his was my 6th trip with the travel company Explore in as many years with this trip arguably the most ambitious being rated as tough. The prize, to gaze across at Everest base camp and some of the highest mountain’s on the planet. Was given a bit of a taster while flying into Kathmandu. There was widespread cloud cover but while cruising at some 30,000 feet, snow covered peaks could be seen puncturing through the clouds on the horizon. At first this took some convincing on my part as wasn’t sure if these were just cumulus cloud formations? But soon realised these were Monster Mountains! Taking in th
e time difference it was late Friday afternoon by the time we cleared the airport at Kathmandu. It was interesting to note that Nepal time is 15 minutes ahead of standard Indian time. Not because of any difference in longitude more as to establish some sort of national identity? The anticipated 20 minute journey to the hotel would take almost twice as long due to traffic, being a national holiday in support of the start of a Hindu festival. Locals playing cricket on wasteland and Monkeys sitting on some of the roofs just reinforced the re
alisation we had entered another world in a matter of speaking. The hotel an ex Royal Palace was nice enough, never was quite sure what to do as the door man saluted every time I entered or left! The evening was dinner in the hotel and an early night plus a chance to find out more about the rest of group. There were 12 of us in all with an age range spanning from 24 to people in their 40’s such as I! With Explore you don’t have to pay a single supplement if you are a solo traveller and are happy to share a room with another. As it transpired, I was the only male solo traveller so had a room to myself for the duration of the trip which was nice as meant I didn’t have to be tidy! As ever the group were from all walks of life, a couple of army lads, some walkers, but most who just wanted to experience Everest, and had just done a couple of long day walks beforehand in the UK as preparation and had never been with Explore before. The conversation was dominated by two subjects, altitude sickness and the flight into Lukla which some found scary particularly as a plane had crashed the previous week killing all the occupants. But tried to point out it’s statically still more dangerous crossing the road at home!
The next day saw blue skies, temperatures in the 80’s and a morning briefing of what to expect on the trek and then
a walk into the old part of Kathmandu (Thamel). I must admit I had never been to a place like this, narrow streets seemingly crammed with souvenir and trekking shops. You could see why this was considered the trekking/climbing capital of world by many. There seemed a constant beep of horns as cars and motorcycles tried to get past and a general hustle and bustle with so many people milling around. It was chaos! I suspect when I finally make it to the big Indian cities, I will witness something similar but on a far bigger scale? The state of the telephone wiring made be smile while every so of
ten a couple of streets would meet in a small square which typically had a shrine and people selling food and spices. A look around the 17th century Hindus Seto Machhendranath Temple took place before reaching the World Heritage Site known as Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square. From the 12th Century, Nepal saw the start of the Malla Dynasty and its first monarch which was one of three kingdoms in what is now Nepal. The Square being boarded by the Royal Palace and numerous temples from earlier years associated with this kingdom, which is considered by many as Nepal’s golden age. It wasn’t until 1773 that all three Kingdoms were united and the country of Nepal born. With a monarchy in place until 2008.The religions of Buddhism and Hindu exist side by side without seemingly any fricti
on although it’s the Hindus which seem to dominate this area. Indeed, one of many festivals was underway (Dashain) and in three days’ time (known as Nawami), the sacrifice of goats, ducks and other animals in the honour of Lord Shiva (Bhairab) would take place at one of the alters. Maybe just as well we would be well gone by then? Another rather curious place (if not familiar with Hindu tradition) was the Kumari-ghar which is the residence of the Kumsri or living goddess who is said to be the incarnation of the goddess Taleju. Tradition has it, a young girl of 
four is picked from a family of gold or silversmiths who has to meet 32 strict physical requirements and then lives in this building until puberty venturing outside its walls only a few times a year. Many Hindus travel many miles for a glimpse which is normally a brief appearance at a window looking down into a court yard. We were lucky (so we were told) for this to happen while we were there. Got to say her penetrating stare at me made me look away and feel quite uneasy even though she was only seven! Although I did wonder how much of a madam she would be when relieved of here duty in early teenage hood and let lose into the real world?
Following a welcomed lunch, a stop off at a trekking shop was next on the list and the hiring of a 4 seasons sleeping bag for a whole £8 which was a real must considering the expected sub-zero nightly temperatures. I 
decided to buy a Down Jacket, as these are around the third the price of the UK and with the UK winters seemingly getting colder, thought this would be a good investment! By mid-afternoon we were back in the hotel and free time. Time to try and sort out the bags and transfer stuff needed for the trek into the Explore kit bag with a 10KG allowance, with other stuff left at the hotel awaiting our return. Had already decided I wouldn’t be shaving from this point onwards! Soon enough, we had the expected evening out at the cultural show eating all sorts of strange stuff washed down with Everest beer at the Irish bar. With many of the group still talking about “that flight” in the morning. Personally I couldn’t wait, for me it was one of the highlights, one of the world’s most extreme airfields. Bring it on…
Trek Day 1 – Lukla to Phakding
Up to now, it had all been rather relaxing, but now down to business and a 5.15am wakeup call! By 8am we had fought our away through domestic departures at Kathmandu airport in what must of been organised chaos? All our bags and provisions stacked on big scales for weighing. As ever with Nepal, you have to consider any set time as flexible. Eventually we were bussed out to a pan of lots 
of small aircraft busy shuttling tourist to mountain air strips. By 9.30 our Dornier 228 (AGNI Airlines) had arrived with the pilot promptly jumping out and ran behind a bush! Luggage was soon thrown into the holds and we squeezed in, one row of seat either side. Why they have a stewardess is beyond me as all she seemed to do was offer cotton wool and boiled sweets before take-off. Being on the front seat I was perfectly positioned to see into the cockpit. Engine start, we were off!
Soon enough we were climbing out of Kathmandu laughing at what seemed to be a car Sat Nav guiding the way? The co-pilot decided to read his paper, why not? They do this trip several times a day. There was still quite a bit of cloud cover, but every so often could 
see some of the snow-capped mountains making an appearance, then after 30 minutes, the mountain sides started getting ever so closer. Looking back down the plane,there were a few nervous faces. I was too busy trying to capture the moment on film to care! The airstrip renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport in 2008 has a runway only 460 metres long. It also has the added feature as being effectively on the side of a mountain so you 
can’t do a touch and go. Once you commit to land, that is it! It always features on the top ten of the world’s most extreme airfields and is often closed because of the ever changing mountain weather conditions. Today we were lucky and out of the front window spotted the strip; this is where our STOL (short take off landing) aircraft comes into its own. Soon enough we had hit the tarmac with full engine reverse, using most of the runway, reckon we easily had a massive 30 metres to spare?
Soon disembarked, we purposely made out way up a flight of steps to a nearby lodge. At 2800 metres (9,100 feet) above sea level, the altitude was instantly apparent. A thumping heart and increased breathing. This was to be nothing compared to what was coming up, but you have to start from somewhere! At the lodge we meet our support crew, two Sherpa’s, one Sirdar (head Sherpa) and another who we would be known as Yak man. Our main 10KG bags would be carried by four pack animals or to be precise yak/cows crosses known as Zhop
kyo’s. Yaks over heat at low altitudes (below 4000 metres ) however these cross breeds can operate lower down and in the summer make it to the 5000 metre mark. Every morning they set off roughly the same time as us but would always get there first. You always heard “trains of Zhopkyo” approaching due to the cow bells hung around their necks and the almost constant shouting of “faster faster” in Nepalese by the Zhopkyo driver. Apparently they name them by their colour. However the girls of the group soon took it on themselves to name ours with such names as Daisy and Tinkerbelle. We also decided to call them Yows! (Yak/Cow). Found it kinda nice to see them every night outside the Tea House.
From this point onwards, all meals were provided for us and effectively a set menu. It was also the first time we were confronted with all you can drink “Black” tea which I learnt to drink without milk (which wasn’t always readily available). From the very beginning we were told to drinks lots and to walk slowly as we started the process of acclimatisation. Meals were heavily biased towards Carbohydrates to allow for the body’s reaction to higher altitude (higher metabolism) leading to more calorie burn, so soup, rice, pasta, noodles, vegetable, fruit being the order of the day for the next 12 days. Garlic soup would feature more as we gained altitude being a natural blood thinner.
So by midday and an early lunch, we were ready to walk out of Lukla to our first stop at Phakding. Let’s get one thing straight here, there are no cars, lorries, bikes, yes unbelievable there are still place
s in the world like this (rather refreshingly). Everything from this point onwards is carried by pack animal or porters who at times carry some 80KG of provisions in baskets. However walking through Lukla, there was a Starbucks! These seem to of taken over McDonalds as the worldwide icon? Lukla is the gateway to the Everest region with lots of the 7000 and 8000 metre peaks and is the jumping off point for both expeditions and trekkers. So the locals make the most of it with trekking shops and support services.
The route would see us descend towards the village of Choplung before heading along the east bank of the Dudh Kosi, a river which drains from the Everest massif and actually is the bringing together of 7 rivers. Always fast flowing and a light grey in colour, you are always accompanied by its roar when in the Valley. At this altitude, the vegetation was very green and lush help
ed I suspect by the monsoon which had ended a couple of weeks before. October/November is considered as the best weather months following the monsoon with clear skies. The jury was still out on that one looking at the grey skies; then again it was the beginning of the month. We had soon passed through several villages each with their prayer wheels and a chorten (shrine) with prayer texts (chants). Some looked quite old and you always had to walk around these to the left (clockwise) so to follow tradition (and as a by-product I guess avoid caus
ing traffic jams?). However this supposedly easy lead in day would soon take a twist with one of the bridges having been damaged in a landslide the night before. So it was up and around a village on a small steep path which soon found out who was the most sure footed of us. Back on a trail, a stop at a Tea lodge and Lemon Tea was very refreshing. Soon we were crossing the river for the first time and finally reached Namaste Lodge for the night at around 5pm after walking 9.1 km (5.7 miles).
The Sherpa people which inhabit this region of Nepal number around 5000 and migrated to these parts from Tibet some 500 years ago. Nowadays Lodges or Tea Houses as they are known, serve as one of their biggest income potentials with the increase of expeditions and trekkers to the area in recent years. As you get further away from Lukla, the Tea Houses get more basic in construction with rooms basically just containing beds in a small room with nothing else apart from a light with varying brightness at different locations! There tends to be one large room with tables and seats with a fuel heater in the centre where you eat. If you were lucky, there may be a shower (very loose term!) otherwise it would be a bowl of warm water. Yes, this was not a holiday as in luxury. This was more of an adventure where you had to endure the lack of comforts. However the bottom line was it beat camping! So the routine was sleep, wake up call, bowl of washing water, breakfast, mid-morning Tea, lunch, mid afternoon tea and biscuits, freshen up, dinner and bed time by 9pm, 8pm for some people, not forgetting walking in between!
Trekking Day 2 – Phakding to Namche Bazaar
The morning started to what would be the characteristic knock on the door and the softly spoken “morning” by the Sherpa’s followed by another knock a few minutes later of “washing water” and a bowl of warm water left by the door. This was our first “trek” breakfast with saw us having Muesli or Porridge for starters on most mornings with a second course typically of two slices of toast with an egg plus of course copious amounts of tea. Guess if an 
army marches on its stomach, so should we? By 7.45, fed and watered with bags loaded onto our Yows, time for what our tour leader would say would be our most difficult day, the trek to Namche Bazaar and several steep inclines. Again taking it slowly, off we went. This strategy certainly paid dividends. We saw several groups through the trip which were following a similar itinerary and would march off in brisk fashion. But we always seem to catch up near the end of day. There would always be one of the Sherpa’s at the front setting the pace, another in the middle with the tour leader and occasionally the head Sherpa at the back. That way, it didn’t matter so much if anyone needed to go at a slower pace. Saying that, I was at the back most of the time, purely because I was stopping taking so many pictures! When ever we stopped, the signal to get ready ready to go again was the shouting of "Jum Jum" or something similar, as it seems to vary depending on the Sherpa, with zum zum or zam zam being variations. While something we got something which sort of sounded like "tally ho". But it worked and we soon got the jist and got the desired affect.
Crossing the river once again under grey skies we entered Rimijung with the claim you can spot Leopard locally being a bit farfetched talking to the Sherpa’s. The morning was a transit through 
pine forests and past waterfalls, the parting of the clouds gave us a glimpse of a snow capped mountain. Just seeing one got the pulsing racing as it disappeared and re-appeared amongst swirling clouds. One of the hazards is you sometimes spend so much time looking up, you have to lean quick to have a 6th sense regards avoiding rocks on the path (trip hazards) and Yow dung! We still didn’t s seem to be gaining altitude, weaving backwards and forwards over the river along the valley. By lunch time we had reached the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, a World Heritage Natural site established in 1976. A sign detailing the effects of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) reminded what could lay ahead?
Crossing the river twice more saw the promised incline to altitude and a slow but steady progress although drizzle had now set in. The first outlook where you normally get your first glimpse of Everest, was in this case just a bank of clouds, she wasn’t going to give in to us that easily. The group was doing well, for the last two days, we had seen a guy who seemed to be travelling alone but kept appearing, so was soon nicknamed “Stalker”! When he finally appeared again, he looked positively ill. By 4pm we had reached the regional centre of Namche Bazaar after walking 15 km (9.3 miles) and an 
altitude of 3440 metres (11,286 feet). Situated in a horseshoe shaped valley, this is far the biggest settlement and the main trading post for the Khumbu region full of trekking and souvenir shops. Difficult to believe though that everything to build this place had to be transported by Yow or Sherpa. Although there is a small airstrip on the mountain behind but can only take helicopters and the Pilatus PC6 light aircraft. Too expensive for moving every day commodities. The settlement is also circled by snow topped mountains, but alas the clouds ruled so could only take peoples words for it. Maybe the next day would see better weather?
Trekking Day 3 – Namche
Today saw a bit of a lay in as this was an acclimatisation day, so no gain in height. Had started to get a real pounding headache to the rear of the head during the evening, but found after a glass of water, this disappeared 
so was linked to dehydration opposed to AMS. Higher altitude means lower air pressure. This results in more rapid evaporation of moisture from skin surface, and from your lungs. These high altitude areas are also very low in humidity, which means evaporation is further accelerated. So with the combination of those two factors, the higher up you are, the more water you need to keep your body functioning.
As we had no bags to pack, everyone enjoyed a more leisurely get up and breakfast, there was even a shower which was welcomed, although these rarely had enough hot water for all of us. So 
I grabbed mine that morning opposed to the evening before. The morning walk was to the nearby National Park Headquarters. There was more of a blue sky this morning suggesting the weather front was clearing. Glimpses of the surrounding peaks were more frequent. A walk to the main vantage point should have seen our first proper look at Everest, indeed her neighbour, Lhotse could be seen at the end of the valley. But to her left where Everest resided, was a bank of cloud. Patiently we sat and eventually for a few seconds the peak appeared, but was gone just as quick. Result, but hoped we would get better than this? As midday came and went and the clouds moved in, we ventured to the nearby Sherpa museum with a house set out in the traditional Sherpa house layout, plus 
a very interesting room with pictures of all the Sherpa’s who had summited Everest and press cuttings spanning the decades. From Sir Edmunds Hillary’s first ascent to the Sherpa who took all his clothes off for 4 minutes and still managed to retain all his bodily parts by somehow avoiding frost bite! I had started reading a book the evening before about the 2006 Everest climbing season when 12 climbers lost their lives. This just all added to the mystique and fascination around Everest which seems to act as a magnet? The Nepalese name for Everest is Sagarmatha which translates to ” goddess of the sky”
With Nepal you have to be very careful about picking up germs. Antibacterial hand wash and wet wipes are a must while chlorine tablets was added to my drinking water bottle every day as you couldn’t for one moment trust the local water supply. I would consider myself pretty well travelled over the last few years and have never had any problems. But alas this time I was hit with vengeance. All it takes is a dirty glass or even handling bank notes but today saw a major stomach upset which wouldn’t leave me for 4 weeks in the end. Today was the worst by far and then saw me living on Electrolytes. Luckily it didn’t strike at any opportune moments onwards. The only reason I mention it as even I had to laugh. Toilets in Nepal are terrible, most of the time they don’t flush and you have to have to use a small bucket to take water of a barrel next to the toilet to pour down the toilet. Chris had used the last of this, but I just couldn’t wait for this to be refilled. The little Sherpa came up stairs with a bucket of water, but when he saw my quandary looking into the toilet, shook his head, muttered something, and came back with a massive bucket of water! Pete and Martin who were close by just couldn’t stop laughing. Even I saw the funny side. One can only imagine what was going through the Sherpa’s mind? Such are the things you have to accept when you travel
The afternoon saw a visit to a local shrine with an 8 km (5 mile) return walk past the local quarry to a shrine near the local village of Thamo, giving us views down into the valley of the river Bhote 
Koshi. In the afternoon sunlight walking amongst the Pine Forest was most enjoyable while good views were had of Namche. As ever, as soon as the sun disappeared behind the peaks by around 4pm, the temperature dropped dramatically, but that’s when your clothes layering comes into play. A browse around the shops in Namche and the writing of postcards followed, it will remain to see how long these get back to the UK if at all? For starters they have to make it to Lukla by Sherpa or Yow! Can’t be any longer than the ones from the Galapagos which took 4 months (tortoise mail), surely?The group was doing good regards adapting to the altitude apart from Cliff who had lost his appetite and was suffering from headaches and tiredness which may have been AMS opposed to hydration related? From here on in, the Sherpa’s would carry his day pack to make things easier as we still had another 1700m (5,500 feet) to gain in altitude during the next few days.
Trekking Day 4 – Namche to Deboche
Woke up today with some excitement after our sneak preview of yesterday. Had 
now settled in a routine starting in shorts and wicker T-shirt as you soon overheated once the sun came out, lots of sun tan lotion was a must with the thin air. The weather had indeed improved, so we all wondered if after an hour or so once we had walked out of Namche. If when we rounded the corner into the Khumbu valley, if Everest would be visible? The answer proved to be yes and may have been why Lindsey took a tumble (constantly looking up) and cut her knee which looked sore. Certain mountain
s like Ama Dablam look positively stunning, but from this angle, Everest didn’t really stand out. Its part of a ridge which includes Lhotse Shar (8393 mtr), Lhotse (8516 mtr) and Everest (8850 mtr). But from this angle, Everest didn’t look particular taller. But I guess when they are all over 27,000 feet, it difficult to put things in perspective. There are only 14 eight thousand peaks in the world with Ben Nevis in the UK being 4409 feet in comparison!
A stop at a chorten commemorating the “Sherpa’s of Everest” was an ideal spot to get a picture of Everest and Lhotse while after a couple more hours of walking along the valley, we were 
having our morning tea in real warm sunshine gazing across at the engaging Thamserku (6608 Metres). Lunch was at the Green Valley lodge at Tashinga, the family home of Tshezing, our tour leader. We all sat and smiled as they tried to put up a new sign, they managed to get it straight at the second 
attempt! The photo call of his family was a must before we resumed the trek to our next stop, the Thyangboche Monastery. The thing about this trek is it isn’t all up, up, up! Again we descended to the valley floor, crossed the Dudh Kosi again at Phunki (3250 m) before making an ascent through the blue pine forests to the monastery (3867 m). You see all sorts of characters on the trek, for the next couple of days we would see this one guy who had a long cylinder type container under his arm and always had a witty remark when we passed. When asked what was in the cylinder, a magic carpet was the reply, but was broken, so was walking up the mountain to the magic carpet repairer! It transpired later, he was actually a Russian artist. We also saw our first proper Yak train, but were obviously uncomfortable at this altitude with their tongues hanging out.
By mid-afternoon we had reached the monastery which had been seriously damaged by fire in 1989 when most of its historical and spiritual treasures were lost. So had to be rebuilt with the new building consecrated in 1993, not that you would of guessed, as it looked quite old. Our
arrival had coincided with the 4pm prayer session as some 30 monks still live at the Monastery. Somewhat surprisingly visitors are allowed into the Monastery during these sessions where monks sit in rows chanting while incense burns profusely. Supported every so often with the blowing of horns and clashing of symbols and the banging of drums. Had never witness anything like this and found it fascinating. Although one of the monks kept staring at me so started to get a complex as couldn’t work out 
why? Transpires he was worried that some of the Tea light on the shelf encircling the room were close to my back and thought I might catch fire. The walk down to Deboche and our Tea Lodge was only 20 minutes with was just as well with the light fading. Mileage today had been 12.2 km (7.5 miles) but lots of ups and downs again. The shower was fun, it transpired it was just a tank which was filled with warm water as some found out when the water ran out! After dinner some of us went back outside and experimented with our cameras. With no light pollution, the stars twinkled brightly while the white capped mountains stood out in the darkness.Trekking Day 5 - Deboche to Dingboche
Breakfast was the stuff of boyhood dreams. Little would I know that years later, I would be sat having breakfast gazing out of the window at Mount Everest?
View from the breakfast table
The eastern side of Deboche is bordered by the slopes and foothills of Kangtega (6783m), and the opposite side, by an unnamed 
slopes (4500-500m) extending northwards to Taboche Peak (6495m). The river separating these two Himalayan massifs is called Imja Khola and once again the day started with a river crossing. Although while descending, apart from giving way to the expected Zhopkyo trains, we almost got run over by a local on a horse galloping full pelt down the track with a small terrier like dog following behind which made us smile. This was also the only time I saw a type of moss hanging from the branches of the trees reminiscent to the ancient forests of Madeira while Tshezing pointed out a Musk deer feeding close to the path, the only deer I would see during the trip. Obviously a perk being at the back as the rest of the group had passed it oblivious.
The main view today was of Ama Dablam, with very few clouds today, at last we seemed to be entering into in clear weather. Looking down the valley, walls divided up the land in the valley bottom for Yak/ Zhopkyo grazing. We were also seeing the practice of Yak dung being collected and left to dry in the sun, a vital commodity for the winter where it is burned as a source of heat. As we were gaining altitude, some of the trees were showing shades of brown guessing reflecting the falling night time temperatures compared to lower down the valley. Seeing the Sherpa’s drinking Mango tea at one of the stops got me hooked on something other than black tea which with some 10+ cups a 
day was starting to taste a bit bland! By the afternoon we were leaving the tree line for a landscape you would probably imagine for the Himalayas where Yaks grazing on the mountainsides was now the norm. Crossing the river Lobuche Khola , we r
eached the settlement of Dingboche at a height of 4410 m (14,468 feet) and the aptly named Everest Resort Tea House, although we couldn’t actually see Everest. As we were skirting around another mastiff so to view the Everest range from a different direction in the days ahead. This would be the last time I would be in shorts for several days as the drop in average temperature was very apparent. While I well impressed with my 4 seasons sleeping bag in sub-zero night temperatures. Today had just been 10.5 km (6.5 miles) but was far enough and at last we lost a mobile signal for a few days! This must mean we really were in the wilderness? Was particulary pleased with a night time shot taken after dinner.
Trekking Day 6 - Dingboche
Today was another acclimatisation day, you may think this is overkill but with the team having done this many times before, this was obviously a formula that worked. Reading other websites and looking at other companie
s, this is obviously the standard itinerary as I guess a lot of us westerners which make up the bulk of the visitors, live at very low altitudes, in my case 140 feet above sea level! The effects of altitude for me were now very apparent with a night of strange dreams which seem to last from beginning to end . As ever with dreams, can’t remember much about them apart from a sequence while walking on a floor in a Sky Scrapper I came across Mr T (of the A-team) pushing a trolley who then locked himself into a room and tried to blow the place up. Work out the meaning of that one??? A very dry throat was also guaranteed overnight so learnt to have a boiled sweet next to the bed for around 2am when I woke up with one!
The plan today was to climb the nearby peak of Nangkar Tshang as an altitude of around 5000 m (16,400 feet) just so our body experienced this level for an hour so to see how everyone reacted, as this would be the altitude we would be sleeping at in a couple of days’ time. There is an old adage that you shou
ld always try and sleep at an altitude lower than the highest point you have reached that day. We all made it with great views along the Imja Khola valley with v
iews of the east face of Ama Dablam. In the distance could be seen the terminal moraine of a glacier while looking down at the valley floor, Debouche looked so small. A Lamagier (vulture) circling overhead added to the interest. Although not seeing this behaviour during this encounter, these birds are somewhat unique as in they feed on bones from carcasses. If too big, they drop the bones from height onto rocky outcrops so they splinter so making them easier to swallow (smaller pieces). By 2pm we were in the valley floor and a late lunch followed by free 
time. For me, that was a walk down by the river for a couple of hours.
Up to now, the Tea Houses had been powered by fixed electricity generated by hydroelectric, but from this point from now, these settlements only derived power from solar panels. So very much summer settlements and abandoned in the winter months. The price of chocolate bars had also steadily increased with a Bounty, Snickers or Toblerone now costing some £2+! Although I thought my investment into some Woollen Socks (which I assumed was Yak wool?) was well worthwhile. We were promised (sort of) that we would have a better night’s sleep this night and Tshezing was right. Best night sleep to date…
Trekking Day 7 – Dingboche to Lobuche
Thoughts were now turning to the highlight of the trip, the visit to Everest Base Camp and the Kala Pattar climb, with the former only two days away. Cliff was still finding it hard but was still battling on as we walked along the upper levels on what the locals called windy valley. A stereotypic glaciated valley if ever I saw one in shape. Although the Chola Glacier had receded 
so far, I probably wouldn’t have realised this was a glacier if it wasn’t for a bank of terminal moraine and Melt Lake. The view across the valley to Taboche Peak (6367 m) and Cholatse (6335 m) was stunning, both popular climbing peaks in the spring. One random remark by the head Sherpa while we were walking was that the older Sherpa had been making babies that night which brought a gasp from the ladies and laughter from the guys! After a couple of hours we descended to a stream which carries some of the run off from the mighty Khumbu glacier. Looking across to the Tea House just above the river where we would have lunch, the eye was drawn to the ste
ep climb the other side to the top of Thokla Pass. That looked like hard work! So we made our most of our Noodle Soup at Dughla surrounded by opportunist Alpine Choughs which had replaced the crows at lower altitudes. This was the only Tea house for miles around so all the trekking groups had no choice but 
to stop here. Which also lead to somewhat of a procession up the pass. But slow and steady was our style as ever while the clouds started rolling in. The top of the pass was the site of a number of memorials of Sherpa’s and climbers who had lost their lives on Everest. Probably the most known is Scott Fischer who was one of 8 who died on 11th May 1996 when climbers were hit by a sudden storm while descending. His body is still on Everest in the death zone and is still passed by climbers who tackle the southern route.The 
walk alongside the moraine of the Glacier was pretty desolate now and by the time we reached the settlement of Lobuche the clouds had moved in. This really was plywood city. I can only imagine it’s here to service the trekkers and expeditions. No showers, toilets which would make you die (holes in the floor were now the norm!) but some good grub all the same. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, the morning trek to Gorak Shep, and then an afternoon 5 hour trek to Everest Base Camp. We went to bed at an altitude of 4930 m (16,174 feet) and freezing conditions and blanket fog outside. Time for thermals.
Trekking Day 8 – Lobuche to Gorak Shep (via Everest Base Camp)
Another very early get up and the instruction to wear our Down jackets, although I was sceptical knowing how quickly I warmed up. But naturally Tshezing was right, it was freezing at 06:30 
when we assembled outside, the ground was frozen hard. The sky was now clear and whereas Ama Dablam has mesmerised us for the previous few days, Pumori (7165m) would take over this job this morning, a perfectly shaped mountain if ever there was one? Slowly but surely, the first rays of sunlight appeared above the mountain sky line and caught the tip of Pumori and Lingtren. For the next hour, a line would move down the mountain turning night
into gleaming white as the snow was illuminated. Tinkerbelle and company were allowed to pass while the camera was doing overtime. Was now having battery issues as due to the cold temperatures, they just weren’t lasting even though I had bought extra sets at Namche just in case. Two sets just lasted a few hours, only had two sets left, it would be 3 days before I could get any more and wouldn’t be able to charge the rechargeables.
It was only 5km to Gorak Shep but between us and our next stop was the giant Terminal Moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, put even more into perspective looking at the size of the people in the photo.
Terminal Moraine is basically ridges of unconsolidated debris deposited at the snout or end of the glacier and is a jumble of rocks which are basically rocks which have fallen onto the ice from avalanches or from rocks scrapped 
from the valley floor during the action of erosion by the ice. This really was a geography lesson as next you came across the ice itself, covered in grey debris, but was obviously in the melt area (ablation zone), as every so often pools of melt water could be spotted. A sudden crushing sound would make you jump as another lump of ice and rocks fell into these pools. A study a couple of years ago came to the conclusion that this 10 km long Glacier which moves some 3-4 feet a day is shrinking some 20 metres a year. With Everest base camp which actually sits on the glacier having dropped 40 metres in the last 50 years as the 
thickness of the ice has decreased. Although most of the shrinkage and thinning is at the front end which lies below 5000 metres. By 10am after lots of up and downs, we were looking down at Gorak Shep and the brown lump behind it of Kala Patthar, the focus of our attention tomorrow. While a helicopter flew in which transpired was completing a medevac of a British girl struck down by altitude sickness. Soon enough we were having a very early lunch with the group on the whole in a good shape. Cliff was still finding it difficult to eat and having his day pack carried although Lindsey, the other solo traveller in the group was starting to feel unwell. But everyone was determined to have a go at the trek to Everest Base Camp.
Our Yows had already arrived, so with the bags deposited at the Tea House, by late morning the 
time had come to strike out towards our goal. We could make out a small number of tents in the distance, but there was a lot of lateral moraine ridges to negotiate first which would take us best part of 3 hours. But the views were staggering, this was a bit like a cud-de-sac surrounded by giant mountains although Everest couldn’t be seen quite yet as is tucked away behind the peaks of Nuptse and Lho La. Unfortunately Lindsey by now had to admit defeat as feeling deciduously unwell and could go on any further, so returned back to the Tea House. A couple of times I had heard a clap of thunder which seemed to be strange in a cloudless sky so assumed was from some distance away. We really couldn’t of asked for a better day weather day. But while on a short stop while looking across at Nuptse, heard it again, but this time saw the reason. An avalanche of snow descending down its slopes. Even managed to get some of it on video, just another amazing moment to add to one of those days of a life time.
Making steady progress, we could eventually see the pure white ice as we got a better view of the Khumbu Ice Fall as it feeds into the Glacier between Nuptse and Lho La, its source the slopes of Everest and Lhotse are at such altitudes, ice fails to melt so is forced by gravity down the slopes. It’s this Ice fall which serves the first major obstacle for people wanting to climb Everest, as you have to transverse this so you can get to the South Col. Over the years it has claimed many lives due to the shifting ice and deep crevasses. Again look at the size of the people below to a feel for the scale.
The pyramidal peak of Everest was also coming into view. It didn’t really look that far away! We now had to cross the lateral moraine so we were alongside the ice which meant skirting around various melt pools and their 
ice stalactites. Before long, we were at a taped off area next to the ice. This caused some confusion at first, the few tents there were, were seemingly quite a way off. However it transpired the whole area 
from this point onwards was classed at Everest base camp at an altitude of 5,364 metres (17,598 feet) with the area the other side of the tape restricted to climbers only. During April and May the whole area is jam packed with tents, with the a large area next to where we were standing used by Russell Brice and his Himex company, the largest commercial operator regards climbing Everest (£38300 + equipment + need 71 days to spare if interested!). During the 2011 season it was thought that 424 people summited Everest while 4 died. It’s a lot safer than it used to be. The tents at the far end were four teams who were simply there for altitude training for a few weeks as a taster in preparation for the 2012 season next spring. I suppose I hadn’t given it much thought on what Everest Base Camp would look like, I knew there may not be any tents but guessed at some sort of gravel plain at the bottom of a mountain with a cairn marking the spot? In reality, they use the lateral moraine of the glacier so have to reposition their tents from time to time as the ice moves the bolder material. So it’s impossible to have any permanent structures. But rather surprisingly, there was a mobile signal!
Mount Everest
After half an hour or so of taking the obligatory pictures, admiring the glacier close up and the surrounding views it was time to head back. This was a hard slog to be honest, by the time we got back to the Tea House we all agreed that this seemed like the toughest day so far, we were all pretty drained. After dinner, there was a bit of a gasp from most when it came to the daily briefing. Wake up call at 5am, just a cup of tea then the ascent of Kala Patthar so back by late morning for effectively brunch. Time for an early night then. Although the walls were wafer thin and you could hear everyone whispering in the various rooms!
Trekking Day 9 – Gorak Shep to Pherice
I was actually the first one into the rest room the next morning, partly because my neighbours had got up and were crashing about at 4.30am. Had quite a reasonable sleep considering, how I 
now loved and appreciated my 4 season’s sleeping bag! By 5.45 we up and out with the entire group making their way to the ascent point after a cup of black tea. Yet again we were blessed with cloudless skies although the direct sun had yet to hit any of the peaks. As we started ascending, have to say, was rather puzzled why some people were coming down? They might have seen first light from the summit but the light was still very poor? One passer-by had a thermometer and happened to mention it was currently -5c. This probably accounted for my camera batteries failing. I put in the last set and crossed by fingers. Soon the group had split into two sections of 4 and 8 with accompanying Sherpa’s to reflect the need for some to take a slower pace
so giving them a better chance to summit. I was in the front group and feeling ok and like some of the others, were a bit frustrated when we stopped again for a break with the sun line and the peak now pretty close. So after 2 ½ hours we were there, at the top of Kala Patthar at the highest altitude of the trip at 5,550 m (18,209 feet). Although interestingly there is some disagreement over this with 5,643 m (18,514 feet) having been recorded by reputable sources. Well I have to get the most altitude out of it as possible, being a PB!
So there we were, cloudless skies looking across at Everest (8850m/29035ft), admiring the full 
length of the Khumbu Glacier with the beautiful peak of Pumori (7161m/23494ft) as a back drop. The list of other peaks read like a who’s who of mighty mountains, Nuptse (7861m/25790ft), Lhotse (8430m/27657m), Ama Dablam (6856m/22494ft), Kangtega (6783m/22250ft), Thamserku (6623m/21729ft), Tawache (6501m/21328ft) and Gyachung Kang (7952m/26089ft). While much of what lay before us was actually in Tibet (China) as the border runs straight along the Everest/Lhotse ridge. Even better news was that the other group made it as well, so everyone got to the top. Although technically I guess it was a scramble to the very highest spot which was rather precarious before you could truly claim this accolade? Yes you guessed it, I was the only one to do this! Mission successful, Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar completed under the most perfect of skies, we remarked how lucky we had been.
Nuptse
Understandably, the descent was a lot easier but as we descended to Gorak Shep below with the adrenalin and excitement now ebbing away, a sensation of exhaustion started to take over and just wanted to lie down and 
sleep. Back at the Tea House as we were presented with breakfast and for the first time I just couldn’t get myself to eat more than two spoonful’s of muesli while half a slice of toast was the best I could do on the second course. I just couldn’t force myself to eat. Thought the end of a marathon was the ultimate sensation of exhaustion you could have, but I’m not exaggerating when I say this surpassed that. Then the news that we now had a 5 hour walk to our overnight stop. I can remember thinking how would I manage that? Nothing to do but try. I wasn’t the only one having these feelings. Cliff had disappeared for quite a while. He said later he had collapsed on his bed and didn’t know how he would get back up. Even one of the young army lads couldn’t eat either. The most perfect day had now turned into a real challenge. Everyone at the breakfast table was quiet.
An hour and a half later we started the return trek back the way we came over the moraine toward Lobuche. Still remember walking in line, head down just staring at the ground at the feet of the person in front of me. I know I wasn’t well, my picture taking average had plummeted to almost zero! The group had split again into two with 
Young Guns (the name we had given to the young Sherpa) with the two army lads and Stuart in tow, Chris and Christine in between the groups and myself and the others in the back group. But as we cleared the moraine and descended some 100m’s in altitude along Lobuche Pass, the ill feeling disappeared and I was soon taking pictures again. Before long I had caught up with the lead group with Martin commenting, how did you catch us so fast, is that walking pole really a pogo stick? I can only guess, still having the stomach bug so not always absorbing the goodness from the food (which didn’t always stick around long), had led to exhaustion coupled with the effects of high altitude? So the early start with no breakfast had been the final straw? But just descending 100 metres was enough to kick start me back into life. I suspect I have my Marathon training to thank for this stamina on low energy levels?
From the moment we had stepped off the plane at Lukla, the amount of Oxygen had dropped to 72% of the amount available at sea level which leads to the body starting a process of producing extra blood cells for 
Oxygen transportation although this can take several days to take get going in any significance. However by trekking day 7, when we were at 16,000 feet this would of dropped to 56% and is when the body really kicks into action big time regards blood cell production and is another reason why fatigue may of set in. As this also draws on the body’s energy reserve. Hence why mountaineers spend a month at this altitude just to acclimatise and to reach a good red blood cell count. This also accounts for why if they have a cut, bleeding doesn’t last long as the blood is relatively thick. Naturally Sherpa’s have a high blood cell count compared to people from lower altitude all the time hence why many of them summit Everest without oxygen time after time. At our highest altitude, the oxygen level would of dropped to 51%, at the top of Everest it drops to 33%!
After a while I dropped back from the front group not because of fatigue but because of picture opportunities, we were now back to the Sherpa memorial but in a lot better weather conditions so took full advantage . 
Eventually the group came back together again and soon we were making our way back down the Thokla Pass to the same isolated Tea House again for late lunch. Not so many people around this time so found room inside. My 
appetite hadn’t completely returned but did manage a bowl of soup but refused seconds so not completely firing on all cylinders! The final part of the walk was back down windy valley, but this time along the valley floor opposed to the high route we had taken 3 days before. The light was starting to fade but by 5pm we had made it to Pherice and the Snow Land Lodge which was really quite up market to what we had experienced in the last 3 days, quite homely in fact. Tonight would be by far the coldest night of the trip, but snuggled up in the sleeping bag, this proved to be my best sleep since leaving Kathmandu.
Trekking Day 10 – Pherice to Phortse
The day had broken with clear skies so shorts and T-shirts were the order of the day although I was in the minority. Although within an hour everyone else was delayering! We had all set up with a real purpose in our step. 
Physiologically I guess we were going home and was all downhill from here. I did wonder if the next three days would drag? Young guns again took the lead but this time everyone was walking quickly and we overtook a couple of groups. There was obviously a competition going on between the army lads and the young Sherpa as around a corner out of sight of the other Sherpa’s, he started to run. The Army lads kept up but by their own admission they were 
glad he soon stopped. Later he was relegated to the middle of the group and suspect he had been told off? So back to his carrying of the big first aid kit and playing the latest Nepalese music hits on his phone which have no resemblance musically to our top 40. A short stop and with yet another spectacular view point saw a more orderly pace resuming and a steady descent to Pangboche and the highest year-around settlement in the Upper Khumbu valley at 3930 m (12,893 feet). We had now re-joined the main trekking trail or as one of the Sherpa’s put it, the ring road. By now the trekking season was in full swing. Many treks don’t go all the way to Gorak Shep where numbers of trekkers thins out considerably. But here with these trails where there is only room for people to walk 2-3 people abreast at most with lots of groups on their own adventures. So you start getting some traffic jams of the non-car variety especially when you have a Yak train coming by!
After a lunch, the intended look at a monastery became a nonstarter as was locked up with the Lama nowhere to be found. A curiosity factor if open would have been a skull and hands of a Yeti. Well copies actually as the original items were stolen a couple of years ago. Sir Edmund Hillary had actually got agreement to get them sent 
to the USA several years ago for examination but came back with inconclusive results so the mystery continues. So with this we took a high level path off the beaten trek to Phor
tse and started to gain altitude, a settlement not frequented by that many trekkers, result, as away from the bustle of the main drag.It has to say, this was actually one of my favourite walks. The path actually got to quite a height so the valley floor looked a long way down. While you looked up and still had snow-capped peaks, towering above. This really brought home a sense of scale and looking back down at the valley at the paddocks below dominated by Ama Dablam above, one of those views you never tire of.
The slopes also held a couple of massive looking Yaks which I can only guess were big males (incidentally, female Yaks are actually known as Naks) and move surprising fast on the steep slopes. They looked and acted rather territorial at times and positively scary! By mid-afternoon we had reached a 
viewpoint looking over Phortse. This was different to the other settlements, there was only a couple of Tea Houses, most were just normal Sherpa houses on terraces with small stone walls around them with baby Yaks grazing while 
the women tended the fields. In the late afternoon sunshine, it really had a serene feeling about it. While another 8000m peak could be seen at the end of the valley. But soon the sun went down and the temperature dropped. But with the little furnace stacked with Yak dung bricks, it was warm enough to stay in the dining room and gaze at the six certificates on the wall recording each time the owner had summited Everest.
Trekking Day 11 – Phortse to Monzo
Today was going to prove it wasn’t all downhill! On the way up to Base Camp there had been lots of ups and downs, which meant on the way back there had to be lots of downs and up!!! Another early get up saw us up and out by 7am, as no acclimatisation was needed, the return journey would be over 4 days opposed to the 8 
days to get to Base Camp. Again it was nice to go over new ground again away from the main trekking thorough fare and had soon crossed the river and ascended the valley the other side. Looking back across at Phortse nestled on the mountainside, it did surprise me how much distance you make considering 
the terrain. Guess we considered ourselves real trekkers now, after our success! By lunch time were back in Namche an hour ahead of schedule with all the surrounding peaks visible unlike before. So plenty of time for lunch and a chance to some do some souvenir shopping before heading off once more. It was only then we realised how steep the incline was into Namche and why originally they said day 2 would be the toughest. Going down was a whole lot easier! I smiled 
looking at all the fresh faced “newbie” trekkers coming upwards not having the dishevelled look of our group! Yet again at that view point where you are supposed to see Everest, it was cloudy. An afternoon stop at our Head Sherpa’s family lodge and some refreshing Lemon Tea was welcomed and by late afternoon was at the sign of the Monju Guest house boasting Solar Hot Showers….err….actually cold showers by the time it got to my turn. The realisation was really setting in now that the trek was almost over.
Trekking Day 12 – Monzo to Lukla
The final stage was retracing our steps along the Dudh Kosi which we again crossed several times pausing every so often to let the Yow trains pass as well as lots of trekkers heading up the trail. The photography rate was now 
dropping as having already walked this stretch although you do see new angles when going the other way occasionally! The partially collapsed bridge had now been repaired and we had all learnt over the last 12 days that when Tshezing described the terrain profile, his definition of an easy uphill wasn’t the same as ours! But by mid-afternoon we had reached the arch which signalled the start of the settlement of Lukla, we had done it, it was a great feeling.
Some free time on the afternoon saw me take the plunge and a visit to a cut throat barber to remove 12 days of face growth. Wondered at first why all the local kids were staring through the door, but I survived and have to say was really good. Some of the other guys 
had turned up by then so once we had all been spruced up, time to check out the Star Bucks, yes it was one so a Vanilla Cappuccino and a big slab of Black Forest Gateau was my guilty pleasure for the day and yes it tasted so good! We couldn’t believe it when Chris ordered Tea. We had all been “Tea’d out” well and truly by then! The evening meal was the last with our Sherpa’s so rather a sad occasion in some ways. They really had been good, it had been a great trek. We all had our ups and downs at some point but it sharing the unknowns on a trip such as this which brings a group together. Although our Sherpa’s knew a little English, our tour leader translated as we gave out the tips. Yak man sat at my 
end of the table and although we tried to talk to him, he just smiled a lot saying yes so would guess he didn’t have a clue what we were saying? They had prepared a rum punch , so we made sure the Sherpa’s had plenty of that as well! We were all a bit shocked when we heard we had another 5am wake up call. We had been booked on the first flight out of Lukla which apparently was a good thing in case the weather changes. So for the last time the question was asked as part of the final briefing. Muesli or Porridge for breakfast. There had definitely been a shift to Porridge in the last few days! Finally they do a collection at the end of treks of trekking equipment/clothing which you can donate which is shared out amongst the Sherpa families. Although I may never return to Nepal, my fleece will probably be walking amongst the mountains for a while yet?
Final three days
Luckily for us, the airfield was a 2 minute walk from our lodge and by 7am we were air
borne. Once again a few anxious faces as after 400 metres the runaway is replaced by a drop of several thousand feet. The co-pilot didn’t decide to read the paper this time so I had confidence all would be ok! Kathmandu had low cloud so when we broke out of the cloud, we were 45 degrees’ to the runaway, guess there’s nothing like testing out the pilots reflexes first thing! We were out of the 
airports within minutes and at the hotel by 9am with no chance of the rooms being ready this early, but an hour browsing through the newspapers saw the keys handed over and bliss. Large double bed and a really long soak in a hot bath after 2 weeks of the odd token shower (or should I say dribble). Have to say, I was totally wacked and void of energy so spent the rest of the day sleeping and catching up with the worlds news. Yes, thought to myself, what a waste, but guess the exertions 
on the last 12 days had finally caught up with me reinforced by the fact I had lost 10kg in weight! The evening was at the “Rum Doodle”. None of us could eat free (which you can if you can prove if you have climbed Everest) but enjoyed a filet steak all the same while we had fun adding quotes and little pictures to a cut out foot which is then dangled from the ceiling. As this is a popular trekker’s bar, there are hundreds, but guess it will hang there for a year or two?
The trip has an extra day factored in at the end in case of weather problems at Lukla which can sometimes see cancelled flights. But for us, as everything had gone like clockwork, this meant 
we have an extra day in Kathmandu and a morning trip. The first stop was to the Bagmati River where the temple of Pashupatinath can be found, the holiest Hindu shrine in Nepal. However it’s a different aspect of this place which may not sit comfortably with some due to a cultural difference not all are aware of. When a person of the Hindu faith dies, it is tradition that the burial has to take place within 24 hours in the form of an open air and very public cremation. So here we were at the river banks with these constantly taking place while local children were playing in the river. A stretcher is brought out and the top half uncovered to show a man of only middle age who is then blessed with the water of this sacred river, before being
placed on a Ghat for burning. Another is almost over and clothes and shoes are thrown into the river, only to be fished out further down the river by young men. For me this is what travelling is all about, learning about other cultures and their attitudes. Whereas we see these moments in many way as private, for others it’s a celebration for all to behold I guess. It was certainly thought provoking. The temple itself was said to of been founded in the 4th Century AD although the current building is from the 17th Century with non-Hindu’s not allowed in. Lots of legends surround this spot hence why it is seen as sacred.
The next stop was Boudhanath and the largest Buddhist Stupak in Nepal. Not much is known about its provenance although some say, the first structure was built around 600AD with the current Stupa started in the 
14th Century. It’s also not known if any holy relic reside in the centre which is a tradition with Stupa’s. Around the circumference can be found 147 niches each with prayer wheels, so certainly an sight impressive whatever its history. Have to say, by this time was actually starting to feel quite dizzy at times so by midday time, when we returned to the hotel I was quite thankful so spent the next few hours sprawled out on the bed watching the Rugby 
World Cup Semi-final. But with time running out and the desire to hit the shops in old Kathmandu, managed to venture out for a couple of hours before the last group meal of the trip. So to buy the obligatory T-shirt, a Singing Bowl, some Nepalese Tea and to invest in a 4 seasons sleeping bag, at half the UK price, I sure I will use one again for another adventure one day? I was certainly impressive with the one I hired.
So there we were on the final day and as usual with east to west long haul flight, a day time flight and the chance to catch up with some of the more recent movie releases and check this out. Sat next to a guy I used to work with at Cable & Wireless in Norwich 5 years ago. What’s the odds of that? Of all the flights and all the countries in the world?
Yes it had been quite a trip, totally breath taking, had been totally in awe of the surroundings and so glad I had picked this one. The stomach bug was an inconvenience but didn’t detract at all. You don’t have to be ultra-fit or a seasoned walker to do this trip. Would say as long as you are in reasonable shape and can walk 10-15 miles no problem, give it a shot, you won't be disappointed! Yes the altitude thing is a great unknown and at times you will feel rubbish for the want of a better word and is not luxurious and indeed need an open mind to sanity conditions. But there aren't many places where you feel you are having a real adventure and a bit of a challenge? You certainly will here! How can you beat view like the below?
