Everest Base Camp 11: Final days

We arrived back in Namche Bazar after 20 days on the road. It felt a little surreal to be in the midst of shops, bakeries, Internet cafes, power lines, pubs and unlimited hot water again.

Pretending to be a plane

Power lines!!!

Cake (not that flash) and coffee (very flash :))

Bob, Denise and Tom were staying at Hotel Tibet with us, and so we all headed out to Cafe Danphe Bar for a few drinks after dinner. It was a rowdy little bar (thanks to all the Aussies there!) with memorabilia of past expeditions and treks lining every available wall and ceiling space. Our Czech friends showed up too. They hadn't been able to summit Island Peak because of the snow, but still had big smiles on their snow burnt faces.

Cafe Danphe Bar

Denise and Tom left about 945pm warning us that our curfew was nearly up. Curfew??? I've never had one of those in my life! And now, at age thirty-something, in the middle of Namche Bazar, I have to be home by 10? Something else new for me!

10 minutes later, Bob and I wound our way up the dark, uneven streets managing to avoid the sharp corrugated iron roof edges at neck height, negotiate the uneven stairs and avoid piles of yak dung to make it home safely. The front door was still open...although we found out the next morning that we all had been locked out. Denise and Tom had to wake up the owner to let us all in!

Our rapid descent down the mountain brought an equally rapid change in vegetation and scenery I had not really noticed on the way up. The snowy mountains gave way to tree lined cliffs. Vegetable and fruit crops took over the flat open spaces and the temperature rose considerably.

No snow in sight

Only flowing rivers

Cabbages

We also started to see new trekkers who had just arrived and were heading up. The stark contrast between us in our creased, dirty clothes with weathered faces marked with 20 days of grime, compared to their pristine clothing, shiny boots and open - almost naive - expressions on their faces was laughable. Did I really look like that 3 weeks ago? I feel so comfortable in the state I'm in! How will I return and fit back into normal society again...

Ahhh, relaxing

WOW!

I hope our packs didn't feel that heavy!

We had seen posters in various villages advertising a Reggae Bar in Phakding. As we were staying the night in the village, we figured we should head out and see if the 'free popcorn, free pool and fabulous music' was as good as the signs promised.

So much stuff in here!

He was good

Concentrate!

The winners

2nd place getters...again!!!

Turns out, it was! We spent a fun few hours playing pool with Mingma and Geylo, partaking in a couple of beers and listening to Bob Marley, Dire Straits, ACDC and CCR blaring from the stereo.

On the streets oh Phakding

The bakery was full on NZ posters and memorabilia!

We serve you with fresh and tasty???

A quick 2 hour hike in the crisp morning sun got us back to Lukla. I felt partially relieved that we had safely reached the end of our trek (and there were no more 5 hour walking days ahead), but also very deflated that it was over.

Can't get away from some places (no McD's though)

Hard Rock Cafe Lukla

Pretty cool setup

The streets of Lukla 

Yep, that's the end of the runway...off the cliff

12 degree slope down

Cars, internet, phones, computers. I had used none of these in the last 23 days and hadn't missed them at all. My latte's had been replaced by awful instant coffee made bearable by spoonfuls of sugar. And while there were days I craved a hot shower, generally the lack of hot water or power hadn't concerned me.

A real latte tasted a little strange

Instead, I got to know my fellow trekkers and porters, I played endless games of cards with them, read old faded copies of National Geographic magazines, wrote these posts and explored a vast, pristine corner of the world best reached on foot.

Comparing tongues

Basket for carrying babies

I will take away two main highlights from my trip.

The first is that I have been lucky enough to explore and see an incredibly beautiful and special part of the world. I did get a glimpse of Mt Everest. I stared at many other massive mountain peaks and deep valleys around me. And I am thankful I made it round safely without any major injuries or ailments.

My pass home

Above the clouds again

The second is having been lucky enough to meet and get to know so many wonderful people along the way. It really does only take a couple of seconds to start talking to someone. And often, those first few words become minutes and hours of conversation and enjoyment. It was a time for me to connect with people and I savoured the chats, jokes and laughter we shared. I have kept in touch with some people too and had the chance to grow those initial friendships.

Final morning - Mingma and Geylo gave us the scarves

Final farewells

I have continued travelling since my trek, and I have made an effort to speak with random people in shops, on trains and in planes. Every time, I have made a new friend, given or received tips on places to visit or eat or simply enjoyed the human connection that only comes by talking.

This trip really opened my eyes to how much more exciting and colourful and alive our world can be if I simply smile and say 'Hi' to the person sitting next to me. Try it and see what happens!

A friend always helps out

Everest Base Camp 10: Machhermo and the Gokyo Valley

Machhermo had some amazing mountain views...

And stunning sunsets on the mountains

Like many of the mountain villages, Machhermo is tiny and took about 15 minutes to slowly explore. There is 1 shop, half a dozen guest houses, a helipad and a rescue/ medical post.

Coloured writing on the prayer stones for a change

The rescue post is staffed by 4 volunteer doctors each trekking season. Mike, Katie, Karen and Susie were so easy to talk to and knowledgeable about anything mountain/ medical related. They gave free talks every afternoon about staying safe while trekking and how to avoid (and recognise) mountain sicknesses.

The post also promotes the safety and well being of porters (www.ippg.net). Many porters do not have adequate clothing or gear for the conditions, some are not paid well and a few succumb to mountain sickness and other illnesses each season. It was a timely reminder that I am an employer here and have responsibilities for the safety and well being of the guys I hire.

Can't miss it!

The medical/ rescue post

Carrots for their snow-yak

The snow had stopped falling but was still deep above Machhermo. People had been stuck in Gokyo for up to a week with the storm! Some had walked out, while others had called helicopters so they could make their flights home.

On a ridge above Machhermo

We'd heard mixed reports of icy trails and avalanche danger, as well as the trail being fine if you took care. Being more of a scuba diver and less of a mountaineer, I opted to hang out in Machhermo while Kent and Sarah headed up to Gokyo for a day hike. The pair basically ran there and back, making the trek in well under the estimated time. They were some of the first ones to make the trip, with other groups starting to go the next day.

Dining room where I spent most of my afternoon

Looking out the dining room window

The dog stayed inside ALL the time!

I met Bob, Denise and Tom from Colorado in the afternoon. They were a team of well-experienced and very humble mountaineers and trekkers. They have summited peaks all over the world, and Denise completed the NZ Southern Traverse a few years ago (a gruelling multi-day race through the NZ Southern Alps). They had planned on climbing Cholatse (a peak near Machhermo) and were at their base camp when the snow hit. They spent 4 nights in their tents, having to shovel the snow away every 40 minutes or so to avoid the tents collapsing.

Entrance to our guest house

Washing out to dry - it got mostly dry too!

View out my bedroom window...almost obscured by snow!

Day 18 was the start of our trek back down the mountain. It was sad to be leaving the snowy peaks and vast open spaces behind. Nothing quite compares to standing on top of a snowy ridge with a ring of towering mountains encircling you.

Clouds came...

...and went

There is so much to take in. Every crevice and rock face, the glaciers and avalanche paths, the perfectly defined ridges and peaks highlighted against the dark sky. Photos don't do the beauty and majesty of these mountains justice. I happily clicked off a bunch of pics but mostly just stood and stared, and took in the amazing spectacle in front of me.

Kent

Finally walking out

It was at this point I decided I had to come back here again. Up until now, returning to the Everest region was only a minor possibility for me (there's too much of the world still to see!). I realised I would love to have another go at reaching EBC and Gokyo, seeing the Gokyo lakes, crossing Cho La Pass and seeing uninterrupted views of Mt Everest. All the typical touristy things I know, but I would still love to see them.

Looking up towards Cho La Pass

Yeti foot prints???

Back to the trip down... Gokyo valley is unofficially known as 'death valley'. This is because you have to descend to about 3400 metres, then ascend to around 4000 metres to get out of the valley. All well and good if you're fine, but if you suffering from mountain sickness, the hill can be an impermeable physical barrier, impossible to overcome (without a helicopter)!

Heading out of the valley

The boys were easy to spot!

Going down always means there's an up coming

We were about half way up the hill when some AMS symptoms came on again. A headache, I wanted to be sick, I felt nauseous and my limbs were shaking. Nothing to do but stop, rest, wait for my body to catch up to the altitude... and think about descending. After a decent break, some snacks and handing my day pack over to Chakra, I felt better and we started up again. This time with me in the lead and going at only a fraction of the pace set earlier. It helped! Deri, deri bistari - very, very slowly - is the only way I seem to be able to make it up these mountains!

Photos don't do the landscapes justice

Such a cutie!

We finally reached Mong La, a tiny hilltop village and the birthplace of Lama Sange Dorje (the famous Lama who flew around the Himalayas and predicted where the Tengboche monastery would be built).

Mong La

Hilltop guesthouse at Mong La

Small changes started to make me feel like I was nearly home. The snow line was high above us, it felt much warmer and food prices were cheaper. Oh, and every second person had a cell phone glued to their ear!

Looking out towards Khumjung

Steepest stairs we came across