Author: Ian Reynolds

Trekking in Nepal #4: Wednesday 25th October – Nepal

Wednesday 25th October
I woke early this morning, 6 a.m. to be precise. It must have been the excitement. Before getting up I read Jamie McGuiness’s book and made a few notes and alterations to my planned itinerary. It took me ages to shave because I was using my travel shaver for the first time and hadn’t shaved since leaving the UK.

There was a written message waiting for me at reception from Marysia. She had tried to contact me last night hence the phone call. Her message was that she is going to recuperate in Kathmandu for a few more days. Maybe we will meet again up in the mountains.

Some Diamox (altitude sickness tablets) was bought at a chemist nearby before leaving. My flight was scheduled for 11 a.m. I did not have to be at the airport until 10 a.m., but rather than twiddle my thumbs in Thamel I decided to go early. After settling my hotel bill, I took a taxi to the airport.

On arrival at 9.45 a.m. an official rushed me through the gate to the departure lounge and said, “Your flight is leaving at 10 a.m.” This caused me to panic a little as I had visions of missing it. An English guy in the departure lounge set my mind at rest. Low cloud cover at Lukla had delayed all the flights. Everyone had to be patient. I waited near the doorway to make sure I was first on the helicopter in case the flight had been overbooked.

While waiting Alan, from London, told me of his previous visit to the Khumbu region. Soon it was time to board the helicopter and we walked over to it. There were no problems finding a seat. A window seat was taken on the left-hand side. This is supposed to be the best side for mountain views. It was not a typical seating arrangement. We were seated around the helicopter. In the middle facing us was our luggage, which was stacked to shoulder height and secured by ropes. We were all handed some sweets to suck on and some cotton wool to put in our ears to deaden the deafening noise of the rotor blades. The cotton wool wasn’t needed; I just switched my hearing aids off!

The skies were a clear blue and the views were absolutely superb. Flat expanses of dried mud and the occasional grassy field on the outskirts of Kathmandu gave way to terraced hill tops and finally to the snow-capped Himalaya. It was like a picture book unfolding before my eyes as one type of terrain gave way to another. Every mountain seemed higher than the last and it was quite a while before we saw Everest albeit briefly. It was there one moment and gone the next, but I will see it close up in several weeks time.

We touched down at Lukla in less than an hour. There was a crowd of people waiting for us; the Sherpas and villagers to unload their provisions, porters seeking out potential customers, and some trekkers waiting to board the helicopter for the flight back to Kathmandu. Within minutes I was on the ground with my rucksack and ready to go. Alan had already found a porter and is hiring him for the duration of his trek at 200 rupees a day, plus food and lodging. That is really cheap but it is not my intention to use a porter and will only do so as a last resort. Many other trekkers manage quite well without them; so can I.

At midday Alan, Tenzing the porter, and I decided to have lunch in Lukla before starting our trek. We lunched at the Paradise Lodge. Drinking plenty of fluids aids the acclimatisation process so a big pot of black tea was ordered along with steak cooked in rum, vegetables and chips. It wasn’t very good because the steak was overcooked. I hope that this is not a sign of what the food is going to be like on the rest of the trek.

The sun’s rays were quite fierce so I put on my sun cream, hat and bandanna before we set off. Alan is staying in Tenzing’s village for the night so after about an hour we went our separate ways. En route to Phakding I met a couple from Kansas, USA, who have been travelling for a few years and had just come over from Uganda. Their next stop after Nepal is Laos, then Vietnam.

Outside Lukla, scenery characteristic of Nepal begins – houses spread across the flanks of the mountains. The walk is so different to anything I have done before – no cars, buses or bicycles – absolute bliss. The Sherpas are hardy people with weather-beaten faces and clad in simple clothes. They carry loads more than twice their body weight and have yaks to help them. You can only marvel at their strength and they make me feel like a wimp in comparison.

After Lukla I walked through Choplung and crossed the Kusum Khola on rather an elegant bridge. Further on was Ghat, a small settlement with several small teahouses a few minutes apart. Just after here there were some impressive prayer wheels, one of which was very large. It took approximately two hours to reach Phakding, the first overnight spot for those who have flown in to Lukla. Good time was being made so I decided to press on and head for Monjo. After Phakding a series of suspension bridges cross the Dudh Kosi.

On the trail you have to beware of passing yaks and give them a wide berth. Normally you get off the trail on the uphill side. If you don’t, you are liable to be brushed over a steep drop by a yak’s wide load or horns. You can hear them coming because each one wears a distinctive bell round its neck.

It was pleasant walking through the blue pine forests. Between Phakding and Monjo there are several simple teashacks. Toktok has a single inn and Bemkar, a simple lodge and many teashacks. On the way I saw several large mani stones carved with Buddhist prayer mantras. Chumoa, the last village before Monjo, has extensive vegetable farms and a Japanese hostel. Another tributary was crossed before climbing up a cleft in the canyon wall to Monjo. It was beginning to get dark so I called it a day. There are three lodges in Monjo. The first one was full but the next one, the Mt Kailash Lodge, had some spare dormitory beds. They cost only 20 rupees a night, about 20p. It also seems very pleasant. Today has been a good start to my trek.

The walk from Lukla had taken four hours. I had made good time considering I had started at 1 p.m. My back was soaked in sweat. I dumped my rucksack on a spare bed and went downstairs for dinner. Boy, was I hungry after the day’s exertions. Dal bhat, the national dish, a small pot of black tea and an apple pancake were ordered. Whilst waiting for my food I chatted away to Chris from Colorado Springs, and Glenna from Toronto. That is what I like so much about travelling – meeting different nationalities and sharing stories, life experiences, etc.

When the others had gone to bed I played gin rummy with an American lady from New York and some Nepalese kids. It was very sociable and I was the last one to go to bed at 10 p.m. – late by Nepalese standards.