Journey to Everest - Part Two

Days 1 to 10 in Part One.

Again, I had to go outside in the middle of the night. I hate outside toilets! After a slow lazy breakfast of muesli and lemon pancake, we were given apples and seen off. The trail crossed the river on a swaying suspension bridge to the west bank. It was fairly level. The valley narrowed and there were some sheer rock cliffs. I passed a small forge and a Sherpa woman having her neck nibbled by a goat. I crossed the river again, this time on a wooden bridge. Between the villages there were lovely forests.

I crossed a large suspension bridge and arrived at Jorasale. Here at 2850m I entered the Sagarmatha National Park, home of Everest and three more of the world's ten highest mountains. The national park is protected by UNESCO and funded by the New Zealand government. I had fried potatoes for lunch watching the locals fooling around.

At Jorasale, the river valley spits into two. The left branch (the Bhote Khosi) goes to Tibet, the right towards Everest. I crossed on a sturdy Swiss-built suspension bridge and began the 600m ascent to the Sherpa capital. It was steep but I seemed to be fitter. I didn't get achy or tired. At a couple of points on the trail, I spotted snow capped peaks. Turning a corner I saw Namche Bazaar, the largest village in the Sherpa region and their capital. The village is at 3446m and is spread out on a horse-shoe shaped shelf high above the split in the two river valleys below. Of course, the views down the valley were incredible. It was a busy, colourful place and I ran into several people I knew. I was planning to stay here for several days.

Namche Bazaar on a shelf above two rivers

I found a comfortable lodge with electricity (from water power) and a warm communal dining room at the top of the building. I was to enjoy many days relaxing here watching the beautiful views. I did a little shopping and had momos for supper. I felt good today.

At high altitudes, acclimatisation is important. Above 3000m or so, it is necessary to ascend slowly. A good idea is to spend more than one night at some places every few days. This gives the body a chance to make more red blood cells to carry the reduced Oxygen. During the stay it is a good idea to explore at a higher altitude than the one you sleep at ("Walk high; sleep low"). The trek so far had involved covering distance. From now the priority will be not to gain too much altitude in one day. Up to now, I had been walking for up to eight hours a day. The number of hours walking from now on would be less. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, to avoid ascending too quickly; and secondly, to save energy at high altitude.

I slept well - lack of acclimatisation gives you headaches but I felt good. Outside it was crystal clear. After a coffee and muesli I set off to climb a small ridge where there was a small museum set up by the national park. More important than the museum was the view. To the south west was the massive peak of Kwangde (6187m) on the other side of the Bhote Khosi Valley which goes to Tibet. Further up that valley was Teng Kangpoche (6500m) and Panayo Tippa (6696m). To the east was the massive Tramserku (6608m) and Kang Taiga (6685m).

Beyond them and further south was the twin saddle shaped peaks of Kusum Kangguru (6369m and 6215m) and its summit (6769m). To the north east (towards where I would eventually be heading) was the spectacular Ama Dablam (6856m) with its cylindrical upper peak and conical lower peak. To the left of this was Lhotse (the fourth highest mountain in the world at 8501m) and its lower double peak (8383m). A ridge flowed to the left of the double peak. The ridge leads to Nuptse (7879m). Behind the ridge was the top of the black pyramidal summit of Sagarmatha (or Everest), at 8848m the highest in the world. To the extreme left of this valley was the fluted Tawoche (6542m). To the north, overlooking Namche was Khumbita (5761m), the unclimbed holy mountain of the Sherpas.

View of Teng Kangpoche (6500m) from Namche Bazaar

It was an exciting experience to see these beautiful and spectacular mountains. I took it all in for over an hour. I spent the rest of the day getting my permit signed, changing money, buying more camera batteries and writing post cards. This was the first place I could post them from! Food was excellent: momos, tomato soup, hot lemon, rice pudding, cinnamon rolls, fried potatoes with cheese, a bar of chocolate. I chatted to several people including a girl from Greece.

On this day I wandered off to explore the shelves above Namche. It was a steep but easy climb up to a small airstrip called Shyangboche. From here I, two Americans and their Sherpa guides walked through heathland, grassy meadows and young pine trees to a modern Japanese hotel. There were more excellent views of the peaks from here: Tawache, Nuptse, Everest, Lhotse, and an unobscured Ama Dablam. In the distance I could see villages I would be visiting later in the trek. At 3800m I enjoyed a meal of vegetable fried rice, vegetable soup and tea with no ill effects or tiredness.

I left the groups and wandered off by myself through pine forest to Khumjung, a large Sherpa village at the foot of the holy mountain Khumbila and several hundred meters above Namche. The fields were separated by stone walls. There were many manni walls. These are walls built with stones carved with Tibetan prayers. You are supposed to pass the walls to the left. There were a number of chortens and a school, one of 25 built by Hillary in the area. Yaks wandered around.

Scene at Khumbila

Nearby was the smaller Khunde, another traditional, untouristed Sherpa village. I descended towards Namche enjoying the views. Supper was lots of different types of momos, tomato soup and hot lemon. By 8:30 I was tucked up in bed ready for sleep.

To go to the toilet here, I had to descend into a room that resembled a barn, go outside into a yard, and up some wooden stairs. During the night, I had descended to the barn and was attempting to open the door to the yard when I heard a grunt behind me. Two yaks were asleep in the corner!

I awoke at 7am. Breakfast was muesli and coffee. It was a clear sunny day as I set off on a day trip to Thami. The last few days I'd been walking without my pack as I'd been based in Namche and that had been good. Thami was supposed to be "two to three hours" away but it was not to be! I ascended from Namche passed a small temple along the Bhote Khosi Valley, the one leading away from Everest. Snow capped Kwangde dominated the south while I walked through pine forests. The rushing river ran far below. I passed several villages and took the wrong path which led to a landslide area. By the time I had sorted out my navigation I had wasted a couple of hours. Looking back I spotted Khumbila, the holy mountain: it was directly above Namche. This mountain and an unnamed peak of 5673m behind it were black-grey rock.

The Bhote Khosi Valley

At Thomde, I saw many yaks and manni walls. I could see enticing villages on the far side of the valley. There were many landslide areas along this part of the trail so my map was a little out of date. I saw many waterfalls. At Tumde, I drank tea and saw Thami, with its monastery perched on a steep hillside about 1.5 hours away. Behind it was the icy peaks of Teng Kangpoche. After eating a chocolate and an apple, I turned back because I realised I wouldn't have the daylight to complete the trip to Thame and back.

It was a long three hour walk back to Namche. I was very hungry so I treated myself to Yak steak, chips, vegetables and a Coke! It was all delicious. I chatted to a guy from Iran (?) and a German who'd had to return from higher up because of altitude sickness. It seems to hit the fitter people because they ascend too quickly whereas wimps like me take it slowly. In fact there were many nice people staying at this lodge. I later met one couple in London at a 3 Mustaphas 3 concert and met a Canadian fisherman in Vietnam in 1992. Outside, the lively festival of Tihar was being celebrated with lights and singing. I was enjoying my stay in Namche.

After a chapatti and jam breakfast, I wandered down to the market area because Saturday is market day in Namche. There was a buzz of activity. People from all over the region had come to sell and buy. It was a very colourful scene. Apart from the Sherpas of the village there were Tibetans, Chhetris, Tamangs and Rais. I bought some fruit, haggling like the locals.

Market day at Namche Bazaar

Back at the lodge I joked with a huge group of Singaporeans and a group of Germans. While I was listening to the radio in the evening, I noted the Singaporeans were doing the same. "What are you listening to?" I asked; "The BBC" they replied. "But that's English football!", I cried; "Yes, we like English football", they responded! I liked English football when I heard that Arsenal had won 1 - 0.

That night I packed as the next day would take me deeper into the national park.

The lodge was so crowded that people were sleeping in the dining room when I came up for breakfast! At 7:30 I set off up to the ridge with the museum. It was tiring as I now had a pack. I took it slow remembering that I was now above 3500m. As I moved into the Dudh Khosi valley, the dramatic panorama that I'd seen on my first day in Namche dominated the skyline. At Kenjoma, a small Tibetan village, I had tea. I could see my destination across the valley on a ridge. The trail lead through pine forests high above the river to a large settlement called Teshinga. The valleys split. To the north ran the Gokyo Valley that I hoped to visit on my return.

I descended to the river, had a drink and crossed the fast-moving river on a suspension bridge. Passing several stone brick water mills, I began the two hour ascent. My legs felt fine and I was breathing fine but I got a "stitch" and the straps on my back were hurting. I became tired towards the end, but by noon I'd arrived at Thyangboche at 3867m. I'd gained my 300m for the day. I shared a room in one of the lodges with Lars from Germany. We had a lunch of soup, potatoes, egg and cake.

Thyangboche has always been famous for its monastery built in the 1920s. In 1988 a fire destroyed it. So popular was this stop on the Everest Trek that donations came in from all around the world to help rebuild it. All along the trek I'd seen porters carrying building materials for this monastery. There was a hive of activity around the half-rebuilt structure. On my return to London, I bought a copy of a special book of photographs edited by Edmund Hillary (and signed by him in a London bookshop). The proceeds of this book also went to this monastery.

The views from here are some of the best on the whole trek. A complete 360 degree panorama of Himalayan peaks including Lhotse and Everest and the ever delightful Ama Dablam just across the valley. It clouded over during the afternoon.

The picturesque Ama Dablam from Thyangboche

Some people had headaches from the altitude but I was fine. I played Ludo with several others. A group of Americans kept us amused with their conversation: "We had some good fries in Lobuche, almost as good as McDonald's"! Supper was two portions of momos and tomato soup. By 9pm it was bed time. Away from the electric light, it seems to be early to bed and early to rise.

Slept well and comfortably. I had muesli and coffee before setting off into a crisp, clear morning. I walked along a trail descending through forest. It was frosty so for the first time I put on my gloves and woolly hat. Tramserku and Kang Tega dominated the south. Slowly changing views of Tawache kept me amused in the north. Everest itself slowly disappeared behind the Nuptse - Lhotse ridge as I moved towards it!.

In the forest I saw a Musk Deer (musk is a perfume extracted from glands on this animal) which hopped away as I approached. I crossed the river high over a narrow cleft and ascended to Lower Pengboche. Ama Dablam was changing its aspect all along the trail. I kept meeting Hansi and Anke, a German couple who I'd later meet on the Annapurna Trek. At one point we all had to jump as a large yak train barged passed us!

Beyond Pengboche, the trail rose above the tree line entering alpine meadows. It rose gently and came onto a shelf strewn with huge boulders. I reached a fork in the valleys. On the left was the Khumbu Valley that leads to Everest. Straight ahead was the Imja Khola Valley, a side valley that I wanted to explore. I descended to the river and crossed on a wooden bridge. It was a steep breathless ascent that brought me to Dingboche at 4412m. I booked into a simple lodge and ate tomato soup which was good, and fried rice which wasn't. I moved lodges when I met some others raving about the food at their lodge! At these altitudes it is important to eat and drink well. All the lodges here are simple because these settlements are only inhabited during the summer. Here, I met Nigel from Plymouth who was to be my companion for the next few days.

Female porters near Dingboche; Lhotse dominates

The views here were stunning: Ama Dablam, behind, was almost unrecognisable. The top of Lhotse could be seen (but no Everest). At the end of the side valley I could see Island Peak (6189m) and the pyramidal Cho Polu (6734m). To the right of Tawache I spotted Cholatse (6440m). After momos and tomato soup, I made the discovery that there was no toilet as such. A convenient bush or rock had to suffice! The bushes were mainly Juniper which was used to make the cooking fires more fragrant: the main fuel was wood and Yak dung!

As it got late, the temperature began to drop dramatically. At high altitudes, heat is lost quickly. My down jacket and down sleeping bag were paying for themselves. The sunset was superb with the white snow capped peaks turning crimson as we stood awed outside. After nightfall, the sky was a mass of twinkling stars in a crisp, crystal clear sky. I saw the crescent moon near the red star Antares. Saturn and the brilliant Milky Way were also visible. At 3am I popped outside for toilet needs and saw Mars, Jupiter, Orion, Sirius, Gemini and Leo. It was too cold to linger!

Slept well with no ill effects. My sleeping bag kept me cosy and warm. Breakfast was pancake with jam and coffee. A small group of us (myself, Nigel, Lars, Hansi and Anke) set off to explore slowly. We climbed a ridge to arrive at the head of the two valleys splitting that we'd seen the previous day. The northbound Khumbu Valley that will take us to Everest was a typical example of a U shaped valley. There were no trees. The rock was mainly shale. Below us was the village of Pheriche. The surrounding snow capped peaks provided an excellent view. Ascending a little more we could see Dingboche itself on the Imja Khola Valley where we were staying.

Towards the east was a spectacular panorama in an area we'd planned to explore the next day. I could see Lhotse, Island peak, Cho Polu as before but now two other peaks had come into view. Baruntse (7220m) and the slightly yellowish Makalu (at 8470m the fifth highest in the world). The border with Tibet ran along the top of Lhotse through to Makalu. To the right was the incredible fluted ice walls of Amphu Lapcha (a ridge of ice with its highest point at 6430m). The shapes of the ice whetted our appetite for the next day's detour towards this area.

Dingboche, above the tree line

We descended along sandy and rocky trails back down to Dingboche for lunch. Nigel had a headache but I felt fine as I was pacing myself: I had been staying in places for longer than recommended by the guide book. The afternoon was spent reading and playing cards. The lodge became crowded in the evening. Again the sunset was spectacular, and again my night time visit to the "toilet" gave me stunning views of the sky.

I slept well. I had a slight headache which soon went. Headaches at high altitudes are caused by lack of Oxygen. If they don't last it's not a problem. If they persist or get worse, it is best to descend to a lower altitude. Bad altitude sickness can kill! Because of the bright sun at these altitudes I began using my goggles today. Today Nigel and I took a day trip up the Imja Valley. We passed alpine meadows, yaks, partially frozen streams, and a few summer settlements. Makalu appeared briefly as we slowly ascended into the cold, windy head of the valley. From Chhungkung (4730m) the views were fantastic. The Nupste - Lhotse ridge dominated the north face of the valley with its 3km high grey sheer rock faces, ice, fault lines and snow-blown summits. Everest was hidden behind this wall. To the east was the end of the valley marked by Island Peak, isolated as its name implies. Beyond was Cho Polu, a perfect square pyramid, but now close enough for snow ridges to be visible. To the south east was the incredible serrated ice ridge of Amphu Lepcha with its three 6000m plus peaks. The ice and snow formed weird shapes and patterns. At its base was a huge glacier hanging like a tongue of ice. Behind us was Ama Dablam looking different again with a circular peak topped with flat ice. Other peaks were visible behind, peaks we hadn't seen since our day at Ringmo. We enjoyed this panorama sitting on moss covered rocks.

The fluted ice wall of Amphu Lapcha

After a while we descended to the less windy and warmer Dingboche for a lunch of chow mein with vegetable and egg. The lodge was empty today. In the evening, a Russian mountaineer arrived. He'd just been part of a group that had made the first ascent of the south wall of Lhotse. He personally had been to 8300m. He was alone because his companions had been carried out suffering from frostbite! Outside, we watched Mars rising from behind Lhotse. A group of Americans joined me for a star party. They referred to me as the "Star Man".

Apart from two freezing trips to the toilet, I slept well. We had breakfast (egg and chapatti) and set off with our packs around 7:30. We were taking the north heading Khumbu Valley that would eventually lead to Everest. The trail stayed high above the valley floor with great views of Tawache and Cholatse. We passed a deserted settlement and approached a split in the valley. To the left was a large blue lake with peaks behind it. To the right was the beginning of the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. It looked like a huge pile of boulders.

We descended to cross an icy stream and ascended to a tea house at Dughla (approx. 4600m). Yaks were waiting to move laden with goods. There was not much vegetation around now. Yesterday's Americans passed, greeting and photographing the Star Man. From here it was a steep ascent up the moraine. At the top of the moraine were stone markers in memory of climbers killed on Everest. The valley was flanked on the right by Nuptse (7879m), a huge flat triangle. We entered a boulder strewn area. Ahead was the end of the valley (and the border with Tibet) marked by three white peaks: Pumori (7145m), Lingtren (6697m) and Khumbutse (6640m).

Pumori from near Lobuche

Crossing the icy stream, we walked for 20 minutes to the tiny summer settlement of Lobuche, the highest place we'd be sleeping at. Situated at 4930m, we were now over 100m higher than Europe's highest mountain! I had a slight headache. I enjoyed hash brown potatoes, egg and cheese and relaxed chatting to people. It got very cold as the sun got low and we all huddled around a container of hot coals, chatting and eating. The lodge was crowded and there were only dormitory beds. By 8:30 I was asleep. Next day I would see Everest ...

Days 21 to 34 continued in Part Three.

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