhouse gases) …

Doug’s research was to get hard data on what is happening. His goal was to help people and nations better prepare for that change. He said that in every climate shift some species in some regions are winners, some are losers.

I took a leisurely off-trail hike along the crumbling moraine ridge north towards Tibet. Up to Thonak Tscho 4870m.

This one way side trip is called The Sacred Lakes of Gokyo. Six lakes are sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.

The next, Ngozumpa Tscho, was groaning and moaning like some distressed beast. Weird. I tried to capture the sound on video, but it didn’t work. It was the sound of ice freezing.

The highlight of the day wasn’t the lakes, but rather my old friend Cho Oyu, the friendliest 8000+m peak. I got as close as I could.

Eleven years ago we did the same thing, walking towards Cho Oyu from the Tibet side. The summit is on the border. For me it was déjà vu all over again.

Two hikers from the U.K. and I walked as far as possible up the glacier, hoping we might even reach Cho Oyu base camp. That turned out to be impossible. Late in the afternoon, the Brits departed with haste, trying to get back to Gokyo before dark.

I stayed to climb this boulder, the obvious viewpoint at the very end of the normal trail. This was as close as you can get to Tibet without descending down to the glacier.

I left a Summit Stone on top. The next hiker to scramble up would find it.

… All day I’d had a feeling I should end this adventure soon. This seemed a suitable finale.

It was night by the time I got back to Gokyo. But by now I was getting used to stumbling into my lodge in the dark.

see all photos from day 15

… on to day 16

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Over the Cho La 5420m (17,782ft)

There are no tea houses. No restaurants. The Cho La is seriously dangerous. Often a guide, ice axes and ropes are needed. Yaks can only rarely cross.

I may not have been looking better, but I was feeling better after headache and some diarrhea the day before. (All I could stomach was Pringles, the first time I’d ever bought them.)

Actually, I awoke with a very stiff neck, a condition (cause unknown) that lingered for 2wks!

Departing Dzonghla the mountains look impassible.

High, steep and intensely glaciated.

Here’s the crux. Crossing the Cho La Glacier.

I waltzed across like it was a sidewalk.

The astonishing weather had encouraged many guides to bring their groups to cross the Pass today. There must have been 50 people eating lunch at the Cho La.

vista from Cho La (5420m)

The descent is a crappy scree scramble.

Everyone but me stopped in the next village, Tagnag (Dragnag). A charming, clean and well-organized stop.

Having lost a day to illness, I thought I’d push on to Gokyo on the other side of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

… How far could it be?

The torturous and exhausting traverse seemed to take forever. Crossing glaciers is by far the most difficult and dangerous thing hikers do in this region.

It was well after dark when I finally rolled into famed Gokyo 4790m (15,715ft).

see all photos from day 14

… on to day 15

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

After a long, cold night in the tent, I awoke with “mountaineer’s lassitude“:

… reluctance to put one foot in front of the other …

I’d first read of the condition in the mountaineering parody, The Ascent of Rum Doodle (1956), one of my favourite books.

I was sick again. The same stomach ailment I had on the first 2 days of the trek.

That’s the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. I first needed to trudge down. Then find a safe way across. Others had advised that it was no problem this season, … if the weather is good.

Fortunately, the weather remained perfect. There was not even snow blowing off the highest peaks!

It seemed to take a long time to reach Lobuche.

I stopped for lunch and to recharge my batteries at a restaurant. Then psyched up for the relatively short and easy walk to Dzonghla (Dzongla).

it was a pity I felt rotten. The weather was stupendous. And the scenery even better.

looking back to Ama Dablum

Late afternoon I finally reached the remote village. But I spent less time in the guesthouse restaurant than in here …

I crashed that evening without eating. And did not get up until Noon the next day.

Mid-day there was only myself and the Nepali National bird, the Himalayan Monal, wandering about the courtyard.

Everyone else had departed at first light over the Cho La, the most difficult of the Three Passes route.

I had a forced rest day. Standing around like this guy.

Disappointing.

see all photos from day 12-13

… on to day 14

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Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Over the Kongma La 5535m (18,159ft)

I heard plenty of warnings about the 9hr crossing. But in perfect weather … if you are already acclimatized to altitude, it’s only moderately difficult.

One of two access trails climbs quickly up and away from the Nuptse Glacier. And away from “teahouse trekking”. There are no facilities along the way. This is true high altitude wilderness.

I loved it.

It starts with an easy grassy valley walk. And ends in “… a lunar landscape of icy lakes and frozen ridges …”

Pokhalde Base Camp

I scrambled part way up a ridge of Pokalde Peak 5806m (19,048ft). As you can see, it’s not difficult.

This is not the route used by most trekking peak groups, however. (I didn’t want to get in trouble for not having a “trekking peak permit”.)

What a view from on high!

I lingered long at the pass 5535m (18,159ft), so late that I was the last trekker to cross that day.

The descent from the pass is the most difficult part of Kongma La … scrambling frozen loose scree for 2hrs Yuck.

I could have just barely made it down to the village of Lobuche before dark … but I’d heard bad things about those guest houses. Lobuche is a messy, littered place, the least appealing of any accommodation I saw in the Khumbu region.

Instead I set up the tent above 5000m.

Wish me luck. It’s going to be COLD.

see all photos from day 11

… on to days 12-13

As we enjoy the season of Christmas and prepare for it’s ultimate meaning, I have been wandering the internet considering other distinct holiday traditions that are not part of the American Yuletide season. Traditions like the Portugese Christmas morning meal with places set for dead relatives definitely caught my eye.The lines of Japanese trying to get into KFC for a traditional Christmas Chicken dinner entertained me (and reminded me of the power of advertising). And the Catalonian tradition of the “Caganer” statue found hidden away in Spanish and Italian Bethlehem scenes showing a man secretly relieving himself left me completely puzzled.

However, the Christmas season tradition that I couldn’t get off my mind was the “Krumpus” or “Krampas” from the Alpine countries of Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

In the good old U.S.A. kids are put on a “naughty” or “nice” list, resulting in sweet gifts or a lump of coal in their stocking. But in Germanic countries, an unruly or petulant child receives a holiday beating from a boozy, ill-tempered 7 ft goat man – the Krumpus.

Now, the Krumpus show up on the eve of Dec. 5th, swat the kids good and warn them they only have
3 weeks to shape up or instead of gifts they’ll receive a real beat down on Dec. 25th.

How did these guys ever get reduced to a lump of coal in America?

The only answer I could come up with: Liberals.

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Content with success getting to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, I decided to take a rest day before tackling the first of the Three Passes.

Morning in Dingboche was catching up on email, charging my batteries, and replenishing my personal food at this excellent “grocery store”.

For once I hung around the “teahouse”, chatting with guides and hikers. And eating. The food is surprisingly good.

omelette

Regarding the guest houses …

… Rooms are simple, plain, but generally clean and secure …

photo from outdoorsmagic

… The beauty of independent trekking in the Annapurna or Everest areas is that you can stay in tea houses or lodges which means all you really need is clothing, a warm sleeping bag, water bottle and some form or water purification, wash kit, basic first aid kit and, erm, money. …

Outdoors Magic – How To: Independent Trekking In Nepal

The biggest complaints are about toilets. Many are dark, dank and cold. Most are squatters.

Finding a sitter is a bonus.

The best source of information was the owner of the internet café. He convinced me that the Spring hiking season (March-April) is even better than the Fall (October to early December). Hikers are “healthier” in the Spring, he told. His theory is that the new green vegetation raises the level of oxygen.

I got excited about a possible future climb of Island Peak 6189m (20,305 ft).

Island Peak high camp

Dozens told me how much they enjoyed the experience. I’d trek to Dingboche independently, then hire a guide and rent gear there. That’s the least expensive way to do it. And all your money goes to the local people.

Late afternoon I took an off trail day hike in the direction of Island Peak.

It’s easy to get lost in the glacial moraine ridges. It was dark before I got back to town.

At higher elevations in the National Park it’s illegal to burn wood. Instead they burn dried Yak dung. To get the fire started, dunk a few turds in kerosene.

At night hikers hang out around the stove trying to stay warm and awake until 8PM.

all photos from day 10

… on to day 11

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

To Everest Base Camp.

Up the rugged Khumbu glacier moraine …

Sadly, there were very few tents at Base Camp 5360m (17,600 ft). But they set up as close as they can get to the Khumbu Ice Fall.

As I’d often heard, it’s a God Awful place to camp. It must take forever to build new tent platforms each season.

The weather was superb. Above freezing, the glacier collapsing upon itself with melt.

Some hiker goofing at the entrance sign …

Later I learned that nudity is not allowed near sacred mountains. Israelis who hiked nude over the Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit were fined $100ea and had their camera SD cards confiscated.

I didn’t linger long as I proposed to backtrack same day all the way to Dingboche. For the first time I could hike as far as I wanted as I would finally be losing elevation.

hiking counter clockwise

From Dingboche I could resume the Three Passes of Everest itinerary, via Kongma La. This perfect weather was an incentive to hurry.

The only sidetrip on the decent was to checkout the “Italian Pyramid“, a high altitude scientific research station.

It was dark by the time I reached Dingboche. But with every step I felt, psychologically, that the air was more oxygen rich!

see all photos from day 9

… on to day 10

Savannah on the foot of Aoraki/Mt Cook

On the last leg of our 4 day road trip (escaping Akaroa) we met a giant…the tallest mountain in Australasia!  In fact, Mt. Cook (3750 m)  is so big we couldn’t even see the summit b/c it was completely covered by an isolated storm (Aoraki [the Māori name] means “cloud piercer”) .  Apparently the thing is tricky to climb too–we’ve been warned there have been a lot of fatalities on the tracks.  Knowing this we stuck close to the ground and hiked an easy passage to the edge of a carved out Tasman glacier field–the wind was almost too much to handle, the gusts topped out at 70 kph  on the day we were there.

The tiny Alpine village was filled with climbers waiting for some good weather to climb, but it wasn’t going to come for another couple days according to the visitor center.  To actually climb you might want to hang out with some of these people if you want a chance to summit as the cost for a guide is over 2k … they’re easy to spot as they’re constantly wearing apline boots, they’re all European & hanging out in the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine bar.  The whole experience visiting Mt Cook was pretty cinematic with the mountain constantly dominating the view … the whole area is stunning.

Aand this is my attempt at a new age meditation video on the mountain range with some music I produced (haha).. a tribute to my Dad who just completed a 10 day silent Vipassana Meditation course!

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

It might have been a mistake to tent at 4800m (15,750ft). I was 12hrs huddling, full clothed, in the sleeping bag with my electronics. (Freezing the batteries would kill them.)

Next morning neither of my lighters wanted to function. My boots and stove were frozen solid.

After much fussing, I finally managed to light the stove … to unthaw my boots enough to get my feet into them. Yeesh!

Fact is, I’m one of the only independent hikers carrying a tent. (People thought I was crazy to carry the weight when rooms cost less than $3 and restaurants are available every hour along the main trails.)

But I enjoy sleeping in a tent. You feel much more connected with the mountains.

Happily the morning dawned sunny, cold and clear.

Everyone had the same idea … RUSH to Everest to see the summit in good weather. The world’s highest mountain’s notoriously hostile microclimate oft has the peak in cloud. It had been shrouded for at least the past week.

But for me that would mean over 800m elevation gain in one day. Risky.

hmmm … I decided to go for it.

Gorak Shep 5164m (translation Dead Ravens) is the last village before Mt Everest.

I’d heard some bad things about these remote guest houses. But I loved the outpost. One of my favourite stops on the entire trek.

After lunch I psyched up for the 2hr climb up this deceptively easy looking “hill”, Kala Patthar. 5643m (18,513ft). It has a couple of false summits.

Kala Patthar as seen from Gorek Shep

The intimidating mountain in the background is Pumori 7161m (23,494 ft).

Most agree that the best viewpoint of Mt Everest from the south is from the brown top of that lump. That said, there truly are no great hiking trail vistas of Everest from the south. All it’s neighbours look higher and more impressive.

As usual, it was very windy at the top of Kala Patthar.

But I was thrilled to have made it here with such good visibility.

Rick and Mt. Everest

Everyone was thankful we had been so “lucky” with the weather.

At this point I felt my trek had already been a “success”. The rest would be bonus.

all photos from day 8

… on to day 9

Alpine Electronics was founded in 1967 in Tokyo, Japan as part of the Japanese Alps Electric Co, which jointed with Motorola for the new name in a new country. It currently sells navigation and audio systems for cars. Alpine, although currently not the leading company in the car audio industry, has produced many lines of successful car subwoofers, all under $300 (with the exception of a couple of lines).

or four the other lines have. The Type-R series for $200, the 12-inch for $220, and the 15-inch for $400. It’s probably true that the second most popular Alpine is the Type-S subwoofers are actually quite difficult to find; most tend to stick to 10 and 12 inches. An owner of an SWR-1242D subwoofer (12 inches, part of the more popular lines in the car from 2 miles away. He parked his car in a new country. It currently sells navigation and audio systems for cars. Alpine, although currently not the leading company in the Alpine company, the Type-R series is also the largest: it has seven subwoofers compared to the three or four the other lines have.

The Type-R series for $200, the 12-inch for $220, and the 15-inch for $400. It’s probably true that the second most popular Alpine is the Type-S subwoofers are actually quite difficult to find; most tend to stick to 10 and 12 inches. An owner of an SWR-1242D subwoofer (12 inches, part of the subwoofers are of note. Customers have reported that Alpine subwoofers are really something to deal with. As long as you supply these subs with the right power needed, you’re going to get clear cut sound that blasts straight through the air.

The Type-S series is also the largest: it has seven subwoofers compared to the three or four the other lines have. The Type-R series is priced a bit lower, ranging from $150 for the new name in a new country. It currently sells navigation and audio systems for cars. Alpine, although currently not the leading company in the Type-R line are the only ones priced over $300, but that’s not to say they aren’t worth it. The entire line is priced as it should be, because high quality 15-inch subwoofers are made so both sides look fantastic.

One has even rated the clean look as a weakness, as a weakness, as a simple installation “will not visually do it justice”.One of the more popular lines in the Type-R series for $200, the 12-inch for $220, and the 15-inch for $400. It’s probably true that the second most popular Alpine is the Type-S series.

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

I slept poorly, quite common at high altitude.

At first light, outside my window, I saw white stuff piled up on the Yaks. An early snowfall, not all that unusual in November.

Instantly I thought of the November 1995 freak snow storm where dozens (46 some say) of hikers, porters and guides were killed throughout the Himalaya, most by avalanche.

At breakfast that morning, after consulting with guides and hikers who had been there, I decided it might be too dangerous to cross the Kongma La 5535m (18,159ft) after a new snowfall. Instead I would head directly to Mt. Everest base camp skipping the recommended acclimatization day. I felt good aside from the lack of sleep.

As a Canadian, I had no fear of this light snowfall. In fact, it turned out to be the most beautiful day of the trek.

The bleak, dry terrain was suddenly magical.

The highlight of a wonderfully scenic day was the shrine of Babu Chiri Sherpa at what some call Dughla Pass.

… With ten Everest Summits (including 4 North Side summits), many considered Babu Chiri Sherpa the strongest climber on Everest. …

Babu Chiri Sherpa passed away after unexpectedly falling into a crevasse at Camp II at 1600 hrs on 29 April 2001. …

I left a Summit Stone there in tribute to him and all the Sherpas who have died over the years.

Scott Fisher, ever the showman, has an impressive shrine just beside Babu Chiri.

I was very happy to finally catch up with Ping and Shirley from New York.

Ping and Rick

Shirley

We had flown in and walked together the first day. Due to my altitude sickness I fell behind day 2. Ping and Shirley had only a 2 week holiday to try for Everest and Gokyo. (Short holidays is one of the reasons there are surprisingly few Americans trekking Nepal. You’ll meet more Canadians though Canada has one tenth the population.)

I was so inspired by this beautiful and spiritual place that I decided to pitch my tent right there in the snow amongst the hundreds of shrines to fallen climbers.

I wanted to see sunset from this vantage. Here’s last light as seen from my tent.

How cold would it be at about 4800m (15,750ft) …

all photos from day 7

… on to day 8

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Just before dark, the previous evening, I found a perfect tent site by a waterfall just above this bridge.

Wild camping is not illegal in the National Park. But it’s best to be discrete.

Feeling good, I decided to climb all the way to Dingboche at about 4,530m (14,800 ft). Likely I’d need a rest day there doing one or the other of a couple of different side trip options.

Ama Dablam began to loom large.

The trees were gone. Increasingly the scenery became bleaker.

Though nobody ever seemed to mention it, we were disappointed with the weather. In November it should be sunny, clear and cold.

I was psyched, however, upon reaching Dingboche, a memorable village. This is the jumping off point for the excellent Island Peak climb, by far the most popular of the trekking peaks.

The biggest change I found from my last trip to Nepal 11ys ago is mobile phones. All guides and lodges have them. Some European hikers had phones. And phones seem to work almost anywhere.

At first put off by telephone contact in the “wilderness”, I quickly realized what a life saver they must be. Literally. Lives have been saved, I’m sure, by communication.

The second biggest change is that internet has arrived over the past few years. Here is the highest internet cafe in the world.

Actually it was the highest in the world. The owner recently put one laptop and a connection at Gorak Shep 5,164m, right on the doorstep of Mt. Everest.

I took every opportunity to post online my exact whereabouts, as a safety precaution.

Here are the Yaks coming home to my Guest House after a day of grazing barren hills late in the season. I ate much better than the Yaks that day. In fact, I took the ultimate Himalayan culinary challenge … I ordered Yak steak. (Eating meat is strongly discouraged by every guidebook.)

I turned out to be fine. … But I never ordered meat again for the rest of the trip.

all photos from day 6

… on to day 7

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house all the creatures were stirring except for one mouse. All were fretting about presents, gifts, and holidayness. The Children all wanted new toys and hoped beyond hope that there pleas got through. The parents all fretted about what to get who and if it can’t be bought, what will we do?

All of these things are worrisome worries, and it’s easy to get caught up in a holiday hurry. With all of the madness the whole season gets blurry. A tragic event when you realize you’ve missed all the sentiment. No Christmas time fun, just “I’m glad that’s done.” No thankful hearts for the Savior who died.

Thankfully there is a local shop that can remedy your holiday quandry. Cartronix AT&T is your one stop shop for all the things you need to get your Christmas season back on the right track. They have phones for free, phones for me, and phones for any busy bee. Now when I say free, I do mean free. The LG CF360 and Samsung A777 are the exact cost of $0.00 (after tax)! We also have several models free after mail in rebate including the Samsung Flight*, Samsung Solstice*, and LG Xenon*! All three are full touchscreen devices with 2.0MP cameras, media player capability, and bluetooth.

If that weren’t enough Cartronix has also dropped the price on all of there Blackberry smart phones by 50%. Email everywhere you go has never been so afordable. The Blackberry Bold 9700 which is Blackberry’s flagship model is now $99.99 after rebate*! With a 3.2MP auto focus camera with flash, 1GB of internam storage space, optical track pad, high resolution display, and 3G/wifi capabilities it is sure to keep even the most tech savvy member of your clan busy for sometime.

Alright, so you don’t need a phone this Christmas. Cartronix still has you covered. Perhaps you were thinking about a few upgrades for the vehicle this Christmas? Well our Car Audio department can fix you up. With a product line that includes popular items such as Viper alarms and remote starts, Pioneer Mobile Electronics, Pioneer Premiere, Alpine, Infiniy, and radar detectors we are sure to have exactly what your vehicle needs, or maybe Grandma’s vehicle.

I know, you’re saying thats all well and good but I’d really like a home theater system or soley devoted media room this year. You still don’t need to leave the shop because our team of highly skilled professionals will meet with you to figure out all your needs and desires. With top brands like LG, Samsung, Denon, Sonos, Klipsch, and Sanus they can put together the system that will make you the Jones’s to be kept up with.

Now, finally after all of the fanfare about the aforementioned company I bid you all a Very Merry Christmas. May God bless you and your families through the coming year and may a heart of thankfulness resound from within you, and in the famous words of Bing Crosby “May all your Christmases be White.”

-Tony Mendizabal

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Namche Bazaar is the last village of (comparative) civilization before the high Himalaya. My batteries were literally and figuratively recharged after a rest day there.

Aside from other errands, I visited the library and bank. (You need enough Nepali rupees and American dollars in cash in case you might need emergency evacuation.)

Almost all hikers leaving Namche head towards Tengboche 3,867m (12,687 ft).

hiking counter clockwise

I did, as well, intending to do the Three Passes of Everest trek, a relatively new itinerary. It’s basically a big lollypop loop hike as shown in red above.

Tengboche is not all that difficult a hiking day as the gain in altitude is reasonable. But the scenery quickly becomes more dramatic. Meet Ama Dablam, soon to become my favourite mountain in the region.

Many guest houses sell “hot showers” for about $3. That gets you 20 liters of solar heated luke warm water. I washed, instead, as do the Nepalis, in a freezing mountain spring or from a standing tap.

The mountain women all have lovely, thick long hair. But washing it and staving off lice is challenging.

Tengboche is a popular stop because of the famed Buddhist monastery, the largest in the Khumbu region. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1989.

I love these colourful monasteries having visited dozens in Tibet 11yrs ago.

But the highlight for me that day was meeting a Sherpa who had 5 times been to the summit of Everest working for Russell Brice of Chamonix Experience. He shared great stories with tourists and monks, there as a guest for a big Puja. High altitude Sherpas are wealthy celebrities in the Khumbu.

Rarely can I pass by any bakery. The one in Tengboche is particularly good.

I was tempted to set up the tent. It’s a charming place.

… But with a couple of hours of daylight remaining, I decided to gain another couple of hundred metres. Altitude and attitude are everything when trekking up to Everest.

If you feel ill, stop. If you feel good, climb higher. As an independent hiker, I had this option. I was not bound by the itinerary of any group. In fact, most hikers stricken with altitude sickness are in groups, denying illness, trying to keep up.

I trekked on alone, the trail deserted after 4PM.

all photos from day 5

… on to day 6

After two weeks’ delay in my arrival in Ouray owing to socializing, a girl and pneumonia* (see Advice Column – Issue #1 below) I’ve finally gotten around to taking the tools down from the rafters and hanging ‘em on some rocks and icicles instead, and it turns out that climbing ice and mixed is more fun than doing pull-ups and running. Things are looking to be in great shape for this time of year. There’s a ton of ice all over the place making for a lot of fine tool-swinging and a few cool thinner pillars and smears. The only downside at the moment is that some icicles at the top of mixed routes are pretty delicate (Geoff and I knocked a few man-sized chunks off Jesus Built my Fingercrack) and some bolts on popular routes are still covered. I think we got all of them clear on Seamstress which is in great M8 shape with some friendly ice at the top, but as of yesterday there are still two bolts buried on Tic-Tac and the ice covering the holds definitely puts it in earnest M7 shape. Either way, things are in and ice season in Ouray is here! Get to those pull-ups and sharpen those picks!

On that note, I’m going to be looking to get rid of a pair of Black Diamond Fusion tools if anyone’s interested. They’re in great shape and have a pretty fresh pair of Fusion picks on them. I’d love to get $250 for them, so shoot me an email if you’re interested.

*Chris’s Advice Column, Issue #1 of 1 – Don’t try to follow your uber-athlete roommates when they want to go running for hours upon hours in Oregon November rain. Don’t do it. Even if they say it’s going to be casual, don’t believe it. It will take hours. It will rain and snow. You will be covered in mud and your puny un-VO2-max-tested legs will cramp and get tired, and then they’ll make you have beers and then they and your other friends who don’t give a shit about your tired legs will keep you up all night. If you meet a girl, forget about it. You’re done. You’ll get a cold and you’ll try to act like you didn’t. You’ll go running anyway because you’ve been drinking enough beers that you need to validate yourself by at least mimicking the professional motivation these masochistic friends of yours have, and it might work out, oh it might work out for a while, but eventually you’ll slip up. Eventually you’ll go out when you’re already tired, you’ll go out and you’ll get sandbagged by some casual route recommendation and you won’t be wearing enough clothes when it gets cold and you’ll still have an hour to go before you get home and you know what? That 34 degree rain will get into your lungs and say hello and you’ll get pneumonia. That’s right: pneumonia. It’s not just for the old and infirm or inhabitants of the eighteenth century anymore buddy. It’s for you. Yeah. You. You love green phlegm. You love hacking. You hate fun. Yeah you. I bet you like melodrama too. Whiner.

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Acclimatization day trekking around Namche Bazaar.

Gorgeous.

I was there for the famed Saturday Market. Cheap goods from China were being hawked by colourful Tibetan traders in the main market ground.

… But it seemed to me that there was no difference between Saturday and every other day of the week. The Tibetans were camped out semi-permanently while I was there. (They did a lot of drinking on the Friday night.)

A secondary local market was open Saturday morning, mainly Nepalis selling food stuffs.

I toured fascinating Namche town first. The small Buddhist gompa is lovely.

Next I did an acclimatization hike called Sherpa Villages of Khumbu. (4hrs)

It started with an off-trail scramble up to the quarries of Zarok. Weird and beautiful.

I was keen to see the seldom used airfield above town built specifically for the ill-fated Everest View Hotel. This Japanese project proposed to fly guests into this airstrip at 3800m directly from Kathmandu, using pressurised rooms and piped oxygen to combat altitude sickness. The Hotel was open, but I didn’t see many guests.

Surprisingly, a plane flew in to the Shyangboche airstrip. It unloaded everything, even the wings.

Climbing over a ridge I came upon one of the cleanest, best organized villages in the Khumbu.

Khunde and neighbouring Khumjung were by far the least littered towns I saw. Perhaps it’s the influence of Sir Edmund’s school.

All-in-all this rest day was one of the very best of the entire trip.

all photos from day 4

… on to day 5

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

To Namche Bazaar.

After 2 days sick, I finally felt great. Ready to make a push up to storied Namche 3,440m (11,286 ft).

First stop was the office of Sagarmatha National Park.

Here you must sign-in if you are hiking independently, showing your TIMS (Trekking Information Management System) card. And also your (US$13.50) Park entry fee.

I got mine in Kathmandu in advance. But you could get both at the Park entrance, as well. (So long as you remembered to bring 2 passport size photos with you.)

At the Park entrance begins a series of suspension bridges, the topography much more rugged.

It was explained to me that the Maoists never have bothered trekkers much in the Everest region because this one entrance can be so easily policed.

This section of the trail is crowded and dusty. Best not cross a bridge if you see pack animals coming from the other direction.

Actually, the porters can knock you to the ground, as well. They have limited visibility.

Despite bridge delays, I was psyched to get to Namche. And it did not disappoint. One of the great hiker’s towns in the world.

Here’s the vista from my $3 room.

Finally I felt I was on the way to Mt. Everest. Namche is “the gateway to the high Himalaya”.

This is why I had come to Nepal.

all photos from Everest trek – day 3

… on to day 4

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

Is it safe to trek independently in Nepal?

Is it safe to trek solo in Nepal?

Yes. And yes.

On the other hand, while I was there posters were up for a missing Russian trekker. And a missing Chinese trekker.

The majority of hikers in the Everest region hire a guide, porter(s) and/or pack animals.

group tent camp

But there are many, many hiking independently. And solo. I feel Nepal is one of the safest places to hike solo anywhere in the world. I met many women traveling solo.

The trails are packed with people! It’s difficult to ever find yourself alone on a trail.

Certainly independent hikers are experienced. They know what they are doing. Have proper gear. And carry a good guidebook.

… No independent hiker takes a suitcase with wheels to Mt. Everest.

Still feeling fatigued, I didn’t go far day 2. I set up camp early afternoon on a sand bank on a side stream, the Monjo Khola. And enjoyed a day hike up the side valley away from the crowds on the main trail. A rough trail leads to Kusum Kangru base camp, the most difficult of the Nepal trekking peaks.

It was an early night reading the one novel I carried up to the mountains. (And later listening to audio books on my two iPods.)

By late evening my stomach was feeling better. I was getting acclimatized.

all photos from Everest trek – day 2

… on to day 3

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles.

I’ll post a photo trip report of my superb 17 day trek in the Everest region of Nepal, over the next 17 days.

The highlight of the day was flying in to Lukla Airport 9,380ft (2,860m), officially named Tenzing-Hillary Airport since 2008.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That landing is enough to get your heart rate up above 200.

The safety statistics are comparatively good for a short takeoff runway. Comparatively good means planes have only crashed 3 times recently, 1991, 2004 and 2008. Everyone was killed except for the pilot in 2008.

(Actually, the taxi ride from Kathmandu to the Airport is likely statistically more dangerous.)

Immediately the mountain views are stunning. Is that Everest?

The mantra out of Lukla is SLOWLY, SLOWLY. It takes some time to acclimatize to the 2800m elevation. We did not walk far day 1.

This elevation is still surprisingly warm and lush considering the date, Nov. 11th, 2009.

A group of us hiking independently (no guide, no porters) stayed together until the village of Phakding. I checked into a room (less than $1 / night) and crashed for the evening without dinner.

I was altitude sick … complicating my KathmanFlu.

more photos from Everest trek – day 1

… on to day 2