A personal journal recording and reflecting on my walks around the world.
Bhandar 7,198ft to Shivalaya 5,905ft
It’s another leisurely start to the day. Breakfast outside in the sunshine again and we were joined by the female lodge owner and some of her family. No porridge on offer so had boiled eggs instead and I have never seen such a Yellow yolk before. Got some pictures of birds on the wall and a great picture of a little girl who wandered over to see who the strange, scruffy and smelly white guys were.
Jubing 5,499ft to Tragsindho 9,612ft
I’m sitting in the lodge in Tragsindho watching sport on a Television, Aston Villa v Norwich on ESPN. Civilisation it seems is looming ever closer. Last night we were warm and muggy at 5,499ft in Jubing. Tonight in Tragsindho we are at 9,612ft and the heater is back on in the dining room. If you include all the up’s and downs of the day we have climbed over 5,000ft. Continue reading “Nepal – Jubing to Junbesi”
Namche Bazaar 11,306ft to Choplung 8,727ft
After the hard work of the last week we enjoyed a well earned rest day in Namche yesterday which we spent drinking coffee and eating cake. Today, we are back on the trail and saying farewell to the high mountains that have been our companion for the last week. In some ways I have completed what I came here to do, I have fulfilled my dream of seeing Everest, and more having trekked back to Namche via the Cho La Pass and Gokyo valley. But what we have done up to now is what many trekkers do on a visit to Nepal. What we are about to do however is a bit different, we are going to walk out to Jiri and the road head. Continue reading “Nepal – Namche Bazaar to Jubing”
Dragnag 15,387ft back to Namche Bazaar via Phortse (12,467ft)
There is no rush to get out of bed today as compared to the last four days we have a couple of easy days walking ahead of us to get back to Namche Bazaar and a rest day. The Cho La Valley resort, our home for the night was very comfortable and we had a lazy breakfast before setting off, walking down the quieter side of the Gokyo valley, as recommended by Mark for our stop tonight at Phortse. Continue reading “Nepal – Dragnag to Namche Bazaar via Phortse”
Lobuche 16,175ft – Gorek Shep 17,008ft – Kala Patar 18,192ft – Lobuche
I slept fitfully and not very well at Above the Cloud lodge, this was mainly due to the fact that all the rooms were booked solid and three of us ended up sleeping on the communal/dining room benches. It was at least warm though due to the heat from the Yak Dung burning stove, which lasted for a while into the night even when the stove was put out. The fifteen or so porters whose bed was the hard wooden floor of the room also added to the warmth, if not the quiet! At 5.30am we were up, the porters having vacated some time earlier. A breakfast of porridge and tea and we were out by 6.30am. Continue reading “Nepal – Lobuche to Kala Patar”
Namche 11,306ft to Tengboche 12,687ft
The walk from Namche Bazaar to Tynbouche (or Tengboche) is a pure delight every step of the way. The path is good, the views are incredible and there is a real sense at the end of the day that you are entering into the heart of the Khumbu. We set off at about 8am in bright, glorious sunshine and head up through the streets of Namche Bazaar. Leaving the shops and guest houses behind we climb up out of town and reach the trail that leads to Tengboche. Continue reading “Nepal – Namche Bazaar to Tengboche”
Namche Bazaar walking to
Khunde 12,602ft and Khumjung 12,402ft
Namche Bazaar is known as the ‘Sherpa capital’. If you are walking in the Khumbu or doing the Everest Base Camp trek you are almost certain to be passing through this town and spending some time here. At 11,300ft it is the perfect place to spend a rest day or two to give your body some time to adjust to the rarified air. At this height, there is about a third less oxygen in the air than at sea level. Continue reading “Nepal – Khunde and Khumjung”
We walked for twenty three days on our Nepal Trek. The Germans have a word for it, Zielwanderung or ‘destination walking’. Going on a long walk, where you find yourself walking through a landscape and its culture day after day, is good for your mind, body and soul. As each day passes you will find yourself slowly easing away from the tensions that can be part of your normal daily routines of work, life and how to get everything done that needs doing and you find yourself entering into another, far simpler, better world. A world where carrying all your worldly possessions on your back and setting off walking every day suddenly becomes extremely liberating, an almost rebellious act in our busy, materialistic, goal obsessed world. Continue reading “Nepal – Epilogue”
“Katmandu I’ll soon be seeing you And your strange bewildering time will hold me down”
I am not sure if Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam of course had ever been to Kathmandu when he wrote these words but Kathmandu is certainly ‘a strange bewildering time’ and an assault on the senses. The sights, sounds and smells hit you from the moment you step out of the airport. Mark meets us and his wife has made garlands of bright orange marigolds to greet us which she places ceremoniously around our necks like visiting dignitaries. We feel very welcome.