We've had no internet service, so it's been a little while since my last update. We've done an incredible amount of hiking in the past week. We slept above 15,000 feet for 7 nights in a row. We also climbed above 17,000 feet 4 times and above 18,000 feet 3 times.
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| Another great day. |
The first section was from Namche Bazaar to Pangboche. This was a really nice hike through a lot of forest. The next day took us to Chuckhung, where the high elevation began. From here, we climbed up Chuckhung Ri. It was the highest elevation we would reach for the trip, 18,238 feet. The climb was tough. We ascended 2600 feet in 1.5 miles. For those in Fort Collins, that's about double the elevation gain of horsetooth in half the distance and at 18,000 feet. Needless to say my legs were burning.
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| Ryan on Chukhung Ri - 18,238 feet. |
The next day we left Chukhung for Lobuche. Tom and I took different routes. Tom was feeling tired and went down and around. I took the Kongma La route which took me over 18,000 feet for the second day in a row. This ended up being the toughest hike of the trip. Especially since I had done the Chuckhung Ri the day before.
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| Ryan on the Kongma La - 18,159 ft. |
Lobuche was the coldest night yet. It was -7C in our room. The walls were also 1/8" plywood, so you could here everything. The guy in the next room snored all night and I barely got any sleep.
From Lobuche we headed up to Gorak Shep. From here we set out to Everest Base Camp. I thought this was a very nice hike. Great views along the whole stretch. Everest Base Camp itself is empty this time of year, because all the Everest attempts are made in the spring when there is good snowpack.
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| Ryan and Tom at Everest Base Camp - 17,721 ft. |
From Gorak Shep, we also summited Kala Pattar. This would be the third time above 18,000 feet. It was also cloudy that morning. It was the only cloudy morning we had in over 30 days of trekking. Even though the views weren't great, the clouds made for an interesting feel.
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| Ryan and Tom on Kala Pattar - 18,223 feet. |
After Gorak Shep, we hiked to Dzonglha to prepare for the Cho La. Dzonglha was completly packed. We had to sleep in the dormatory with about 12 other people. It worked out OK because no one snored. The following morning we headed out to hike the Cho La. This was the shortest of the 3 passes, and also the most traveled because it connects the Everest region with Gokyo.
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| The trekking crew on Cho La (17,782 ft) - Ryan, Govinda, Tom, and Nima |
The final part of the trek to Gokyo was very different than our normal treks. You cross the Ngozumpa Glacier. It felt like being on another planet. It's also hard to tell you're on a glacier because it's covered in gray dirt and rocks.
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| Crossing Ngozumpa Glacier. |
The Gokyo region was very nice. Gokyo has a very large blue lake at the base of the town. From here, we summited the Gokyo Ri. This was another tough hike that was straight up a steep hill.
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| Ryan and Tom on Gokyo Ri with Everest in the background - 17,519 ft. |
The next day we set out for Renjo La. This is the third and final pass. It also turned out to be the nicest. Very few people do this pass, and we only passed one trekker on the way down. The hike really felt like you went back in time, to how trekking in the Himalays probably felt 20 years ago, before there was more development and tourists. It was a great hike to end our trip with.
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| The trekking crew on Renjo La (17,772 ft.) - Govinda, Ryan, Nima, and Tom |
After completing the Renjo La, we spent a night in Thame. It was a nice quiet place with a good lodge. The lodge is owned by Aba Sherpa who climbed Everest a record 21 times.
Today we reached Namche Bazaar, which takes us back to where we started this loop. All that's left is to hike to Lukla and get a flight to Kathmandu. We've done so much it's hard to process everything. Everything went very well with no weather delays or major illnesses. To say this was the trip of a lifetime would be an understatement. It was an absolutly incredible experience, from the hiking, to the people, to the culture, to the mountains, to the lack of media/news/technology. Like any trip this long, there were some frustrating moments. This is somewhat expected since you are pushing yourself physically very hard every day, often with very little sleep. It does feel nice to be going lower and feeling a bit warmer as we head out. I will definatly need to spend some time reflecting back on the entire trip when I get home.
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| Ama Dablam. |
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