The simple pleasures in life After a short and easy walk for 2h we arrived at the next lodge. There was a small water stream flowing by so I used it to clean some clothes since the weather was sunny I was confident they would dry quickly. This was also a “refreshing” way to wash away the sweat and dirt from the last few days. This again was not much but I felt so much better after.
Nepal Day 9
First pass: Lumde - Renjo La (5350m) - Gokyo (4790m) This was hard. Those high steps really killed me. :) But I made it to the top of the pass and have a picture to prove it. \(O O)/ On the way down, I kept slidding in the snow which made me even more tired. Our guide insisted on taking my bag for that part. I doubt it made much difference because it was light but didn’t refuse much so we could all get on with it.
Nepal Day 8
Getting ready for the first big one A short walk with a 600m ascend which is getting more tiring at this altitude now. After having Tuna Fried rice for lunch we did another acclimatation walk up/down another 200m and reached 4548m. Tomorrow we’ll cross the first pass.
Nepal Day 7
So far so good…oh but not for cash maybe This was a lot easier than I expected. I ate too much food and feel heavy/sleepy but I need the energy. I tend to lose a lot of weight during those treks anyway. First shower since we left Kathmandu and it feels great. But it is best not get used to this because it will be more difficult to find hot showers as we go up.
Nepal Day 6
Namche to Thame (3800 m) This was a pretty easy walk which was a good thing because somehow yesterday’s left me with some pain in the back of a leg and tommorow’s gonna be the first big one whic 980m ascend and 980 descent in total. We visited a Buddist monastry which name I didn’t catch. It is run by “nuns”.
Nepal Day 5
Lots of bridges from Namche to Thame (3800m) We crossed a lot of suspended bridges. This is far less scary than I expected now that thbey are made of steel cables. Sonehow I was hoping for rope ones like in Indiana Joans and The Temple Of Doom. Such a let down. (pun not intended) We crossed the path with an small army squad and walked a bit with them.
Nepal Day 4
Phakding (2610m) to Namche bazar (3440m) First steep ascend (+1040m) and shortily longer walk. The weather is great so it is enjoyable too. Lots of mountaineering shops in the bazar with prices from low to high depending on weither it is original or couterfeight. While visiting the bazar, I buy some spikes for walking on the snow later on an a poncho just in case. The lodge is nice and people are friendly.
Nepal Day 3
The trek begins To Lukla The weather is not great and no planes are leaving Kathmandu for Lukla today. So instead we take a helicopter! After some weighting, we head to the airfield. The sky is very foggy and we cannot see very far. It also seams like the helicopter is struggling to go up some mountains. Is the air not dense enough? Or maybe there is more wind than it appears.
Nepal Day 2
Arriving in Kathmandu Airport hell After a short 4-5h flight we land in Kathmandu. I’ve read a bit about it and this airport is chaotic by western standards so I’m expecting the worst. But besides the heat, it is not so bad to be honest. They could use better signalling and a power cut reset all visa application machines for 15-20 minutes yet I get mine. I paid in Euro, and got change in Dollar ($1).
Nepal Day 1
The joys of travelling We arrive at Heathrow airport and are ready to check-in our bags. Except Emirates is not. They changed the flight initially because the transfer time in Dubaï is too short by their policy (<) Call to the travel agent: deal with it we paid you! Except the clown won’t talk direcly to the Emirates representative. Is their English so bad? French are often really bad I must recon.