Nepal Trekking - Descent to Lukla

We had made the decision to walk down to Tengboche from Pheriche. While trekking is still a lot of work, it gets easier as you descend altitude - easier to breathe! So our descent should take only 3 days while our trek up took us 6.

Lots of time for posin'!!! If you look at Scott you will see the mustache/beard he grew over the past 8 days. We barely took showers or changed clothes the whole trip - it was wonderful!!!

Even though we are almost done - we still made sure to practice chanting!

Some friends we met along the way...

Construction project in Nepal, check out the 'rock backpack'

Lhotse Shar in the evening

We tried to spend the night in Tengboche, unfortunately all the teahouses were full. So instead we had to hike a few extra hours and after checking with 2-3 other teahouses along the way we found this Sherpa House which doesn't really cater to the trekkers but a place for the Sherpa's to stay along the route.

So we stayed at this Sherpa Lodge and the family welcomed us, made us an excellent dinner of dal bhat (which we ate everday anyway) but was probably the best. It was also our first wood burning stove in a while!!!

We got to play with the kids in the little village, I took their photos and they checked themselves out on the digital screen... they loved it! I also showed them photos of the airplanes in Lukla, they had never seen an airplane before.

Above are the kiddos and below the Sherpa Kitchen.

With some extra time on our hands we visited a village called Khumjung, just 200 m above Namche Bazaar.

We loved this spot because it was a lot more traditional, catered less to the trekkers.

There are many monks who live in this village as well as Sherpa families, the mountain in the background (Khumbi Yul Lha 5,761 m) is a holy mountain. It is so sacred to the Nepalese that no one has ever climbed it and a big chance no one ever will. The government will not allow any permits to climb, even if a lot of $$$ is offered.

Village Stupa and Prayer Wheels

Scott playing with the kids

We were welcomed into a monastary, mostly to see the Yeti artifacts (unfort no good pix)

The monastary document library

The village school was funded/built by Sir Edmund Hillary.

The school library

Walking down into Namche Bazaar where we will spend the night and then trek to Lukla the following day.

We spent our afternoon in Namche at one of the bakeries stuffing ourselves with coffee, pastries and veggie burgers. Then we went back to the teahouse, took a nap and sat near the wood stove!

Saturday Market in Namche!

Final day!!!

This little pup helped to guide us on the trail ... maybe he was just taking care of us because I shouted and gave the look of death to some Nepalese youths who were throwing rocks at him!

The trail exit into Lukla

Our guide picking up a game of soccer with some local kids

Scott with our guide Sosi (left) and Shem our porter (right). They were both great.

Celebratory beer after a long 8 days.

Scott and I stopped into this local 'pub' ... had to give it a try. An Irish Pub with Prayer Wheels at the entrance, cool.

The bartender was playing a Bon Jovi CD, the best of 80's (think 'Livin on a Prayer' and'Wanted Dead or Alive' and you get the hint). I thought it was the coolest!

What was also exciting was the signed t-shirt in the picture above... yes, Sting had been sitting in the same bar as us only months earlier!!!!

The next day ... Time to take off! Back to Kathmandu...

Nepal Trekking Day 6

Day 6: Pheriche (4,270 m) to Thokla (4,620 m) to Labuche (4,910 m)

On this morning we have to drag ourselves out of bed. With the altitude it is getting harder to do anything! But, yet again the weather is gorgeous and we are ready to get out of the teahouse which reeks of yak dung, and has a hole in the plywood floor for a toilet. We need fresh air - bad. Ahhhh, to think just 1.5 weeks ago we were on the beaches of Dubai!!! While I would take the Himalayas over the Dubai desert anyday, the lifestyle is a bit more challenging.

Actually we wouldn't be so annoyed except for the fact that the day before we found a clean lodge with a yummy food menu, clean and bright with windows, and western toilets! Totally deluxe for the Himalaya, but we stick out the 'real' teahouse, telling ourselves we are getting an authentic experience!

The plan for the day is to get the first 4km and a 350m climb out of the way. Sosi the guide tells us it will take 1.5 - 2 hrs to get to our first rest stop in Thokla. I laugh at him and say 'No way, I can see the trail from here and we just have to walk through the level valley which should only take 20-30 mins then a quick left and up a short hill. No problem!" I get laughed at and then we start the journey for the day.

What I didn't realize that since we had now entered a part of the Himalayas where we are in a valley at the base 6,000 - 8,000m mountains. The perspective on size and distance is totally changed. We feel like ants crawling through this valley and it really does take us 2 hours or maybe it was more to get to Thokla. Not only because of the distance but because we have to take a lot of pee and rest breaks.


Walking through the village of Pheriche

The valley that I thought would only take 20-30 mins for us to walk through...

Katie posin' in the Himalaya Valley - Taboche Peak (6,367 m) to the left behind me

Scott posin' with Taboche Peak behind him

Our photo session is allowing us some nice rest breaks along the trail:)

My face is very puffy from the yak dung smoke and the bloating (altitude side effect)

A look back on the trail to Pheriche

Even with the sun, it was pretty cold. I am wearing my glovies!!!

First sight of Thokla!

Bridge crossing into Thokla

Our final stop on our trek into the Himalaya... Thokla (4,620 m)

We are about 7km from Everest Base Camp and our final planned destination of Kala Patthar. Unfortunately during the last 200 m climb up to this point Scott started getting symptoms of AMS.

- every 2-3 steps he had to stop and catch his breath

- he had led and been in front of me most of the trek to this point, now he was falling way behind (we found out this was a key indicator from HRA talk)

- throbbing headache in the back of his head

- dizziness and 'drunk' feeling

Poor guy!!!

Since the only cure for AMS is to descent, our guide suggests we go back to Pheriche. Unfortunately it is only 350 m lower in elevation and ideally you want to get the person down at least 1000 m. If things dont improve in Pheriche, we will try and hike all the way back down to Tengboche today.

Things didn't get better, the HRA gave him some Diamox to help his symptoms but we made the decision to try and make it down 1000 m. We didn't really feel like ending our trip with a helicopter rescue!

Nepal Trekking Day 5

Day 5: Deboche (3,710 m) to Pheriche (4,270 m)

Again, we wake up to clear skies, sun and cool temps - perfect trekking weather (tough life, I know!)

The first part of the trip I was pretty sick - bad cold/bronchitis. The dry and clean mountain air did the trick to get me better (or maybe was that the prescription strength meds I bought in Namche - courtesy of a Bangledesh pharmaceutical company?)

Anyway, seems that the sickness has passed on to Scott. He is feeling miserable and with the elevations that we are getting to now (above 4000 m) sickness usually doesn't get better, it gets worse. But we keep moving on.

Bridge crossing...
View of Everest from the bridge



Stupa and mani stones are scattered among the trail, protecting the trekkers.


We spot musk deer

Little Sherpa guy... he was a naughty one!

more mani stones...

If I remember right, this is a view of Island Peak. A common mountain for trekkers to climb as a side trip

In Pheriche there is a clinic for the Himalaya Rescue Association (HRA). In the peak trekking and climbing seasons (spring and fall) there are 3 expat doctors based here to provide support to the travellers as well as the Nepalese people. You can make an appointment with the doctor if you are not well, they have a mini-pharmacy so you can buy ibuprofen for the altitude headaches and Diamox for altitude sickness if needed. Every afternoon at 4.00 they give a talk about Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), so we attended.

It was very informative, they explained why you get sick at altitude and what you can do to prevent/lessen the risk. Unfortunately, the statistic is 1 in 4 that people will get AMS and it doesnt matter your fitness, experience, age, etc...

We also had the chance to ask a lot of questions - it also confirmed that some of the altitude side effects that we were having (gas, bloating, headache, CRAZY dreams, etc...) were totally normal. The main thing we learned is to identify when symptoms go from normal to full blown AMS. There is no cure except to descend!!! You can take diamox but that will only relieve symptoms for a short time.

In the picture above they are demonstrating the Gamov Bag (hyperbaric chamber) which delivers oxygen to the patient.

Village of Pheriche - yup, not a whole lot here!

Our teahouse in Pheriche