Relative Something

April 18,  Lukla – Kathmandu

In the morning we fly to Kathmandu. We soar over the terraced hills one last time and then it’s time for relaxation at the Yak and Yeti, showers and celebration.

Showers!? Did he say, SHOWERS!!

April 17,  Namche – Lukla (9,400 ft.)

This trail, too, is familiar and we hike it to Lukla with mixed feelings, because we have absorbed some powerful sensations in the past ten days and experienced sights to last a lifetime. Campsite at Lukla.

I bet I’ll be gettin’ ready to sleep in my own bed by now…

April 16,  Namche Bazaar (11,300)

After ascending to a pass for approximately an hour through short switchbacks, we’ll rest at a little settlement and a chorten, directly beneath the cathedral-like beauty of Themserku, with its perpendicular ice walls. Then it’s down and down to Namache and our final night in the mountains.

I’ve experienced milestones similar to this on other trips I’ve taken. Bittersweet, it is.

April 15,  Phortse Tanga (11,300)

We take the traditional route down to the lovely Dudh Kosi white river campground at Phortse Tanga, a descent of some 2,700 feet. The trail down passes through thick forest  which opens to marvelous views in all directions.

What goes up, must come down. I’m so glad to NOT be thinking about filing a tax return this day.

April 14,  Gokyo Ri (17,500 ft.) and Machermo (14,650 ft.)

Gokyo Ri is the trekker’s summit, a promontory high above the lakes and Himalayan amphitheater. The hike takes patience and commitment to a very slow and deliberate pace. That done, the reward is a glorious sight, a montage of some of the greatest mountains of the Himalayas–Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu and Makalu and more; of snow slopes in the stratosphere, mountain walls thousands of feet high descending from huge snowfields. And the stunning centerpiece is Everest, huge and implacable. The impulse is to want to stay here all day. But it’s warmer and slightly more congenial at the campsite below. We rest there and then head for the overnight at Machermo, reputedly the site of the most recent sighting of the legendary Yeti.

This day, I hope to place a handkerchief that belonged to my mother, Elizabeth Elliott Hays, someplace where it can blow in the wind.

April 13,  Gokyo Lakes (15,720 ft.)

Another day for acclimatization and for exploring a part of the world which could scarcely have been imagined before you experienced the Himalaya. The valley is a vast sanctuary of nature in the high world, wild and free in the fusion of its power and beauty. Glaciers, lakes, woodland and great rock palisades surround us, flanked by scores of white summits. Also, teahouses. The day is a quiet one to appreciate.

If there was ever any question in your minds as to why I would venture on a trip such as this, the description of this day alone, so intoxicating, …this is a day I was made for.

April 12,  Gokyo Lakes (15,720 ft.)

A day of peaks, glaciers and lakes. We ascend gradually for 2 1/2 hours to a crossing of the Gokyo River. After we reach the first of the three Gokyo Lakes–a sudden and marvelous shift in the Himalayan landscape–the trail begins to level out. We’ll camp beside one of the lakes.

Oh boy, do I wish I could have brought a guitar along…

April 11,  Phortse – Na La (12,560 ft.)

We begin the crux of the trek, the hike up the Gokyo canyon and its startling wilderness of woods, roaring river and rock cliffs. The trail ascends a prominent ridge, which we’ll follow in a gradual approach to our lunch stop at Karinasha. Another walk of two hours puts us in our campsite at Na La.

Do you think I’ve grown fond of drinking tea, yet? If my health is holding up, you can bet that I am in my glory today!

April 10,  Tengboche – Phortse (12,460 ft.)

We descend through the forest to the Dudh Kosi River, cross a bridge above the white water torrent and lunch among the red cedars in the village of Pangboche. From there, we hike along a spectacular, slope-hugging trail thousands of feet above Tengboche and the river, then descend several hundred feet to Phortse and the lodge of our sirdar, Lhakpa.

So, after all that hiking, you may notice that we will camp for the second of 3 days at an elevation in the mid-12,000s. Can you say, “acclimatization?” Let’s hope my body is accommodating the plan.

April 9,  Namche – Tengboche (12,670 ft.)

The trail descends to the Dudh Kosi River with spectacular views of the peaks of Ama Dablam and Kantega as well as the more distant Everest and Lhotse. We cross the river at the village of Phunki Thanga, with its giant prayer wheels and then groves of rhododendron, to the storied Tengboche Monastery with head-on views of the Everest massif. We camp near the monastery.

I’m thinkin’, “Spectacular!” I bet you are thinking I should take some pictures here…