Mass update #2

So here is another mass update.  I did not have time to include the trip up to Gokyo Ri at 18,000, but we did it.  The views were incredible and Everest was there for all to see.  It was a really difficult two hour hike up to the top on the hill and we started at just after 4am to make it in time for sunrise.  

We are now back in Namche and hope to catch a flight to Kathmandu on Wen or Thurs.  The weather has been terrible and the flights were all canceled for the last 9 days or so, but the weather has cleared and we hope to catch a plane soon.  Everything is still on schedule.  My knee is fine and I have been walking normally, but I have been carful to not aggravate it.  We all feel great and are getting very homesick at this point.  My only thoughts at this point are seeing my family at the airport when I get back to SFO.  

Once I am back in Kathmandu, I will have a better Internet connection and will catch up with the emails and finish my daily updates.  

That's all for now!

Scott

11-02 (Monju – Namche) Ending elevation:

Woke up early this morning and noticed it was clear out, but within the hour the fog rolled up the valley and we saw no more. Another morning of no flights in to Lukla. My appetite continues to improve and I had eggs and a huge pancake for breakfast thing morning. Today is the day we finally made it to the crossroads of the Everst region. We started out heading up the river and crossed over several times before coming to a high suspension bridge that marked the beginning of our climb. Hari had told us that he thought it would take close to four hours to get to Namche, but we started climbing the steep hill, picking out way through the massive crowds of trekkers coming down towards Lukla and we just keep going. I don't know if we stopped for more than a couple of minutes at any one time. Usually the only time we did slow down was to let a Yak train pass by us. Yaks tend to be road hogs and it is prudent to get out of their way before they push you right off the side of the mountain. Finally around 11am, we came to the check-point in Namche. We had our permits checked and went in to town. Namche Bazaar is tough to describe, but it is like an old west trading post. The streets are very narrow and dirty with animals, people and trash everywhere. Shops line the street, and you can find almost anything you need here. We passed through the heart of the town and climbed up to our lodge near the top and checked in. The lodge is pretty large compared to the ones we have been staying in and it had Internet.

After lunch we descended back down in to town and I purchased a down jacket and a daypack to carry my things in. My knee is getting stronger everyday, but I won't carry another heavy load for the rest of this trip, so I needed a bag for my water and other supplies I need during the day. Just as we were thinking of heading back up to the hotel we heard people shouting and yelling and I look up to see a Yak coming down the street in a full run. The streets of Namche are only about 8-10 feet wide, so when being charged by a Yak, it is a good idea to run. Fortunately the Yak turned off in to a side yard and the herder was able to get it back up where it belonged. Turns out this type of Yak encounter is as common as rude drivers are in San Francisco, and we ended up dodging several more Yaks before calling it a day. I was able to connect to the Internet for a short period of time to update my blog and read and respond to a few emails. The computer was very popular as everyone wanted to communicate with their friends and family, so I did what I could with the time I had.

While its great to reach Namche, it is a dirty little town and very crowded, so I will be happy to move on tomorrow.

11-03 (Namche Bazaar – Khumjung) Ending elevation: 3790m

Kept waking up last night, but feel pretty rested. The bed was nice and we each had a thick blanket to protect us from the cold. The dining areas are always headed, but the rooms are cold as ice. We usually spend our evenings in the dining area sitting around the stove trying to stay warm. When we are not eating, we can read, talk or just hang out. People come and go and it is fun to strike up conversations with the other trekkers. I expected to see more Americans over hear, but they have really been few and far between. Mostly you see Europeans and Asians such as the Japanese. Most everyone speaks at least some english so we can at least hold a basic conversation without too much trouble. Almost every conversation starts with the question of wether your going up the hill or back down it. The next one typically asked is when did you fly in (to Lukla)? People are usually surprised to hear we walked in from Jiri, since a overwhelming percentage of people fly in.

Today was a very easy day as we had only about a three hour walk to our next destination. We have to be very careful with gaining too much altitude too quickly, or we risk getting sick, so our schedule is based on altitude gained and not distance traveled. After leaving Namche, we made a brief climb up the hill to a museum. It had some exhibits on the history of the area and a few displays, but was pretty basic. After that, we headed straight up the hill to the Everest View Lodge. This is a very nice place built by a Japanese owner and it was one of the nicer buildings I have seen since I have been here. Unfortunately once again the fog has decided to spoil any views we might have had. The fog and low clouds have been a constant companion the last several days and we are getting tired of their company. Anyhow after spending a few minutes admiring the building, we headed back down for a very short walk to our lodge. This is the first lodge that is like a motel, where the rooms are outside. The owners are very friendly and the husband has even summited Everest. We got settled and had some lunch before heading out to explore the town a bit. Khumjng is similar in size to Namche, but is much more residential. It is much cleaner here and it feels much more comfortable to me. We are also now at the elevation where wood has become scarce and the people burn Yak dung in their stoves. Everywhere you look there are dung patties drying on the stone walls. They look like giant chocolate chip cookies clinging to the walls like an abalone. Lucky for us they don't seem to smell, and they appear to burn really well in the stove. We also visited a Buddhist monastery and a school that Sir Edmond Hillary had founded. My knee feels fine, as does the rest of me, and I am very excited to continue on up to Gokyo.

Now if we can just get the weather to cooperate!

11-05 (Khumjung – Luza) Ending elevation: 14,101ft

Hard day hiking today. First though, we woke up to the same weather we have had for the last six days. Hari called down to his friend in Lukla and there are very few flights if any getting out or in. People are forced to wait in Lukla for the airport to open as well as down in Kathmandu. The only way in or out is by walking (through Jiri) or helicopter, and neither are great options for people constrained by money and time. The upshot for us is that the lodges are almost empty and we pretty much have the places to ourselves.

Today we started out with a nice downhill walk, but then took this short-cut that went almost straight up the mountain. It was actually fun, but a little tiring due to the altitude. Essentially we did a climb, then a decent, and then a full on climb again before leveling out for the last section that took us to Luza. We are now over 14,000ft, which is the same as having us sit on the summit of Mount Shasta. Tomorrow we go higher still as we reach our destination of Gokyo. The last part of the trek today had us on the side of the hill far above the glacial river below. Shrouded in fog and walking apart from each other, it was very relaxing and peaceful. Aside from being tired and cold, it was a great walk. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the fog being blown up the hill freezes once it hits something, so there is ice on the bushes and trees and even a little on us. My beard started freezing over at one point. The lodge was nice and heated when we arrived, but Tomoso told us he left his thermos back at the place we had lunch, so he and Dawa went back for it. They should be back in time for dinner as it was only going to take them about and hour and a half or so to make the round trip.

While they are gone, the rest of us are sitting around the stove (burning Yak dung) and eating Pringles and drinking tea. I also splurged and purchased a snickers bar. This is my first candy bar of the trip and I think I just went in to sugar overdrive. There is nothing as satisfying as junk food after several weeks of eating the same thing. Life is very good at the moment.

11-06 (Luza – Gokyo) Ending elevation: 15,500ft

Another day when I have woken up to fog outside. I believe that this makes seven days straight, but who's counting at this point. We were told last night that there were 1,800 trekkers waiting for a flight out of Lukla and that every room for miles was booked solid. Many more Napelie's were waiting as well. Well about a half an hour after getting up, the sun started poking through some of the overcast, and by the time we had our breakfast and started walking, it was mostly sunny. For the first time in days, we were warmed by the sun. The sun lasted long enough for us to grab some photos of the mountains and see some of area we had been walking in for the last week. Soon enough the fog and low clouds rolled in, but the sun continued to peek out every so often. We arrived in Gokyo for lunch and it was exactly as pictured. It is a small little village sitting on the edge of an alpine lake, and it is very scenic. We followed a Yak train in to town and once here, they unloaded the animals and simply let them roam free. When in my room organizing my things, one of them peeked in to my window to see what I was doing. I really like these Yaks. They are slightly smaller than a cow and have long hair. The face is cow like, but longer and more elegant. The sound they make is similar to a cow, but is much lower. They have large horns and are usually wearing bells and collars to identify them.

After lunch, we decided to hike up to the fourth lake where we would have a great view of the glacier. The hike up was only about a half a mile or so an had a modest altitude gain, but it took us some time to negotiate the rocky path. The sun was able to shine through the rolling clouds as we made our way up the hill to the fourth lake. The wind whipped at us and dropped the already chilly temps well below freezing, but the views made it worthwhile. The glacier drops down from what looks like a huge vertical wall of ice and flows pass Gokyo as a rock strewn river in a dirty trough. While the wind masked much of the sound, you can hear the rocks falling and the ice cracking as it slowly flows down the hill. This was something that I had looked forward to seeing with my own eyes, and it did not disappoint. We came back to the lodge freezing and tired, but soon warmed up with tea and even some coffee. The lodge scene here is much more crowded than we are used to. There are two large heated dining rooms in our lodge and they are both stuffed with trekkers. Everyone sort of sticks to their groups, but most are friendly enough. We all sit in a dimly lit room eating dinner, or doing the other things that occupy our time here. I am reminded of the old west, where dusty travelers gather together for food and drink in the hotels and guest houses. We are all similar here in that we are tired, dirty and probably far from home and everything familiar. Everyone seems to have a cough and sniffle or suffering from some sort of ailment. As the sun goes down, the tiny lights come on in the room, but everyone pulls out their headlamps to have enough light to read or write by. Even with the fire, we must keep our warm clothes on to stay comfortable.

Tomorrow we wake early and depart the lodge by 4am to start a two hour hike to the top of Gokyo-Ri. The climb promises to be difficult in the cold darkness and we are to dress in our warmest clothes. The reward for efforts is to hopefully see the sunrise upon Everest and the other mountains in the range. Everyone rants and raves about how wonderful it is, if the weather cooperates. We shall see what we get in the morning.