May 11, 2014 - May 23, 2014 - Everest Base Camp Trekking
For safety and efficiency reasons I did this tour through an agency but it’s relatively easy to trek alone and hire guides/porters, book lodges, and rent gear along the way. I’ve highlighted and italicized what I would have done had I trekked solo vs. group.
Background: Pre-booked, group trekking trip to Everest Base Camp through Intrepid Travel. There were fifteen people in our group in addition to one lead guide and four assistants. Seven porters, arranged by the guides, carried our bags between lodges. The trek took six days up to Everest Base Camp and four days back down to Lukla.
Kathmandu / Pre-Departure Activities: The day prior to the trip I picked up a 20L daypack, Nalgene water bottles, Diamox (for altitude sickness prevention), and Aquatabs (water purification). We had a long (three hours) and expensive (2300R / ~$23) team dinner. It was a traditional, six course Nepalese meal but was similar to Indian cuisine - curry and rice based. I had thermals, fleece, down sleeping back, and boots - the other items I needed, a down jacket and trekking poles, I picked up in Namche Bazar.
I also purchased cough drops and other cold remedy supplies in Kathmandu and refilled in Namche. At some point on the trip - whether someone in your group gets sick or from the dry air - you will likely develop a cough.
I had sunscreen and lip balm from an earlier trip.
To Lukla: 6 am hotel departure to Kathmandu Domestic Airport. The flights leave early in the morning and make as many back and forth trips between Kathmandu and Lukla that are needed and possible before the afternoon clouds settle in. The flight lasts about 45 minutes. The landing (and taking) in Lukla is quite memorable - be sure to sit near the front of the plane so that you can look through the cockpit. The runway is at a 15 degree angle which helps the plane slow down before reaching a mountain wall.
Everest Base Camp Trail:
DAY 1 - Phakding - Group breakfast at Khumbu Resort in Lukla followed by a three hour, mostly downhill hike to Phakding. We arrived in Lukla around 9am. We flew Tara Air from Kathmandu on a 20 seat prop plane. It was a bit cloudy on the flight so there weren’t too many views of the Himalayas on the left side of the plane. It was strange to look out the window and see green and trees next to you instead of blue sky and clouds. The Lukla airport is built into the mountain and I peered through the cockpit window as we approached the runway - easily the most exhilarating landing ever.
Lukla’s a little smaller than Namche Bazar. There are quite a few coffee shops and bars to kill time before your departing flight. You can rent gear and hire guides/porters in Lukla.
If you are travelling alone, either pack very light and carry your own gear, or hire a guide and/or porter in Lukla. It’s also possible to hire a guide and/or porter in Namche Bazar. The porter’s daily rate is about $15 but may be slightly higher if you have a heavy bag. Be sure to agree to the route in Lukla - if you’re a strong hiker it’s possible to make the trip back down a day earlier and complete the roundtrip in nine days instead of ten. Most guides will spend the ninth day in Phakding but Phakding is an easy two hour hike to Lukla on the way back, thus it’s not necessary to spend an extra day here.
The trail on the first day was mostly a stone pathway that connected several small Sherpa Villages. We arrived in Phakding in time for an early afternoon lunch. After lunch the group went for a short, one-hour hike up to a school but I went and hung out in Reggae Bar.
You could hike farther than Phakding on Day One - especially if you arrive early in the morning but you may encounter some acclimation issues if you hike all the way to Namche Bazar. There are several villages beyond Phakding that have lodges.
DAY 2 - Namche Bazar - Seven hour hike from Phakding to Namche Bazar - elevation gain of about 800 meters - 2600 meters to 3400 meters. The first part of this hike was relatively easy but after lunch we climbed about 300 meters and crossed a suspension bridge traversing a river 200 meters below. There was a very strong wind - I grabbed ahold of my hat when I crossed the bridge.
Shortly after the town of Monjo we passed through the Sagarmantha National Park entrance. The park fee was $10 and a passport size photo was attached to a park pass listing the entry and departure dates.
Namche (and most other mountain towns) faces west to capture the afternoon sun. There were tons of lodges in Namche but relatively few restaurants and three bars. Namche is a good place to rent a down jacket and other items - around 200R per item, per day. I was able to rent a new “North Face” down jacket for 1600R and bought two trekking poles for 1200R. Namche is the last place were its “safe” to eat meat - I had a yak steak dinner.
DAY 3 - Namche Bazar - “Rest” Day and Acclimization hike around Namche Bazar. We took a short walk to a “museum” which did not have much to see but there was an Everest view from outside. We then went for a three hour hike and spent about 30 minutes at around 3800 meters (the next night’s accomodation). We passed by the second highest “airport” in the world - a grass/dirt runway.
I had a chicken burrito lunch at Trekker’s Paradise, mailed a letter home, and watched a Swiss Documentary about the Sherpa’s role in Everest summits at a cafe. I had a huge spaghetti dinner.
At this elevation I started taking a half tablet of Diamox at breakfast and another half tablet at dinner. Some people in our group were taking a full tablet.
Rather than climbing to a peak outside Namche, a separate acclimation hike goes to some of the surrounding villages - notably Khumjing. This would be a longer but more interesting hike.
DAY 4 - Phortse - Up and Down hike to Phortse. After leaving Namche we hiked to about 4000M, had lunch, then dropped about 600 meters to cross a river before heading back up the other side of the valley to spend the night at Phorse, located at 3800M. There were a few Everest views throughout the day.
I had a grilled cheese and potato soup lunch and a veg pizza dinner.
Phortse was a beautiful town. Very little activity but the first example of stone walled gardens which create a picturesque mountain town. I saw some locals engaged in some sort of athletic activity and walked in their direction - surprised to find them playing volleyball (and actually playing it quite well). One of the village kids was playfully throwing rocks at me before dinner.
Phortse is off the “main trail” to Everest Base Camp. Most people head to either Tengboche or Pangboche.
DAY 5 - Dingboche - long day; gradual hike up to Dingboche at 4400M. First half of the day was extremely long, we didn’t stop for lunch until about 2 in Orsho. After lunch it was a short walk to Dingboche, although still about a 300 meter climb. It was extremely windy after lunch and this was the first time I started to think how bad it would be if it started raining - fortunately we continued to have good weather for the remainder of the trip. The tree line ends around 4000M and above this altitude the landscape changes from forest to a more rocky, moonlike scenery. Despite the higher altitude I felt great at the end of the day.
I wished we had stopped for lunch in Pangboche - more options and at more appropriate lunch hour.
DAY 6 - Dingboche - “Rest” Day and Acclimization hike around Dingboche. Typically the Acclimization days were the toughest, but shortest hike. We’d climb 500M in two hours; on a trekking day we’d climb this height over five to six hours. We took about two hours to go up a steep hill but tremendous views of mountains from the top. We spent an hour at the top - it was very windy but there were large rocks to sit behind and be protected. I walked around “town” for a little while in the afternoon.
At this altitude all my toiletries started to freeze up - you had to press hard to get the toothpaste out of the bottle. I ordered two cups of hot water to shave and wash my face instead of taking a hot shower.
Even though we were climbing at high altitudes I would never really be out of breath until I got into my sleeping bag at night - for some reason the act of scrunching my body and wiggling into the bag left me breathless and I’d have to breath pretty hard through my mouth before breathing out of my nose again and trying to fall asleep.
Residents of Dingboche leave the town during monsoon season for safety and religious reasons.
DAY 7 - Lobuche - No pain hike from 4400M to 4900M at Lobuche. Large increase in elevation but only a short part of the trail after a tea break was a steep incline. The first half of the day we walked along a valley ridge - incredibly flat, uphill climp. You could actually have time to think about the hike rather than worrying about tripping over a rock. After lunch we hiked through Thokla Pass which is a mountain cemetary for several climbers that perished on Mt. Everest.
Lobuche moonscape - large rocks that seemed to have been pushed up from out of the ground by the tectonic plates below. The town of Lobuche exists only for trekkers passing through to Everest Base Camp. There were two or three lodges but nothing else. We had lunch at the Lobuche lodge then went for a short but steep hike up to a ridge to catch a view of the Khumbu glacier. Decent views but the glacier has significantly receeded. From this height we could see the Khumbu icefall where Everest Base Camp is located.
DAY 8 - Everest Base Camp, night at Gorak Shep - early (6am) and long (9 hours) day of hiking to EBC. It was cold at 6 when we left, but by 6:30 the sun was out and I warmed up very quickly. We arrived in Gorak Shep by 9 and had breakfast. We ordered packed sandwich lunches then continue the remaining two hours to Everest Base Camp.
From Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp it was only a two hour hike but the final 30 minutes seemed to drag on forever. It seemed like EBC was going to be around ever turn but the trail just kept going. EBC is in a bit of a “bowl” and surrounded 180 degrees by a Himalayan Mountain wall. It’s a great sight but Everest is blocked as such it’s a bit anticlimatic - you’ve hike to a point on a map vs. a peak with views. We spent about an hour at EBC, had lunch, took group photos, and then started the walk back.
I started to develop a bit of a cold so ordered a small pot of hot lemon and soup as soon as we returned to Gorak Shep. Suprisingly there was wifi at Gorak Shep. I actually saw someone trying to call the US from EBC.
Day 9 - Kala Pathar, Orsho - 4am, pre-sunrise summitt of Kala Pathar (5500M) then hiked back down to Orsho. It was cold at 4am but given the steep climb up Kala Pathar I warmed up really quickly. The 300M hike up Kala Pathar took less than two hours and I arrived just before sunrise - it’s essential to arrive before sunrise because once the sun comes over Everest it’s absolutely blinding. It helped that the morning we climbed was near a full moon so the moonlight lit up Mt. Everest quite well. The top of Kala Pathar was quite crowded and after taking a few photos I began the 45 minute walk back down and was back in Gorak Shep by 7 for breakfast.
If it’s a sunny and clear afternoon on Day 8 and you have the energy to climb Kala Pathar it will be better photography opportunities because the sun will be shining on Everest vs. coming up from behind. This would be a pretty gruelling day but you could sleep in the next day and have less hiking time as well.
After breakfast we blitzed back down the mountain. We stopped for lunch right after dropping down from Thokla Pass. After lunch we walked through a valley which provided the best views and contrasts of land and mountain in the Himalayas. It was a bid windy in the valley but fortunately the wind seemed to be mostly at our backs.
We spent the night in Orsho but much more accomodations are available 45 minutes farther down in Pangboche.
Day 10 - Namche Bazar - brutal hike back to Namche Bazar. I’m not sure if it was from feeling the effects of the long climb yesterday or an unexpected steep climb just before lunch or something else but I though this was the toughest hike of the day.
We had a short walk to Tengboche and spent about 30 minutes at the impressive monastery in the town “center”. The monastery is actually less than 20 years old, having been rebuilt several times, but it still had a great “feel” to it.
After lunch the sky was a bit overcast and I felt a few raindrops. Fortunately made it to Namche without it raining. Huge relief to reach Namche. Although we still had two days to go, the hike essentially felt as though it was over.
I met someone in Lukla who hiked from Gorak Shep to Namche Bazar in one day including the Kala Pathar summit - so it’s possible but after an easy hike back down to Orsho, this day’s hike was brutal.
Day 11 - Phakding - too easy of a hike back down to Phakding. Short, quick, painless hike to Phakding. We left Namche Bazar around 10:30 and were in Phakding around 3. I grabbed a beer at the Liquid Bar patio then play a few games of pool with Jangbhu Sherpa, one of our guides, at Reggae Bar. I had a coffee at the lodge and called it an early night.
Day 12 - Lukla - another too easy of a hike to Lukla. 200M elevation gain but the hike back took less than two hours. For lunch I left the group and had an Everest Burger and later a coffee at “Starbucks” Lukla. There’s not much to do in Lukla other than cross your fingers and hope there’s no clouds tomorrow and all flights are good to go back to Kathmandu.
I went out with the group for a drink. On the walk back to the hotel I stopped to grab water. While paying Jangbhu Sherpa popped out from the back - he and two other sherpa guides were drinking in the back and I joined them for a final round before we all headed back to the hotel.
Hike straight back to Lukla from Namche Bazar - I assume the tour is looking out for the safety of its clients but these last two days were ridiculously easy hikes - particularly after spending the previous five days above 4000M.
Day 13 - Kathmandu - 6am flight back to Kathmandu. Everybody in the group was on the edge of their seat looking through the cockpit window as we raced down the runway - if there wasn’t enough lift we’d go straight off the mountain.
I sat on the right hand side of the plane - again it was a little too cloudy for great Himalayan views but awesome views of Kathmandu, particularly Bouddha Stupa on arrival.
We took a charter bus back to the hotel. Group steak dinner at K Too.
Lodge Accomodations and “Conveniences of Home”: The rooms were basic and the mattresses were decent enough to fall asleep. However, the rooms decreased in size at higher elevations - this meant there was less oxygen in the room which could make it difficult to breath while sleeping. At the higher elevations I was waking up quiet frequently because I couldn’t breath enough oxygen through my nose while sleeping.
$3-$8 is the rate for lodges (with no attached bathroom) but it’s implied that you will also order all meals from the lodge’s kitchen. If you opt to eat somewhere else an additional surcharge will be applied to your daily room rate. In some cases the surcharge was as high as $15. After leaving Namche, there’s not really options to eat anywhere but the lodge so this is less of an issue the farther you hike.
All but on of the lodges (Orsho) had Western toilets. You needed to bring your own toilet paper but if you ran out all the lodges had toilet paper available for sale.
The lodges have a common area to eat. At the higher elevations the tables are ringed around a central stove that heats the room. Depending upon the “fuel” used to heat the stove a down jacket may need to be worn at night to stay warm before going to bed. The yak patties burn for a long period of time but don’t put off much heat.
Most of the lodges had wifi available (Lobuche and beyond did not) and could charge batteries - both of which had chargeable fees. Unlimited wifi ~500R, full to one-hour charge - 200R - 300R.
Hot shower’s were available if not attached to your room. Average cost was 350R and shower style varied from electric or gas heat to dumping boiling water into a reservoir.
Internet cafes in Namche/Lukla charged 10R / minute; in Dingboche the rate was 20R/minute.
Lodge Menus: The menus are quite extensive but very similar. There’s rice, noodles, spaghetti, “macaroni”, Nepal staples of Dal Baht and momos, grilled sandwiches, potatoes, spring rolls, soup, and pizza. All dishes tasted great after a long day of hiking. Breakfast offerings included eggs, porridge, toast, hashbrowns, and pancakes.
There’s a phrase “the food prices rise with the elevation”. Since all food items are brought in by porters, the higher the porters go, the higher the prices. Prices were higher than Kathmandu but it wasn’t until reaching Gorak Shep, the final night’s lodge, that prices seemed a bit exohorbirnat. An individual pizza ranged from 400-600R but spiked to 800R at Gorak Shep. Water prices increase from 80R-100R in Lukla to 350R at Gorak Shep.
Altitude Sickness: You can take diamox and drink five liters of water each day but it seems like getting altitude sickness is luck of the draw. Physical fitness and hike preparation are key but there’s no way to predict how your body will react to the lack of oxygen at high altitudes. Those who sufferred from altitude sickness had horrible headaches.
In addition to altitude sickness some people will sufffer from lack of appetite, insomnia, and diarrhea. After reaching 4000M I stopped relying on the Aquatabs and purchased bottled water.
For safety and efficiency reasons I did this tour through an agency but it’s relatively easy to trek alone and hire guides/porters, book lodges, and rent gear along the way. I’ve highlighted and italicized what I would have done had I trekked solo vs. group.
Background: Pre-booked, group trekking trip to Everest Base Camp through Intrepid Travel. There were fifteen people in our group in addition to one lead guide and four assistants. Seven porters, arranged by the guides, carried our bags between lodges. The trek took six days up to Everest Base Camp and four days back down to Lukla.
Kathmandu / Pre-Departure Activities: The day prior to the trip I picked up a 20L daypack, Nalgene water bottles, Diamox (for altitude sickness prevention), and Aquatabs (water purification). We had a long (three hours) and expensive (2300R / ~$23) team dinner. It was a traditional, six course Nepalese meal but was similar to Indian cuisine - curry and rice based. I had thermals, fleece, down sleeping back, and boots - the other items I needed, a down jacket and trekking poles, I picked up in Namche Bazar.
I also purchased cough drops and other cold remedy supplies in Kathmandu and refilled in Namche. At some point on the trip - whether someone in your group gets sick or from the dry air - you will likely develop a cough.
I had sunscreen and lip balm from an earlier trip.
To Lukla: 6 am hotel departure to Kathmandu Domestic Airport. The flights leave early in the morning and make as many back and forth trips between Kathmandu and Lukla that are needed and possible before the afternoon clouds settle in. The flight lasts about 45 minutes. The landing (and taking) in Lukla is quite memorable - be sure to sit near the front of the plane so that you can look through the cockpit. The runway is at a 15 degree angle which helps the plane slow down before reaching a mountain wall.
Everest Base Camp Trail:
DAY 1 - Phakding - Group breakfast at Khumbu Resort in Lukla followed by a three hour, mostly downhill hike to Phakding. We arrived in Lukla around 9am. We flew Tara Air from Kathmandu on a 20 seat prop plane. It was a bit cloudy on the flight so there weren’t too many views of the Himalayas on the left side of the plane. It was strange to look out the window and see green and trees next to you instead of blue sky and clouds. The Lukla airport is built into the mountain and I peered through the cockpit window as we approached the runway - easily the most exhilarating landing ever.
Lukla’s a little smaller than Namche Bazar. There are quite a few coffee shops and bars to kill time before your departing flight. You can rent gear and hire guides/porters in Lukla.
If you are travelling alone, either pack very light and carry your own gear, or hire a guide and/or porter in Lukla. It’s also possible to hire a guide and/or porter in Namche Bazar. The porter’s daily rate is about $15 but may be slightly higher if you have a heavy bag. Be sure to agree to the route in Lukla - if you’re a strong hiker it’s possible to make the trip back down a day earlier and complete the roundtrip in nine days instead of ten. Most guides will spend the ninth day in Phakding but Phakding is an easy two hour hike to Lukla on the way back, thus it’s not necessary to spend an extra day here.
The trail on the first day was mostly a stone pathway that connected several small Sherpa Villages. We arrived in Phakding in time for an early afternoon lunch. After lunch the group went for a short, one-hour hike up to a school but I went and hung out in Reggae Bar.
You could hike farther than Phakding on Day One - especially if you arrive early in the morning but you may encounter some acclimation issues if you hike all the way to Namche Bazar. There are several villages beyond Phakding that have lodges.
DAY 2 - Namche Bazar - Seven hour hike from Phakding to Namche Bazar - elevation gain of about 800 meters - 2600 meters to 3400 meters. The first part of this hike was relatively easy but after lunch we climbed about 300 meters and crossed a suspension bridge traversing a river 200 meters below. There was a very strong wind - I grabbed ahold of my hat when I crossed the bridge.
Shortly after the town of Monjo we passed through the Sagarmantha National Park entrance. The park fee was $10 and a passport size photo was attached to a park pass listing the entry and departure dates.
Namche (and most other mountain towns) faces west to capture the afternoon sun. There were tons of lodges in Namche but relatively few restaurants and three bars. Namche is a good place to rent a down jacket and other items - around 200R per item, per day. I was able to rent a new “North Face” down jacket for 1600R and bought two trekking poles for 1200R. Namche is the last place were its “safe” to eat meat - I had a yak steak dinner.
DAY 3 - Namche Bazar - “Rest” Day and Acclimization hike around Namche Bazar. We took a short walk to a “museum” which did not have much to see but there was an Everest view from outside. We then went for a three hour hike and spent about 30 minutes at around 3800 meters (the next night’s accomodation). We passed by the second highest “airport” in the world - a grass/dirt runway.
I had a chicken burrito lunch at Trekker’s Paradise, mailed a letter home, and watched a Swiss Documentary about the Sherpa’s role in Everest summits at a cafe. I had a huge spaghetti dinner.
At this elevation I started taking a half tablet of Diamox at breakfast and another half tablet at dinner. Some people in our group were taking a full tablet.
Rather than climbing to a peak outside Namche, a separate acclimation hike goes to some of the surrounding villages - notably Khumjing. This would be a longer but more interesting hike.
DAY 4 - Phortse - Up and Down hike to Phortse. After leaving Namche we hiked to about 4000M, had lunch, then dropped about 600 meters to cross a river before heading back up the other side of the valley to spend the night at Phorse, located at 3800M. There were a few Everest views throughout the day.
I had a grilled cheese and potato soup lunch and a veg pizza dinner.
Phortse was a beautiful town. Very little activity but the first example of stone walled gardens which create a picturesque mountain town. I saw some locals engaged in some sort of athletic activity and walked in their direction - surprised to find them playing volleyball (and actually playing it quite well). One of the village kids was playfully throwing rocks at me before dinner.
Phortse is off the “main trail” to Everest Base Camp. Most people head to either Tengboche or Pangboche.
DAY 5 - Dingboche - long day; gradual hike up to Dingboche at 4400M. First half of the day was extremely long, we didn’t stop for lunch until about 2 in Orsho. After lunch it was a short walk to Dingboche, although still about a 300 meter climb. It was extremely windy after lunch and this was the first time I started to think how bad it would be if it started raining - fortunately we continued to have good weather for the remainder of the trip. The tree line ends around 4000M and above this altitude the landscape changes from forest to a more rocky, moonlike scenery. Despite the higher altitude I felt great at the end of the day.
I wished we had stopped for lunch in Pangboche - more options and at more appropriate lunch hour.
DAY 6 - Dingboche - “Rest” Day and Acclimization hike around Dingboche. Typically the Acclimization days were the toughest, but shortest hike. We’d climb 500M in two hours; on a trekking day we’d climb this height over five to six hours. We took about two hours to go up a steep hill but tremendous views of mountains from the top. We spent an hour at the top - it was very windy but there were large rocks to sit behind and be protected. I walked around “town” for a little while in the afternoon.
At this altitude all my toiletries started to freeze up - you had to press hard to get the toothpaste out of the bottle. I ordered two cups of hot water to shave and wash my face instead of taking a hot shower.
Even though we were climbing at high altitudes I would never really be out of breath until I got into my sleeping bag at night - for some reason the act of scrunching my body and wiggling into the bag left me breathless and I’d have to breath pretty hard through my mouth before breathing out of my nose again and trying to fall asleep.
Residents of Dingboche leave the town during monsoon season for safety and religious reasons.
DAY 7 - Lobuche - No pain hike from 4400M to 4900M at Lobuche. Large increase in elevation but only a short part of the trail after a tea break was a steep incline. The first half of the day we walked along a valley ridge - incredibly flat, uphill climp. You could actually have time to think about the hike rather than worrying about tripping over a rock. After lunch we hiked through Thokla Pass which is a mountain cemetary for several climbers that perished on Mt. Everest.
Lobuche moonscape - large rocks that seemed to have been pushed up from out of the ground by the tectonic plates below. The town of Lobuche exists only for trekkers passing through to Everest Base Camp. There were two or three lodges but nothing else. We had lunch at the Lobuche lodge then went for a short but steep hike up to a ridge to catch a view of the Khumbu glacier. Decent views but the glacier has significantly receeded. From this height we could see the Khumbu icefall where Everest Base Camp is located.
DAY 8 - Everest Base Camp, night at Gorak Shep - early (6am) and long (9 hours) day of hiking to EBC. It was cold at 6 when we left, but by 6:30 the sun was out and I warmed up very quickly. We arrived in Gorak Shep by 9 and had breakfast. We ordered packed sandwich lunches then continue the remaining two hours to Everest Base Camp.
From Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp it was only a two hour hike but the final 30 minutes seemed to drag on forever. It seemed like EBC was going to be around ever turn but the trail just kept going. EBC is in a bit of a “bowl” and surrounded 180 degrees by a Himalayan Mountain wall. It’s a great sight but Everest is blocked as such it’s a bit anticlimatic - you’ve hike to a point on a map vs. a peak with views. We spent about an hour at EBC, had lunch, took group photos, and then started the walk back.
I started to develop a bit of a cold so ordered a small pot of hot lemon and soup as soon as we returned to Gorak Shep. Suprisingly there was wifi at Gorak Shep. I actually saw someone trying to call the US from EBC.
Day 9 - Kala Pathar, Orsho - 4am, pre-sunrise summitt of Kala Pathar (5500M) then hiked back down to Orsho. It was cold at 4am but given the steep climb up Kala Pathar I warmed up really quickly. The 300M hike up Kala Pathar took less than two hours and I arrived just before sunrise - it’s essential to arrive before sunrise because once the sun comes over Everest it’s absolutely blinding. It helped that the morning we climbed was near a full moon so the moonlight lit up Mt. Everest quite well. The top of Kala Pathar was quite crowded and after taking a few photos I began the 45 minute walk back down and was back in Gorak Shep by 7 for breakfast.
If it’s a sunny and clear afternoon on Day 8 and you have the energy to climb Kala Pathar it will be better photography opportunities because the sun will be shining on Everest vs. coming up from behind. This would be a pretty gruelling day but you could sleep in the next day and have less hiking time as well.
After breakfast we blitzed back down the mountain. We stopped for lunch right after dropping down from Thokla Pass. After lunch we walked through a valley which provided the best views and contrasts of land and mountain in the Himalayas. It was a bid windy in the valley but fortunately the wind seemed to be mostly at our backs.
We spent the night in Orsho but much more accomodations are available 45 minutes farther down in Pangboche.
Day 10 - Namche Bazar - brutal hike back to Namche Bazar. I’m not sure if it was from feeling the effects of the long climb yesterday or an unexpected steep climb just before lunch or something else but I though this was the toughest hike of the day.
We had a short walk to Tengboche and spent about 30 minutes at the impressive monastery in the town “center”. The monastery is actually less than 20 years old, having been rebuilt several times, but it still had a great “feel” to it.
After lunch the sky was a bit overcast and I felt a few raindrops. Fortunately made it to Namche without it raining. Huge relief to reach Namche. Although we still had two days to go, the hike essentially felt as though it was over.
I met someone in Lukla who hiked from Gorak Shep to Namche Bazar in one day including the Kala Pathar summit - so it’s possible but after an easy hike back down to Orsho, this day’s hike was brutal.
Day 11 - Phakding - too easy of a hike back down to Phakding. Short, quick, painless hike to Phakding. We left Namche Bazar around 10:30 and were in Phakding around 3. I grabbed a beer at the Liquid Bar patio then play a few games of pool with Jangbhu Sherpa, one of our guides, at Reggae Bar. I had a coffee at the lodge and called it an early night.
Day 12 - Lukla - another too easy of a hike to Lukla. 200M elevation gain but the hike back took less than two hours. For lunch I left the group and had an Everest Burger and later a coffee at “Starbucks” Lukla. There’s not much to do in Lukla other than cross your fingers and hope there’s no clouds tomorrow and all flights are good to go back to Kathmandu.
I went out with the group for a drink. On the walk back to the hotel I stopped to grab water. While paying Jangbhu Sherpa popped out from the back - he and two other sherpa guides were drinking in the back and I joined them for a final round before we all headed back to the hotel.
Hike straight back to Lukla from Namche Bazar - I assume the tour is looking out for the safety of its clients but these last two days were ridiculously easy hikes - particularly after spending the previous five days above 4000M.
Day 13 - Kathmandu - 6am flight back to Kathmandu. Everybody in the group was on the edge of their seat looking through the cockpit window as we raced down the runway - if there wasn’t enough lift we’d go straight off the mountain.
I sat on the right hand side of the plane - again it was a little too cloudy for great Himalayan views but awesome views of Kathmandu, particularly Bouddha Stupa on arrival.
We took a charter bus back to the hotel. Group steak dinner at K Too.
Lodge Accomodations and “Conveniences of Home”: The rooms were basic and the mattresses were decent enough to fall asleep. However, the rooms decreased in size at higher elevations - this meant there was less oxygen in the room which could make it difficult to breath while sleeping. At the higher elevations I was waking up quiet frequently because I couldn’t breath enough oxygen through my nose while sleeping.
$3-$8 is the rate for lodges (with no attached bathroom) but it’s implied that you will also order all meals from the lodge’s kitchen. If you opt to eat somewhere else an additional surcharge will be applied to your daily room rate. In some cases the surcharge was as high as $15. After leaving Namche, there’s not really options to eat anywhere but the lodge so this is less of an issue the farther you hike.
All but on of the lodges (Orsho) had Western toilets. You needed to bring your own toilet paper but if you ran out all the lodges had toilet paper available for sale.
The lodges have a common area to eat. At the higher elevations the tables are ringed around a central stove that heats the room. Depending upon the “fuel” used to heat the stove a down jacket may need to be worn at night to stay warm before going to bed. The yak patties burn for a long period of time but don’t put off much heat.
Most of the lodges had wifi available (Lobuche and beyond did not) and could charge batteries - both of which had chargeable fees. Unlimited wifi ~500R, full to one-hour charge - 200R - 300R.
Hot shower’s were available if not attached to your room. Average cost was 350R and shower style varied from electric or gas heat to dumping boiling water into a reservoir.
Internet cafes in Namche/Lukla charged 10R / minute; in Dingboche the rate was 20R/minute.
Lodge Menus: The menus are quite extensive but very similar. There’s rice, noodles, spaghetti, “macaroni”, Nepal staples of Dal Baht and momos, grilled sandwiches, potatoes, spring rolls, soup, and pizza. All dishes tasted great after a long day of hiking. Breakfast offerings included eggs, porridge, toast, hashbrowns, and pancakes.
There’s a phrase “the food prices rise with the elevation”. Since all food items are brought in by porters, the higher the porters go, the higher the prices. Prices were higher than Kathmandu but it wasn’t until reaching Gorak Shep, the final night’s lodge, that prices seemed a bit exohorbirnat. An individual pizza ranged from 400-600R but spiked to 800R at Gorak Shep. Water prices increase from 80R-100R in Lukla to 350R at Gorak Shep.
Altitude Sickness: You can take diamox and drink five liters of water each day but it seems like getting altitude sickness is luck of the draw. Physical fitness and hike preparation are key but there’s no way to predict how your body will react to the lack of oxygen at high altitudes. Those who sufferred from altitude sickness had horrible headaches.
In addition to altitude sickness some people will sufffer from lack of appetite, insomnia, and diarrhea. After reaching 4000M I stopped relying on the Aquatabs and purchased bottled water.