Part VI - Half Atmosphere

Here is the last and final post regarding our trekking in Nepal. I hope you have enjoyed reading these as much as I have enjoyed writing them!

I'd like to correct something from our first posting. I mistakenly said that Mary worked for Sierra Systems - in fact, she does not, she works for the Ministry of Finance. (Sorry about that Mary!).

Also, please don't be shy to have a look at all the photo albums of the Nepal trip. The links to the various albums can be found on the right hand side.

Anyway, back to our final days in Nepal...

Day 15 – Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi
Tuesday, November 17th
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Elevation: 4540m

(Christine) Today was a relatively straight forward hike where we gained 500 meters vertical elevation. We could certainly feel the thinner air, especially on the steeper bits of trail. The trail was rocky and snowy as we are above the treeline now. The trail is filled with westerners, mainly a large group of French people. We generally hike faster than them, likely because we are more acclimatized. We have seen yaks wandering down the path alone and I wonder where they are going, but I’m sure they probably the same about us. (Left - one trail we zigzagged down).

Umbang found us a nice tea house in Thorong Phedi to stay at. Staying in the tea houses has been a different experience than staying in the tents. I am glad to have experienced both, but after a few nights in tea houses I must admit I prefer the intimacy of camping with the group. The tea house rooms are unheated so they are actually a lot colder than the tents as the space is larger and often drafty. The tea houses are made of mud and rock and are never more than two stories tall. Floors are sometimes wood, sometimes dirt or sometimes rock. The rooms are sparse with two beds and a light bulb. The light may or may not work depending on if the power is functioning (one can never assume it is working) so it is prudent to always carry your head lamp.

The tea houses usually have a central area that is heated by coals or a fire and is where the food is served. Food will usually take a minimum of 1.5 – 2 hours after been ordered to come as there is usually only one woman cooking and she cooks one meal at a time. The food is generally really quite good and you can get traditional Nepalese Dal Bot (rice and lentils), mo-mo’s (similar to a perogy) or western foods such as macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and pizza. People generally congregate in the central area as it is very cold outside or in the rooms and here you can chat with fellow trekkers. That said, everyone in the tea house is a foreigner apart from the staff so it is difficult to see or experience any of the Nepalese culture. The tea houses exist purely for the trekkers and were non-existent not too long ago. (Right - the trail to Thorong Phedi).

Tomorrow we summit the Thorong La, a pass of 5416 meters. Our plan is to leave at 4:00 am to get away before most of the other trekkers as there will be many people hiking the pass tomorrow. It’s off to bed early to get as much sleep as possible.

Day 16 – Thorong Phedi to Muktinath
Wednesday, November 18th
Hiking Time: 11.5 hours
Elevation Reached: 5416m
Camp Elevation: 3700m

(Christine) The morning began at 2:45 am, with the sound of our alarm beeping and the Sherpas knocking on the door with tea. Tiredly we climbed out of bed and prepared ourselves for an extra early start. We had to wake the kitchen crew up to make us some breakfast that we had ordered the night before and then donned our headlamps and began the 1100 meter climb to the summit of the Thorong La. Unfortunately Hovan’s tummy had decided it didn’t like the spaghetti from the night before and so had emptied itself in the middle of the night. Hovan was doing okay, but was unable to eat anything and had a very sore stomach. Thankfully the nausea that had bothered him on the Kang La wasn’t rearing its ugly head today, but with Hovan not feeling great, we started off into the darkness with only our headlamps and the stars as the source of light. (Left - Hovan hiking in the dark. Icicles are beginning to grow on his beard).

Never having hiked in the darkness before, I must admit this was a really amazing experience. The sky was clear and the stars shone brightly all around us. A few times I was fortunate to see shooting stars. We could see dark mountain peaks everywhere, but the only reason we could tell they were there was because there were stars missing from that part of the sky. There was no moon and so it was in true darkness that we hiked. (Right - Dawn approaching in the morning).

The trail started out rocky, but quickly became snow and remained snow until the summit. It was quite cold and we both hiked in our down jackets, gloves, fleece pants and toques. We stayed close as a group and no one strayed to far ahead or behind. Icicles began to grow on Hovan’s beard and one particularly long icicle grew to nearly an inch long. Hovan kept reminding me not to knock them off as they might break large chunks of the beard off with it.

Above - Hovan's beard growing icicles

As dawn approached we began to see the mountains take shape all around us. They were beautiful and changed colour as the sky began to lighten. As the sun rose over the mountains, the magnificent mountains emerged on every side. It was truly a sight! (Left - The sun rising over the mountains).




We reached the top of the summit after 5 hours of grueling but beautiful uphill climbing. The sun was fully shinning by the time we reached the top and we were finally able to take off our warm down jackets. The top was decorated with prayer flags and a sign congratulating us on our achievement. (Right - Our group on the summit of Thorong La).

The descent of 1700 meters took us 6 hours. Amazingly, our beloved Sherpa Umbang, who was in charge of getting us a tea house in the village of Muktinath, took one hour and 45 minutes to descend as he was trying to race 6 other Sherpas to get the best tea house in the village of Muktinath. He said he came in second place and was able to secure us the “Dream House”. At the “Dream House”, Hovan had to again rescue someone, this time it was Sharon who Robyn accidentally locked in her room. This was very amusing to us, and we wondered if it was truly an “accident”. (Left - The trail down to Muktinath).

That evening we played cards with the Sherpas and the porters which began as a simple game of pair making then as more Rakshi (a local spirit) got drank degenerated into a game of three card draw poker where cheating was abundant by both the Nepalese and by Hovan and I. All in all we had a wonderful time and everyone was laughing and in good spirits. Sleep was welcome that night as the day had started so early.

Day 17 – Muktinath to Jomsom
Thursday, November 19th
Hiking Time: 0 hours
Elevation: 3200m

(Hovan) Today we decided that we would take the Jeep ride from Muktinath to Jomsom, the only place on the entire trek where it was possible to take a Jeep. Roads have been reaching further and further into the Himalayas as both the Chinese and the Indians build trade routes. The trip over the Thorang La was pretty arduous and after 18 days of trekking the Jeep ride sounded like a really fun idea.

After enjoying sleeping in until 7:00 we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Tea House and then made our way to the Jeep. The Jeep had a number of seats, but we crammed in one Sherpa, 4 Porters, Mick and most of the crew (two people and two Sherpas decided to take the 6 hour walk between the two villages). After squeezing all of us into the vehicle we went for a bumpy, twisty, fun ride down the mountain, hugging the cliffside at certain points as we went. It was a lot of fun and a unique experience to cover so much ground in such a short time. (The Jeep we rode in to get to Jomsom).

Above - the view from the Teahouse in Muktinath

Once we reached Jomsom we settled into a Tea House and proceeded to explore the town. At one point Christine, Robyn, Sharon and myself went up to visit a museum on the Mustang Region, which is where we had been trekking through the last few days. When we exited the museum we found that a huge wind storm had come up, and even though the valley was quite wide it was funneling down something wicked. It was a good indication to us why sometimes flights were canceled due to weather. (Left - Streets of Jomsom).

We spent the late afternoon hanging out with the Sherpa’s and preparing to say good-bye. They had all been such an invaluable part of our journey and had gone over and above the entire trip to make us feel special and very well cared for. In the evening we enjoyed our final dinner on the trail as a group at a very nice restaurant. After dinner we all bunked down to have our last night sleep in the mountains before heading back to the big city and the hustle-bustle of life we left behind.

Final Days – Jomsom to Kathmandu
Friday, November 20th – Sunday, November 22nd

(Christine) Sadly this was our last day in the Himalayas as today is the day we fly back to Kathmandu. If we were to take the bus, it would be a 17 hour bus ride back to Kathmandu so I’m thankful we are not doing that option.

We got up at 5:30 in order to be ready for our 7:00 am flight. Thankfully there is no commute to the airport as it is literally right across the street. Before we left the Sherpa Dawa gave us each prayer scarfs as a parting gift. It was sad to say goodbye to the Sherpa’s and Porters after nearly 3 weeks together. We’d come to know them quite well and they’d done an excellent job leading us through the Himalayas, guiding us when we were afraid, carrying our packs when we were sick and generally providing encouragement and support along the way. (Right - the plane we flew on out of the mountains).

The airport in Jomsom consists of one landing strip and one tiny building. There were no x-ray machines and so the security attendant just searched our bags thoroughly for any contraband. We flew in a Canadian Twin Otter and it made me feel very safe to be in a home made plane in which I’ve flown many times for work back and forth to Vancouver.

Above - the airstrip in Jomsom

On the flight Mick and I held the hands of an elderly Nepalese woman who was seemingly terrified of flying. Despite the language barrier, I could tell she was thankful that we were there. She had likely not flown more than a handful of times in her life. With the mountains everywhere, the flight was actually quite turbulent but also incredibly spectacular. It was just like a shot out of National Geographic, flying down huge valleys in a small plane, sandwiched by enormous gorgeous mountains. A second hopper flight from Pokhra took us to Kathmandu where, if you were fortunate enough to sit on the left hand side, you were treated to view of the entire Annapurna range. (Left - Views of the Annapurna range from the plane).

In Kathmandu we were delighted to meet up with Kevin, Gerry, Glen & Mary whom we had parted with only 4 days earlier and we easily resumed the comradery we had enjoyed while on the trek. Thankfully they were feeling much better and it was great see them eat healthy portions of food. Hovan proudly managed to eat a half pound burger at one restaurant, something he'd been dreaming of the entire journey. (Right - Hovan and his half pound burger)

A final night of food and drink together led to an amusing story as our super cool fighter pilot (Jarrett) perhaps a little inebriated, decided he wanted to drive a rickshaw. He managed to find a rickshaw driver who would let him do such a thing, and, treating the rickshaw like a mountain bike, took a corner way too quickly and crashed it. Thankfully he was unhurt, and so was the bike and driver (who was riding on the back of the rickshaw), but the story stuck and he became known by a new call sign "Rickshaw".

Sadly, we parted ways and our journey in Nepal came to a close. I must admit, despite the difficulties we encountered, the trek has been my favourite part of our trip to date. It was everything I expected, and nothing I expected (if that makes any sense). We saw some of the most beautiful, remote parts of the Himalayas, practically untouched by our Western society. I built relationships with wonderful people from home and abroad, I was led down a mountain by a Buddhist monk who took me places I did not think possible, I saw people carrying wood for days just to keep warm at night, I experienced an incredibly beautiful culture and I grew with Hovan as he experienced one of the toughest mornings of his life. It has truly been an amazing once in a lifetime experience for me.

And now, it's on to our next adventure, but this trek is one I'm sure never to forget.

All the best,
Christine (and Hovan)