Sitting at 8848 m Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, is one of the greatest trekking destinations. Locally known as Sagarmatha, the mountain has long been revered as the home of the gods. First conquered by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, Everest has traditionally been the ultimate goal for mountaineers.
March 4th:
Hiking day 1 - Phakding (2610 m) Today we have a very early (approx. 6.30 am) flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (45 minutes). If the weather is good, the views of the Himalayas from the small plane are amazing! After breakfast in Lukla (2840 m), a short safety talk and an introduction to our porters, we gear up and commence our trek. Today is a fairly gentle introduction, following the milk-white Dudh Kosi River approximately three-hours to Phakding. Overall Altitude gain between places we sleep is –190m
Landing on Luklka airport. The most dangerous airport in the world.
Lukla airport
Finally, the day is here, the start of the hike to to Everest Base camp. Getting up 5.30 in the morning to get to the airport, the flight is set to leave at 8, but we where not airborne before 12.15 because of clouds in Lukla. But when we where in air, the flight went well on the 45 minutes flight to Lukla, which is supposed to be one of the mostly dangerous airports in the world, and it is a bit exiting to land uphill.
The days hike from Lukla to Phakding took us down 190 meters, to 2610 m. Nice and slow walking, but I guess I can go even slower, will maybe come naturally when we start to climb and get higher into altitude.
The group seams to be really nice, and we have a good age deferens, 25 to 61, and we are from Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia and me from Norway. Since the gender does´t add up, I am so lucky that I get a single room all the way.
First tea house in Phakding is pretty good, and if the condition is like this it looks good, better than I expected.
March 5th:
Hiking day 2 - Namche Bazaar (3440 m) Today we trek 9 km to Namche (approx. 6 hours), the administrative centre of the Khumbu region. This will be your last chance to check your equipment and hire any additional gear for the high altitudes from Dingboche onwards. Namche Bazaar is also the last chance for a hot shower, yummy feast, to enjoy the local nightlife or to take to the pool hall and video parlours. Overall Altitude gain between places we sleep is 830m
The night have been pretty good, awake in between, but sleeps well when I sleep. Cold, so I went to bed with a hot water in my drinking bottle, needed that, since it was a bit cold in the room. But with one layer of wool on, and the sleeping bag I rented at Shona's Alpine I was good and warm during the night.
At least a bit normal in the stomach again, not just gassing the toilet.. :)
Up at 6.45, and after a pancake breakfast we where good to go at around 8. Starting the hike in nice sunny weather, and the view is amazing to several summits over 6000 meters. Slow hiking all the way, find my self last in the group several times, I am not used to walk that slow, but we have a long way to walk, so it is good to take it easy.
Crossing a lot of bridges on the way, takes lots of pictures. Stopping on the way for tea and lunch a bit later, having some nice noodle soup for lunch. Guess it will be some more noodles and rice the next days.
Last part of the hike today is up, a lot of up. We are climbing 600 m up to Namche Bazaar, and I walk slow slow slow upwards. Trying not to bread to hard, and not to sweat, and I manage that pretty well. Not thinking any big thoughts there I go, just walks and look at the nature. Just out for a days walk, and going to do a days walk 10 days in a row, never done that before, so have no idea about how it will be. Up the hill I put on some music, just to have something to listen to when I move in the speed of a snail. Going into the fog just down for Namche, and it gets instantly colder. Entering the tea house around 7,5 hours after we started.
The tea house Ama Dablam is fine, and it will be good to stay here for 2 nights. Having a small look at the "town" a bit more around tomorrow. Having stake for dinner, no more meat after Namche, not recommended since the fright is long, and there is'´t any freezers.
Freezing cold inside, and dresses up more inside than I have done outside during the day, going into the sleeping bag at 20.30, nice and warm in that one.
Takes one ibuprofen at bedtime, just to prevent a headache, even if I haven´t had any, but it will come sooner or later after what I experienced in Peru and Bolivia.
March 6th:
Hiking day 3/or acclimatization day - Namche Bazaar (3440) Today is an acclimatization day where we will also visit the local museum and surrounding villages. The best way to acclimatize is to do a strenuous walk up to a high altitude then come back down to sleep. Remember - it doesn't matter how fit you are, anyone can be affected by altitude, so have a chat to your doctor before you leave to talk about the symptoms and what to expect. Acclimation day in NB, having a good morning hike up to 3700 m, cloudy and foggy when we start the hike of the day. Heading up to a military post first, where we get the first sight of Mt. Everest, nice. After some time, the clouds starts moving we get to see on summit after an other, Everest as mention and Ama Dablam and more. From the military post we head up to an airport and even further up for some tea and coffee, which taste excellent.
I am having some headache today, when I wake up and later into the day, so I takes some ibuprofen to ease the pain, other than that I am in good shape. Well, not quite true, have some sore trout, so I get some antibiotics and strepsil at the pharmacy, hope I do not need to take the antibiotics, but better safe than sorry.
Having a look around in NB, but it is not so warm as it looks in the sun, that after lunch is getting out from the clouds. Goes online for a check of mail and Facebook, and leave a short update about where I am.
Having a pizza for dinner, which taste pretty good.
Are a bit worry about the trout after I get to bed, and start to wonder if I should start on the antibiotic the next morning, and we have also been recommended to start on the Diamox, 1/2, morning and evening, here in NB.
Think, think, think....
Decides to see how the trout is doing tomorrow morning about starting the anti biotic or not, and when it comes to the Diamox I will see how tomorrow goes. Not to keen of taking it, and so far the altitude haven´t caused much problems expect some headache as expected.
March 7th
Hiking day 4 - Phortse Gaon (3810 m) Today we trek for about 6-7 hours to cover the 9 km from Namche Bazaar to Phortse Gaon. This route offers amazing insight into the life and culture of the sherpas, and that night we stay in a village that is home to a number of sherpas who have reached Everest's summit. Looking out from Phortse Gaon, the views of Amadablam are great. Overall Altitude gain between places we sleep is 370m
Better in the trout when I get up in the morning, or the could have moved to the nose as an usual cold, so will not start the antibiotic at the moment. Hardly any headache when I get up, but 1 painkiller is being swallowed anyway, and are also taking one more in the afternoon in the hills up to PG.
Have been dreaming a crazy lot the last nights, very vivid dreams, but I am not able to remember any of them now, and if I did I am not sure if I would have shared them anyway, as far as I have learned this is also a part of being in altitude, quite strange.
The man have made the path we walk on out from Namche
We are back on the trail at 8.15, and we have a very long day on the trail, and are not at the tea house in Phortse Gaon before at 17. The sun is shining and we are hiking true some amazing scenery, can not be described. Have found a good walking pace, going slow slow, not breathing hard and not sweating, feels like I can go forever in this pace. Have also seen some animals on the way today, some fasans and a deer and a hawk that was laying on the upwind searching for a pray.
4 of us
I am still very unsure about the Diamox, would like to go without it, but if it is the only way to get up to EBC I would rather take it. We are going a lot higher tomorrow, so I have to decide during the evening or night if I should start with them or not. We are heading up 600 m tomorrow, and that will be tough I guess.
The tea house for the night have a warm, finally, dining area, so warm that it makes my nose drip, but I am not the only one, guess it is the altitude combined with some cold. The owner, who we do not see, have been on the summit of Everest 6 times, and the village is a Sherpa village where many of the men have been of Everest several times.
Good night:)
March 8th:
Hiking day 5 - Dingboche (4410 m) Climb above the tree-line and trek approximately six hours covering the distance of 8 km to Dingboche. Overall Altitude gain between places we sleep is 600m
Have had a bad night, very bad headache, had a Dispril when I vent to bed at around 20.30, and an other one at 1, then again at 5.30 an ibuprofen, but the headache will not go away. The last one works when I get out of bed at 6.15. After the bad night I decide to start on the Diamox in till breakfast, one half morning and night, hope that helps me sleep better the next nights.
Here I sit writing now after the days hike I also have a lot of pain in the left eye, coming from dust of the sand on the trail that gets between the eye and the contact lens. Have been flushing them w sterile water, but they runs like hell. Hope a break from the lenses till tomorrow helps for the eye, more pain and sickness, the cold seams to be on a return, not good, but better.
The hike today had a lot of up hills in the beginning, and I was struggling with finding the rhythm for the walk a long time, and are a bit warned out after the night as well. After a few hours walking am I in a group w myself, no problems with that, walks slowly, but are getting somewhere as well, and faster than many else. We are having a tea break after some hours in a small village, but I miss the tea house and walks straight true the village without seeing anyone, and are in some way lost, not for myself but for the group. Find the main path after some sidetracks on the other side of the village, ask some locals and meet up with the porters as well and get the confirmation that I am on the right path to Everest, which is good. The a team of the team come up behind me when I am sitting waiting and having some peanuts and water, and there is not any search party out for me, luckily. Having a long walk today before any lunch, start the hike at 8.30, and are at the lunch spot at around 13.00, but since I have been waling by my self the most of the time and been lost I have taken me a couple of sit-down to eat some peanuts and musliebars, so not been as hard as it first sounds like. Have had an other amazing sunny day, strong wind, but that is just to dress out, have been an great hiking day in such much beauty.
Only 1,5 hours walk after lunch to our tea house in Dingboche, where we goanna spend the next 2 nights since we got an other acclimation day tomorrow, but good to stay 2 nights a a spot again, just to hope that it is warm. Well, it is not warm, and the room is tiny with a 3 cm mattress, but it will work and hopefully give me some sleep.
The evening is quite, and we spend it around the oven to get some heat, and the dinner of the day for me is Dhal Bath vegetable, ok and fills the stomach.
I did not exactly knew what a tea house was before I got here. It have some better standard than I expected, since I thought we would sleep in dorms, but one get a room/bed for around 100 rupie, but then you have to eat all your meals at the tea house, if not they charge you more. I was expecting it to warmer than it is, and did not knew why I needed a sleeping bag with comfort temp to -20 C, but you do need it indeed. Have read of 5 C on the thermometer in my room in the morning, but it have been colder since water is freezing on the bottles. Very happy about my sleeping bag from Shona's Alpine rental, it keeps me good and warm.
March 9th:
Hiking day 6/or acclimatization day - Dingboche (4410 m) Today is another acclimatization day. Staying the night in Dingboche we take day hikes to Amadablam base camp, Nagarjun Hill or Chukkhung.
New acclimatization day and chill out day, sun and freezing cold wind outside, so expect from the morning hike up to 4740 meter it is just to sit inside and look out and read. Dressing up inside as I should have been out in the cold, layers of wool, hat on the head, gloves and down jacket. Doing some laundry, trying to dry it in the cold sunny wind, but is just freeze up and have to hang it up inside by the fireplace, which helps, the last drying I do in the sleeping bag. Works fine.
Had like 11 hours in the sleeping bag till today, guess I slept 7 of them, which is fine. As usual I had some headache during the night, and the ibuprofen helps, but have to add one more during the night. Expect from the headache I also have pain over my nose and one ear, which sort of sounds like sinuses. The eye, that was so bad yesterday is better today, and in the morning after I take the Diamox (1/2) the other pains ease up as well, so I do think it has something to do with altitude all of this. Have not felt any side effects of the Diamox, no tingling fingers or other stuff.
March 10th:
Hiking day 7 - Lobuche (4900 m) The trek to Lobuche is about five hours and covers 7 km, bringing us close to our ultimate goal! Overall Altitude gain between places we sleep is 490m
Very very very bad in the head during night, takes 2x400 mg ibuprofen during the night. Decide during the night to start on the antibiotic today, this morning, hope it helps for whatever it is that make my nose run, sore throat, sinuses hurt, hope it does´t hurt, but helps. On antibiotics the next 6 days then.
The head gets good during breakfast, and the hike today is not very far, only 7 km, and we will climb up 490 meter, not much. But is in fact pretty hard to hike in this altitude, can really feel that we are getting high now. After the tea brake at Thokla we have a hard hill to climb up Thokla pass, on the top is there several memorials over climbers that have died on Everest. From the top of the pass is it pretty flat, "easy" walking. Have been cold today, and I have been dressing up extra good for it, the hood up and my thickest cloves on, needed that today.
Very good to get to the tea house in Lobuche, and for the first time are we in a house with double glassing, so it might be at bit warmer here. As it turns out it is, and for the first time on the trip we get some game of shithead going, have a good afternoon/evening here. :) Still, as always, get into the sleeping bag early tonight too, around 20.30.
Everest base camp tomorrow and my birthday, so that is a good way to have a birthday I will say. Have during the hike learned that there is'´t anything on base camp, no tents or nothing, just to early in the season for the climbers, and one can not even see Everest from base camp. A bit funny that one walk for 8 days to get to an attraction that not exist, so one must say that it is the hike that is the attraction on this trip. The road is goal, and not the goal in itself, sort of saying.
March 11th. My 48th birthday! Happy birthday to me :-)
Hiking day 8 - Everest Base Camp (5364 m) From Lobuche we trek to the Everest Base Camp and then back down to our lodge at Gorakshep (5140 m). Here we have astonishing views over the Himalayas. Overall Altitude gain between places we sleep is 240m
Almost free for headache this night, good. Left Lobuche at 07, and it took a bit less than 3 hours to get to Gorakshep, where we had lunch before we where heading for Everest Base camp at 11. Pretty easy walking today I think, but can feel that we are high up. Was back at Gorakshep around 15.00 h. EBC is'´t really any sightseeing goal, but it was still amazing to get there after this pretty hard walk where one have been freezing more than ever before. The BC is out on the glacier, which is covered with rocks and stones, as said before there is not any tents out there yet, just a rock written Everest Base camp on, that tells us that we are at our goal for the trek. Freezing cold out there, so we spend around 30 minutes there, take the pictures (and a pee to mark my territory) and head back to Goragshep.
I am very very impressed of our to elderly ladies on the trip, +/- 60, and they both make it all the way to EBC, that is good work. Hope I can do this thing in 10-12 years as well. Cheers to you two!
Getting my birthday cake in the evening, taste fine, and I would not have gotten anyone at home for sure.
One of the elder ladies, get some kind of breakdown in the evening, it works out well for here, it is lack of food and water, and also that she have used a lot of effort to get up here. She is fine the next day, and walking strong back down.
Is going for Kala Pattar tomorrow, starting the climb at 6 in the morning, to continue back down towards Pheriche after that, gives me 3 hours extra walking tomorrow.
Have not been writing about hygiene before. Have not been taking a shower since I left Kathmandu a week ago, all the washing of the body is being done with wet wipes, gets you cleaner, but not clean. It is just go cold to wash any other way, and no shave either, so I am starting to look a bit disgusting I guess, and might smell a bit, unshaved and greasy hair (good that one have to wear a hat all the time).
March 12th:
Hiking day 9 - Kala Pattar and to Pheriche. Today we witness some of the Himalayas most recognizable sights. We make an early start to avoid the early morning clouds and trek to Kala Pattar (5545 m) to witness the best views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and other surrounding peaks. It's a tough walking day (approx. 7 hours), and depending on how the group feels, your leader will decide where you spend the night.
Have had the mother of all mothers headache during the night, the painkillers does not work at all, and I have taken 4x 400 mg of ibuprofen during the night, and have still a bad headache when I get my wake up knock on the door at 5.30. Took 2 Dispril w the Diamox when a gets up, and hope the pain will go away when I start to move towards the top. We are btw only 2 out of 12 that make a try for the top of Kala Pattar.
We are out the door at 6, cold - around -12/-15 C, can feel straight away that this will be hard. Hard ascend straight from the start, we are only getting up 400 altitude meters, 5140 to 5545, it does not sound as a lot, but it is. Struggling from the start, breathing hard, lots of breaks and the head keeps on being bad, which is sort of natural since we climb and climb. Stomach pain as well, and feel like puking, but do not dear it since I might shit myself as well, do not want that. (Don´t worry, I don´t shit my self and do not puke either). This is the worst I have been since I started this hike. About 50-100 m below the top, the guide ask me how I am, and he have seen me for a long time being bad, and I have to say that I am just empty of any power and feel bad. He, thank you, tell me that this is not the day for me to get up to the top, and I have to agree on that, and have known for some time I guess. So I stop at around 5450, not a change to get any further up, and start a slow descend, even struggling now. (My climbing partner make it to the top with the guide, and that is good since he did´t made it to the EBC last yesterday, so that is cool.) But I am at least moving faster than I was going up, can not understand how I shall be able to walk for an other 5 hours today after this, but I have to. Is back down at 9.15, get some tea and a porridge, and thanks a lot, the headache let go at least. Packing and are on the path down to Pheriche at 10.15.
It goes pretty ok out from Gorakshep, and catch up with the last one in the team after 1.5 hours, witch is pretty good, but I can feel that the morning have been hard, so I am not moving fast. Having lunch at the tea house at the bottom of Thokla pass, Sherpa stew, and are walking out from lunch with the 4 that are first in the group, and are finally feeling good the last 1,5 hours walking down to Shangri La at Pheriche, which is a great small tea house with fire on the fireplace. Love it!
Learn on the way that 2 in the group have hiked down at 02 last night, because of a severe headache for one of them, and when we meet them at Shangri La he is ok, they walked all night and was the Shangri La around 7 in the morning.
Yak transport to EBC
Pretty good to be down 900 meter, or even 1200 meter if I add the Kala Pattar hike, hope that I finally can have a night without headache, have the last Diamox tomorrow morning, but are still on antibiotic for some more days.
March 13th:
Hiking day 10 - Tengboche(3840 m)Trek to Tengboche (approx. 4 hours), for excellent views of Amadablam and a visit to the Tengboche Monastery and the Sherpa Heritage Foundation.
Amazing sleep, no headache at all!! It is a new world :-) So I am well rested when we head off around 9, happy with life and hiking. Have gotten some snow in the morning and it is the first day that we do not start out in sun and blue sky. Keep a very good speed today, easy to walk in this altitude now. Gets more snow on the way, and it is nice to walk in this kind of weather too for a change and see the mountain in a different way, dressed in a vale of clouds and just revealing a bit of themselves.
Tengboche in snow.
Getting into Tengboche around 13, snow and bad visibilities. Tengboche have a big monastery, and we head over for the preying and chanting at 15, an interesting experience, never been to a Buddhist ceremony before.
In the Monastery.
The tea house here is good, and good mean that there is fire on the stow and warm. The owner is the grandson of one Sherpa that was in the team that got Hillary and Tensing to the top of Everest in 1953. Lots of people here, and it is almost the only time that we share house with someone else on the trip.
Gets in the sleeping bag around 20.30. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
March 14th:
Hiking day 11 - Monjo (2860 m)Trek downhill and out of the national park to the small settlement of Monjo (approx. 5 hours)
Took me some time to fall asleep last night, but the night have been pretty good when I first fell to sleep, and most of all, an other night without any headache :-)
Taking a break.
Heading out of Tengboche around 8, going downhill from the beginning, a long one. And after a downhill there is always an uphill. After 600 m down, there is 400 m up, and I manage to hike up this 400 m (speaking of altitude meters) in 50 minutes, full speed with some photo stops, feels great to just go for it and feel the body works.
In the tea break are we meting up with the up going Intrepid group, and it feels kind of great that we are the sorts of experts now, that can give advices about this and that.
Have a long lunch break in Namche Bazar, does some shopping of souvenirs and a small look at FB and mail on the Internet cafe. On our way out of NB around 14.30, and it takes us 2 hours down to Monjo, and I am a bit tired the last 30-45 minutes in fact, but it have after all been a long day on the road.
Rush hour
Monjo, is beer time again... a few at least. Taste great and are well earned.
Crossing the first bridge after Namche Bazaar
March 15th:
Hiking day 12 - Lukla (2840)This morning we descend to Lukla for the night before flying back to Kathmandu.
Longer hike than expected today, 5 hours good speed hiking and are feeling that I am tired after this 12 days of hiking. Are at the town gate at 13, and goes straight for the beer at the tea house in Lukla. Yak steak for lunch, pretty ok. More beer during the afternoon, dinner with the porters and guide, and finish the day at the pub with some pool and even a little bit of dancing.
Early start tomorrow, 5, so find the bed at 22.00. Keeps the fingers crossed for the weather tomorrow so we get out of here, never know since Lukla airport is not a good place for flying if the weather is bad.
March 16th Kathmandu.
The flight leave on time, and we have a nice and sunny flight back down to Kathmandu.
But, not everything went as I like. Just before the plane was getting in I had to, really had to, go to the toilet for nu. 2. As I turned around to get in possession for a squat, I hear something fall into the toilet, my Ray Bans is resting at the bottom, of a at least shit free toilet, pick them up and hang them on my camera bag. Goes on with my nu 2, raise up.. and what the fuck, I loose them again in a not so clean bowl. What shall I do, I have 1500 Nok (140 UK pound) in the toilet, someone calling me about that our plane is there and that we have to go to gate, so after 2 sec of thinking, I pick them up again. Can not see anything brown on them or my fingers, throw the glasses the the plastic bag and that one into my back pack and run for the plane after a fast rinse with water, followed up with double big sanitising of the hands. The glasses is on my head again as I write this, washed in warm soapy water and rinsed w hand sanitiser and more warm water.
Been an amazing hike/trek, not hard walking, but still it have been hard with the altitude, cold, different sick symptoms, lack of washing of the body. And the other people in the group have been great, all of them, so it have been a pleasure to get to know everyone of them, also the guides (1 leader and 2 assistant) and porters (5 of them), have made my days in the Himalaya just and simple amazing.
Holy water temple.
