Day 24: Kathmandu to Delhi and London-The Final Day

I’m up and out of the shower before the alarm goes off at 5am for our trip home and the end of our adventure.  I pack up the last of my stuff and check the room to ensure nothing is left behind and once I’ve locked my kit bag I put it out on the verandah for the porter to take down to reception.  I put a top into my rucksack as I’m sure it’s an awful lot colder at home than here as it was in the high eighties again yesterday and no doubt cold and raining back in England.  I pick up my wallet and as I leave the room I take one last look before closing the door and just as I’m about to go down to breakfast the young porter arrives to collect my kit bag, he tries to pick it up but can’t really handle it so I take it myself.  There is only Tony and the staff in the dining room so I sit down beside him and we begin to eat as the others gradually start to make an appearance, I think we are all looking forward to getting home now as it will be nearly three and a half weeks since we left by the time our flight to London touches down.

6.30am soon comes around and its time to say goodbye to the hotel, as we go out to the coach we get a surprise as Lakpha is here to say farewell which is a really nice touch.  We take turns in shaking hands and in turn he puts a prayer scarf around our necks, it’s a sad moment as we wave goodbye and the coach pulls off but we are all hoping to stay in touch via email.  On our arrival at the airport we are quickly put through the first class desk and that’s a nice surprise again as we are flying to Delhi in first class which like on the way out we didn’t know.  We are shown to the lounge where we will be for an hour or so and help ourselves to drinks and food etc, we also get to see an English paper and watch the TV which has got the BBC news channel on.  It doesn’t take long to get called through and we again go through a security check which we have already done and make our way onto the tarmac where there is yet another security check as we actually get on the plane, maybe something has happened or security has been heightened as that’s three we’ve had now.

As we take off in our luxury seats I can’t help but look out the window and watch Nepal disappear into the distance and I feel sad after all the years of wanting to come out here its now actually over.  We are served a champagne breakfast as I sit and watch the highlights of Euro 2008 on my individual screen, it certainly makes the flight to Delhi shoot by and we are soon landing in India.  We are rushed through customs and security to the transition hall where we wait for an hour or so before being walked through to departures where we can at least walk around and shop etc and are not cooped up.  I pick up a few bits and follow Raj through the checkout and on my arrival at the end of the till a wallet and some keys are lying there and I soon discover they are Raj’s but he doesn’t hear me call after him.  I decide to have some fun with him and put them in my pocket and walk off the other way to the cafe, where I take a seat and watch the checkout in the shop that I went through for his arrival back.  After about ten minutes sure enough Raj appears and is frantically searching for his possessions but to know avail as obviously I’ve got them, as he goes to walk off I give him a shout and put him out of his misery.  To say he’s very relieved would be an understatement and to be fair we have a good laugh about it and grab a drink at his expense I might add!

We board the flight for London and are running about half an hour late but the plane seems to be the one we flew out on as the space is economy is huge and the leg room is a welcome relief.  We all settle in for take off and someone notices that we have a large map on the big screen at the front of our cabin, so I say to the others that when we reach 20,000ft we should all look out the window and see how high that looks from above and that will show how high we actually trekked.  They all agree and sure enough as the plane hits 20,000ft we all look out and the ground below seems miles away and yet it shows us in real terms just how high and hard our high pass trip was.  I settle back and begin to watch The Dark Knight as I haven’t seen it soon followed by Wanted both of which are pretty good and worth the time and make the eight hour flight seem really quick.  During the flight we also discuss our highs and lows of the trip and talk about having a reunion at some point in the future and I’m certainly up for that, dinner is then served and we are nearly home.  I start to watch the highlights of this years Masters but before its finished we are on approach to land and have to turn everything off and sit up etc and soon enough the ground comes closer and bang we are down and heading for the terminal to dock at Heathrow.

As we depart the plane and head to customs we begin to say goodbye to each other and I have to admit it’s quite a sad time and a lot of tears are shed, we have all been through an experience of a lifetime and some very strong bonds have been made within the group.  Customs are quickly passed and we all head together for baggage reclaim and continue to talk and say goodbye whilst we wait for our big kit bags, sure enough after a while the convoy of Jagged Globe kit bags come down the belt.  I grab mine and see Tony as I go to walk away and we both stop to have a final word, we give each other a big hug and words are spoken which will stay private and I head of to go and see who’s picking me up.  Richard is just in front of me as I go through the doors so I tap him on the shoulder and give him the thumbs up, he also has a young family and like myself he has missed his greatly, it was good to see him in the arms of his wife and kids.  I soon spot my little brother Davie which is a nice surprise but at the same time I’m a bit disappointed as I was hoping Michelle would be here with the kids, but I guess I’ll have to wait a little longer. We embrace and head off for the car and with it the drive home and the end of my trip.

So that’s it, my thirty year wait and hope to one day go to the Himalayas and see Everest in person is over but it was worth every second I can assure you.  I can’t put into words or express properly just how awesome the high Himalayas are or indeed explain the feelings and memories with you I’ve now got from the trip.  I hope the blog you’ve read has given you some idea of what we went through but the best way to really understand it is to go yourself and I’d recommend it to anybody and if you do and need some advice please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I’d love the chance to relive my experience and pass on any help I can but maybe one day I’ll go back myself and actually try to summit this time!

Day 23: Kathmandu, Rest Day 2 @ 1,317ft

I wake again at just gone 5am but today I decided to stay in bed and drift off again, I re- awake at just gone 6.30am, jump in the shower and head to breakfast.  Most of the group are already there and eating so I just get some coffee and sit next to Richard, hes almost finished and like the others he’s going into town again as he wasn’t in there long yesterday and wants to go back.  I’m asked about what I’m up too and I’ve decided to just have a lazy day here at the hotel as I’ve done and seen everything I want to in Kathmandu centre, the others all start to head off so I help myself to breakfast and wonder over to the internet room.  The good thing about the hotel is we can charge everything to the room, so if for example I want to use the internet room without carrying any money I can or grab a beer or food etc and that’s really handy.  One bit of bad news though is I find out United lost to Arsenal yesterday which I’m not happy about, somethings don’t change.  One of the lads told us at breakfast that at the bottom of the hill near the hotel there is an old barber shop and he does wet shaves, he had his three week beard shaved off and it was great.  I think I’d better investigate and take the plunge before I go home, a professional doing it will hurt a lot less.

I venture down the hill not knowing what to expect as I’ve never had a professional wet shave before but if it hurts less than that’s for me, the barber shop is really old and next to a cycle repair shop and I stop to look at his bikes before I go in.  He wants to know if I want to hire one but I tell him no chance, I’m not riding a bike on these roads I’d have to be mad and he laughs.  I go into the barbers and he’s empty so I tell him what I want and he invites me to sit down in the big chair, I explain that one of my friends from the trek was in yesterday to have the same and he remembers Chris very well.  I have to admit seeing someone standing behind me with a cut throat razor is a bit different but he’s very good and it’s actually very relaxing, quick and after he’s thrown in a head massage as well I’m done in half and hour.  No more yeti and back to normal, Michelle will be pleased and it didn’t hurt a jot so I’m happy as well, I pay the man and its only about two pounds so I give him a fiver equivalent in our money and he’s over the moon.  I head back up to the hotel and head to reception where the lady notices the beard has gone and says much better, I have to agree with her.  I’ve gone to reception to settle my bill so far as I figure tomorrow morning will be mental with us all trying to check out at the same time, I get a massive shock as my bill says £300 for the internet!  I ask her to double check and she apologizes as it should have been 300 rupees which for all the internet use I’ve had is nothing, I have to say I’m a touch relieved although I thought it would be more than it was but she insists its correct.  As I’ve got cash in pounds, dollars and rupees I’ll use these from now on in order to save having to sort a bill in the morning and therefore making life easier for myself.

I go up to my room for a while and get changed as it’s another cold one and only 85 degrees and pure sunshine, I then head down to the bar to grab a cold drink.  Tony is there having lunch so I join him and we have a good chat about the whole trip, the good and bad etc, he makes a very complimentary comment about me which is nice to hear.  Tony basically said I was a great room-mate and friend for the last few weeks and that my attitude to the whole trek and the way I approached each day was first class.  Richard walked in and sat to also have lunch, he had done a few hours in town and was finished getting his bits and pieces and came back to eat.  Lunch was again first class and I had the pork tenderloin with fries which was very nice and while the others finished off I made my excuses and headed back to my room.  I was going to chill out in the room but I decided to grab my towel, a cold beer and head to the pool which I had to myself, right result and very refreshing given the heat.  All in all I stayed there for about two hours completely alone which I enjoyed as i just kept getting in and out, grabbing cold drinks and relaxing in the sun with not a care in the world.

I eventually head back to the room but go via the bar and a few of the others are there having a brew so it seems rude not to join them and we talk about today and what we’ve all done, I think a couple of the girls now wish they stayed with me at the pool as it was very hot and dusty going around the city again, they seemed quite jealous when I explained I had it all to myself.  Whilst back in the room I began to pack my stuff away as we are leaving early in the morning and my mind drifts back to all the adventures we’ve had, its strange thinking that this is the penultimate day of our trip.  I decide to head back to the internet room for one last time and contact home again and explain what the plan is for tomorrow in terms of travelling and arriving home, I also email over the flight numbers again so that someone can pick me up.  All seems fine at home as we swap emails and I have to say I’m dying to see them all now as its been over three weeks since I left home to start my trek.  I crash out for a while on returning to my room and then jump in the shower, do you know what I can’t be bothered to go down for dinner so I order room service and mighty nice it is too and very quick but while I am waiting I sit outside my door and watch the hotel go by.  Once I’m finished I continue packing my gear up

The hotel grounds.

The hotel grounds.

The hotel grounds.

The hotel grounds.

The hotel grounds.

The hotel grounds.

and get a knock at the door, Tony has come to see me and check I’m okay as everybody said they’d hardly seen me today but I explained what I’d been doing and he was fine.  I go down for a few beers and to mingle with the guys on our last night but none of us stays out late as we are due up at 5am tomorrow morning for the long trip home.

Day 22: Kathmandu, Rest Day 1 @ 1,317ft

I awake to darkness and immediately wonder what the time is, damn its only 5.30am and I’m wide awake, how typical is that when I don’t have to get up.  I can’t be bothered to lie around so I jump in the shower and just sit and read, look through all my photos and continue to just tidy my stuff and put all the equipment away with my dirty clothes and seal them in my kit bag.  Daylight is upon us pretty soon and it’s already quite warm so I go for a stroll around the grounds, the hotel is nice and as I arrive at the internet room I see its open so I go in and check my emails etc and soon enough I’m joined by Chris who didn’t think anyone else would be up.  I explained what time I was up and what I’d done and we then went for a coffee and to see if breakfast was on the go yet, it was so we sat down and started with cereal, juice and a help yourself buffet.  The others soon started to surface and everyone certainly looked better after a night sleeps in a proper bed and a hot shower, the food was excellent and two days of this will not be a hardship.  We all then talked about where we were going and what time etc but I was in no hurry but it seemed that Durbar Square is the place we want to head for.

I go back to my room and decide to just laze around for a while as I can’t be bothered to rush around to get out and about, after an hour or so I get changed wondering what to wear given the heat and head down to the bar.  I’ve put on my jeans so that I’ve got pockets for my wallet and cash, flip flops and my Boston Celtics top with my fleece to carry in case, I’m aware it’s going to be hot but also of the fact I may need to cover up if I go into any religious places as I want to respect local custom.  I think its important where ever you go to know and follow local laws and customs as its polite, it’s just a pity everybody coming to Britain doesn’t do the same.  I ask reception if the others have gone and it seems that most have as they called two taxis for them a while ago so I ask for one too, I don’t mind being on my own as I like to poke around the back streets and see some of the local culture where I go and today will be no different.  On my arrival at Durbar Square it becomes apparent that its busy and full of tourists and locals alike but hey ho its the capital so what do you expect? 

 The locals selling things are like a swarm around you but that doesn’t bother me as again I’m realising I’m about a foot taller than anyone else which comes in handy.  I walk through some of the streets just taking pictures etc and picking up some bits and pieces but to be honest I get bored so I follow a sign for the river and eventually come across a bridge which leads out of town.  I stop and buy a bottle of cold coke from a young lad with a stall and tell him to keep the change to which he seems eternally grateful , it’s about the same as the cost of the bottle but I guess it’s a lot out here, on that I always prefer to spend my money where possible in the small and local shops and stalls down the side streets as I figure the main ones get the most trade and footfall and hence the money.  I decide to sit on the wall of the bridge and watch the world go by for a while, it’s all hustle and bustle with the locals going about their daily business but still its fun to watch.  It’s now about 90 odd degrees so I take off my fleece that I had covering my arms and shoulders as I walked around although with it open but it’s now just too hot.  I decide to get another drink so I go back to the same lad who offers it for free but again I pay him and let him keep the change, don’t get excited to us its about a pound.  He takes great interest in my top and my tattoos which I find out soon seem to amuse a lot of locals for some reason.

I set of walking for Thamel and get plenty of looks from the locals as I stroll through them, I imagine for being tall but also for the Boston Celtics top I’m wearing and the fact that they can now see the tattoos on my arms.  As I’m working along I get a tap on the shoulder and its Tony, hey small world, we have a brief chat and he says the others are about three streets up so as he sets off one way I head off to see the others.  I find the others and we all chat about this and that and stop to get a cold drink in a cafe, we sit outside and soon find that my top and tattoos are a constant source of amusement.  One of the girls asks why I’ve got my fleece as its so hot but I explained that I didn’t want to go into any religious areas etc with my arms out so I had it to cover up, they said that the locals are used to it from visitors but my reply was that’s not the point.  We soon set off again through the little back streets and come across a group of school kids who take a real liking to my tattoos and want to know if they can touch them, the boys especially like my United one so I let them as they shriek with laughter and amusement.  I didn’t realise I would be the centre of attention but to be fair it doesn’t bother me and brightens up everyone’s day as we continue to stroll along.  The group starts to split apart and go its own way so I do the same and soon find myself in some very, very narrow streets and to be honest as I walk along I think I actually walked through someones house!  I’ve had enough now as its roasting and I’ve been out and about for nearly four hours so I look for a taxi, as I’m doing this I stumble across an army base and as I walk by one of the soldiers calls me over.  Whats going on now I’m wondering but its all good fun, he had seen my United tattoo aswell and wanted to talk about football and I’m happy to oblige and soon enough I’ve got all six soldiers stationed at the entrance talking to me.  It also becomes very apparent that they are tiny in comparison to myself and indeed any other troops I’ve seen around the world but hey ho.

The troops flag down a taxi for me and on my arrival back at the hotel I go into the bar for a cold drink and Hillary is there, we have a chat and I discover that she didn’t fancy the city today so she’s had a lazy day, can’t blame her there.  I go back to the room and just crash on the bed for a while and finish my drink, I then sit on my verandah reading some of the bits I bought and just chill.  At this point I realise I’m hungry as I didn’t have lunch in town so I go down to the dining room and order tomato soup, rib of beef with fries and a lemon mousse, the service is fast and the food excellent and I’m really happy with myself for doing that.  I go and sit in the bar and there are two South African fellas having a beer and they ask me to join them, very civil and we get talking about all and sundry, especially the forthcoming British and Irish Lions tour to their place next year.  I think I’m with them for a couple of hours chewing the fat and we put away about half a dozen beers or so but then I think what the hell I’m on holiday!  The two lads have to go out so I again go back to my room but grab a couple of English print papers and another cold one and retire to my verandah overlooking the grounds.  I see a couple of the others and they remind me that we are going out for dinner all paid for by Jagged Globe to say sorry for any bits and pieces that went wrong on the trip, so I finish my reading and jump in the shower again.

We arrive at the restaurant called Nanglos which we find out is a well respected chain here and it was recommended to Tony by Lakpha, it looks okay as we are lead to our seats on the outside terrace.  As it turns out the food isn’t great and the service worse which again annoys some of the team as this was supposed to be a sorry for what went wrong, we would have been better off at the hotel and ordering from the menu.  As the courses come out the old plates aren’t cleared, some people are on second course as others haven’t had starters etc, I’m sure you get the picture.  The mood becomes horrible again and Tony is getting the brunt of it, I do my best to help as I’m really fond of Tony and he’s looked out for me but some of the guys are fuming.  We decide to finish our drinks and go back for a nightcap, on our arrival Tony goes to go to his room whilst we all hit the bar but I’m not having that so I go after him and invite him in.  He’s not comfortable as he thinks everybody will blank him so I say I’ll stand and talk to you then and he appreciates that but says they might blank me too, I’m a big boy I tell him and I pick my friends nobody else.  As it happens it’s all fine anyway and one drink soon becomes ten for some of us as we talk the night away, all as friends.

The all important hotel bar!

Durbar Square.

and again.

The view from the bridge watching the world go by.

In Thamel.

A small road side shrine for prayer.

 

Day 21: Lukla to Kathmandu @ 1,317ft

Today turned out to be so frustrating as we were told early doors that we would get a flight out around midday, breakfast was taken and all our gear and equipment packed up ready so that when the call came we were ofski.  As we were only a few minutes from the airstrip we could see the planes constantly come in and then straight out again and so we just sat around and awaited our turn.  We all soon became bored as we were asked not to go off into the village in case the call came and as we had already exhausted the cards, photos and diary pastimes, what were we to do?  At about 11.30 we were asked to order our lunch which was a sure fire sign that we were in fact going nowhere fast and that led to a rise in tension as nobody was telling us anything, we asked questions about timings and when were we going etc but to no avail.  Obviously we could see the various planes coming in and out and as we were flying with Agni again it was easy to spot their red, white and black livery as they landed and duly loaded up and took off.  The Lama who supposedly was all powerful in these matters said he was doing his best this end and Tony had been in contact with Kit the other and Jagged Globe were throwing their weight around from the Kathmandu point of view……obviously at this point they weren’t succeeding!

As we finished lunch two more Agni planes were taking off meaning it would be at least an hour until they were back again so I said I was going into town, the Lama and then Tony weren’t to happy as we might get called to the airstrip but I pointed out the turnaround time for the planes so how could we get called?  Needless to say they still weren’t happy but Matt and then both Scotts backed me up as we couldn’t just sit around indefinitely and do nothing so I said if we take our backpacks then we can meet you at the airstrip as we have to walk past it coming back.  Our big kit bags had already gone down and we could see them below us on the tarmac waiting to be loaded so we set off into the village and grabbed a beer and used the internet cafe and just generally passed the time, it was a welcome distraction from just sitting around.  We bumped into a few of the others whom had followed suit and as the hour approached we headed back to the airstrip and right on que the first Agni Air came in to land, but it loaded back up and went again as the other then came in.  Needless to say and yes you’ve guessed it that too proceeded to go again without our group so again we asked the question as to when we were scheduled to go ourselves, again the answer was we don’t know.  Not the best answer to give to an already bored and impatient group, if we just had a time to work too that would have been fine but yet again we were asked to stay at the lodge and yet again we pointed out that it would be at least another hour!

We headed back to one of the bars again to grab a drink and it was clear that the mood was changing in the team, some were getting angry about the lack of information and the fact we were being treated like schoolkids and told not to go anywhere, which I could relate too.  I did have to defend my room mate Tony on several occasions as I felt he was getting the brunt of the blame when I didn’t think it was his fault,  I pointed out that if this Lama was so influential then why was he not getting us out and I mentioned the fact that the longer we stayed the more he was getting from Jagged Globe as we were in his lodge.  Nobody else had thought about that so we then wondered if he was keeping us back on purpose to make more money, who knows.  We soon arrived back at the lodge and again the Agni Air planes landed and again flew back out but alas not with us on them, this was starting to get silly.  I asked Tony if he could go to the terminal building himself and try to sort it out as so far it had just been the Lama or ‘Lamer’ as I began to call him so Tony did just that and I followed him down for a chat.  After a brief chat with the Agni staff and the ‘Lamer’ it was all systems go for the next flight…….as if by magic a shopkeeper appeared!  How easy was that and to be honest I think it just proved the point that he had been holding us back.

We headed down to the terminal and I use that word loosely, promptly made our way onto the tarmac and waited as the Agni Air plane came in to land, it was now 4.15pm and most of the day had been wasted.  The skies were clear as we got on and I made a point of being last to board and as I did I took a long look back down the valley and said goodbye as my thirty year wait to trek in the Himalayas came to an end.  I was sitting right at the back this time and as the plane readied itself for take off the mood darkened in the cabin with most of the team thinking about the take off at this crazy little airstrip high in the mountains.  We soon thundered down the tarmac and we were up, the mood lifted straight away to be honest and all thoughts I guessed turned to Kathmandu but I kept looking out the window with sadness and thoughts about the trek ending after all those years of waiting to be out here.  The flight takes about thirty minutes and we can soon see the sprawl of Kathmandu and civilisation below, we come in to land and do so without any problems, we are then carried back to the terminal on the same bus that brought us out weeks before.  We get through customs really quickly and so the madness to reclaim our bags begins, we again decide to carry the gear to our coach as to avoid any issues with lost bags or porters trying to haggle with us etc and soon settle down in a nice air-conditioned bus.

We arrived back at the now luxurious looking Summit Hotel via a different route and its very strange to see so much hustle and bustle after weeks of peace and quiet, the staff are very helpful and friendly as are all the Nepalese people and take our bags off to our various rooms.  We are called together and room keys are handed out, will I be lucky and be on my own again or am I paired with someone this time…….I’m a VIP again and I’m on my own, right result!  We all decide to meet in the bar in a couple of hours to have a drink and dinner and talk about the next couple of days, we have gained a day so we are here for two full days which I think everybody is pleased about after the hard ship of the last few weeks.  I’m up on the second floor this time and as I go into my room I’m pleasantly surprised: its big with a double bed, a sofa, table and chairs, air con, ceiling fan, TV and most importantly a shower…..amen!  My bags are already there so I start to unpack and sort out some clothes that I need to have laundered in order to get through the next few days and for the flight home, thankfully the hotel via Jagged Globe had let us leave some clothes behind for good if you like as obviously everything taken up to the trek would be dirty.  These had been pre hung in my wardrobe so I just checked they were mine and sure enough my Armani jeans, two Lacoste T-shirts and my comfy Nike’s were all present and correct, I don’t know what I expected but when you leave something behind for a few weeks you are glad that they are still there on your return.

Whilst I’m sorting through my stuff I call reception to see if they will pick up and do some laundry for me and they agree so I chuck in some boxers, socks, t-shirts etc into the laundry bag in the room and they soon knock on the door to collect it.  That will get me through until I get home and give me the option to wear my good clothes at night and now have some bits to wear in the day whilst out and about or just in the hotel, with it being nearly 90 degrees during the day none of us will be wearing anything to heavy anyway.  Next task is to have a shower as its been weeks…..I’m looking forward to this and thankfully the water is roasting hot, mind you I’m still not shaving and look like the yeti but then all the men do as shaving on the trek was almost impossible as we had no hot water so that’s been almost three weeks.  As any man will tell you hand shaving that lot off will hurt no end and I’m putting it off for as long as possible and as it turns out I’m not alone!  Its amazing what a long hot shower can do and I have to say I feel alive again and much better smelling I’m sure after washing off nearly three weeks worth of sweat, mud, dust etc etc.  I put on some clean clothes and head down to the bar and grab a draught beer and yes its Everest again but that’s fine with me, some of the others are down so we just sit around together and soon discover that its BBQ night in the hotel and that for me means one thing….meat!  Tony appears and says the internet room is still open so I rush off to contact home and make sure all is okay, it is which is again a relief but it won’t be long until we are home now and as we are at the hotel, phones and the internet are on tap so no more days and weeks of isolation.

On my arrival back at the bar we are called outside to dinner and we queue up surrounded by tons of fantastic looking dishes to which we help ourselves and of course the wonderful smelling BBQ that is on the go.  I’m like a kid at Christmas and its been a bit of a standing joke on the trip that I’ve been missing my meat so as I get to the front the fella asks what meat I would like to which my reply of all of it provokes a round of laughing and clapping.  Beef, chicken, buffalo and sausages are all neatly piled on my plate and they taste delicious, so much so that I go back for more but don’t worry I had some rice and potatoes too.  After dinner we all start on the cold beer and discuss what we are doing for the next two full days which are basically our own to do as we please, Jagged Globe is still looking after us but the time itself is ours to do as much or as little as we please.  The general view is to go into Kathmandu itself and take a look around and that suits me, we are all going to just relax and do things at our own pace though and as breakfast starts at 7am we decide to just meet as and when and go from there.

The hotel dining room and the seen of my meat attack.

A Yeti Airlines advert.

The view from the back of the cabin on the flight back from Lukla.

Day 20: Phakding to Lukla @ 9,383ft

The mood in the team is a lot better this morning and to be honest it should be as breakfast was excellent and a lot better than dinner last night.  The walk down to Lukla will only take about three hours and its an easy trek, the weather is good and we’ve nothing to really worry about.  Its Kirit’s birthday today so we’ve all decided to spoil him as he is the oldest member of the team, I’ve been impressed with him all trip as he’s just got on with things and not complained about anything.  On route we mess about a lot as its our last day of trekking after a long and at times hard two and a half weeks, we stop as we want and wind each other up as we go and give each other tasks to try to carry out which ends up being a lot of fun.  We stop at Chheplung for a proper break and have something to eat and crack open a couple of beers given the fact we’ve almost finished and that its again a nice and hot day, we sit back for quite a while and watch all the other trekkers go by as most head up the valley at the start of their adventures.

As we reach Lukla there is a Kani to go through so we give Kirit the honour of leading us through at the end of our trekking and so signalling the end of our walking in the Himalayas.  I have to admit I feel a tinge of sadness as we reach our lodge and take a good look back up the valley and realise its the end of a thirty year dream to be out here but I guess all good things come to an end.  The lodge we are at is called The Yeti Lodge and is owned by the local Lama is very new looking, it has a main building and an extension to the side that has twelve bedrooms and a toilet/washroom.  We had heard a whisper yesterday that due to bad weather in the valley all flights in and out of Lukla had been cancelled and so there was a backlog of trekkers waiting to fly out and hence the lodges and tea houses were all full, and so it proved.  Our rooms were full of another Jagged Globe team that had been trekking another route but couldn’t fly out so it looked like tents for us tonight but that doesn’t bother me to be honest.

The way it looked we would not be getting out a day earlier which we had banked earlier in we just had to hope we would get a flight at some point tomorrow and hopefully early so that we get a full day back at Kathmandu.  Anyway as for tonight it was tradition that at the end of every trek you have a party to celebrate good fortune etc and invite all the Sherpas and porters and to also say goodbye as we wouldn’t see them again once we flew out.  Thankfully Tony talked the other group into camping for the night so we moved into their rooms and hence were able to dump our gear and have a wash etc, most of us then went into town and hit the internet cafes, bars etc and generally had a look around.  Some of us also had a look at the airstrip as it was only a few minutes from our lodge which hopefully would help with getting a plane out when our turn came around, thankfully at about 2pm they started flying again as the fog had completely cleared and so the backlog could start being cleared.

Just before dinner Tony had come to see us all to collect some money to share out equally between all our helpers and that would be presented at the beginning of the night, once dinner was out of the way we started the presentation and duly called up each member of the group until it was finally Lakpha’s turn and as with the others there was a loud cheer as he was given his gift.  We then had a surprise for Kirit as one of the group had managed to buy birthday cake from a local bakers and so we got some candles, lit them and sang happy birthday.  Soon after the singing, drinking and general festivities began until the early hours of the morning and a good time was had by all, we also said a sad farewell to all our Sherpas and porters whom had so ably helped us over the last few weeks and I for one will never forget the friends I have made. 

As I made my way to bed I think about my time in the Himalayas and realise how lucky I am to have been able to come out here and fulfill a life long dream, at the same time though it will be nice to be back at the Summit Hotel with a hot shower, TV, internet on tap and a comfy bed.  Lets just hope we can get an early flight tomorrow and have that extra time in Kathmandu………….

The party and dancing begins.

Kirit the birthday boy.

Silu receiving his gift.

Our Porter team having received theirs.

Tony and Lakpha joining in.

Silu leads the way.

The main man Lakpha receives his gift, he was a top man and an ex Ghurka.

Lakpha and Nemu

Dancing the night away.

Day 19: Namche Bazaar to Phakding @ 8,701ft

The mood about the group is really good at the minute helped enormously by the fact we are going down in altitude, height on the treks and literally downhill whilst walking.  Despite my drunken state last night I was still the first into the dining room this morning and as the team arrived for breakfast there seemed to be a state of shock that I was up and about so early.  I’m fine and chatting away much to the annoyance of some of the group who certainly seemed to have fragile heads this morning, nothing like a good drink every now and then to let off steam I said to them all.  Once breakfast was over I went back upstairs to seek out my nemesis from yesterday and as he was in his room alone I went in and apologised for what happened and what was said, to be fair to him he did exactly the same and we decided to put it behind us.  I would also like to add that the two bolts I pulled off the door last night have been returned to their correct location on said door! Lol

The walk today was only going to take a few hours so the slower group and anybody who wanted to start out early set off mid morning, whilst the rest of us stayed in Namche to take a last look around and relax a bit.  I headed back up to the internet place with Tony and contacted home again and checked through my emails before we set off as it would be two days again as Phakding had no facilities to do so.  We agreed to meet in the New Pizza Hut, no not the real one, for lunch before setting off and the food was surprisingly good, we all had a couple of beers again which set the tone for the trip down.  As we left Namche I shot into the Paradise Club and said goodbye and thanks to the owner for last night and told him to leave the scarf in pride of place to which he promised.  I’ve had it on good authority as recently as Nov ’11 that it is in fact still up on the ceiling in the same place, maybe one day I’ll go back and see it again.

As we head down Namche Hill I can’t stop thinking about the fun we’ve had here over our two visits to the town and indeed how the time seems to have gone so quick since our almighty struggle to get up here nearly two weeks ago.  The route down is tricky as its steep and obviously has all the perils we had to watch out for on the way up ie tree roots and loose rocks etc but it is much easier going down it I can assure you!  We also see loads of people coming up and I make sure I give them all as much encouragement as possible not forgetting the difference it made to me, it’s another hot day again and at least 80 degrees but its such a relief to be going down and not really having to worry about anything.  Once we were down the hill our pace was quick so we stopped off in Monjo for a drink, we stopped here on the way up and once we’d left there it didn’t take much time to arrive at Phakding at all, it certainly seems to take a lot longer getting to places going the other way.  Lakpha had promised us a stay in a nice new lodge tonight but that didn’t turn out to be the case at all and where we ended up was the worst place of the trek so far, he had some stern words with Tashi who had been sent in advance to book us in.  I think the lodge intended was fully booked so Tashi had no choice but who knows, the place was though rough and the food lousy.  It wasn’t the way to end the day but we’d been very lucky the rest of the time on the trip so we can’t really complain, once dinner was finished we simply did diaries, played cards and looked at our photos before hitting the sack.

I would like to add that the lodge didn’t go down very well with some of the group who moaned that we had been promised this and that, Lakpha and Tony apologised again and said they would make it up to us but there are some sceptics about that.  I think they are a bit naughty about it to be frank as almost everything else has been fine and we have to remember where we are and the options available to us.

The view back at the bridge before Namche Hill.

One of the suspension bridges we had to cross.

Looking back down the valley towards Phakding.

The valley we’ve come up from Namche.

Another bridge to cross.

Saying goodbye to Phakding.

Day 18: Dingboche to Namche Bazaar @ 11,306ft

Today proved to be a day of real ups and downs and I don’t just mean the trekking, although it started off well enough.  We’d decided the night before that we would have a fairly easy day today of about three and a half hours or so and only go down to Khumjung despite having one day in reserve, if we had gone on to Namche which was about another three hours or so we would in fact end up with two spare days in reserve.  The beauty of that was that we could spend an extra night and most of the next day in Namche and then another full day in Kathmandu instead of having the choice of one or the other.  I for one had expressed my view that I’d rather have a longer day today and then literally a day off tomorrow but in Namche and not some backwater called Khumjung that was completely barren and with nothing to do.   A lot of the group shared my views but the other older members didn’t want to trek for those extra few hours which I guess was their choice but we felt was a bit selfish of them, if I’m being honest.  Namche as mentioned before in the blog is the main town for the whole region and has plenty to do etc but also has the chance to email and contact home which a lot of us wanted to do again, Khumjung didn’t offer that chance.

Before we set off I got a chance to say goodbye and good luck to Steve the American I’d met the day before and I was glad to do that, he was on his way up to EBC on his own except for a porter.  The walk today was very easy and mostly down hill and therefore breathing got easier and our pace quicker and as we pulled in for a cold drink in the again searing sun we decided to go onto Tengboche for lunch and take in the monastery there, it was past half way but as we had gone at such a pace we went for it.  The group arrived mostly as one but the lodge where we went to eat couldn’t fit us all in, so the slower members went to eat first with the thought that they could then set off first and we would catch them up.  Whilst they were eating we went to look at the monastery and see how it worked as it was a live in temple and monks were in full attendance, after a while the first group started to look around too so we left them to it and went to eat.  While we were waiting for our food we could see the other team set off down the hill and head to Khumjung and it was at this point that we raised the subject of going all the way to Namche again instead of stopping at Khumjung and wasting a day tomorrow for the rest of the trek down to Namche.  We believed it was easy to go another three hours or so but Tony and Lakpha again said it wasn’t fair on the others but they could understand our argument, we then proceeded to beg and plead for them to change their minds as they were in charge.  Thankfully we managed to convince them but the issue would now be catching the others once we had eaten and explaining what the change in plan was.

We set off walking as quick as we could but they were at least an hour and a quarter ahead and closing in on the original destination for the day and we knew some of them wouldn’t be happy at the change of plan and extra trekking and so it proved.  We eventually caught up with them at a little place called Chipcho where they were having a drink and it was only about half an hour from Khumjung, so they were all in good spirits as they had thought they were almost finished for the day.  Tony and Lakpha spoke to the other Sherpas and Tashi ran on ahead I guess to tell the porters we were going to Namche and indeed then go and book us in at a lodge, they then called us all in and told everybody the change of plan and why.  To be fair they put a spin on it and made out that we now had to push on and in fact obtain that full extra day, unfortunately the team that objected saw right through it and kicked off big style.  The others weren’t having it and accused us of all sorts and being uncaring etc with one of the group leading the way, he had in fact voiced his opinion on everything throughout the trip and was normally negative and so he continued in his usual vain.  At some point of the heated exchange he started on Nikki and I felt he was picking on her and trying to assert his supposed authority so I decided to speak up and get involved, he didn’t like the fact that I stood up to him and tried then to start on me.  He said some fairly cutting things about me and tried to blame me for this and that and for the change in plan so I let him have it with both barrels, in my angry state I pointed out a few home truths of my own to which a lot of the team agreed and it stopped him dead.  He then said I was only interested in getting to Namche to have a beer and that I was a selfish asshole, so I replied at least I didn’t get to EBC and decide I was too tired to try to cross it, I mean who comes all the way to Everest and has the chance of a lifetime and blows it because of laziness?  I also then added for good measure that I think that sums up your character so F**k off!

Tony and Lakpha then decided to start his group down towards Namche as we sat around and chilled out for a while, that was a good decision because I was fuming I can tell you.  The group talked for a while and some of them were upset and annoyed at what had been levelled at them but also at how heated the situation had got, at this point I apologised for my part in what happened but to be fair they all felt it hadn’t been my fault.  After half an hour or so we carried on down the path and caught up with the others fairly quickly, I decided to walk straight past them and the other person involved stared at me as I came past so I made a point of staring back but he didn’t say anything which was probably just as well as I was certainly not in the mood to talk to him.  We arrived in Namche and were in the same lodge as on the way up, The Ama Dablam Resort which was good as we would be there for the night before continuing down toward Lukla and the flight back to Kathmandu. 

Once we had settled into our rooms I sought out Tony and Lakpha and said sorry for what had happened, they were good about it and in fact Tony on arriving back in our room actually agreed with most of what I said and we had a good laugh about it.  After having dinner most of us set off for town and went to the Paradise Club for a drink and a few games of pool, it was busy but as we walked in the owner saw me and jumped up and down shouting ‘United, United’ and to his great delight I handed over my scarf as promised.  He wasted no time at all in putting it in pride of place on his ceiling right above the till to which we both started singing and dancing arm in arm, he was crazy I have to say.  The good thing about coming back down in altitude was that we were free to drink away as there would be no heath issues as we are going back down in height as opposed to going up when we were in there two weeks or so ago.  We all played pool with myself and Tashi at one point winning about ten games in a row before I was called over by the owner to meet someone, the music was blasting out and by this time there was a lot of drunk people about so trying to hear him was difficult so I just nodded and started to drink with him and my new friend.  We eventually got on to drinking Johnnie Walker Red Label and the three of us polished off the bottle into the late hours, it was at this point I found out my new friend and drinking partner was in fact the Inspector of Police for the region and a massive United fan!  WTF!  Several hours later we decided to call it a night as we did in fact still have to trek tomorrow but we had let off some steam after our two weeks of torture and I think we had all deserved too and everyone seemed happy.  I remember getting back to the lodge and falling onto my bed and that’s about it apart from having to go to the toilet at some point and really struggling to open our room door and basically almost pulling the door off its hinges to get out.  On my return Tony was wetting himself as I had in fact pulled the door open but with it the two slide bolt locks that he had pushed on after I had got back still in the closed position and lying on the floor.  Lol

Arriving back in Namche, thankgod!

The bridge to Tengboche.

The view one way.

The view the other.

The Monastery at Tengboche.

The view toward Khumjung.

My new house just outside Namche.

The view down the valley as we approach Namche again.

Day 17: Lobuche to Dingboche @ 14,272ft

We have a bit of a late start today as we are going down to Dingboche and its only about three hours or so for the quicker members of the team.  Brekkie was due at 7.30am but it was at least half an hour late so we eventually got going at just gone 8am, it’s an easy walking start to today as its very flat but the scenery again is amazing as we are going to new areas for us today.  At one point we pass by the Everest Memorial Ground where there are dozens and dozens of memorials and crosses etc for the people who have died on Everest, Lakpha shows us one that is for a good friend of his who died a few years ago in a summit attempt.  As we go down the valley we cross into the Imza Valley where todays destination sits and we soon arrive without any problems at the Imza Valley Lodge, the trekking is so much easier now as we go down in altitude quite quickly and the difference in breathing is substantial and we’ve already dropped over 4,000ft in a couple of days.

We settle down to have lunch which is rice and noodles for me and we then receive some welcome news indeed, there is a new internet place that’s only been open for a week in the village.  There are six of us eating lunch as the others haven’t arrived yet and we are now scoffing down our food so that we can get up to the internet place, I’m over the moon as that’s two days earlier that I can contact home.  It’s about a ten minute walk up the village and as we approach the hut is quite basic looking so we’re not to sure how many computers there will be available and how long it will take to get one.  As we go in we are pleasantly surprised as its empty, bright and well decorated and has at least a dozen or so screens available to use.  We all jump on and get hooked up really quickly as they are all satellite linked which is a right result, as I go onto my emails I find I’ve only got 267, not too bad given that its been nearly two weeks since we been able to access a computer!

I search through for any from Michelle and read them with care and emotion as I find out they are all okay and what the kids have been up to etc etc, I’m feeling very emotional I have to say and to be honest so are some of the others around the room as they also read whats happening at home.  I reply to her emails one at a time and then send one about myself and a brief account of whats happened etc, as we are four and a half odd hours ahead I realise there will be a lag until Michelle will get to see them.  I then start to go through everything else and delete what I don’t need etc, all in all I’m in there for about an hour or so as more and more people are starting to arrive to use the screens.  I decide to come off and come back up later this evening when hopefully I’ll get a reply from home, as I walk back down I’m very, very relieved that everyone is okay at home.  Trust me when you’ve not been able to check in for so long you worry about all sorts and its a great weight of my shoulders I can assure you. 

I go back to my room at the lodge and just think about home but Tony arrives and we have a good chat about the trek and the internet place etc, he wants to go up so I tell him I’ll go up with him later on if he wants.  Tony is a great guy and has been my room-mate for most of the trip, he’s helped me no end with all his experience and guidance and that in turn has helped me with my preparation on a daily basis and allowed me to go along with no real problems at all.  Whilst we all have dinner and chat an American fella comes into the dining area from his room and is looking for somewhere to sit, so I offer him a seat next to me.  As we get talking I discover he’s called Steve and from Wisconsin so I ask if he’s a Green Bay Packers fan and he is, he’s surprised that I even know who they are but I explain that I’m a massive American sports fan and we get to talking for about two hours about their sports and football in Europe as he asked if it was as crazy as he thinks.  It’s good to talk to Steve about sport as most of my group isn’t really into it and it certainly helps the evening to tick over with interest.

Coming down from Lobuche.

The view as we left Lobuche.

Back across one of the plains.

The view up the valley above Dingbouche.

The view down the valley above Dingbouche.

Over the next ridge.

Tony then mentions about going to the internet place so I go to get my jacket to show him where it is and hope that Michelle has replied, at this point Steve asks if he can tag along and that’s fine by me.  We get up there and it’s quite busy but we all get on after ten minutes or so as others begin to come out, Michelle has replied which is good so I send another and jump off to allow some others that are waiting use the computer.  The fella who has set up this internet place must be making a killing as it’s the first place for at least a week for anyone doing the two-week trek to email from and obviously for us doing the three-week trek its been nearly two weeks so everybody wants to use his facility.   It’s fairly cheap too as it only cost me about a fiver for an hour or so which seems like good value to me, I guess the balance of peace of mind out weighs the cost anyway for me.  On arriving back at the lodge I decide to grab a beer and as Steve is there I grab him one too and we end up having a few as we continue to talk before hitting the sack.

Day 16: Gorak Shep to EBC @ 17,388ft and Lobuche @ 16,175ft

We awake at 5.30am for breakfast to get an early start for a fairly busy day but a day which will see us arrive at EBC and start on the way back down.  The route itself is quite flat but very rocky, full of loose shale etc and with a lot of dangerous footing, thankfully nobody hurts their ankles or anything else.  The group as a whole is in pretty good shape and the worst we’ve had is some sore legs, ankles, backs, coughs and colds etc but no altitude sickness as such which is really good.  After about two and a half hours we arrive at the Khumbu Glacier which is the icefalls and all the rock and boulders washed down from Everest itself, the area is very messy as there are tons of rubbish, oxygen bottles, prayer flags and temporary memorials all mixed in with the rocks.  As we are out of the main summitting season there isn’t a path through cleared away that is usually done by all the teams involved, they can be based at EBC for over three months for a summit attempt hence it can be like a mini village in its own right.  There could be up to twenty teams here at any one time trying to get to the top but today its seems that there is only one and they are from Switzerland.  We cross the uneven ground for about half and hour and decide that we are in a place for ourselves to call Base Camp, the whole area is classed as EBC but its down to the individual teams to pick a spot for themselves.

To dispel some myths about Everest Base Camp:

It’s not a permanent place-True, out of season the whole place gets washed down the valley/ There is no McDonalds or any other shops there-True, as there are no buildings based there/ It’s not flat- True, as it’s all just boulders and rocks/ You can’t see much of Everest from there-True, the best views are from the valleys or from Kala Patter.   We break out the drinks and snacks and celebrate reaching the main goal of the trek, afterwards all the photos start and we are there for a good hour or so.  All but one of the team has made it as one of the group doesn’t want to go right across the uneven ground, it’s a pity but his choice and down to his own mentality-he won’t be here again so why not push himself!

We soon set of back across the glacier and icefalls and head toward Gorak Shep to have lunch, its at this point that one of the Sherpas asks a couple of us if we want to get to 20,000ft?  As trekkers the top of Kala Patter is as high as you can get officially, to go higher is classed as mountaineering and you need licenses etc to continue up.  Apparently for about two hours but up a very hard climb there is a hill that is 20,000ft at the top but obviously we are not supposed to do it.  Sod that I’m up for it so a few of us head off with the sherpa and duly reach 20,000ft but it was as hard as he said I can assure you, there isn’t really anyone about so we won’t get caught.  We arrive back at Gorak via our little detour and have lunch before starting back down the valley to Lobuche where we are staying at the same lodge we did on the way up the trek. 

As we arrive back part of me wants to go home now, not because I’m not enjoying it but so that I can see the family, it’s still nearly a week until we will be back home and as we’ve now completed all we set out to do lets just get home.  We set our stuff out in our rooms  and it soon becomes apparent that we are a room short, its full up at the lodge so Tony sets up camp in a storeroom and I go in with Matt, no problem there as we get on really well.  We all try to do some washing and drying as its breezy outside but again about 80 degrees, that’s one thing that hasn’t really changed, it’s very hot and bright sunshine throughout the day and very cold when darkness falls.  I think the record for cold was the -18 night when we camped out earlier in the trek, that was cold!  We are told at dinner that we are changing route slightly tomorrow and are going to spend the night at Dingboche instead of Pheriche as there is a new lodge we can get into there with hot water, no complaints from any of us there as its been about six days since we’ve had hot water and have had to survive on baby wipes.

The memorial grounds for those fallen on Everest.

The view towards Lobuche.

A Nak nearly flattening Katherine.

Myself at Everest Base Camp.

The view back towards Everest.

The porters and locals carry vast amounts up by hand.

Day 15: Lobuche to Gorak Shep @ 17,008ft and Kala Patter @ 18,448ft

As I’m in the advance group for today my alarm wakes me at 5.15am and its cold and pitch black, breakfast is taken and the group of seven sets off with Lakpha and a couple of the Sherpas for company.  We decided last night that we would split in two in order to allow the faster and stronger trekkers to go at their own pace and not be slowed down by the others, the second group will set off two hours later with the rest of the Sherpas and Tony and go at a relaxed pace.  Although today will be quite long I’m really looking forward to going up Kala Patter to get the views of Everest, I guess I’m just feeling a bit of a masochist again.  We follow the valley and largely go up in height to Gorak which is tough going as its very unstable but after about two hours we arrive above Gorak Shep and look down into the resort, Kala Patter is right in front of us and we can clearly see that it will be a tough climb up.  We are about 35mins quicker than expected so Lakpha takes us into our lodge(Himalaya Lodge) for a cold drink which goes down very well, Fanta is my choice of the day-no not beer!  The lodge is big and has numerous other groups and individuals sitting around and we all soon get talking about our various adventures, we haven’t met any body else yet that has done the three-week trek.  We rest for about an hour and then decide to go and tackle Kala Patter and as we are going up the more difficult path to the very top, it will put us at the highest official point of the whole trek at 18,448ft above sea level.

The route over to the start is across a very sandy area that some other groups are kicking a ball around, I think I’ll leave the climb and join in with them!  Its going to be a hard trek as we are putting on about 1,400ft but in very little distance vertically and so it proves as we are all struggling to breath, again after sitting around we have probably not done ourselves any favours.  I’m back to right foot, left foot as we make our way up, we see loads of other people having trouble too with a lot turning back as its so hard but that thought doesn’t even enter my mind, I’ve waited to long for this to do that.  The group is all close together and we are supporting each other aloft and driving each other on to get to the top, the shorter but less advantageous second peak is close now but none of us steers up that path and we just continue on.  The air is so thin that it is now about 60% less oxygen than at sea level and we are all gasping a bit as we go up, there is no time limit so we stop as we want on the path for a rest or a drink which is vital as it’s about 80 degrees again and bright sunshine.  After almost two hours we are there at the highest point of the trip and at a place I’ve wanted to be for over twenty years, we all congratulate each other and set about having a drink and some snacks. 

The views are spectacular as expected and Everest is indeed right in front of us and almost completely unobstructed, it is amazing and truly fantastic and worth the difficult climb up.  As we are right at the top there is obviously a final point of the rock which in this case is a narrow ledge that has some very dangerous drops on either side, some of us decide that it’s where we have to go for some photos so we take turns to climb up and I get some great photos with my United scarf and Ireland flag.  The drops down are a couple of thousand feet either side and I can’t see anything surviving that but it has to be done as we’ll never be in this situation again, so we snap away and then quickly come down to the main rock group at the top.  It’s hard to explain but even given the height we are at the summit of Everest is still about 10,000ft above us and it’s just hard to see how people can actually get up there as it looks so difficult, one day maybe as I’d love to give it a go.  I sit back and take it all in just lying against a big rock and watching the world go by, well the others in our group and some others whom have made it up. 

We stay at the top for about an hour and a half and decide to head back down the hill to have lunch at the lodge, the walk down is obviously a lot easier than going up but you still have to watch your footing as Scott finds out as he takes a tumble and goes down about 20m.  He’s not hurt but could have easily gone down a lot further and hit some nasty looking rocks which reinforces the view to take it easy and mind the step!  We start to bump into the others as they are beginning to come up as we near the bottom, they have got at least three or more hours to go IF they go all the way to the highest point, I have my doubts they’ll all do it.  As I get to the bottom I turn around and look up and realise just what I’ve done, twenty years of waiting is over and I think about the family again.  Its Nov 1st and over two weeks since we left home and I’m looking forward to starting back down towards Namche to make contact, It also dawns on me that everything is down hill now as Kala Patter is the highest point of the trek.  EBC is lower than Kala Patter and its only a 200m height gain on Gorak Shep so it should be easy from a breathing point of view, as I get back to the lodge I want a cold drink as its very dusty and hot, easily 80 degrees again if not hotter but at least we are done for the day and can just sit back and relax now.

I have to admit that even though the goal is to get to EBC and all the kudos etc that goes with it, I’m not that bothered really as I’ve done everything I’ve always dreamed of ie making the Himalayas, getting up Namche Hill, the two high passes and Kala Patter and seeing Everest so close.  EBC will be non descript for me and I know that the trek is starting to wind down and thirty years of waiting is over, I’ve loved every minute of it and yes even the really difficult parts as getting through them is what makes us who we are.

The top of Kala Patter in the distance.

Pumori towers above us on Kala Patter.

The view back down the valley towards Gorak Shep.

Everest, the top of the world is so close.

At the very top of Kala Patter.

And again.

Looking up to Everest from Kala Patter.