Melanie and Steve, Around the World in _

Posted 2:04 AM by MelanieandSteve
Tobai La Costusa (how are you?) Sun Chay Cho (I'm fine) Dhanay Bad (thank you.)

Still from Nepal, back in the city. Since our last Entry, we have completed an unforgettable 20 day Trek through the Himalayas reaching heights over 18,000 feet (highest in the continental U.S., for reference, are 14,500). We figure we covered around 200 Kilometers/120 miles of highs and lows, warms and colds, adventures and challenges, and times that added up to some of the best 20 days of our travels so far.

SUMMARY: Our Trek lasted from 30 March to 19 April in the Sagarmatha National Park(Sagarmatha is Nepalese for Mt. Everest. Chombolomo is the Tibetan name.) This kind of a trek was not your relaxing snoozy vacation meant for sipping cool drinks with colorful umbrellas stuck in them - it was Not for everyone -- but it was Definitely for us.

CHALLENGES that various people on our trek faced included steep hills, illnesses, altitude effects, sleepless nights, cold snowy camping conditions, meatless diets.

LUXURIES included having porters to carry our heaviest supplies and sherpas to bring us tea and warm washing water in the mornings as well as hot meals in the day and providing a great source of information on safe and beautiful trekking.

ALTITUDE: The altitude throughout the trek ranged from 2652m/8403.5 feet to 5545m/18,187.6 feet)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: We covered 3 major high passes (Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo), 3 Base Camps of notable mountains (Amu Dablam, Kongma La, and Everest), and we summitted 2 minor peaks with awe inspiring views of Everest and other High Peaks (Kala Patar and Gogyo Ri.) We covered approximately 200 Kilometers / 120 miles in distance counting the ups and downs, the curves, and the day hikes not reflected on our itinerary.

SLEEPING CONDITIONS: We slept 13 nights in lodges, most without running water, no showers, and definitely no hot tap, sleeping in sleeping bags in sweet small twin bedrooms. And we spent 7 of our highest elevation nights camping in tents, usually in the cold and falling snow (several of our fellow Australian travellers had never seen snow, what a way to get initiated), and often lieing awake for hours without much sleep due to the thin air at high altitudes.

STAGGERING VIEWS: We got acquainted with the views of some of the worlds highest and most dramatic mountains, we saw and hiked over one of the worlds largest glaciers as well as seeing, touching, and admiring several more beautiful, smaller, and less notable glaciers.

GOOD READING AND WATCHING: As usual, movies and books about areas we visit
add color and meaning to the places we see.
-----This is the land of Siddhartha Gouthama, Buddha. (his birth place)
What better place to read Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" but in their mountains.
-----Also what better place to read Anatoli Boukreev's "The Climb" About his
experiences in the 1996 Summit Expedition and other experiences thereafter.
-----Before this trip, we read two other versions of the 1996 expedition:
Krakour's "Into Thin Air" and Weathers' "Left for Dead." (forgive misspellings)
-----A little belated, read Steven King's "Hearts in Atlantis" to give some depth into
Vietnam War America, to follow up on our Cambodia and Vietnam visits.
-----Watched David Breshears Imax movie "Everest" and plan to see "Himalaya"
and "Kundun" on our porto DVD. Love to mix entertainment w/education.

PEOPLE ALWAYS MAKE THE TRIP: Our journeys brought us into contact with interesting and diverse people from all over the world.

-----At Everest Base Camp, we made friends with the support staff as well as one of the actual summiters from this years Malaysian Team climbing Everest. Ed, Yusri, Fauzan, Rafi, Prof. Dr. Anuar Suun, and Matt and the others welcomed us into their camp. Fauzan showed us pictures of himself in a hard bound book depicting his successful summit of Everest in 1997. Rafi came back from his all day climb from Base Camp through the trecherous Khumbu Ice Fall to Everest Camp I and back as an acclimatization hike in preparation for his May summit attempt. We met him at the base of the notorious Khumbu Ice Fall. Yusri took us into the team tent and offered us Malaysian Green Tea which really hit the spot after a long day of hiking just to get there. And the whole team welcomed us so warmly, took our pictures, and offered us gifts of friendship including baseball hats of their university in Malaysia, Power Bar goo (since the team is being sponsored by Power Bar) and a commemorative book mark of this year's attempt. Meeting this team was one of our favorite experiences of the trek. And we hope to keep in touch with some of the members.

-----Other Summiters we met include 1) Ted, the Scott we met trekking on the way back from base camp. He was holding a microphone and singing scottish folk music into it as he hiked. He will be climbing with the well known Henry Todd expedition this year and was in the middle of writing a book about Everest. 2) The Greek Team, 3) an Australian Summiter Hopeful, 4) An American hopeful from Berkeley CA, [and 5) we didn't spend much time with them, but a Russian Team attempting the summit from the less common North Face stayed at our hotel with us in the days before our trek - - not to mention they partied like there was no tomorrow.]

-----Porters/Supermen: On the trails of the Everest Region, there are no roads and no motor vehicles. There are basically two ways that supplies get where they need to go: Yaks and Porters. Porters are the more common. These are Nepali people with the will power and ability to do what most none of us could or would want to do. They stack boxes and luggage, bottles and foods on their back, sometimes several feet above their heads. They don't use backpacks in the conventional sense, they use baskets that rest on their backs but hang only by a strap across their forehead. Most people's necks would bend under the pressure. These people not only lift the stuff, but they are able to balance on rocky, uncomfortalbe terrain without the luxury of being able to turn their head to even look at things. Sometimes we see them running, and often they don't even have hiking boots, but flimsy flip flops. And more amazingly, they always remain in a good mood. They always wish us a "namaste" when passing, they gladly accept snack food when offered since they don't dare carry the weight of their own, and they are always smiling - especially when we pass them as they stop for a rest (usually still standing, but leaning the weight of their baskets backwards onto a walking stick that they carry for just that purpose.) These are the unspoken heroes of Everest.

-----Met Dr. Brian, a professor from America taking a sebatical in Nepal for the purpose of writing a book about it. Political issues gaining momentum during these times make such a book more stimulating, and his knowledge from research in the area offered us a lot of insight into the real Nepal.

-----Fellow Peregrine Trekkers: While our actual group of trekkers was officially eleven, we spent a great deal of time meeting up with another group of 10 making 21 fun and adventurous people hanging out with similar goals and interests. Add to that our amazing, fun, longevitous Sherpas, Porters, and Two admirable guides,and we had a group of really fun people. Most fellow trekkers came from Australia and New Zealand. A couple came from the UK. We were the only Americans.

-----After the Trek, at The Rum Doodle (the restaurant all or most Summiters visit to get their "Everest Summiter's Club Card", good for free meals for life), Melanie loved meeting and talking to an Essex England man who summitted Everest last year and returned this year to summit the 18K feet Kala Patar with his 80 year old (but you'd never know it) father and 20 year old daughter. Afterward, all three took a plunge off one of the world's highest Bungy Jumps, 160 meters. What interesting and friendly people to spend some time with. We hope we're just as young-hearted and adventurous at 80.
-----At Gorak Shep, Steve met James, the UC San Francisco Medical Student at the forefront of Altitude Sickness Research. Steve was glad to get results from a free blood oxygen test as well as eye pressure test which indicated nearly sea level adjustment to altitude. Both of us adjusted to altitude well throughout the whole trip.

WEATHER PATTERNS: We got acquainted with patterns in the weather early on, and we tried to plan our hikes around them. Usually the mornings were sunny and calm. The afternoons tended to get cloudy, cool, and often windy. Anatoli Boukreev explained this pattern in his book "The Climb" which we both read on the mountain. At the tops of the mountains are apexes of long river valleys. Increase in daytime termperatures condenses the moisture in the valleys and this moves naturally up the gorges to the summits so in the afternoons you can always expect come clouds around the summit. This often spread to where we were. We tried to do most of our heavy and long hiking during the still a.m. hours. We did not have troubles with thunder and lightning storms like we have experienced in the 14000 foot mountains in the states.

HIGHLIGHTS: PUDDLE JUMPERS, PATHS, AND PRAYER FLAGS:

-----Puddle Jumpers: In and Out of the Everest Region we took a 20-seater plane between Kathmandu and Lukla. The planes had a super fast turn-around: they landed, the arriving passengers filed off, and the departing passengers immediately filed on and somewhere in the few minutes span, someone loaded their bags into the nooks and crannies of the craft. There was no safety video or speach, and no one even reminded us to buckle up, but we did anyway. The one stuardess struggled to get through the luggage crouded single isle to offer us each a sweet lolly (sucker) for the flight. Once up in the air, the plane offered us some of the most incredible views of the Himalayas. It would fly quite close to some of the mountains and the turbulence kept us awake, as if we'd ever sleep through those intense breathtaking landscapes. And the drama of the flight was accentuated by the very unique landing on the super steep runway in Lukla. The runway seemed to be at about a 20 degree slant and came at us like a surprising brick wall for the landing. On the way home, the steep downhill take off as we dropped off into the valley below Lukla was just as much of an experience.

-----Paths: The main trails through the Everest Region were spotted with darling villages of guesthouses and restaurants. This was reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, dramatic mountains populated with tiny farms and living places. But Switzerland has guesthouses of wood. Here they are stone. Switzerland has cows, Nepal has Yaks. Both wear bells so they seemed a lot alike, but the Yak horns are a little more threatening as they passed close by on the tight trails. More off-the-beaten tracks, there were no villages or Yaks and we felt like we were really getting out there.

-----Prayer Flags and the Pavlovian Response: The Peaks or other Significant Destinations in the Himalays are always marked by Colorful, wind tattered, welcome Tibetan Prayer Flags - usually 20 or more are strung along a twine that is attached to two carrons on top of the hill or peak. When you climb for hours, you pass several "false peaks", or places where your perspective leads you to believe you are almost to the top, but when you get there, you realize that you've still got a long way to go. But when you see the prayer flags, you know it's not a "false peak." Those colorful flags began to be such a welcome sight and caused an instant feeling of happiness, a lot like the bell for the pavlovian dog.

THE TRIP, THE ITINERARY, WHERE WE WENT: What follows is the day by day itinerary of where we went and stayed each night including dates and altitudes. Every place was Special. Those who have read some of the more popular the Everest expedition Books like "Into Thin Air," "Left for Dead", or "The Climb" may recognize several of these stopping points from their expedition to the Tallest Mountain in the World. We were there during this same time of year.

---30 March: Lukla (2827m / 9272.5 ft) - (Lodges)
---30 March: Phakding (2652m / 8698.5 ft) (Lodges)
---31 March: Monjo (2835m / 9298.8 ft) (Lodges)
---1 April - 2 April: Namche Bazar (3440m / 11,283.2 ft) (Lodges)
1 April, we had our first view of Everest from the Ground. Also, our first hot
shower - Toss up which felt better.
Largest town on the Mt. w/trading, shopping, museums and weekend markets.
Last closest thing to civilization - to Stock up on necessities like chocolate.
---3 April: Tengboche (3860m / 12660.8 ft) (Lodge): visit monastary & friendly monk
---4 April: Pangboche (3930m / 12890.4 ft) (Lodge): Oldest Monastary,
Monastery is former home of famous Yeti Paw
(Yeti is like Nepal's answer to Western world's Abominable Snowman)
---5 April: Amu Dablam Base Camp (4575m / 15,006 ft) (Tents / Snow)
w/day hike higher.
When Mel hiked along for a bit, she met a Basque (North of Spain) group of
Amu Dablam Summit Hopefuls which included a previous successful Everest
Summiter. Amu Dablam is a little lower than Everest but more Aesthetic and
perhaps a more technically challenging climb.
We also enjoyed meeting two families with among the youngest trekkers in
the mountains. The Blakes and Perrys from Australia were amazingly hiking
with their whole families including kids as young as 7. These kids really knew
how to do it. Acclimatized well, drank their water, kept up, and were great
conversationalists. Mel was inspired.
---6 April: Dingboche (4410m / 14,464.8 ft) (Lodge)
---7 April: Lhangbo (4760m / 15,612.8 ft) (Snow / Tents) w/day hike just below 5K.
---8 April: Kongma La Base Camp via the Pass (5415m / 17,761.2 ft)
Mel took a p.m. hike alone higher up to a glacier perched on the canyon wall.
Steve hiked around the camp admiring the rocks and minerals of the region
The rocks around here sparkle like silver and gold.
This was our first crossing of a pass, and the magic of coming into the view
on the other side filled your soul.
---9 April: HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY TO US: Lobuje (4930m / 16,170.4 ft)
(snow / tents)
Steve blew up colorful balloons and tied them like prayer flags to his backpack
to celebrate our anniversary. Hiking down from the pass, he looked like
he could lift off and float away.
This trip was our anniversary gift to each other. The Best Gift.
---10 April: Gorak Shep (5140m / 16,859.2 ft) (Lodges)
and Everest Base Camp (5364m / 17,593.9 ft.)
This was one of our favorite days. See above for our fun meeting summiters
and other interesting people
Yusri took us out to see the famous Khumbu Ice Fall just above Base Camp.
We enjoyed gift exchanges with the Malaysian team: Lollies from us
and Souveniers from them.
Saw and Heard Two major Avalanches - the rumble is like thunder, the view
is like an instant cumulous cloud erupting down the mountain.
Very Moving!
Saw a Helicopter on the glacier that wrecked last year - slowly moving down
the hill along with the glacier.
---11 April: Kala Patar (5545m / 18,187.6 ft), our highest point of trek
and then to Dzongla (4843m / 15,885 ft) (tents and snow)
and a chocolate Easter Egg from Darryn to celebrate the high occasion.
---12 April: Over Cho La Pass (5330m / 17,482.4 ft) to Dragnag (Tents - warmer)
Melanie thought this was one of the most beautiful passes she's hiked.
(Steve's favorite was Kongma La earlier).
The pass was white with snow cover, lined with brown rocks, centered with
a glacial lake, and flanked by a dramatic ice blue glacier. There were
brown rocks covered with a thin transparent layers of ice like a glass
window that was slowly melting in the sun. Through the glass layer,
we could watch the drops of water run down the rock flattened by the
sheat of ice above. It looked like a fountain that a high-end New York
architect might design for a world expo building or a five star hotel.
Nature is the best artist.
---13 - 14 April: Gokyo (4790m / 15,711.2 ft) (Lodges) :
Mel hiked alone to nearby ridge which sharply divided the lush Gokyo valley
from the dry scree filled glacial valley and teal lakes on the other side.
On the 14th, we all got up early to summit "Gokyo Ri" mountain
(5360m / 17580.8 ft). A long, rewarding summit with amazing Everest
vistas from the Prayer Flags at the top.
Steve and Mel hiked around Gokyo Lake after descending Gokyo Ri, and Steve
boldly did what no other man or woman had any interest in even
thinking about doing: Taking a PLUNGE in the lake. COLD.
Renewing his membership in the "Alpine Dippers Club."
Never too much hiking in these beautiful parts, after lunch, Mel
circumnavigated Gokyo lake in a peaceful trek by herself.
---15 April: Over Renjo Pass (5465m / 17925.2 ft) to begin our descent of the trek
Camping in Marlung (tents, warmer).
This was our steepest up hill day of the trek. But Renjo pass held it's own
rewards in fabulous views and in the knowledge we'd accomplished
the last of our big goals successfully.
Though a little sad to be heading down the hill, the views and trekking
actually seemed to get even better as we headed into forested terrain
smelled the first and pines, appreciated the rotodendrun forests bursting
with hot pink, and saw the wild Iris lining the ground - all contrasted by
the bold white mountains above.
---16 April: Namche Bazar again (3440m / 11283.2 ft) (Lodge)
Like Coming home. Back to the Big Village of the Mountain.
Running Water in the lodge - a luxury, albeit cold. Warmth. Shopping. Comfort.
---17 April: Phakding (2610m / 8560.8) (Lodge)
---18 April: Lukla (2840m / 9315.2 ft) (Lodge)
With Goodbyes and Huge Thank You's to our Porters and Sherpas who
were truly Awesome.
---19 April: Flight down that Steep Runway back to Kathmandu. (Still here)
A couple days of Mellow and Business in Kathmandu and recuperation.
Nice to have hot showers and good restaurants.
Still figuring out what is the best path for us to our next destination.
But we do have some exciting ideas.
Nepal is very special.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO:
-Angela C: Thought of you from Kongma La
-Happy Anniversary to us: Thought of ourselves from Lobuje.
-Bob P: Loved Celebrating your birthday as one of our favorite days:
at Everest Base Camp.
-Mindy R.: You'd have loved Gokyo as much as any other day of the trip. The lake
was dark green and the lake view lodge was relaxing and warm.
Thought of you and how much you would have loved it.
-Hunter S.: One of our Highest points was Your Birthday. Literally. Renjo Pass.
-Sage: Ah, back in the comforts of Kathmandu. Thought of you when we were back
in comfy shorts and sandals relaxing. Happy Bday.
-Ryan and Kieren: Great to spend your Birthdays with you. Multiple Celebrations.
-Dan C: Your birthday is today. I gotta get off this computer and go out to
celebrate it.

Happy Birthday soon to Nick P, Billie Bee, Dave W, Laura T