Chapter 3: Trek to Everest, Part II

So, we got back from Kala Patar and spent another night in Lobuche, which now seemed more like the shithole described by fellow trekkers after our very strenuous day. We planned the rest of our trek, and decided to go over Cho La (a 5300m pass) to the Gokyo Valley for more amazing views of the Himalayas. The Swiss/Australian/Canadian/American foursome were down with AMS (acute mountain sickness) so we headed down to a two-lodge summer settlement called Zhongla with two German economists to make the crossing.

That evening, it snowed about 10cm and it wasn't looking like we were going anywhere the next day, let alone of a glacier-covered pass 17,000ft above sea level. So, we just relaxed and watched the snow melt. The view of the backside of Ama Dablam and the surrounding mountains was fantastic and the snow made the valley look like an alpine ski resort. And the snow did melt, pretty much all of it by midday. An Israeli couple (Mendi and Michal) was waiting as well, but mainly for Shabbat to be over so that they could "do work" and cross the pass. We all got lessons on the ins and outs practicing Judaism.

March 28

The second morning was crisp and clear and we headed up and over. The snow was ankle deep on top of the ice but the scenery was amazing. Hanging glaciers towered above as we made our way to the prayer flags marking the top of the pass. It was Mendi's birthday so we celebrated it with a candle and a coke (supplied by the thoughtful economists). Vivian and I broke out the bread and yak cheese that we'd been carrying since Junbesi (where we had our first view of Everest - things keep well at high altitude!). After everyone had refueled we headed down the other side.

It took us two hours just to find our way along a very poorly marked trail through a labyrinthine moraine. Then another hour to pass two alpine lakes on the main trail from Namche. But the views of Cho Oyu, one of the eight-thousanders straddling the Nepali-Tibetan border, helped us forget our trekking troubles. Arriving at the Third Lake, we were pleasantly surprised by a rather large village on the edge of a moraine with luxurious looking lodges. The Gokyo Resort was at the top of the hill but had been heartily recommended to us so we made the extra effort to hike up to it.

For those who have been hanging on the edge of their seats waiting for us to bathe, we finally did. After a pizza and a coke (each) of course. The water was hot and plentiful and we really enjoyed our first shower after 2 weeks. The next morning we hiked to Gokyo Ri (a nearby peak, 5400m) for an absolutely amazing panorama including four 8,000-meter peaks: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. Although farther away than from Kala Patar, we could see more of Everest than we had before and the apparent heights of the peaks were more in line with their actual heights. We spent the entire morning on top of the peak, lounging in our Therm-a-Rest chairs, eating Snickers bars and munching on dried fruit. Then it was back for more great food in the sunroom (basically a glass hut) at the Gokyo Resort.

April 2

Having finally become comfortable living at 5000m but having had enough of high altitude life, we headed down the Gokyo Valley, which eventually joined the Dudh Kosi, the same river we followed for much of our trek from Jiri to Namche Bazaar. During our lunch break in Machermo, we ran into Pascal (Swiss) and Mike (Canadian) on their way up to Gokyo. They had accompanied Lise (Australian), who had decided to pack it in due to the ills of altititude, back down to Namche. Steve (American) had also gone down with them but was still in Namche drinking eating apple pie and drinking coffee.

Late that afternoon we were treated to sightings of a brightly coloured pheasant and two musk deer (which move an awful lot like kangaroos). One more night and a half-day's walking brought us back to Namche where we feasted on salami pizza and apple pie at the Everest Bakery. Mendi and Michal had spent passover on the way down from Gokyo but saved a little of the wine they made for us to taste. More pasta, apple pie, and real coffee and we were ready to head down to Lukla for our flight back to "civilization". More people seemed to be coming into the Khumbu than leaving so we managed to get on a flight the next morning.

The Lukla airport must be seen to be believed. The runway is on a gradual upwards slope (coming in) and the airplanes (two-engined Cessnas) seem to make their approach level, rather than gradually descending. On the way out, you get a gravity-assisted takeoff to help insure the plane gets airborne. Needless to say, we made it back just fine.

Our first evening back in Kathmandu, we and the Israelis headed to the Everest Steak House which we'd been hearing about since the beginning of our trek. Vivian and I ordered the "Full Chateaubriand" which the waiter told us was about 400-500 grams of meat and "enough for two people to get full." What arrived was the largest piece of meat I have ever seen served directly to the table in a restaurant, ever. It was 50cm long and 10 cm in diameter (I am not joking) and must have weight close to 2kg uncooked. Always up for a challenge, I began carving and chewing in earnest. Vivian was somewhat intimidated by the vast quantity of flesh that lay before us and wasn't able to consume her usual quantity of food. In the end, we polished off most of it but left the equivalent of two small Filet Mignon. I think I ate enough to feed a small Nepali village for a week.

Once we were good and fat (not really) and had toured the sights of Patan which we had missed out on the last time we were in Kathmandu, we headed for Darjeeling on Nepal's eastern border and then down to Calcutta before heading west to N. India's other sights. If you've made it this far through this travelogue, you deserve a piece of apple pie and a coffee!