• Day 14: Phortse Tenga to Dole with a high point of 4084m

We had now been on the go for 14 days making our way to Gokyo, 14 days of trekking! This is the longest either of us had hiked with our backpacks from place to place, valley to valley, mountain to mountain. We were loving every minute (nearly). So this would be perhaps our easiest day of hiking in terms of distance and landscape. We did have a fairly steep up hill section out of Phortse Tenga which leveled out as we got closer to Dole. Most of the trekkers left at around 8-8.30am but we found that having a slightly later start meant we didn’t bump into so many groups meaning we often had the paths all to ourselves.

We arrived in Dole quite rely before midday and opted to stay at The Dole Resort on the other side of the village heading on the path outwards. We had the place to ourselves, the owners are friendly enough and so we opted for an afternoon of reading wrapped up in our thick blankets until they put the yak-dung fuelled fire on. The main reason why this went on as more trekkers were arriving with a guide and porters and we assume that they call ahead to say they’re on their way. The other thing we witnesses was a local trekker getting seconds on ra-ra noodle soup!! This never happens being a tourist trekker! By the evening though we were pretty snug in our dining room den. We were pretty lazy that day once we’d settled but the best advice is to do next to nothing when you arrive at your new altitude, so we were merely following the rules! It was snowing for most of the afternoon and evening and so we felt good to be next to a hot fire.

• Day 15: Dole to Machhermo with a high point of 4465m

By now we were starting to have unsettled sleep, for some reason we felt like we were almost trying too hard to get air to breath in order to feel like we were getting off to sleep. It’s a weird feeling and the mind definitely plays tricks on you. Helen was getting headaches, but during the night they would subside, whilst Dave was still struggling with his blistered feet. Our bill in Dole for 2 breakfasts, lunches, dinners and tea came to 3130rs.

We really enjoyed the 3 hour hike to Machhermo, suddenly we were presented with new mountains and valleys to gaze at. We felt like ants in this massive mountainous environment. The mist and snow had cleared from the day before and although the winds were cold the skies were blue and the sun very strong. We also noticed that over the past 2 days we’d crossed the tree line, there were no longer trees just rock, some shrubbery and bits of grass. We drank plenty of water along the way and had a few snack breaks too.

Machhermo is a pleasant place with lodges dotted all around. We opted for Namgyal Lodge, quite a big lodge in comparison to the rest but we thought is there were more people staying there they’d get the fire going earlier. We did a little bit of clothes washing with a pot of water costing 50rs and sat in the sun soaked dining room. The rooms at the lodge are really nice and well insulated and they are built around a garden/patio area.

By this point a small pot of tea was costing 550rs and so thinking a little bit about our budget we opted for a pot of hot water at 350rs, as we carried some extra tea bags with us. At 3pm we went to an altitude lecture which we’d felt encouraged to go to when the volunteer doctors came around earlier on to let us know that it would be taking place at the rescue centre that afternoon. They are a porter charity offering food and lodgings to the many porters hired by individuals and trekking agencies. We were pretty shocked to learn that up until recently most porters would sleep in caves if there were no beds available in the lodges. Plus there were a few incidences of porter neglect at altitude and so this charity is there to support the scheme as well as offering medical and rescue care for trekkers in the region. We felt reassured that our altitude gain had been sensible and we all donated 100rs each to do an oxygen saturation test. Amata came out top with a whopping 96%, Joshua was next with 94% and Dave 91%, this is excellent for the current altitude, Helen’s sat more averagely at 86%. Based on the talk though both Helen and Joshua opted to take Dymox to help with the restless nights and mild altitude sickness.

After some fairly good dal bhat and potatoes with veg and cheese we were ready for bed. Dave felt he’d been discriminated against as there were no seconds on the dal bhat (this is usually a guaranteed bonus of having the local dish).

• Day 16: Machhermo to Gokyo with a hight point of 4750m

We both slept restlessly once again but Helen’s headaches seemed to have gone and it didn’t feel as cold mainly because the rooms are well insulated at Namgyal Lodge. Again we left a little later than most which worked in our benefit as we trekked towards Gokyo. This would be our penultimate day of hiking before reaching the dizzy heights of Gokyo Ri.

We loved the walk to Gokyo, it was full of contrasts. We were welcomed with wide open plains, the wild river below, more 6-8000m peaks and the totally awesome presence of the Ngozumpa Glacier (36km/22miles the longest in the Himalayas) with Cho Oyu (8,200m / 27,000ft) dominating the upper valley. At the first lake which was the only lake not frozen we met thousands of rock cairn monuments built by the trekkers who have passed through the area. It felt a little like a spiritual graveyard representing each and everyone of us who have journeyed onwards to Gokyo. It did feel quite special.

We took the day slowly and marveled at the views whilst also joining Joshua and Amata for some celebratory snacks along the way; teriyaki beef jerky (enjoyed by all but Helen) and some ginger dark chocolate which they had lovingly carried with them since leaving America for their trip. We passed by the 2nd and 3rd lakes which were both totally frozen and snowed over and then we were in Gokyo, a place now occupied with tea houses and lodgings. There aren’t any locals living here other than to run their guesthouses.

We had been given a card for The Lakeside Lodge by a Japanese hiker whom we’d bumped into in Thame. So this is where we ended up. It’s pretty much the first lodging that we got to but we thought we’d go with it, plus the lady owner had lots of personality and said to us in a whisper that if we stay with her she’ll give us a room for free! How could we pass that offer? The food was good and for the first night we had the place all to ourselves. 4750m would be the highest we would be sleeping at. We were running out of money but decided we would spend 2 nights in Gokyo so that we could hit Gokyo Ri the next morning and then rest before making longer days to get back down to Namche and onwards to Lukla.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8 processed in Lightroom 3)

• Day 11: Namche to Thame with a high point of 3950m

We opted to take a 2 day acclimatisation period by hiking from Namche to Thame which is an elevation gain of around 400m. It is recommended to do this perhaps more so if you’re flying into Lukla but we wanted to take advantage of the time and also the walk sounded really nice. Amata was still struggling with a cold and so we set off at around 9am perhaps later for the 3 hour hike to Thame, and we left a good few items behind which would make the journey a little easier for all of us.

This particular hike is a really beautiful one taking in the valley north-west of Namche through a few smaller dwellings and pine forests. There are some impressive mani-walls and scripted paintings on the cliff along the way and we stopped for our consistent cheese and crackers snack which did mean that we took a little longer to get to Thame. Dave was also in trainers which mean’t he had a pain free walk.

The hike into and upwards towards the Thame is again really rewarding with parts of the river frozen below and the mountains that engulf the village covered in snow. We crossed through a gate and before long we were in Thame opting the stay at The Sunshine Lodge, where we enjoyed a basic room, it was pretty dirty but the mattresses were soft which was fast becoming one of the most important things when we were getting a bed for the night. The food at Sunshine is pretty good, and the main lady put the fire on nice an early too.

That same afternoon we hiked upto the monastery overlooking the village of Thame, from here we enjoyed vistas looking back to the vast mountain ranges ahead of us, plus we had a further elevation gain of around 60m. When the weather started to close in we made our way down and got ready for an evening around the fire, dahl bat and random chat.

• Day 12: Thame to Namche

We woke up to snow and a moan from Dave about the uncertainty of getting back to Namche through the snow wearing trainers! The whole of the valley was in a blanket of snow and we watched Amata and Joshua playing outside whilst Dave worried about his feet! He’d purposely hiked in trainers to give his feet a break from the boots but now he was thinking he wouldn’t make it back and would be stranded in Thame! All was not as bad as it seemed though as we came up with the ingenious idea of plastic bags around his feet and lots of tape! Plus the snow is very dry in this part of the world so it wasn’t too slippery under feet and so Dave managed to get his rhythm going again leaving us all at the back of the line!

The walk back was mainly in the snow and it was really nice to see the valley and mountains in a different way, up until now we’d enjoyed sunshine most days and so it made a change. When we got back to Namche it started snowing again and after checking back in The Moonlight Lodge we sat in the dining area and watched as Namche became lost in cloud and snow. By late afternoon it had all cleared and once again we could look down over the town.

• Day 13: Namche to Phortse Tenga with a high point in Mong of 3973m

From now on we were on strict altitude gain wanting to stick to the rule of 300-400m elevation gain per day. We were all feeling well acclimated after trekking in from Jiri plus spending a few days in Namche and Thame but at the same time we didn’t want to risk altitude sickness. This time we left Moonlight with a considerably smaller bill and we were lighter again by leaving a few things behind. On this particular part of the hike we started out on the Everest trekking highway and after leaving Kyangjum we came to a sign heading to Gokyo, this was the valley where we would be trekking for the high point of the trip. We couldn’t see Everest anywhere but had great vistas of Ama Dablam, Nuptse and Lhotse some of the highest peaks in the world. (Lhotse is the 4th highest peak at 8501m)

There are some ups and downs on this part of the hike and a long traverse towards Mong where we enjoyed a decent lunch and tea at one of the lodges called Snow Land View Lodge, home to a very friendly lady owner who tried to coax us to stay the night by offering 3 extra servings of Dahl Bat and a free room! This was a tempting offer but we wanted to push onto Phortse Tenga for the night. From Mong it isn’t that far to Phortse Tenga which sits much lower at 3643m, a little higher than Namche. Opposite and further up is the larger village of Phortse which would take you to the other side of the valley.

In Phortse Tenga we stayed at The River View Lodge along with several other trekkers and guides making their way up or down to and from Gokyo. We weren’t anticipating meeting so many people on this part of the trek but it made for a good atmosphere at the Lodge even though the rooms felt like we were in a very dingy hospital ward. We even had to link up the wires on the lighting to give us some light in the room. The food here though is good and it was warm and cosy around the dining room fire. We were a little mischievous and ended up sharing a shower, mainly as we were steadily eating into our budget and the showers were 350 rupees each! We met several other Americans, English, Ozzie’s and Kiwi’s at this lodge.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8 processed in Lightroom 3)

• Day 6 Bupsa to Chaurikarka with a high point of 2900m

By now we were averaging long days to cover the miles on the trek. We really wanted to make it to Namche on our 9th day of trekking and so pushing through to Chaurikarka seemed like a good idea. Our bill at the lodge in Bupsa came to 1780 rupees and the host didn’t charge us for our rooms. He was also really kind in giving each of us white prayer scarfs to wish us a safe journey up to Gokyo Ri. We all decided we would leave them up there once we’d made it to the peak of our trek.

The highest point of the day came at Khari-La (2900m) and all the while we could spot our route as tea houses would crop up along the way. We also passed mani-walls and lot’s of prayer flags. We weren’t too far from the Lukla to Namche trekkers highway and so we were holding onto every moment we had on the paths before we met the busy pathways ahead.

In Puiyan we enjoyed an excellent lunch at one of the lesser known lodges, here we had what we jointly voted was the best ra-ra noodle soups to date plus we couldn’t help but lap up the fried eggs! Even Helen who isn’t an egg lover enjoyed one!

As we approached Chaurikarka it had been a really long day and we got there at around 5pm joined by a few other trekkers. We can’t remember the name of the guesthouse we stayed at but it’s at the top of the village past the Stupas and the Hilliary school. In fact right in front of the lodge is a sign on the pavement; down to Jiri onwards to Namche, also upon leaving the lodge to the left there is a Mani-gate so we hope this helps in identifying which lodge we stayed at, for anyone who’s interested! After dahl bat times 6 we enjoyed another early night in our cosy tea lodge.

• Day nine: Chaurikarka to Namche with a high point of 3446m

We were once again ready for a long day, leaving at just after 8am (most trekkers tend to up and leave at around 6-7am but we preferred to have breakfast and get ourselves ready before heading off). As we left the village we were hiking through village upon village, with pathways lined with mani-stones and walls. When we reached Cheplung we finally joined the Lukla to Namche highway which is the path most people take when they fly into Lukla and start their acclimatisation walks.

We had lunch in Phakding at the second lodge we came to on the left of the path, there is a nice outdoor seating area which always marks highly on our scores! By now the four of us seemed to be marking the standard of food in relation to the best meals we’d been enjoying along the way. We knew some awards would be given out at the end of the trek (hypothetically that is!). Dave and Joshua had been chatting pretty much all the way about food and so it deemed right to stop at this point. The Singapore lads passed us as we sat there, this time they had their friend with them who’d flown out to Lukla to join them for their trek to Everest Base Camp. It had been really nice bumping into them most days.

We had a good break for lunch and then continued onwards, stopping in Mondzo (Munjo) to buy a few choccie bars that we thought would help us out later on in the climb to Namche. We then passed the checkpoint had our names entered into the log book and we were suddenly in The Solo-Khumbu National Park. From here there is a steep downhill climb and several villages to pass through whilst criss-crossing over the rivers on large swing bridges. After leaving Jorsale there are no more villages until Namche.

There is a fantastic swing bridge taking you over from one side of the river to the other which then leads you into a really steep and dusty climb. This climb doesn’t stop until Namche Bazaar, and it is pretty relentless. Amata was struggling with a head cold and sore throat and so all the dust being blown up around didn’t help. Dave was on good form with his duct-tape socks but we all needed our little chocolate boost along the way. We also got our first real glimpse of Everest from an abandoned tea house in ruins. This last part of the climb is tough coming in from Chaurikarka and Helen felt it was the hardest day to date, the elevation in this section is around 800m or so.

The sight of Namche was welcomed indeed, we were just a little annoyed by all the steps and such getting into the village. Once we did there was some music playing from one of the many shops along the street and so Joshua and Helen broke out into a little celebratory dance, Amata filmed us and Dave just did a cool head nod! We opted to stay a little way out of the busy area of Namche at The Moonlight Lodge one of the higher lodges, which also meant more stair climbing. But it was worth it, Moonlight is a great lodge, the owners are helpful and the food was some of the best we’d had so far. Showers are on the pricey side at 300 rupees but it was a very hospitable place to be.

• Day 10 Namche rest day

We did very little on our rest day; washed clothes, showered and ate! We enjoyed the luxury of a coffee and hot chocolate as well as a danish pastry later on in the day. Amata was mainly trying to get over her cold, but all four of us were happy just to chill, read and chat in the Moonlight dining area. It was also a good place to check emails and stock up on a few essential snack items for the treks ahead of us (200rs for 30mins in an internet cafe). We decided to do an acclimatisation hike the next day to Thame sitting at 3800m and we wanted to stay there. This meant we could leave some gear behind at the lodge and make it a nice 2 day hike with a small load. Our final bill at the Moonlight Lodge came to 7450 rupees, this was our biggest and perhaps most indulgent bill to date!

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f2.0, 18mm f4, 90mm Tele-Elmarit f2.8 processed in Lightroom 3)

We got up early and made our way back to Timberline Lodge ready for our hike. There is free parking in the overflow carpark outside of ski-season so we took advantage of this. We took trail number 798 and the first part of the hike took us to the Silcox Hut this was only just over a mile but it was very steep and we reached over 6,950 ft (2,120 m) we had clear skies and again fantastic views down through the valley below.

There was a group of snow-boarders being filmed and setting up tricks and jumps for the day, very cool! We walked across the top of the path to the cable car station and then took the trail down to meet the Pacific Crest Trail, this first loop is only around 2.5 miles but the terrain is pretty hard going. When we reached the PCT we found a little station mapping out the area and when there we bumped into Ryan, his 2 year old daughter Corah and their energetic collie Gracey.

We instantly got chatting and he included us on his backcountry permit so we decided to hike with them for the rest of the morning. We’ve found people to be very helpful and informative in Oregon, never shy to  welcome us to their neighbourhood! This part of the trail goes through lush meadows and all the while Mt Hood towers above, we stopped at the Zig Zag river area, enjoyed and quick lunch and then turned around. On our way back we took part of the 798 trail back to the Lodge. A fantastic walk covering around 7 miles or so in distance with amazing views all the while, we thought this would be a great place to come back to in the winter.

The next part of our road trip continued and we made our way to Sisters, around 2.5 hours away. We left mountains and forest area and went straight into desert, all part of a USA road trip! When we got to Sisters we set up our tent in The City Park Campground, back to our $12 a night camping fees. When the camp host is off duty you have to call the town hall for the code to get into the showers, again the method of payment was through the honesty box.

We had a stroll around the town, a little like a stage set but and perhaps a sleepy place but it has a good choice of eateries and nearly every weekend there is some sort of festival taking place so we thought it would be more interesting during those times. Still we were happy in our little campground, enjoyed a good dinner with a decent bottle of wine, and the temperature was good until bedtime.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

We had an early start with showers, packing and breakfast at the hostel before meeting the rest of the group and our tour leader at 8am. In total there were 10 of us in our group with 6 lads and 4 lasses plus Eric who was to be our tour leader for the next 2 weeks, we knew from the start we would be in line for a few good laughs along the way. After introductions and a little bit of where we’re from and why we booked the trip, we collected our things and found the van, our solid companion for the next fortnight outside in the car-park. Another group led by Zak were also doing the same route as us for the first 2 weeks so we would be bumping into them along the way.

Our first day in the van was very long, we were in it for around 9 hours and with no head rests there was a lot of head bobbing going on. We took a few stops along the way including a grocery shop when we were an hour or so away from Wells Gray. The cooking teams were put together and along with both of us Marian joined us and we were cooking for the first night. Or rather it was grab some wraps, a roast chicken, bits of salad and so on.

For the first night in Wells Gray we stayed at a cowboy ranch with log cabins, not luxury one’s but basic wooden shack’s with benches and mats, we had access to showers and both groups were staying there. We cooked up our snacky dinner, and chatted before an early night. We had all arranged to go on an overnight canoe trip the next day.

The following morning we went on a hike to a nearby waterfall, it was a pretty dull day – our dullest yet having been spoilt with the fine weather! Following on from this we set off with an over night bag and met Fred who would be taking us on our canoe trip across Lake Clearwater . Both groups went out for the trip and when we arrived at the lake we found ourselves each a canoe, and packed in our gear, of which we had so much! But if you’ve got some big bits of tarp these canoe’s can really take some weight!

The journey over to the Island took around 2 hours and it was a little chilly. When we arrived we set up camp and began the fire and BBQ. This consisted of lots of sausages, some salad and veggies along with quite a few beers going around and finally marsh mellows and s’mores. Some of us ended the night light painting on the beach and others took a guided midnight canoe with Fred. This was our first night in bear territory so we packed our snacks and toiletries in the bear bins provided around camp.

Up fairly early the next day and after packing down our tents and eating breakfast most of the group went on a 2 hour steep hike up to the peak above where we spent the night. The views at the top were very rewarding and we could view all the way down the lake and across to the surrounding mountains. We chatted to Fred a fair bit along the trek and the night before learning about the park and the wildlife that inhabits the area. The canoe back to mainland was beautiful, and far warmer and sunnier than the previous day. We canoed back at a record pace which we think must have been wind assisted. When we got back to the dock we packed up, but the boats away and went back to the cowboy ranch. As we were back in record time we had an extra hour or so to explore some nearby crashing rivers and waterfalls in the area, the waterfall being the 4th largest drop in Canada!

For our last night at the ranch and after some well-earned showers we all ate to the restaurant at the ranch which was fairly over-priced and not very satisfying. Dave and I felt we didn’t have much choice on the food option as ‘everyone’ was eating there and there are no other places to eat in the area, we could have set up the stoves but this would have been food from the kitty, so we decided to share one vegetarian meal for the same price as the meat option which was $20! The service was pretty poor so with a 10% service fee plus 12% tax we felt ripped off even though we only had one meal between us! The lads were even more unimpressed with the portion sizes. Most people felt this place was a bit of a tourist trap and perhaps unnecessary for Intrepid to use.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)