We knew from the beginning that any trip to Nepal must entail some trekking time if we were to get the most of our time there. We were unaware it would consist of a total of 6 weeks of trekking virtually everyday through two separate Nepali National Parks, with a total of about 115,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain and loss, and over 140 miles.
We stayed in the Solukhumbu region for a total of 23 days, which is a lot of time to stock up on new experiences. The trek started in Lukla, went through Gokyo, over Cho-La Pass, and up to Chukkhung Ri and Island Peak Base Camp, before heading back to Lukla for a hard-earned flight back to Kathmandu. As those of you who backpack a lot must know, trekking often entails a few hours of vigorous exercise followed by making camp and then a whole lot of free time. We stayed in lodges and teahouses on this trek, which removed the need to set up and break down our camp or even cook meals, so we were left with even more time to sit around! It was good that we had thought to bring playing cards and logic puzzles, and we were both able to keep daily journals on the trek. The trek was too long to include every account, but Neal and I want to include a few memorable snippets from our journals.
Day 1: April 16th 2012
Start Lukla: 9,300’
Finish Phakding: 8,700’
Total: - 650’
3.25 hours
NEAL
Epic first day. This is where the Everest Escalator starts. The flight was definitely the scariest I’ve ever been on. I had the front row seats right behind the pilots and I could see out the front window. The turbulence was like an amusement park ride and there were times the plane seemed to be flying sideways. I was comforted, though, by the pilot's lax attitude and the fact that he always had at least one hand on the wheel. We landed on the side of the mountain and barely stopped before the wall at the end of the short runway.
SIRI
Last night, even though I went to bed late, it took me forever to fall asleep and my dreams were restless. I am a little nervous about this trek. It is a big thing. Sometimes I think of all the adventures I have already had this year and I think, that’s enough, I can go home now. Sometimes I worry about my endurance out there, with more isolation, more cultural separation, more extreme climate, and more unexpected or dangerous situations to struggle with. Sometimes I imagine the altitude, the cold, the stomach problems, the body odor…But sometimes I also envision that high, quiet, serene and sacred nature, with only the sound of the wind whipping at the prayer flags and the occasional call of the kag (raven) to disturb my silent awestruck reverie. SO, here I am! Hello, World!!
We had a very easy ride to the airport via micro for 70 rupees, far cheaper than our 1500 rupee taxi to Godavari when we first got here. Silly tourists. The flight to Lukla (commonly referred to as the World’s Scariest Airport) caused my heart to pound hard and my stomach to drop several times, and was pretty exciting overall, especially the great views. The mountains are so huge around here, and I could just see some white peaks in the distance. We are going there! I could already feel the altitude, even though we were only around 9,300 feet in elevation. We have been away from high-altitude home for so long. We had some lunch, hiked to nearby Phakding, ate dalbhat (lentil soup and rice), and slept.
Day 2:
Phakding: 8,700’
Namche Bazaar: 11,300’
Total: 2,600’
7.5 hours
SIRI
Hike hike hike hike hike…So hard to breathe, I feel like I am moving in slow motion! This whole day was just rock stairs going up and up and up. I arrived so weak I could hardly walk the last few stair steps to our lodge.
Day 3:
Namche Bazaar acclimatization rest day
NEAL
We hiked above Namche today in search of our first glimpse of Everest. We talked about the serenity of the mountains. I told Siri about how I thought Colorado was a rebirth for me and how spending time in the mountains initiated my spiritual journey. They also changed my opinion of traveling and helped me better understand the importance of it. It opened my eyes to a new perception of life and what my reality could be. I truly love the mountains, and all their intricacies--so vast, so still and peaceful, but so powerful at the same time.
SIRI
Welcome to Disneyland! I almost lost hope and went home when I saw the menu prices and heard they only go up. Dalbhat in Kathmandu is 30-50 rupees, here it is FOUR HUNDRED?! I am beginning to wonder if the cultural part of trekking of which our outdated guidebook speaks so fondly may be lost here. Knowing this has led to some reluctance in me about being here at all, but I can’t leave so I had better suck it up. Aside from that, today was fun, hiking way, way up to try and get a glimpse of Everest (too cloudy) and further acclimatize. We met some interesting sadhus, chatted with a new guide friend, and enjoyed the beautiful views. We bought some food supplies to bring with us, and I saw a pale man in orange Spandex looking at the wares for sale and calling them bizarre. Haha.
Day 4:
Namche Bazaar: 11,300’
Mong La: 13,000’
Phartse Tenga: 11,950’
Total: 2,700’
5.75 hours
SIRI
I can feel my body and lungs getting stronger already. Today the mountains were sharp and clear and striking, the air smelled almost like snow, the trail was a gradual dirt incline unlike the Lukla-to-Namche StairMaster challenge, and life felt good. AND we met the guy who founded the Himalayan Restaurant in Durango…IN the Himalayas!! He is now a guide for luxury tours. What are the odds?? I find I am saying that pretty often these days. The man with him called it Synchronicity. You can never get away from your home. What a blessing.
I have been wearing a skirt while I hike, and we have decided to keep practicing Nepali mannerisms even if it does seem pointless in such a touristy place, and it has paid off. One old woman smiled so hard her face became three lines, bowing deep in respect, and another man gave us lots of nonverbal praise for keeping the chorten on our right even though the path was easier the other way. We arrived in Phartse and got a schweet room with huge windows facing the mountains, then sat around making faces at each other until dinner.
NEAL
Today was yet another incredible day. Yesterday's talk of letting go of our worries about our constant sticker shock and our fears of spending too much money in “Disneyland” was good. It made for a relaxing, stress free day. Before we left the village we passed a school and I yelled out “Namaste” and all the kids emphatically responded, “Namaste!” with big smiles all around, it was great. I saw Everest for the first time today. I couldn’t have expected or asked for a more beautiful day. Thank you Himalaya, Namaste.
Day 5:
Phartse Tenga: 11,950’
Dole: 13,400’
Total: 1,400’
2 hours
SIRI
GREAT hike day, not the torturous uphill slog I had feared. HAVE FAITH, WOMAN! When we arrived in town, we decided to stay at the porter house instead of the usual lodge, for a little flavor. The host couple was pleasantly surprised but very welcoming, and we got to use many of our Nepali words with them.We put our bags in the big long bed board the porters sleep on together, and went out for a bit. We hiked up the nearby mountain to see the view of both sides, officially higher than any mountains in Colorado! We took pictures, of course. Neal showed them to our hostess and she wasn’t quite as impressed as we were, probably because she goes up there every day. Haha.
It is so amazing being higher than the top of Colorado’s highest peaks, looking out at towering white mountains the size of mountains! They look sketched by hand in rough pencil—striking gray, black and white in sharp detail framed by rolling white mashed potato clouds—it just keeps going up! Oh, life!
NEAL
Steep day, 1400’ in 2 hours. The owners of the porter house are very friendly, what a great opportunity to experience the culture. One of the older Nepali visitors talked emotionally about something and we listened as if we knew what he was saying. We found out later that one of his yaks fell down the mountain to the river below the day before. We are going to bed early tonight, PLEASE NO BUGS (in my bed or my stomach)! I’m starting to practice Nepali.
Day 6:
Dole: 13,400’
Machermo: 14,650’
Total: 1,250’
2 hours
SIRI
I really enjoyed the older couple we stayed with. They were very forgiving of our cultural faux-pas, and wished us luck on our travels and told us to come back anytime. She watched us for a long time as we walked away.
Day 7:
Machermo: 14,650’
Gokyo: 15,720’
Total: 1,070’
4 hours
SIRI
It was a beautiful, clear day today and a very nice hike along the river and a few lakes. We were two of many going to Gokyo, so it kind of felt like a train, running into the same people (particularly one boisterous silly hat crew about our age from Ireland and Denmark). Hopefully we can go with some of these people over Cho-La Pass.
I felt the altitude more today, easily losing breath and needing lots of breaks (good thing the views were gorgeous). I also peed like 12 times, possibly due to taking Diamox, which gives me all sorts of weird side effects like tingly extremities.
Day 8
Gokyo: 15,720’
Gokyo Ri: 17,990’
Thangnak: 15,315’
Total: 4,940’
6 hours
NEAL
“A wealthy man is above the law, a wealthy country is above morals” – Neal Girard.
The view from the top was beyond words. We nearly hit 18,000’ today and it was the third day in a row of breaking elevation records. We ate bread crumbs and honey at the top, mmm. I crossed my first glacier today! Tonight we are breaking our dal bhat addiction and eating a veggie pizza, fries, and a veggie eggroll. I can’t wait! It’s hard to believe someone had to carry all those ingredients up here. Tomorrow… 4 AM, Cho-La Pass!
SIRI
Last night I got a bad headache and had a hard time sleeping until the early morning, so I slept in a bit. I was not looking forward to another gasping, cold, tingling, hungry day followed by an evening of watching others eat heartily, so I was a bit glum before our day hike up Gokyo Ri. On the way up we met the silly hat trio (aka Team Diamox) coming down, who told us they would be leaving a day early for Cho-La Pass, meaning TOMORROW. Neal cheerfully said hey, maybe we will skip our rest day and go, too! As we continued up I tried to focus on my breathing and not get fearful or upset. I had to stop for a minute to look out on the mountains and chill. Cho-La is a big endeavor, with a lot of unknowns and dangerous factors, and I am just not so sure I am ready for it, in my struggling state. I breathed deeply and gazed for a bit, then continued upward. We got to the top in good time, only two hours. As soon as I got up there, everything inside me was immediately silenced at the sight of such an epic view. The prayer flags, in various stages of fade, adorned the huge boulders all along the ridge. The mountains, solid but ever-changing, spoke of the inevitable passage of time. The birds, ever trusting in the invisible wind beneath their wings, swooped and dove in their exuberant celebration of the moment. A nice older man came up after us and told us that it had taken him three hours to arrive, but that he could find no words to express the spiritual beauty of such a place. He went farther along the ridge, and I heard him weeping openly with joy and awe. I was humbled and moved, and from my own rock perch, I wept with him. It was then that I shed my fear and opened up again. I felt strong. Okay, I said. We met these people for a reason, we came to this mountaintop for a reason, and we are strong enough to continue on. We will do Cho-La Pass tomorrow.
We hiked down quickly, packed our bags and cleaned the room, snarfed some food, and headed for The Glacier. We hiked two hours amid the sounds of cracking ice and falling rock—just-one-more-challenge—and finally made it to Thangnak, the last town before Cho-La. We met up with our group and ate a huge dinner to stock up for the long day tomorrow. We are here. Wow.
Day 9:
The notorious Cho-La Pass
Thangnak: 15,315’
Chola Pass: 17,783’
Dzonglha: 15,889’
Total: 4,270’
7 hours 10 minutes
SIRI
The night before I hardly slept, of course, but we were up and ready to head out in time at 4:00am. We all ate some muesli, bundled up, put on headlamps, and headed out. Within ten minutes I felt like fainting, barfing, suffocating, and crying at the same time. My body was clearly still exhausted and I was actually afraid that I wasn’t going to make it all the way. But I did not stop, I did not cry; I smiled at the crew and kept going. I worked hard to let go of my doubt and focus only on finding my rhythm, though I found that the battle had to be re-fought every time I looked up the hill. Halfway up the steepest part of the rocky ascent, a porter gave me some good advice: “Do not look ahead, because it always looks so far and you will lose hope. Look down and take each step slowly, then look back and see how far you have come.” So I stopped trying to keep up, and got focused. It was still a precarious and exhausting climb up, but not hopeless. Neal was behind me every step of the way, strong as always, offering encouragement and advice. When I got to the top I was too exhausted to exalt much, but I was extremely grateful, and pretty amazed. This was the hardest climb I have ever done, and on the way up I remember thinking that I will never do it again. We’ll see.
We hiked down to Dzongla, got a lodge with our lovely companions, and played cards, ate, and laughed until we were all ready for bed (around 8pm). I cannot believe, after all that talk and dread and anticipation and acclimatization and preparation, that Cho-La is in the past. But of course Neal didn’t waste any time saying, “I’ll go higher before I die. And we’ll be doing climbs harder than that when we get back to Colorado, right, baby?” Okay, Superman, I think I’ll stick with being stoked with my current accomplishments, and let that tempting future come in its own time.
NEAL
The mountains are unbeatable, this is what lures us. CHO-LA!! We missed the alarm and quickly jumped out of bed after I asked Siri what time it was and she responded, “damnit, it’s 3:42!” We quickly packed and met the rest of the crew in the dining area, discussed the day's plans, ate breakfast and began the hike with head lamps on. It was necessary to leave early in order miss the rock fall in the early afternoon. I could tell Siri was nervous, and rightfully so, I was too. We pushed on up the valley as the sun caressed the peaks behind us. We reached the base of the pass, nervous and out of breath, in about three hours. I felt like I was fighting off an asthma attack the whole climb. It was extremely steep, and full of loose rock and ice. Ten steps before cresting the saddle and catching our first view of the much anticipated other side, my favorite part of summiting, I found a beautiful piece of Aquamarine, which is common in Nepal. I reached the top completely exhausted, which resulted in a somewhat uneventful celebration. Before we started our descent across the glacier, Siri and I tied ceremonial Tibetan scarves to the prayer flags to show our respect and appreciation.
Day 10:
Dzongla: 15,889’
Dingboche: 14,250’
Total: 1,640’
4 hours
SIRI
We hiked with Team Diamox this morning, talking about careers and travel and politics and entertainment until the fork in the road where we had to go our separate ways. It was hard to part with such a fun and energizing crew, but that is a part of the travel life. Perhaps we will see them again.
Day 11:
Dingboche rest day
SIRI
Neal just shanked someone’s left-behind oats ‘n honey bar. Oh, being poor! And some tea with rust flakes in it. Lockjaw!
There is a Swiss team of four men here planning to attempt Island Peak, and they have 40 porters! I honestly think they are there to carry all the alcohol these men have brought up with them. To each his own, I suppose.
We are reading a book about Ladakh, one of the last Tibetan Buddhist communities on Earth. I once saw a documentary about the place. It talked about what a pity it was that such a joyful and self-sufficient community had been modernized. When Ladakh and Tibet and Nepal and the ancient sacred places are gone, what will be left? What will take their place?
NEAL
Somebody was carried to the heli-pad this morning. There seem to be rescue flights everyday up here. I watched an older man throw up this morning from altitude sickness. The mountains demand respect, especially the Himalaya.
Day 12:
Dingboche: 14,250’
Chukkhung: 15,535’
Total: 1,285’
2 hours
SIRI
I am excited to leave my big bag at the lodge here and do day hikes for awhile. This valley is the most beautiful we have seen yet!
Day 13:
Chhukhung: 15,535’
Chhukhung Ri: 18,210’
Total (up/down): 5,356’
6 hours
NEAL
I had a lot of trouble breathing last night, I barely slept at all. On the hike up Siri and I discussed balance in the relationship, this is definitely something we are still working on. The relationship is strong in many other aspects though. I really do love her, she is an amazing girl. I thought to myself on the way up that the purity of intention in the true adventurer's spirit is sometimes lost or diluted by the masses. On these pilgrimages we should strive to keep the greatest intentions at heart and learn everything we can from these opportunities and experiences. It seems it would be more meaningful to climb Everest for the challenge and the love of climbing rather than climb it to build the ego. We made it to the top even after the confidence killer by the Israelis, who turned around and told us it was too hard and that we should maybe turn around. What an amazing experience and a well earned sense of accomplishment, 18,210’. It was 4,000’ higher than I’ve ever been and we were dwarfed by Lhotse, number 4 highest, which towered 10,000’ above us.
SIRI
Good to be hiking again—it is funny how the body starts to crave exercise when you work out all the time, even with only one day off! I loved this peak. The view was great, with Ama Dablam and Nuptse and Lhotse all looming so close to us, and the rocks got more sparkly and colorful as we ascended. Near the top, the rocks became more slippery and unstable, but we kept going slow and steady, and peaked just after noon. This was our highest peak yet—18,210 feet! What an exhilarating, proud moment. Rock on.
Day 14:
Chhukhung: 15,535’
Island Peak Base Camp: 16,900’
Total (up/down): 2,730’
7 hours
SIRI
Today was a fairly steady hike, and I enjoyed walking through the valley. “The sand is like silk,” Neal said, and it was—smooth and sparkly and soundless under our feet. Some of the rocks look like burnished gold, some clear and cracked as ice, others the dark red of rust, and even a few blue-green aquamarines! Treasure. And the views—I am running out of adequate adjectives to describe such a place. My neck is sore from gawking.
NEAL
Awe-struck by the mighty Himalaya once again. At one point we were hiking through what looked like a dry river bed with walls of piled rocks on either side. Directly in front was Lhotse's 2-mile high south face. I had to take a vertical panorama to capture its massive face. About a mile up the face disappears into the clouds and another mile above that the summit appears again. We spent some time looking out over Imja Tsho Lake from the glacial maraine above. On the east end, 300 foot high glacier walls waited patiently to take their inevitable plunge.
Day 15:
Chhukhung: 15,535’
Ama Dablam, Chhukhung Glaciers: 17,061’
Total (up/down): 3,060
5 hours
NEAL
The best valley yet. From Chhukhung village you can see the Chhukhung glacier to the South. I told the lodge owner I wanted to hike over to it and he said there weren’t any trails getting to it, but it is doable and that we would be able to see Everest from there. It turned out to be my favorite valley of the trip. After a few hours of hiking we came to the end of a really narrow ridge line that separated Ama Dablam Glacier to the west and Chhukhung Glacier to the East. We had been hiking for a few hours and I began wondering if we should head back to beat the approaching storm. As we waited and contemplated I heard a huge crash and turned to watch the biggest avalanche I’ve ever seen rip down the face of the mountain in front of us. We took it as a sign and began our descent back to the village.
SIRI
We followed some yak tracks out onto a moraine to get closer to some of the mountains we have been gazing at out our window. The soil felt kind of like the cryptobiotic soil one finds in the desert, so I tried to walk on it as little as possible and stick to the rocks. It was an uphill and windy but not strenuous hike along an exciting steep ridge. We took photos and not ten minutes later watched an avalanche on a nearby mountain, and took it as a sign to head back. We had not been back at the lodge for long when the Swiss team returned from their successful Island Peaking. They didn’t waste a minute before uncorking the Remy Martin. Another couple didn’t return until well after dark, and I could hear the woman’s gurgling coughs and gasps in the next room, all through the night—definitely altitude sickness.
Day 16:
Chukkhung: 15,535’
Pangboche: 13,075’
Total: 2,460’
4 hours
NEAL
11 days above 14,000’ with 10 days of that above 15,000’. Chhukhung is truly unforgettable.
SIRI
I can’t believe we are already starting our descent. I will miss this valley. Onward!
Day 17:
Pangboche: 13,075’
Khumjung: 12,600’
Total: 5,137’
3 hours 15 minutes
SIRI
We began our hike down, and almost immediately hit the crowds. In our time in the high places, we had forgotten about all the PEOPLE! It was a bit overwhelming to so suddenly come upon so many tightly, brightly clad people with big cameras and heavily-laden porters, trying to squeeze past everyone else in their rush to be first in line (or at least two people ahead of the next guy). Traffic!
Many people were going the “wrong” way around the Mani stones and Neal and I tried to inform them of the custom of keeping them to one’s right, until we saw some Nepali guides actually leading their groups the wrong way, then we stopped trying. It is not our place to try and hold on to their cultural history for them, though it is hard to let go.
The air is getting warmer, the hike is easier, the goods are cheaper. The tiny, ground-hugging irises are starting to appear, and we hiked through a beautiful rhododendron forest full of ladybugs. The yaks are looking less furry and more like cows. My body feels fit and eager to keep moving, and today put my struggling at the beginning into perspective when today I watched the poor gasping saps lumbering up as I skipped lightly down.
Day 18:
Khumjung rest day
NEAL
I found a piece of wood and a rock in my muesli this morning!! Why do we fear and react negatively to what we don’t understand? Shouldn’t we embrace the realization of ignorance and the possibility to learn and grow?
SIRI
Today we saw a yeti head and a cow eating garbage, very exciting day!
Day 19:
Khumjung: 12,600’
Monzu: 9,300’
Total: 3,300’
6 hours
SIRI
The whole town was covered in snow this morning, and everything felt fresh and clean, even the garbage dump. The air was cool and crisp. I could smell pine and wind and hear dripping snow, rustling ravens wings, and my feet upon the ground. So much energy! We arrived at Manzu and found a lovely lodge with a big veggie garden and apple orchard. We went in for an omelet and some apple pie. Yum.
Day 20 (May 5, 2012):
Monzu rest day
NEAL
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! What are the odds, both Siri’s Dad and my Dad on the same day. I went to our room after dinner and found a porter in Siri’s bed. I don’t know how he got there. I told him to leave, nothing missing, no harm done.
SIRI
Happy Birthday, Dad! Miss you.
We definitely planned more rest days than we needed on this trip. Today we wandered around the town and visited the gompas. We saw a cow eating a cardboard box, and gave him a quick lecture on how he should be eating grass, but he would have none of it. We threw the box in the trash, and he snuck back as soon as we turned around.
Day 21:
Monzu: 9,300’
Lukla: 9,350’
Total: 2,000’
4 hours
NEAL
The mountains proved it again today, Always start the day early!
SIRI
The towns are all beautiful down here, because everything is bursting into bloom. It was a good hike, though busy, until the end when it MONSOONED and HAILED on us until we were soaked through. Good thing it’s our last day!
Day 22:
Lukla
SIRI
SURPRISE! No flight for us today! We showed up to check in for our flight, and were told that we were supposed to check in yesterday for today’s flight out. The man showed me a list with all the passengers’ names and checks next to them. No checks by ours. Then he conveniently disappeared until our flight had left. Then an hour later we were told the airport was closed due to wind and might re-open around 2 to let us fly out. Then at 2 we were asked to please leave and come back tomorrow. We are scheduled for 10am tomorrow, if the airport doesn’t close again. Ah, Nepal!
Day 23:
Kathmandu
SIRI
I’m not going to delve too deep into the details of today because it wasn’t pleasant, but, long story short, we made it out of Lukla on the 2:30 flight! Everyone on our plane cheered when the plane hit the ground. We had a remarkably easy time getting to Ama Ghar, even stopping at a nearby store to get some celebratory fruit, chocolate, and beer. The kids were glad to have us back, and asked us many questions about our trip. AND, I took a SHOWER! I feel so alive! When we got back to the apartment, Neal handed me a beer to celebrate our successful trek experience, but I was so tired I went to bed instead. Haha, c’est la vie.
NEAL
The ongoing joke was, we can’t get excited about going home until we leave the runway. We were finally on a flight after waiting for two days. We waited at the start of the runway and looked out to where it ended in space. The engine revved and we lurched forward. The place quickly gained speed, but it didn’t seem like enough and fear quickly began to creep over me as the end of the runway approached seemingly prematurely. It lifted off at the last second and the ground instantly disappeared to the river 2,000’ below. What a rush. After gathering our bags at the airport in Kathmandu we bought the next taxi out without haggling at all. On the way back to the Ama Ghar Children's Home we stopped by a store and here is our shopping list: beer, chocolate, toothpaste, coffee, hot cocoa, apples, and razors. OH SO SWEET!
Here is a final summary of our stats from this trek:
High point: 18,210’
Number of top 10 highest peaks seen. 6
Total number of miles walked: est. 90 miles
Total altitude loss and gain: est. 71,500’
Pounds of human poop discovered along side the trail: 298.7 lbs.
Estimated total pounds seen carried by porters: 150,000 lbs.
Estimated number of yaks and naks: 300
Total number of dalbhats: 45
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