TREKKING WITH TERESA
TREK REPORT – February/March 07
Hi there folks!
Just landed in Germany after seven weeks of trekking in the
Annapurnas and the Everest regions. Late spring snow brought
some new challenges this season but I like to think those of
us facing the odd blizzard, handled it well and found out
something about ourselves in the process.
ANAPURNA TREK
My
first group was all women (again). Joyce and Anne are from
Melbourne, Blanche is from Perth (our first Perth customer),
Rikki is from Apollo Bay (our third customer from this
little village by the sea) and lastly Robin, who lives just
outside Geelong and has previously trekked with me to the
Everest region. I travelled up to KTM with this group and we
arrived to a clear sunny day with a light sprinkling of snow
on the nearby hills and a lama dancing puja under the big
canopy at the BPD Monastery. Like me, Robin felt instantly
‘at home’. Our bus trip to Pokhara went really smoothly;
with no Maoist activities on the road these days it only
takes 6.5 hours. All the porters were at the bus depot to
meet us and everyone was soon comfortably at home at the
Lake Diamond. Shopping was mainly for trekking gear –
rucksacks, daypacks, fleeces and jackets, a few walking
sticks, etc. Joyce probably broke the shopping records with
her haul of lovely shawls from Dinesh’s all too wonderful
collection.
Our first day was cool, ideal walking weather and all
trekked well. Blanche was slow but steady and I knew, even
at this early stage, that we would all be fine. The second
day is a tough climb and everyone was happy to sit around
the big stove at Banthanti – a little whisky didn’t hurt
either. Our climb up to Gorepani was different. We hit the
snowline half an hour after we set off. After lunch it got
decidedly wet and slushy but the rhododendrons cloaked in
snow were stunning. Gorepani loomed out of the mist around 4
pm, much to the relief of the back-markers. As usual we hit
the dance-floor pretty hard that night. A couple of extra
hands were hired next morning to help us get down the steep
stairs below Gorepani – much harder than usual with a foot
of snow on them. Sikha, as usual, had no electricity but the
boys improvised some music with a tabla drum, clapping and
singing and we soon had a few new moves shown us by Joyce
who had been practising with the locals during the afternoon
when we came across a ‘first rice eating’ party in a small
village. People here celebrate when a baby takes its first
solid food.
By now the group was beginning to find 
their
own trekking rhythm so our little group would string out
along the trail between food and drink stops. At Ghar Khola
I was surprised to find the big bridge closed due to
road-works on the far bank. Instead, we trekked along the
East bank of the Kali Gandaki for half an hour to a little
temporary bamboo bridge into Tatopani. Folks disappeared to
the hot springs pretty quickly and consequently looked
pretty flash for dinner that night. A hair-wash and a clean
t-shirt rendered most of us unrecognizable. Next day, our
rest day, was a dream of cinnamon rolls with coffee in bed,
a stroll to the shops for chockie bars, phone connections to
the outside world and then another trip to the hot springs.
A shared nightcap was a fitting end as we made some new
international friends.
The trip up to Ghasa is always long and hard in one day from
Tatopani but, with an early start and a pre-ordered lunch we
made it easily – all in before 4.15. Blanche has really got
the hang of it now and hiked from Kopchepani to the Pairo
Taopolo tea shop in under an hour. A lot of fitter, tougher
types would be proud of that statistic! A great lodge, The
Eagle Nest lived up to its reputation as we chatted through
the evening with new friends Lars, Carlos, Gao and Marine.
The
trek up to Kalopani seemed easy after yesterday’s big
effort. Sweetie’s baby had to be seen to be believed. Huge
head, kohl-rimmed eyes and wearing a truly hideous bonnet.
What could we say except ‘oh, how adorable!’. Joyce was
knocked over by a donkey on the way but survived unhurt.
I walked back the ten minutes to the KGH for a phone call
but no joy. It had snowed throughout the evening and the
silence was exquisite. Crunchy underfoot, completely dark
with a slight pht, pht, pht of gentle snowfall. Scored a
bottle of Bagpiper – finest Indian malt, so it wasn’t a
complete waste of time. Combined with a ‘hot table’ it went
down well. Those Neerim South gals who introduced me to the
wickedness of whisky and coke last season have a lot to
answer for!!
The morning at Kalopani was one of the most beautiful I’ve
ever seen on trek. Completely blanketed in snow the
landscape shone in bright morning sunshine. Travelling on
the newly made road on the West bank of the river the views
back to the Annapurnas and up behind us to Daulaghiri were
truly ‘awesome’. You will redefine your use of the word
‘awesome’ once you see some of this Himalayan scenery.
The
village of Tukche never fails to impress with its
white-washed houses, carved wooden windows and ‘juliet’
balconies hanging over the narrow street. We managed a brief
but stunning view of the peaks in the moonlight before
turning in.
The walk into Jomsom was uneventful, no sign of the crappy
weather waiting for us that night. We awoke to fairly steady
snow and held a brief post-breakfast pow-wow to rethink our
itinerary in light of the new conditions. Thinking that the
possibility of flights would get slimmer with every hour of
snow we decided to trek back down and out through Beni. As
it turned out this was quite possibly the worst day of
trekking ever! That’s what it says in my diary. Once the
snow stopped it was replaced with a cold driving rain,
pushed into our faces by a howling gale coming straight at
us. In an hour and a half we made it to Marpha and it took
about two hour to recover; one to thaw out and one to eat
some hot soup and hot chocolate. We decided to tough it out
to Tukche as it would give us a shot at Ghasa the next day.
Arriving in Tukche cold and wet our hosts were great and
soon had charcoal braziers fired up under the washing lines
of jackets and pants spread out all over the dining room. It
worked; we set out next day in dry gear and none the worse
for our experience. Apart from the mental scars that is! And
no complaints – that’s what I call a team!
I
enjoyed the trek down to Ghasa but some of the crew was
tiring due to the harsh conditions the day before. Motor
bikes were soon called into service and Rikki, Joyce and
Blanche were whisked away to the relative comforts of the
Eagle Nest. I did hear reports of having to get off to walk
across the muddier sections but, having walked the whole
way, I was probably not that sympathetic.
Our decent to Tatopani was magic. Clear, sunny and warm –
just what the doctor ordered. From thermal underwear to
sun-cream in less than 24 hours. Cleaned up in Tatopani.
Especially
the boys who had indulged in the Holi festival.
The walk out from Tatopani is very pretty and almost flat. A
couple of difficult ridges (see opening shot of Blanche) and
we arrived in Tiplyang by eleven. After a quick cuppa I
commandeered a jeep – very scary but so efficient. Weaving
through donkeys and then hanging over the edge of the river
bank. Joined forces with a small band of Israelis to take
the local bus all the way to Pokhara. A long drive but it
got us back onto our original schedule despite the blizzard.
Within
hours of arriving back in Pokhara we were clean and heading
for the shops in fresh clothes. Serious shopping too, lots
of shawls, scarves, jewellery and the odd souvenir. After a
leisurely recovery day in Pokhara we enjoyed the bus trip
back to Kathmandu – no work to do, just sit back and watch
the countryside whiz by. Staying in Thamel at the Norbu
Linka was very handy for shopping and there was plenty of it
done. Anne bought great jewellery for her daughters and
everyone liked the fixed price wholesale store. Many
delicious meals were consumed at the ‘Weasel’, like that
Nepali classic ‘spinach and mushroom cannelloni’. The only
serious problem on departure was just how much luggage these
people had. I taxied back to Thamel and collapsed in my bed
with my usual comforts – a huge bar of Swiss chocolate and a
clear phone connection to the outside world – courtesy of
Mero Mobile.
EVEREST TREK
The
Everest group seemed to arrive moments after the Annapurnas
group left. The flight was delayed but since all the clients
had overnighted in Bangkok they were in good shape.
We had Barbara from Perth, Kristen and Craig from Melbourne
and Heather from Tamworth who trekked with me 3 years ago in
the Annapurnas. Our first day in Kathmandu was rainy so we
rescheduled the trek briefing for the morning. This group is
the best I’ve had at grasping ‘A Few Words of Nepali’. After
an afternoon of shopping for gear (some very nice jackets
were in evidence) we dined in while waiting for enough
electricity to do our packing.
The flight to Lukla got away at 8 am and after half an hour
of spectacular mountain scenery, Lukla airstrip loomed below
us – an incredibly small target. Cold at first, a big brekky
at the Sunny Garden was very welcome after our early start.
There were serious doubts about Kancha’s flight arriving so
we set off with a stand-in. We needn’t have worried, he soon
caught us up and, with Dorje as Guide, Lahar as Number 2,
Bir and Dhan made up the team. Barbara shot out of the
starting gate like a rocket, and some of us didn’t catch her
till we arrived at Phakding. This was a fairly easy first
day so we trekked over to the old gompa across the river
after a hearty lunch. This is really scenic countryside,
little farms, buffaloes, new calves, fruit trees in blossom
and tantalising glimpses of Kussum Kangaru. Our first night
on trek is always a challenge – narrow beds, thin
mattresses, and the eerie silence of NO TRAFFIC AT ALL!
Next
day started fine and clear. Easy trekking here along a
beautiful river bank. Dorje’s choice of lodge at Jorsale
turned out to be a shocker. After spotting a huge rat in the
bathroom upon arrival we decided to decamp to the very posh
Nirvana Lodge just one hundred metres up the road. Great
move. Big beds, clean linen, spotless house, great bathroom,
fine food, lovely Bhutanese didi – we will definitely stay
here again.
So, the big day arrives, the climb up to Namche Bazaar.
Heather and I paced ourselves but still arrived in good
shape just after lunch. The nice rooms at the Everest Hotel
with attached bathrooms were put to good use as were the
phone and internet services of this huge village.
Only Barbara fancied the day-walk out to Thamo so, after a
quick schlep up to the viewpoint to see the big peaks
(Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Thamserku) we set out in warm,
clear sunshine. As usual, this was a lovely day out with a
delicious daal-bhat at the Maya Lodge and a visit to the Ani
gompa. Found another beaut old Tibetan cooking pot – just
what I need?
Onwards to Kangzuma. An easy day so no need to start
early. New trek pants for Barbara and a new jacket for Bir.
We are looking good. The view from this lodge is unmatched.
Thamserku just glows into your bedroom window at sunset and
the hospitality at the Ama Dablam lodge is legendary.
Exquisite sunset.
Next
day saw us heading down to Phunki Tenga early. A bit of
extra breakfast to help us climb up to Thangboche. The new
trail is no easier than the old one (steeper in places). The
bakery was closed and, as it was only lunchtime, we decided
to push on to Pangboche. This took longer than expected due
to the snowy trail between Thangboche and Devouche. I found
it rather fun in the snow and ice but soon realised this joy
was not universally shared. Taking so long to make Pangboche
really tired us out and everyone opted for a very early
night. Met Brad from Karratha who had recently climbed Ama
Dablam (yep, the one in the picture above). Our ascent to
Dingboche next day was much easier because we had knocked
off the hardest climb on the previous afternoon. Heather
opted to return to the Ama Dablam lodge – I may have
mentioned that their hospitality is legendary. 4000 metres
is quite enough for some people. After a long sunny break at
Somare and Tsuro we are in Dingboche by midday. Barbara
found our lollygagging a bit restrictive and opted to get
going with Bir at her own, faster pace.
The morning broke clear and sunny, ideal at this altitude
for a longish walk up to Chukung. Barbara is trekking
downhill today and will catch up with Heather, then us, at
Kumjung.
So,
reduced to a posse of six, we headed up the long, slight
incline to Chukung at 4760. A tea-break baking in the
high-altitude sun almost put us to sleep but we powered on
and were soon ordering an outdoor lunch of soup and potatoes
in the shelter of a lodge. It clouded over during lunch and
we thought it best to make our move sooner rather than later
– just as well. I reckon 10 – 15 centimeters of snow fell on
the way back. By the time I staggered into the lodge last,
having followed my nose down the wrong trail for half an
hour, I was covered in snow. Being well kitted-out for this
type of weather, we all thoroughly enjoyed it – certainly
makes a change from Australia!
Next
morning broke fine and clear with a glistening blanket of
snow over the entire valley. The sun soon melted a dry track
up to the stupa where the views were stunning. The snowy
weather the previous day had taken every particle of dust
from the air so it really was crystal-clear. After a brief
pause to enjoy we headed down. The villages flew by, cup of
tea at Tsuro, lunch at Pangboche, more tea at Devouche then
down, down, down to Phunki Tenga. Always cosy here, we met a
Korean couple who had lost their porters. Luckily, they
didn’t lose them for long (a navigational error perhaps).
Big spud dinner, cards around the fireplace and a large
(they had no small) bottle of whisky. Heaven. We’ve earned
this.
Climbed
fairly easily back up to Kangzuma (we are fit now). After a
long leisurely lunch we took the little short-cut up to
Kumjung. It was very, very muddy! Kumjung was almost lost in
the mist but we went for a quick look at the Yeti skull in
the monastery before we left. Namche always looms very
suddenly over the hill when you take this direct path. A
knee-crunching descent down the little trail had us back in
our original rooms at the Everest Hotel in time for a late
lunch.
Descending
to Phakding next day was a breeze – nice strong legs now and
loads of oxygen in the air. Heather joined the boys for
daal-bhat at the Nirvana, Barbara and I lunched at the
Kailash in Monjo and we didn’t see Kristen and Craig for
dust till we got into the lodge around 5 pm. They had been
there for hours. These are very nice, kind lodge operators
who make us feel very welcome, even in the kitchen – well,
it’s warmer in there. The lodge owner’s big, shiny, new
boom-box was all we needed to start dancing – Heather and
Barbara seemed to get the hang of the local folk dancing
pretty easily. It’s a fairly easy walk back to Lukla, if you
don’t forget about the climb up for the last half-hour.
Heather and I were the slow-coaches, stopping for a rather
substantial lunch on the way. Very snug, eating in the
kitchen. Back in Lukla we visited Bir’s family and then set
about having a little fun. There’s a well-stocked bar at the
Sunny Garden lodge and we soon hit it hard and cranked up
the music soon afterwards. Where did Rajesh find Credence
Clearwater Revival??? It was very hard to say goodbye to our
lovely porters next morning. No drama with the return flight
and we all grabbed a seat on the right side of the little
plane.
Kathmandu was warm and sunny which made shopping and
sightseeing to Bodanath very pleasant.
As
I wasn’t returning to Australia it was hard to say goodbye.
I’m writing this in the spring sunshine of far north-east
Germany – seems like another world. I’ve got a great big St
Bernard dog sitting on my feet and a walk in the green woods
planned for later in the day. Still, I’m on the internet
most days, and planning to return to Australia before next
season looms too close. So, if you’ve just read this report
and think this is a trip you would like to make why not
email me at teresadidi@slowtrekking.com or have a look at the website at www.slowtrekking.com.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Cheers!
Teresa (didi)
Phone: 061 03 9315 9617 or email teresadidi@slowtrekking.com or vonschwichtenberg@gmail.com
