Expedition
That
other summit – the summit of the mind – is no less formidable and no easier to
climb.
The
mind has its mountains and cliffs, fearful, sheer, unfathomed.
The physical act of climbing a mountain has a kinship with the ascent of that
inward, spiritual mountain.
20 Years ago I was introduced to Christine and
Margaret Gee who had recently started a company called Australian Himalayan
Expeditions. It was one of the world’s first adventure tourism companies, that at the time, specialised in treks to
Both the ocean and the Mountains are special places in
my mind as they both have life and a spirit that gives them both beauty. They are both unforgiving environments that demand respect and those who ignore their power often pay the ultimate price. Over the intervening years I had visited the European Alps, in
Day
1.
As day broke today, I was finally going to satisfy a 20-year dream to visit one off the most special places on this Earth. Not only was I going to visit the Kingdom of Nepal and the mighty and majestic Himalayan range, but I was going to attempt to climb a couple of small peaks, something that back in March I wasn’t even contemplating.
A midnight flight meant that today was going to a long
one as the excitement built.
Finally at 11:45pm we boarded and settled in for the
nine and a half hours to
Day
2
International flying has both its ups and downs, and
not in the literal sense. The waiting around airports is a pain but a necessary
evil, however, there is a majesty in transcontinental
flight. After dinner I was relaxed thinking of what lay ahead. The night was
dark, but the moon was full. Its glint was shining on the wing gently
highlighting the perfectly straight lines if rivets. Below the sky was
overcast, and subtle shapes of the clouds seemed to dance in the moonlight.
Superimposed on the white hue of the moon is the gentle but ever steady red
flash of the strobe. It is funny how little things can bring back memories and
my mind wondered back to my childhood and the many flights to
At this point the Sun finally rises over the horizon
and we begin our descent into
At 11:00 am our flight was delayed. The
joys of international flight. The waiting finally got the better of
Louis and I and we had a quiet beer will we waited. At 1:00pm, after a 7 hour
transit stop we finally left for the 2 hour 45 minute flight to
The mountains disappeared toward the front of the
plane as we turned inbound to
As we taxied into the Kathmandu terminal building it
was as if time had stopped, or rather the march of time had forgotten about the
From the rarefied air of aircraft and terminals we had
arrived in
The hustle and bustle of the city was replaced by the
serenity of the Raddison Hotel. Again like the first impressions of the
airport, this place was in another time warp, but to the days of colonial
It amazing what a good nights
sleep can do! Woke to a beautiful 24 degrees with a light
mist covering the
After breakfast the group headed off towards Bordanath
to be blessed for its upcoming expedition. The blessing was done in a Nepalese
house by a tradition Lama. Each participant was given a small red string
necklace. The power of the necklace was in the knot that tied it together. It
addition we each had a friendship scarf (Kata) which we presented to the Lama
for a blessing. The group as a whole presented three prayer flags,
one would be left at the base camp for Lobuche East and the other two on each
of the summits that would attempt.
After our blessing we proceeded into the hustle of the
outer
Arriving back at the Raddison we headed off to explore
the Thamel area for the rest of the morning. Thamel is amazing, a labyrinth of tiny streets that twist
and turn. Ever sort of ware and article of clothing is contained within its
tiny streets. The place is alive with people and traffic. Apart from the locals
the people are clearly trekkers either on their way into the hills or relaxing
on their return. It is almost impossible to describe the energy of this place.
Apart from the plentiful nick naks, gear is also in abundance, especially the
cheap Chinese copies of the big American brands. If I was doing another trip I
think I would buy some of my gear here especially the stuff that you might only
use on one trip of a lifetime.
Tomorrow it all begins with the flight to Lukla, with
us being up by 5:30 for an 8:30 flight.
Day
4
After our wakeup call at 5:30 and a quick breakfast were
on the bus by 7:00 for the journey to the airport. If I thought that the
international terminal was a step back in time the domestic terminal was
something else. There were people everywhere. It was about now that I
appreciated the fact that we were on an organised trip. I would have hated to
arrive at this place on my own and tried to negotiate what can only be
described as chaos. Somehow through all of this our bags were loaded and we
made our way through the security checks. Those checks themselves are
interesting and it became a game of negotiating skill to see how low the bride
would be. Not serious stuff but it involves a handful of chocolates or a pen or
an Australian coin, as long as something is parted with. Once inside the
terminal waiting room the waiting started. Almost without warning we were
whisked through yet another security check and on another bus for the short
ride across to the loading area for Yeti airlines, to wait for the arrival of
Flight “T”. The twin otter soon arrived having already completed its first
flight of the day. The turnaround was run with precision, which was a surprise
given the chaos of the terminal. As we crammed into the tiny plane with out
backpacks across our laps, almost up to our chests one couldn’t help but laugh
at what Australian safety officials would think of this! Through the clutter in
the cabin the hostess made her way up the isle to hand out sweets and cotton
wool for the ears. The engines were already running and were off. The little
windows were scratched and stained from the years of operating on the dusty
little strips. As we progressed into the hills the mountains got closer and
bigger. While it may seem strange you have to remember that all Himalayan
expeditions start the same way and I guess the level of excitement was building
quickly. Just looking out the window at the awe inspiring sight you couldn’t
help but be excited, after all this is the roof of the world. While that might
sound corny, it is not until you see it that you understand the expression. It
is not just the mountains with the white stuff on top but it is the beautiful
valleys that pass beneath and the rugged cliffs that the wing tips seem to
scape as you fly pass. The shear power of Mother Nature as she created this is
clearly visible wherever you look, but is starkly contrasted by the delicate
way the clouds wisp through the valleys seemly soothing the rugged outlines of
the rock. Out little plane weaves its way around the clouds and even at 12,000
feet we seem to be low flying! As we turn into the Lukla valley the tiny runway
is visible in the distance through the cockpit window. It looks awfully short
with a solid wall of rock towering above it at the far end. With a deft touch
we land and taxi to the terminal and with the same precision as in
Standing on the rock wall at the far end of the strip another thing hits you in the eye, and that is the vivid blue of the tin roofs of the buildings. For a poor country its residents as obviously intensely proud people. Lukla is an obvious starting point for trekkers. The town is full of gear shops and gear rental establishments. Porters stand waiting for the next group to arrive in the hope of finding work for the next few days, some are lucky but on this day most people are obviously pre organised. The other strange thing about the town are the chickens running around the streets. Not just any ordinary chickens but a deep vivid orange brown chicken that seems to shine as if it had just been to the best hairdresser in Melbourne. Having done our brief tour we returned to the Sherpa Inn just in time for lunch. Expectation was now high it was
time to start the adventure, as the porters left with the bags. We settled down for lunch and our significant change of diet! Lunch consisted of spam, tomato and cheese sandwiches, coleslaw and chips
At 1:00pm we started our descent into the mighty
The campsite was associated with a physical camp
building and we were lucky to be able to use the dining hall for our first
night. It was over diner that you first got a taste for the tradition that
surrounds these expeditions. A set of traditions that clearly
date back to the first British expeditions to
Day
5
Inexperience started to show in dramatic way early in the piece. Going to sleep last night we put our sleeping bag inner in the bag and crawled in. The bags were 1100 grams of down and clearly are designed for high altitude temperatures. Within half an hour the liner was out, clothed were off and the bag unzipped, still it was unbelievable hot! The gentle sounds of the river that I thought would put us to sleep were more like a freight train. Morning could not come soon enough! At six o’clock another tradition of the expedition was started. Two of the kitchen boys came around to the tents with “bed tea”, a Nepalese tea consisting of a weak milk tea with sugar and cinnamon. It was soon followed by a bowl of hot washing water. Breakfast would be served at 7:00 and in the meantime we were supposed to be packed so that the porters could make their start for the day. The first pack up would be frantic, as we progressed into the trek we became far more organised and quick. Packing two full sized kit bags inside a two-man tent was an interesting experience. Speaking of interesting experiences, last night was our first encounter with the “eastern toilet” At least this one was in a shed but still only consisted of a set of floorboards with a strategically place hole in the middle. Having been 20 or more years since I last squatted it tested the knee muscles more than the hiking to date! I guess it doesn’t matter who are in life, the three great levellers of human society are the fact that each of us needs to eat shit and sleep and no amount of money status or ego will ever change that.
The setting for breakfast was idyllic on the banks of
the
We were on the trail by 8:00 for a relatively short
day to the town of
At the base of the final climb into Monjo, we crossed
a stream, raging river in “Victorian” terms on the banks of which was a small
village hydroelectric unit. Everything was hand made from the shed built of
stone again to the network of hand laid channels that directed the water. The
final climb into Monjo was short but steep. One thing that we didn’t expect was
the number of steps laid of stone. Steep paths are one thing but step after
step is another. There is another lesson in preparation for these trips find
lots of steps and walk up and down them! Monjo is a small village nestled into
the side of the cliff. The small village houses are nestled along the main
trail that runs through the middle of the town. Out campsite is right in the
middle of the town right on the edge of the trail and opposite a couple of
local houses. The paddock is actually the local Yak paddock. AS with yesterday
the Sherpas quickly put the camp together and we have plenty of time to
establish ourselves, as the afternoon is free time. AS with yesterday the
passing trade of trekkers and yaks is fascinating. Trekkers are all
nationalities. But there seems to be a domination of East German and French at
this time of the year. Some are clearly enjoying their surroundings and are
open and friendly, while others are doggedly determined, don’t appear to notice
their surrounds at all, and don’t readily acknowledge others. One can’t help
but notice the surroundings, especially as the curious local children wander up
for a look at us and our camp. Children are the same the world over, untouched
by ego, just curious and themselves content to play and look. At 4:00pm
afternoon tea was served. Afternoon tea was either tea or hot chocolate and
biscuits. Already our appetites are growing and we all scoffed a least four
sweet biscuits and a couple of mugs of hot chocolate. Even though the chocolate
was made from powered milk it seemed to taste good. As with last night the
cloud had rolled in and the Light was fading. Monjo with its steep surrounds
had a different feel. As the clouds filled the valleys and rolled in through
the high stands of trees the valley took on a mystical feel. Some very special,
even spiritual seems to be associated with this region; it was almost as if the
valley had an “energy” of its own that pervaded a soothing influence over the
people within it.
It was dark by 6:00 and we all gathered around the
mess tent for dinner. As an aside you could always tell when dinner was near
from the sound of the kero pressure stoves lighting up. Dinner tonight started
with cream of vegetable soup, laced with garlic, followed by spaghetti, pizza
and pappadams, with apple pie for desert. Tonight we were all in bed by eight.
Day
6
Up at six for Sherpa tea and breakfast.
Today is a big day as we enter the national park and climb to Namchee Baazar,
at vertical rise of 700 metres. After following the
After lunch we started on another short walk, a
further 200 vertical metres to the airstrip that was built for the Everest view
hotel. The walk was part of our acclimatisation. The
story of the airstrip is interesting in itself. It was built to service a
wealthy market of people who wanted to fly into the Everest View hotel for a
look at Everest and fly back out. At 3700 metres it proved to be a too greater
strain on the body and after a few deaths, most people spent most of their stay
on oxygen. Today the airstrip is seldom used for paying passengers.
Day
7
For the first time on the trip I hadn’t cooked during
the night and also had a good nights sleep. I was up early to catch the sunrise
on Kongde. It was rewarding as a the red glow started
on the top ridge and gradually worked its way down the face. It was as if the
giant mountain was slowly awaking to watch over Namchee for another day. The
silence of the cold morning dawn was interrupted only by the rhythm of the
click, click, click, the sound of the stonemasons at
work on a new lodge just down the hill. They were up early and would work until
the sunset carefully chipping away at stones for the walls. It was a back
breaking and tedious occupation, which we would learn later, is largely done by
Indian workers imported to do the work. Almost all of the lodges are own by
local Sherpa families as there is no foreign property ownership allowed in the
I say majestic because it is such an elegant mountain
standing almost as a sentinel over the Kumbu valley. Unlike Everest, which was
also visible, Ama Dablam stands on its own like an island, its shape both
daunting and inviting. From this angle the normal climbing route of the
southwest ridge and northeast face was clearly visible.
The balcony of the Everest View hotel was a
magnificent place for morning tea. On the right were the faces of Kang Tega
East and West, in front Ama Dablam, and to the left Everest and the magnificent
south face of
After lunch we walked down the hill into Namchee to look
at the stalls and the market. The stalls were full of all sorts of local handy
crafts but the hats and scares made of yak wool were the standouts. The market
was definitely for the locals consisting mainly of clothing and
Day 8
Again woke early to view the sunrise over Kongde. It
was not as spectacular this time with just a soft white light, non-of the
beautiful redness from yesterday. It was also far colder. After breakfast we
started our long days trek to Phortse. Today would be our first full 8-hour
day. Leaving Namchee we traversed around the hill we had climbed the day
before. It wasn’t long before we were again rewarded with the view of the
magnificent Ama Dablam. By the end of the trek we would see the mountain from
three of its four sides. The weather was almost becoming monotonous; lulling us
into a false sense of security as it would turn out later, with clear blue
skies and a light wind. The chill of the morning had gone and it was pleasant
walking in tee shirts and shorts. We were on the main trail so the grades were
relatively easy and traffic was steady in both directions. I was still
surprised by the lack of chat between the groups; everyone was just intent on
their walking. Even within our own group, there was the group who wanted to
treat the trek as a race from camp to camp. Their objective seems to be only
bagging the peaks they had come for. Their pace gave them little time to soak
in the surroundings. On the other hand there was a small group were clearly in
awe of the country. It wasn’t just the photo opportunities but around every
corner you help but stop and soak in the countryside. The valley was steepening
and way below on our right was the Dudh Koshi. We proceeded to the little town
of
From Sangnasa we, left the main Everest base camp trekking route and continued
on a long steady assent to our lunch spot at Mongo on top of the
The morning ritual continued, up at 6 for Sherpa Tea,
breakfast at 7 and on the trail by eight. We were getting our routine on order
now and were packing quickly in the morning. We were now on the far less
travelled east bank of the Koshi river on route to
Gokyo. Today would be relatively short as we climbed another 400 metres, and we
would be in camp by lunchtime. The Gokyo valley can be a trap for the unwary.
You climb relatively quickly and unless you keep the days short you can gain
altitude too quickly. The villages on
this side of the valley are traditional Sherpa villages mainly of herdsman. The
stonework continues to amaze, but this time it is more practical and
traditional. The architecture makes use of every stone face it can to minimise
building. Houses are invariably built off on existing rock. The doors are
unbelievable small. None could enter standing.
Our first stop this morning was at a small Chorten on
a saddle. It is from here that we got our first glimpse of the full Gokyo
valley and
Day
10
This morning was cold. We were deep in the shadows of the valley and would not see the sun until we climbed back to the main path. The tent this morning was frosty on the inside, but our kit bags keep the sleeping bags clear of the sides. From our camp site we climber straight up 100 lung busting vertical metres to rejoin the path. The sun finally made its appearance and we began to thaw out. Passing through the two small towns of Tsom Og and Tsong Teng the stone work continued to amaze. I would love to know how these people make a living in this part of the world. This time of the year the Yak dung has been collected and is carefully placed on top of the stone walls to dry in the sun. The Yak Dung is the main form of heating fuel these days as most of the forests have been depleted. The Nepalese government is clearly trying to do something about this with major reforestation projects under way throughout the valleys. Beyond the valleys we descend slightly to the Naktok Khola before a massive climb to our campsite for the next couple of nights. Our campsite is at 4780 metres. The effects of the thin air are already starting to take its affects. Several of the group are already on Daimox to combat the affects of altitude.
The campsite itself is out of this world sited right
the lateral moraine of the Ngozumbu Glacier. Having studied glaciers at
University level geography to stand on the site of
The food again was good, after the standard garlic
laced soup, it was more pasta, pizza, fresh
cauliflower and custard for desert. It was cold in the mess tent and everyone
retired to their tents by 7:00. At late start tomorrow meant that bed tea
wasn’t till 7:00. They are very long nights up here. The bags and the tents are
warm but the level of clothes warn in bed is increasing. Tonight was the first
time I wore a thermal top to bed.
Tea arrived at 7:00 with breakfast at 8:00.It was a
pleasure not to have to go through the packing routine for a change. We had a
leisurely morning around camp before an early lunch at eleven. Today we would
cross the glacier and climb
After a short break we started our climb of
Even if you went home from here you would feel very
privileged indeed. As we headed down I kept the video camera rolling to capture
the last moments of the colour. The descent in the fading light was difficult
and extremely hard on the knees. At about ¾ of the way down it was too dark to
see so we broke out the headlamps to pick our way down. The light was enough to
follow the path along with the expert advice of Dendi.
At Gokyo the remaining Sherpas led by Tika were
waiting for us with thermoses of hot lemon and energy biscuits. It was a short
break as by now it was extremely cold and we still had a long way to go. The
trek across the glacier was even more difficult than in daylight with an
extremely uneven surface and loose at times steep terrain. The sections of
stones, eight to ten inches in diameter were especially hard. The night was
dark, with no moon, it was our first experience with walking with headlamps and
it was 8 hours since we left camp. Our legs were heavy and it was effort not to
trip as we trudged on. Like all journeys of this kind there is that wall that
you tend to hit. On this trip it has occurred three
times. The trick, if you can call it that, is to ignore the tiredness, and the
body saying enough is enough. There are times where the mind joins the chorus. Especially this day, as we were so far out of our normal comfort
zone. It is surprising though, that once you break through that barrier
the body just seems to be able to keep going. I have said it before. But if the
average person, you know the one that complains about everything, really
visited a place like this it would be amazing how much could get done in the
world. During the crossing there were some interesting moments. One in
particular was as we traversed a ridge. On the left side the ground seemed to
vanish into a void. Our lights, even of high, could not penetrate the
blackness. We picked up a couple of stones and threw them over the edge. None
heard them land. I still wonder just far it dropped away! Finally at 9:30 we
stumbled into camp. Remember we were used to going to bed at 7:00! After a
quick change of fleece about half of us met back at the mess tent for dinner.
For the others, the day had proved too much and they went off to bed. The day
had been just short of 10 hours and we had climbed to 5500 metres. I was tired
but felt ok. The training routine had clearly started to pay off. The diners
are a continual surprise, this time it was pasta, a samosa thingy filled with
mash potato and some form of curried bean, finishing with a strawberry jelly
for desert. It had been along day and probably a touch dangerous given the lack
of definition that surrounded the trail, which had apparently deteriorated
markedly in the last four months. The sherpas did a
magnificent job in guiding us back home especially when joined by those from
camp when it was apparent that the group were late and the path was hard to
find. With path being so ill defined we wasted a lot of time on the way over
which made it a rush to reach the summit of Gokyo on time, still the view of
Everest and Makalu in most stunning colours made it worthwhile. It is one of
those experiences that I am sure I will never forget, and it was one of those
experiences in life that you really had to earn.
After yesterday, today is a scheduled rest day. It was
a lazy start with tea served in the mess tent from 7:00 Breakfast wasn’t served
until 9:00 and with no packing again it was a very leisurely morning, by
Himalayan standards. The morning was spent fitting crampons to our boots and
going through the basics of rope work. After lunch we moved to a small slope
and covered the used of the ascenders and prusik
friction knots for down climbing. Our final session was the use of prusik loops
for crevass self rescue. The mood of the mountains was changing, with the wind
high on
We awoke to sound of snow still falling on the tent.
There is nothing quite like that sound. And somehow makes you feel good to be
alive. Upon opening the flap for the morning Sherpa Tea we were greeted by a
blanket of white, with at least six inches of snow on the ground. The place had
been transformed into a fairyland of white. At breakfast it was agreed that
there would be an early lunch and we would decide then wether to push on the
high camp below the Cho La at 5100m or wether we would stay put here for
another day. At 11:00 the decision was made to stay rather than risk a move to
high altitude in bad weather. The decision was made not only for our benefit
but also for the welfare and safety of the porters.
After lunch Sandra we continued to explore the
Glacier. At about 3:00 p.m. the snow started to fall again and everyone
retreated to their tents to read or write up their journals. Dinner was at
6:30. Tonight was soup, cheese potatoes, curried vegetables and curry puffs,
followed by cherries for desert. The night was relatively warm with a thick
cloud cover and the light falling snow. Through the night the snow became a lot
heavier and twice the Sherpas were up banging the snow off the tents to ensure
that they didn’t collapse under the weight. With this weather continuing it was
looking less likely that we would be moving tomorrow.
Day
14
Tea arrived at 7:00, and this time the scene outside did
look like a wintry wonderland. There was at least a foot of snow outside and
the Sherpas were busy with the snow shovels clearing
the snow away from the tent walls and clearing paths to the mess tent. After
breakfast we walked up the Cho La passage route as an acclimatisation exercise
to an altitude of 5050 metres. For the first time on the trip we got out our
Gore-Tex coats and pants that had been gathering dust in the bottom of our
backpacks. I was disappointed with the level of waterproofing of my boots
despite the treatment I had given them back home. They got quite waterlogged
but they didn’t actually get wet through. It was a very pleasant walk although
the snow was not hard packed and it hid rocks and holes just below the surface,
which required an added degree of care. As we walked the snow continued to
fall. We followed the stream for most of the way. It was very picturesque with
the rocks covered with a cap of snow. Picture taking was difficult with
snowflakes continually landing on the lens but hopefully I captured the mood.
The flakes of snow are so unlike
The night continued to be clear and relatively warm.
The skies are so clear up here that the stars seem to hang in front of you so
large and bright that you feel you can just reach out and grab one. The
constellations however are all unfamiliar. The shooting stars are also novel as
you can see them all even the faints ones that are normally lost to the bright
city lights. I the hour that I stood and watched I counted thirty. While I said
it was warm it was not that warm and I retreated to the tent and bed.
We awoke to the first sunny morning in a long time;
however, there was a thick black row of clouds down in the valley below. At
breakfast it was agreed that we would wait an hour and decide what we would do.
A team member wasn’t well again this morning after having spent an hour in the
PSC bag yesterday afternoon. Today he was beginning to slur his words, a sign,
of acute mountain sickness. With the clouds indeed thickening,
and his condition getting worse it was decided that we would abandon our
attempt of Cho La and head the long way around back by Phortse. The day would
be a long one as it had taken two days to climb up here and now we would
descend the 1000 metres in a day. The trip back was more breathtaking than the
one coming up with the valley now white. All of the stone fences were covering
with a hat of snow and the paddocks all white contrasted superbly with the dark
greys of the stone walls and houses. The extent of the
snowfalls were clearly visible as a stark snowline along the valley
wall. I probably used more film going down than I did coming up.
Just after leaving camp our team members
condition got worse with a now confirmed case of HACE. He would have to make
his way on foot another four hours down to Phortse and weight for a chopper
tomorrow.
After lunch Dendi was despatched to Namchee to
organise a rescue helicopter to meet us at Phortse tomorrow morning. After
lunch we continued down the valley. The weather got worst with snow again
starting to fall. It got heavier throughout the afternoon and we arrived at our
campsite just after dark. Being such a long day we were well ahead of the
porters. Next to the camp sit was a small stone house that had the camp kitchen
annexured to it. The house was a bit of a trading post for trekking groups and
contained supplies of every description. The Sherpa family invited us in while
we waited for our tents and dinner. The house was typical of all Sherpa village
houses. At one end was the fire place/stove and around the room bench seats
covered with ornate woven rugs. In front small tables to
place things on. The walls were covered with shelves with all of the
trekking items. The roof was lining was blue plastic sugar bag material and the
floor earth. Being such a long day and loosing altitude we all participated in
a beer or two, and generally chilled out. The last of the party arrived about
an hour later, still looking worst for where but ok.
Half way through our dinner, the woman of the house
put her two small children to bed on the benches in amongst the group. Both
just snuggled into their blankets and went straight off to sleep. Here is a
family with, by our standards, nothing happy in the life that they have. I
still have to wonder just how much affluence, takes away from the true meaning
of life.
After dinner a subdued group headed off to bed hoping
that Dendi that made it successfully to Namchee and that the rescue chopper was
indeed on its way tomorrow.
Day
16
An early morning saw us up at six for another major walk
up the traditional Everest Base Camp valley but on the other side of the valley
to the main trail. As we climbed out of Phortse, our spirits were lifted by the
sound of a chopper in the distant valley. The sound grew closer and soon the
white chopper with the distinctive two blue sashes on its fuselage came into
view. It seemed to pass Phortse and continue up the valley before it doubled
back and landing in a field on the edge of town. The group stopped on top of
the hill and waited till our team member was safely on board and the chopper
took off on its way back to
As we rounded the next corner we were greeted by Ama
Dablam once again. Even through Everest was also there is something about that
mountain. The Tengboche Monastery sat on its own ridge on the opposite side of the
valley which we would pass through on our way home. At this point our walking
was easy and I started to reflect on the last few days. So far this trip was
far more than I expected to it to be and we still had out two major targets
ahead.
Our path took us up the valley to Pangboche for lunch.
Our picnic spot was again majestic on the outskirts of town looking straight at
Kang Tega East and West. Both of those faces are still unclimbed and looking at
them from this distance it is not hard to see why. They are so close that you
feel you could start an avalanche with your trekking pole.
During the morning Dendi had caught the group and
joined us for lunch. What an effort!
After lunch we proceeded through Pangboche and unlike
the remote Sherpa villages we had come from it was obvious that were back on
the main trekker trail. Pangboche was well laid out with neat house, lodges and
shops and was clearly more affluence and reliant on the tourism dollar.
From Pangboche we continued up the valley which became
narrower and more rugged. The Imja Drengha twisted through the remnant glacial
moraine and made a great picture against its almost
shear valley sides. At the tiny
Our campsite was right in the middle of town with the
back of it looking out over Lobuche East. From the here the mountain didn’t
look any better. The night was getting cold so we ate in the lodge dining room
out of the cold. Our kitchen staff would still did the
cooking. The inside of the lodge was quaint lined in plywood and in the middle
of the floor was a bid yak dung heater that churned out delightful warmth. The
views out of the back of the dining room were grand. The sun was setting over
Ama Dablam, which was a stunning way to end the day. At least here we had
indoor ceramic toilet, even it was an “eastern type” This was the first time we
had come across a ceramic bowel set into the concrete floor with a separate tin
in which to place the soiled paper. A large dish of water sat in the corner
with a small tin to use to flush with. But as I have said earlier it is amazing
how quickly you adapt to things. It was at least better than a hole in the
ground and a draughty toilet tent. We all filed off to bed still filled with
apprehension, as tomorrow we would trek to case camp.
Day
17
We were back to our normal routine, this morning with tea at six and all packed up by 7:00. It was cold and we headed back to the lodge dining room for breakfast. Unlike last night the room was extremely smoky from the kitchen fire. Three Lamas were in the room this morning going through their prayer ritual, each had a pile of what looked like parchment sheets with the prayers written on them and they slowly worked through their respective heaps while we ate.
By 8:00 we were again on the trail headed for our base
camp. Initially we followed the base camp trail but branched left after a small
tearoom at the base of the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. We were
again on the route to the Cho La but from the other side. We climbed onto a
small saddle and from there the view was magnificent. A small green glacial
lake was nestled below us right at the foot of the mighty north face of
Cholatse, which towered over the pass. In fact 7000+metre
mountains surrrounded us from all sides. Ama Dablam was changing
character as we moved further around it. The delicate shape it had from the
Everest View hotel was now replaced with a much larger bulk, but no less
impressive. We were now back above the snow line and
it was getting on towards midday. We were all overdressed from the cold morning
start. The heat from the snow was intense, as was the glare. If have skiing for
over twenty years but have never experienced glare as strong as we were getting
today. From the saddle our campsite was visible not far below. A mess tent from
a British expedition was already there. The British team had advanced to high
camp to make an attempt on the summit tomorrow. Their task would be that more
difficult than ours as they would be the first team on the mountain since the
snow falls and they would have to break trail. Our job would be a lot easier as
a result. As we moved down into the bowl the heat and glare became oppressive.
We were now at 4900 metres.
Late in the afternoon Dendi mustered the group
together for a Puja. Dendi had spent seven years training as a Buddhist monk
and a Puja is a blessing ceremony around a relegeious fire. During the ceremony
our Ice Axes and crampons are blessed to carry luck with us in our climb. One
of the prayer flags that were blessed back in
Yak steaks were served for the first time along with
our ration of carbs with spaghetti and potatoes in a tomato sauce. We finished
with lime Jelly. The combinations are strange to say the least and I would love
to see the looks on diner guests if you served it at home. At here, though, it
seems to work, maybe because you are so damned hungry.
Day
18
After a latish start, bed tea at 7:00, we started the 300-metre climb to our high camp. The climb was relatively steep, and our packs were heavier than normal loaded up with our climbing, sleeping bad, down Jacket and normal Gore-Tex ware. To conserve weight for the porters above 5000 metres we had repacked our essential gear for the night into one kit bag, the other being left at base camp. The climb took an hour and a half before we reached a small plateau. Nestled with the plateau was a small lake. The water was so clear and still that the surrounding mountains were reflected perfectly in it. It was something out of this world and at times I wondered wether we hadn’t stumbled across Shangrila. From the edge of the plateau we got the best view of Ama Dablam to date and looked simple awesome standing there, as there was now nothing between it and us.
At the end of the plateau was a steep rock valley that
led to the upper snow slopes of Lobuche East. After lunch we loaded our packs
with our plastic-climbing boots and proceeded up the valley to those snow
slopes some 300 vertical metres above. This would save carrying them in the
morning and would allow us to climb the rock valley in more flexible trekking
boots. From the stash our rout for tomorrow was clearly visible, looking
menacing and steep as it towered above us. As we came back to the head of the
I decided to come back on sunset to try and capture
that as a reflection. Luck was again on our side as the normal afternoon cloud
failed to materialise. As the sun set we took up our position back at the head
of the lake. As the sun set the sky slowly turned pink and
the mountains a deep shade of grey. The majesty was indescribable and I
wondered if the pictures would really do it justice. There is something about
these mountains that you can’t describe or pass on. You have to experience it
and let their might and power just soak into your
soul. Sometimes it pays just to put the camera down and let your senses do the
feeling. When you do you whole body just seems to relax but at the same time
there is an inner strength.
Being a spartan camp there was no mess tent. As the
night was so still and clear and the shy still a deep shade of pink everyone
stood outside and soaked it in as we ate perched on rocks scattered around the
camp. The kitchen crew did a greet job again despite their lack of equipment
with a full three courses, soup, Dahl Baht and beef curry and mixed fruit for
desert. After dinner the shy was still pink and the sun was still shining on
the very top of Nupse, at 6:30 through we all turned in, as tomorrow we would
be up at 12:30am for the attempt on the summit.
Day
19 (
The wakeup call was a little academic, as I doubt that
many people had a good nights sleep. Firstly at this altitude sleep is
interrupted, you are very conscious of your breathing which quite laboured and
deliberate. Your heart rate is still quite high from the lack of oxygen and
having to go the long way around we missed our scheduled night at 5200 at the
base of the Cho La. Heat is no longer a problem, and to save time in the
morning we are dressed in the clothes will ware for the climb. The second
reason for the lack of sleep was where we were. It is very easy to forget,
until you are sitting at the base of it, that this is a 6000 metre peal right
in the middle of the
At 12:30 the kitchen boys arrived with Sherpa tea
shortly followed by rice porridge. Rice porridge is hard enough to take at a
civilised hour but at just after midnight in the freezing cold, I don’t think
so! Fortunately they then also brought around pancakes and omelette. Still early to eat a full breakfast. We had been warned that
everything takes an age to do at this altitude by I must admit that I didn’t
find that to be the case at all. It was cold at around –20 degrees C. Clothing
was interesting. On the feet we had 2 pairs of socks, thermal long johns under
our Gore-Tex overpants. On the top was a thermal undergarment, followed by a
100-weight fleece, a 300-weight fleece, which was the windstopper, followed by
the Gore-Tex jacket. On the hands glove liners, and Gore-Tex alpine gloves, and
finally on the head a double weight fleece beanie and the required head torch.
In the backpack was the down jacket, over mittens balaclava and ice axe. We
were now as ready and we would even be as we all gathered at the edge of the
lake. At 2:00am Tika lead the group out around the lake to start the climb up
the rock valley. Everything was so different in the dark and I really didn’t
have to worry about putting one foot in front of the other, it was about as far
as you could see! I was with Tika at the head of the line and it was an
interesting sight to look back and see the trail of headlamps winding their way
up the hill. After about an hour we reached the gear we had stashed the night
before. At this stop the effects of altitude were definitely noticeable as we
struggled with the relatively simple task of putting and lacing up our plastic
boots. It seemed to take an age and it was cold on the fingers tying up the
laces without gloves. Even the extremely simple task of putting on the crampons
seemed impossible hard and there are clip ons after all. After what seemed an
age, most of the group were a lot slower than I was,
we finally set out again with Tika in the lead. The initial few steps were some
of the most uncoordinated I have ever taken. The crampons are hard to walk on
and the semi rigid plastic boots are like walking with your ankle joints fused.
Because of their bulk you have to walk with you feet well apart, most ungainly.
It took about fifteen minutes to get the rhythm. The first surprise came after
about half an hour when we hit our first rock and ice wall. It wasn’t all that
high but required some basic rock climbing sticking fingers and crampons into
the cracks and ledges for hand and foot holds. I will never forget the sound of
the crampons scrapping on the rock. Two more of these walls were encountered
before we started a long transverse across a snow slope It
was the first time the ice axes were really needed as a support into the bank
on the uphill side. Daylight was just starting and we could see a large icefall
just up the hill from we were. At 6:00am we stopped for our Alpine Lunch! We
were now at the half way mark in vertical terms having now climbed the first
five hundred metres. The site of our high camp was clearly visible and it
looked a long way below. Even at this altitude the sunrise was spectacular and
so was the full vista that opened up below us. We were now on the top of the
rock face that we had seen from Pheriche and the full Kumbu Glacier opened up
below us as the light grew.
Tika and the rest of the Sherpas
were busy setting the fixed ropes for the rest of the climb and after about an
hour we were set to continue. We pushed on over our first razorback but it was
relatively wide until we reached the first section of rope. With our safety
caribiners and ascenders attached we started what would prove to be one of the
gruelling experiences of my life. Slowly we inched our way up the sections. I say
inched because the going is extremely slow and painstaking one foot after
another. The action of the crampons is exhausting and ten steps at a time is about the best anyone is doing. It is times like this
that you realise what a joke films like Vertical Limit are. At the next corner,
still attached to the rope I belayed my backpack and shed most of my top layers
down to the 100-weight fleece. Now it was starting to get real tough. The
slopes were steeper now as we were within 150 metres of the
It is a funny sensation being on the top and anyone
reading this may not be able to understand what I am about to say. There is now
great rush of wow, and you don’t immediately look in all directions at the
view. You know its there but your first reaction is to simply sit down get the
pack off and catch your breath and have a drink. You are simple too exhausted
to do anything else. After the
exhaustion wares off the enormity of the view begins to sink in. Right in front
of you are Everest, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Cholatse, and a sea of mountains in
ever direction. That is the other surprise, the shear
number of mountains is astounding. From the valleys you have no appreciation of
the size of this place, and now it is all laid out before you eyes from ones of
the best vantage points there is. As took both a series of still shots around
the full 360 and a video of the same 360 I knew that there was no way of
capturing the sense of grandeur. I also felt very privileged knowing that I had
seen some that very few people get to experience. Looking down on the Everest
Base Camp and Kala Patter, which seemed like a little pimple below I realised
that all of the expectations of a twenty year dream had been fulfilled. I was
sitting here looking at the roof of the world and was even more excited than I
was twenty years ago. It had not disappointed.
All too soon it was time to head down. Going down the
ascenders are put away and a prusik, or friction knot
is tied around the rope and onto your harness. You walk down side on or face
first. Face first is quicker if you have good balance and is it possible to
slide and save energy. Spalling of snow on the crampons was getting to be a
problem and I must remember, if I ever do this again
to bring some gaffer tape to tape over the holes in plates on the soles to help
prevent it. Some who had dome
I couldn’t finish the day without the normal narrative
on dinner, which was spaghetti, fresh beans, and pizza. Desert was another cake
celebrating our successful summit of Lobuche.
As we wander of to bed, in the full knowledge that
tomorrow is a rest day, I wonder if any day in the
future will top the experience of today. It is not about the view at the top,
no matter how magnificent; it is about the journey. Twenty
years dreaming, six months of training and 15 hours of mind over matter to do
something that I had been thought impossible. A
combination of something physical, something mental and something very mystical
in those mountains.
Day
20 (rest day)
Bed tea didn’t arrive until 7:00 with breakfast not
until 8:00 (some sleep in hah). The sun was well and truly up before we
ventured out of the tent. The morning was spent relaxing around the camp. I
went for a short walk to take some pictures of Lobuche East as it towered over
the campsite. Especially now that you could see out route
through the telephoto. As the sun continued to warm the camp everyone did
some long overdue washing. Some of the clothes could have walked to the summit
themselves I think. By the middle of the day our camp resembled a refugee camp
with string clothes lines attached to anything that was even semi solid.
Clothes flapped in the breeze everywhere. Boots were strewn all over the place
as they dried and my solar charges were at work again topping up the battery
again. So far I have gone through one full tape and not used one of the three
batteries. Keeping them in the sleeping bags during the night seems to be doing
the trick, as they have not suffered in the cold. Just before lunch I walked
back up the hill a little way to have another look at Lobuche. The cloud was
rolling in and within half an hour the mountain was covered. We had been
extremely lucky again with our choice of days.
Just after lunch the groups drying plans were put to
and end as it started to lightly snow again. The temperature dropped about 10
degrees and most of the afternoon was spent in our tents. The mood of the group
had changed with the realisation that out main objective had been achieved,
there seemed to be a feeling that everything from here on would be a bonus.
Day
21
The period of contemplation was over and it was time to
move on towards the second of the trip's objectives,
Afternoon tea was at four o’clock back in the lodge.
The view was perched high on the hill and overlooked the town. It has one of
the spectacular 270-degree views that you will find. Right up the valley you
looked toward
Day
22
The first stage of our walk was a gentle rise through
pastureland at the side of the valley. After about two hours we reach the small
hamlet of Chukhung. At 4743 metres. The gadget men are out again as the five GPS units are used to
confirm what is written on the sign above the lodge door! Boys
and their toys. This place is one of the most beautiful in the Kumbu. I
know I have used that expression a lot in this narrative but this is truly the
case here. It is a place seldom visited on most treks, which is a shame. If I
was ever recommending a trip I would have to add a day somewhere and advise people to come up here for lunch from Dingboche. From
here you are ringed by Nuptse, the mighty Lhotse face and Ama Dablam, with the
lesser peaks of
Day
23 (
At 12:30 tea arrived at the tent door and it was time
to prepare for the climb. Having had everything ready the night before and having
been through it once already everything seemed far more orderly. At 1:00am I
proceeded to the mess tent to have breakfast and collect the lunch bag. The
morning was still bitterly cold and the pack was heavy with the plastic boots
and climbing gear. At 2:00am we headed off again into the darkness behind Tika.
The in initial part of the climb was easy as we followed around the base of the
mountain for about half a kilometre before hitting the main route up. From
there the route got steep quickly as we headed up a path of loose soil and
shale like stones. The initial part of the climb was not dissimilar to the
climb up
Unlike Lobuche East, where we were full of apprehension this climb was so
much more enjoyable, although a lot harder technically and far more physically
demanding. As we changed into our climbing gear we had time to just soak in our
surroundings. The sun was inching across the snowfield ever so slowly but when
it finally hit the relief was instantaneous as it brought much needed warmth.
At about 7:00am we were again on the move across the snowfields. The crampons
were still awkward things to get used to but the slopes at this stage were
gentle and it was very pleasant walking. From freezing cold to roasting in less
than an hour I stopped to shed some clothes and have a decent drink. There was
still no wind so luck appeared to on our side yet again. The heat and glare
were now intense and at the base of the headwall I stopped for more water and a
Mars bar as I was again beginning to feel light headed. After 10 minutes or so
the feeling passed and I proceeded to the first rope section. The headwall is a
steep 150-metre climb that leads onto the summit ridge. It would take over an
hour to climb this short section. The climb was slow and arduous. About 20
metres from the top you had to lever yourself up and over an ice step of about
six feet. Unfortunately digging in the toes of your crampons and really using
the axe as a climbing pick gave you a real taste for ice climbing. Loosing so
much time due to bad weather earlier on had meant that the ice climbing day had
been scuttled, what a shame. Once on the summit ridge it was time for a quick
rest and another Mars bar. Louis was already on the top, and while the rest of
the group was still resting I continued up the summit ridge. The next 100
metres was relatively straightforward and then it was the final 50 metre push
to the summit. This was steeper than the headwall and required immense effort
and will power, however I was now running on adrenalin and was more determined
than ever. Tika and Dendi were there as I climbed onto the summit, as was
Louis. It was now 10:00am 8 hours after we set off. This time there wasn’t the
exhaustion that there was on Lobuche and as I stood there the sense of
achievement was overwhelming and I think more
significant than the view. The view was superb. The shear face of
I stopped for a while and took some photo’s
of the rest of the group coming down the final rope section, after all I was in
no great hurry to go down and leave this magical place, before proceeding to
the rock ledge and the stash of gear. The pack seemed even heavier which
couldn’t be after all it had to be at least 2kg lighter with the water I had
drunk! We could now see the steepness of the path and the trip down was
painstaking as we negotiated the rock walls and loose shale. At
the location of high camp. Which is seldom used these days, we had a
short break before the final hour back to camp. At 3:00pm we arrived exhausted
but elated. We just sat in our tents for about an hour before tea was served.
It must have been the sugar in either the biscuits or the hot chocolate but I
picked up and seemed far less tired after that. Dinner was even more quiet than the one after Lobuche. Half the group was
already tucked up in bed. It was a pity
really as after dinner the crew served another victory cake. This time it was a
carrot cake and for the first time it was a proper square shape. It was so
moist and sweet, the best yet. Finally it was time for bed as the night was
getting bitterly cold and even the combination of long johns and fleece pants
wasn’t enough. The bag was warm and as I drifted off to sleep I was happy to
have had the experience of such a magnificent climb.
Day
24
The morning was cold as we were still at 5200 metres
but it was clear and I was up at 5:45 for the sunrise down the valley. I was
not disappointed. As the sun began to strike the peaks the sky turned a deep
pink, then light pink to orange. The show lasted about ten
minutes and by then my fingers were ready to fall off and I hastily
retreated to the warmth of the tent and sleeping bag. Bed tea arrived at 7:00.
We had a late start as it was a relatively short four-hour walk back to Bibre
at the base of the Kongma La trail. Despite the fact that we were backing the
scenery is still grand and I took nearly a full roll of film in near perfect
lighting conditions. You just never seem to get tired of the scenery. At about
12:00 we arrived at Bibre. We were back to our perfect campsites again, right
under the face of Ama Dablam.
Days
25 - 28
The realization had finally come that we had done what
we had come to do and we now heading home. Our route retraced the way we had
come up. During our trip down our pace was clearly quicker and we obviously
looked a lot dirty than those coming up. One of the more priceless moments was
the descent done from Namchee looking at the
exhausted faces of the trekkers coming up their first major ascent in
Day 29
Today had a different feel. Everyone including the
staff were smiling. The porters who had lugged our
stuff around these mountains for the last 24 days knew that by lunchtime their
job would be done and they could start returning to their families. Their job
is a back and neck breaking one as they carry nearly their own body weight in
gear. Some of them have nearly sixty kilos on their backs and are walking the
same trails as we are. Some of them still persist in wearing thongs. World expeditions equips them well including the provision
of top sunglasses. It is funny to watch them; however, as most do not remove
the stickers from the front of the lenses as they are worth more to sell if the
stickers are in tact. The fact that they would have blobs in front of their
eyes does not perturb them. Today we would have lunch in a small teahouse in
Gnat as the kitchen crew went on ahead to prepare an end of trip feast. The
little room was stunning as it was perched out over the valley with glass
around all four walls. Something in
Hot Chocolate was replaced with a beer for afternoon
tea, as we were not walking anywhere else!!!!
Dinner was indeed a feast with twelve or more dishes
served up. The array of meat was amazing and it tasted so good after having so
little for so long. I am surprised though that there were any chickens left in
the streets of Lukla, as it looked as though they were all on the table in
front of us. The food was suburb and was well washed down with more beers. Just before desert there was another traditional activity where
unwanted clothing was distributed amongst the staff followed by the
distribution of the tip. Each member of our group received 1500 rupees
which is fairly generous, but we had had a very successful trip and they had
had to work hard to make up for the days that we had lost through the bad
weather.
Day
30
We were up a 5:30. Bags were packed quickly and we
were in the terminal building at 6:30 and checked through the security. The
tiny terminal was crowded with all nationalities. We waited and waited for the
fog to clear at
After a short flight we were back in the hustle and
bustle of
Feeling alive we walked back into Thamel for lunch at
the Northfield Cafe and then started our shopping in Ernest.
Loaded up with gear we headed back to the Radisson. It
was an absolute pleasure to have a sit down toilet again and a nice soft wide
bed.
The room looked so large in the morning! We were in
absolutely no hurry to get out of bed, When we finally did the shower was
luxurious. The grime was still coming out. After we were both ready we diverted
upstairs to the gym to weight ourselves. Despite the quantities of food that we
had eaten on the trek we had still lost a further five kilos while we were on
the trek! With luxury in mind we went downstairs and had a big breakfast.
Especially nice was the serial with fresh yoghurt, fresh fruit, fried eggs and
some lovely pastries.
We savored the walk home this time, as really was the
end of a trip to remember.
We were up early again as our bus would be at the
hotel at 10:00 to have us at the airport in plenty of time for the 1:00pm
flight. After breakfast we gather outside for the final farewell. Each of the
Sherpas presented each member of the group with a Kata and by the end of it
well were all feeling a bit like Hilary with a wad of scarves around our necks.
It was a sad farewell to these great group of people
who had looked after so well and with such good grace and genuine warmth.
Anyone who comes to this country and doesn’t end respecting these people has no
soul.
And so with that we were on our way home again.
Bill Forrester.
Please free to talk to me about this at bill@zoomersadventureholidays.com.au