Day 11 - 14 | Dragnag to Lukla
Day Eleven - Dragnag to Gokyo
Approaching the Ngozumpa Glacier was met with slight confusion as the path down to the glacier bed was difficult to find. To further complicate things, once we finally found the path down to the glacier bed, there was a network of trails to choose from, all made by different guides or local animals. We witnessed one guide take his group to a dead-end, which quickly generated an “Are you even a real guide?” from a disgruntled client.
Ultimately, all it took was keeping our heads up, sighting the destination (or what we believed to be the destination) on the other side of the glacier, and picking whatever trail took us there. Once to the other side, we faced a second round of challenges when we had to literally run through a section of trail where the wind was causing rockslides from above. At one point, we noticed a two-foot diameter boulder rumbling directly towards us and took cover behind another larger stone until it passed. Indiana Jones Challenge: Complete
The village of Gokyo is known for its green-blue glacial lakes. Sacred to the Nepalese, the alpine lakes are crystal clear and serene. With a lake view, we found a bakery that a few trekkers on the trail had recommended and ordered a chocolate doughnut the size of Kimberly's head. As our doughnut warmed in a large toaster oven, the gentleman added a few sun-dried cow patties to the dining room’s stove for heat. As in the rest of Nepal, his hands weren’t washed before serving our doughnut. Unfortunately, most instances like this we've had to grow accustomed to here in Nepal...sigh.
That afternoon, we debated a hike to the nearby peak of Gokyo Ri for sunset but the doughnut overpowered that desire and a long nap took precedence. The nap was a blessing in disguise as we woke to yet another afternoon snowfall. In the evening, our card games of Vietnamese Poker and Hearts continued with Ruben and Lisa until we saw some porters playing a different game with the owner of the lodge and we inquired how to play. The game was called "Call Break" and was similar to Hearts but with aggressive table slapping involved. We all picked it up fairly easily and played well into the night.
Day Twelve - Gokyo to Dhole
This morning, I woke up at 4:30am and climbed Gokyo Ri (5,357m/17,575ft). “Because it was there” came to mind as to why I did so, but it didn’t move Kimberly the same-- she stayed in bed. The air was cold, the climb was a solid 45 degree angle, but three hours later I had summited the peak and was back down for breakfast. Both Gokyo Ri and Kala Patthar have wonderful views of Everest and the Himalayas. From the top of Gokyo Ri, you can see four of the highest six peaks in the world.
Looking South from the summit of Gokyo Ri. Bottom left, the village of Gokyo between Ngozumpa Glacier and Gokyo Tsho (Third Lake). Neat fact: Ngozumpa Glacier is the longest glacier in Nepal.
Our hike to the village of Dhole was mostly downhill with a strong headwind giving us our only resistance. The air, fortunately, kept getting easier and easier to breathe and the cloudless sky gave us awesome panoramas and vista viewings. The village of Dhole was nearly vacant as we searched for a recommendation from our host back in Gokyo. Once we found the particular lodge, we quickly realized we were the only trekkers staying there… maybe the only trekkers in the entire village.
Making small talk with a few of the lodge’s personnel, we were soon joined by a gentleman that was introduced as the owner and who offered us a tongue-numbing pancake as an appetizer before our dinner. My best effort to describe this dish would be a large pancake, first coated in a quarter-stick of butter once it arrived to the table. After the butter melted, it was topped with marinated green chilies and finally, to numb your tongue, garnished with a few pinches of timur (Szechuan pepper). This was the owner’s “favorite dinner,” a self-proclamation we fully believed after watching his staff bring him seven, one by one as he finished the prior.
Once the post-dinner conversation had lessened and our lungs couldn’t handle anymore of the kerosene and cow patty smoke from the stove, we graciously thanked our hosts and found healthier and cleaner warmth in our sleeping bags.
Day Thirteen - Dhole to Namche Bazaar
Kimberly and I were surprised this morning by a significant amount of uphill, which we both thought was well behind us. A brief but heavy snowfall conveniently encouraged us to take a masala tea break in a small lodge at the top of a large incline. There, we enlightened a family from Canada that were three days in on some of our lessons learned. As the afternoon cleared, we continued our hike and enjoyed looking to the other side of the valley, seeing our two-week old path and pointing out the now familiar peaks and villages in the distance.
In Namche Bazaar, we went back to the lodge where we had stayed prior and “splurged” for an upgraded room ($20), which came with unlimited hot showers… a luxury we hadn’t enjoyed for over a week. Our afternoon was spent back in our favorite spot, The Liquid Bar, enjoying yet another Sherpa documentary, this time with a beer to compliment the popcorn. The crowd enjoying the movie was an entertaining bunch to observe. We joked with each other and guessed where everyone was in their travels, giving such nicknames as "three-dayers" or "thirteen-dayers" based on their facial hair or general appearance.
Day Fourteen - Namche Bazaar to Lukla
Last night I slept terribly, running a fever and shivering and shaking all night. This morning, Kimberly bounced around town getting breakfast and exchanging one last round of currency while I tried to build the strength to get out of bed and face our last day. For the past two weeks, we swore we wouldn’t beat ourselves up by hiking the eleven miles out in one full attempt; however, the uncertainty of our flight the following day (we didn't yet have tickets) coupled with the desire to cross a proverbial finish line sooner rather than later caused us to dig deep and set our course for Lukla.
As I battled fatigue and fever-like sweats, we descended through the valley. Fortunately, the weather was overcast so I was able to focus on safely getting down at a reasonable pace instead of looking around. After lunch, my strength improved and I could focus on the final few miles to Lukla. Ironically, this day was one of the toughest, even though the majority was downhill-- be it the longer-than-normal distance or the mental and physical drain our bodies had already experienced. Our energy was replenished by the dozens of new trekkers and groups coming onto the trail with an uplifting "Namaste!" as they passed. (In Nepalese, "Namaste" is not just said while practicing yoga but also used when greeting one another with respect and blessing. Informally, it means "Hello.")
In Lukla, we went straight to the Tara Air office in an attempt to buy two tickets to Kathmandu the following morning. As I attempted to pay for the tickets with our credit card, I was informed that their credit card machine was not working but the one at the airport was. With initial disbelief, the manager behind the counter proceeded to hand me only his business card, told me we had two seats on the 9am flight, and that I could pay once at the airport. In any other situation, that wouldn't have been enough of a confirmation for me, but at this moment, I shook his hand and we walked away to find a place to relax.
Our evening was spent reliving stories and going back through photos of the incredible time spent in the mountains. We were relieved to be safely back to Lukla with no injuries and plenty of memories. The next morning, our tickets-by-way-of-business card worked like a charm and after taking off from one of the most dangerous airports in the world, we were on our way to Kathmandu, full of Himalayan happiness.