If you were thinking all that drama (from Part 1) was over and only calm prevails now, you are in for a surprise. Well, I was. I knew the trails would be full of surprise and wonder and amazement and challenges. But, there was a lot even before hitting the trail head!
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| En route Lukla... View from the aircraft |
So, after a lot of drama i.e. in terms of virus causing fever, gusty wind causing blizzards, protests going haywire, roads being broken and etc. etc., when I walked inside the Ramechhap airport right on time, I was feeling very positive. We are here after all !
Ramechhap Airport : 474m
The Ramechhap airport is basically a few airline counters, a big shade, a room with a few chairs, a toilet and then just outside the shaded area, runs a runway surrounded by pretty green mountains. The prettiest and smallest airport I have ever seen.
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| Ramechhap Airport |
As we step inside, I hear our flight number being announced. We couldn’t have timed it better - I think. We stand behind a short queue in front of the ‘Sita Air’ counter (where we had our ticket booked), thinking - any minute now! Funnily, the queue never gets any shorter. Instead, it only gets fatter as others keep hovering around the counters. The local guides and agents know what needs to be done and things are getting done on their end. Our guide is from Pokhara region. He is totally unaware of the chaotic ways here. He stands behind us waiting for our guidance! So, we kept waiting behind the queue thinking our turn would arrive! Every time, I check behind us, we always seem to be the last one! Finally, my friend walks up to the front and pushes the tickets forward. This method appears to be effective!
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| Bags & Queues! |
The clock hands move at their own pace and so do the planes here! It is 9AM on the clock and our 7AM flight is finally ready for us now!
Ramechhap (474m) to Lukla (2846m) : ~20mins flight
A very petite looking ATR aircraft with 1x1 seating wheels on the runway. The left side of the aircraft provides a better scenic view at flight. As I walk into it, I am graciously offered the privilege to sit on the left. I selfishly accept the offer and belt myself! We take off!
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| Cool..eh? |
The next 20mins see a lot of emotions! Nervous smiles, silent prayers, sweaty palms, hesitant hand holds, shaky camera clicks and so on. The flight goes through a narrow valley surrounded by beautiful mountains offering green carpets and snowpeaks whilst the bottom of the valley is adorned by the winding Sunkoshi river. But every time you dare to smile at this beautiful scenery, the aircraft makes its way through a little puff of cloud making you feel bottomless!
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| The Runway |
The most amazing part of this flight is the landing. As I peek through the front glass of the plane, all I see is a vertically up runway! As if, the plane is going to slam into it! It is the shortest runway of the world (a mere 500m) and slanted up to control the speed of the incoming flights. So, the runway basically slopes upward and then flattens out. Kudos to the extremely skilled pilots and the masterminds who architected this design!
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| Landed! |
When the flight comes to a halt, a lot of cheers and high-fives follow! It is the shortest, the scariest and yet the most scenic flight I have ever taken!Lukla (2846m) to Phakding (2610m) : ~7.5 KM, ~3.5 Hours [Day 1]
We are finally at the trailhead! I stretch my legs. All that fuel work is done now and the leg work begins. A few steps down the road leads to a gate that welcomes one to the city. Then it opens up with a straight wide road lined with touristy shops on both sides. We walk into a hotel for breakfast. This is where our guide introduces us to our porter who in spite of having a perfect name of his own, always gets called as ‘Babu’ (an affectionate way of calling a kid or someone younger than you. It has other connotations too but this is just one of the ways. I keep finding such similarities between Nepal and Bengal.)
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| The main street in Lukla |
We order toast and omelette. This marks the start of our epic diet for the next 14days when every morning would start with two pieces of toast and an omelette/fried egg!
The trek starts with us crossing the Pasang Lhamu Gate named after Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepalese woman to summit Mount Everest. After a few steps down from this gate, we do a check-in here i.e. to pay an entry fee (1500 nps) for the Sagarmatha National Park.
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| Pasang Lhamu Gate |
The trail from here goes mostly downward through typical Himalayan forestry canopy. We cross a pretty village, Cheplung. If you opt to travel on road instead of the scary flight to Lukla, Cheplung would be the starting point of the trail. However, you can also opt to walk directly from Jiri, following the footsteps of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmung Hillary! But we are lazy. So we opt for the easy route out! It is a nice short walk today - about 3 hours, all going downhill.
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| Cheplung |
The mood is perfect - the Sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the unruly trees are waving their greens. It is a merry walk down, a much needed welcome relief to stretch the legs after being sat in cars and flights for the last two days.
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| Let's Go! |
As we walk into the village of Phakding in the afternoon, the sky is still very blue. We breathe in the warmth of the familiar setting of a teahouse kitchen. The teahouses in this Khumbu region are very different from what we have earlier experienced in the Annapurna region. Whilst the ones in Annapurna region are more raw and rustic, the ones here are extremely lavish and comfortable in comparison. Generally, in the Annapurna region, you would have to step out of the rooms out into the open (either into an open balcony or a front garden or courtyard area) to get to the dining room and the toilets. But here, in the Khumbu region, it is all in the same unit. So your nose tip doesn’t get chilly every time you have to attend a Nature’s call or get some hot water from the kitchen. Very convenient indeed but as Amor Taylor famously said in his book and I cannot agree more, ‘But in the end, it has been the inconveniences that have mattered to me most.’
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| Phakding |
After a glass of lemon-ginger-honey, we go out for an afternoon stroll. Phakding is a quaint village with some very pretty accommodations, gardens, useful shops selling essentials for the trek (toilet rolls, crampons, walking poles, hats, gloves…you name it). The river Doodhkoshi gurgles by as we walk along the stony steps through this village. This river stays with us all along the entire EBC route.
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| Doodhkoshi River |
As it gets darker, we come back to our teahouse and hoover up our staple dinner of every Nepal trek i.e. daal-bhat-sabzi.
The first night at about ~2600m doesn’t go very well for me. My cold seems to be getting worse. My nose is so runny that as I lay awake in the night, all I can think of is the magic, ‘Water of India’ by P.C Sarkar! Thankfully, we have an attached toilet. So my hourly walk to the toilet to clear my nostrils is conveniently short and warm. What a nosy night!
Phakding (2610m) to Namche Bazaar (3440m) : ~10.5 KM, ~7 Hours [Day 2]
The following morning we set off from Phakding at around 8AM in the morning. The routine remains pretty much the same for the next few days from here on (except for the D-day) i.e. -
Breakfast at 7:30AM (where we always opt for toast and eggs. You could have other options too, like veggie noodles, meat, sausages, pancakes. Unlike ABC, the food menu is pretty long here. But my tummy is sensitive. So I stick to the basics!)
Trek starts at 8AM
Lunch at about 12-30/1PM (where again we always opt for veggie noodle soup or potato-veggie-egg salad)
Dinner at 6:30/7PM (where our set option is Nepali Daal-bhat-sabzi thali)
As you can see, I am an extremely cautious mere human with a sensitive appetite and a pretty boring nature!
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| Mad honey...as they call it! Love the name! |
The trail from Phakding to Namche Bazaar crosses a few other Sherpa villages and climbs up through lush Himalayan forest. Some part of the trail is well marked with proper stony steps, whilst some parts are more roots and pebbles and boulders where you make your own way. Overall, it’s a gradual rocky ascent.
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| My nose blowing dance as I thrive to climb! |
We are extremely lucky with the weather. The Sun makes everything just perfect! The crisp cold weather coupled with a perfect blue sky, green trees and distant peaks - You have the perfect Nature buffet. However, I have got it tough today. My cold is so bad that I have to stop every 100m or so to blow my nose and shock the passersby-s. As I huff and puff my way up, the bright white peak of Thamserku makes its grand appearance. This peak is beautiful with its serrated edges and flat white surface.
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| Thamserku shows up in full grandeur |
The trail keeps getting prettier with stupas, colourful flags and big rocks with Buddhist prayers carved on them. The rule is - you should always keep these big rocks to your right as a way of respect and/or prayer.
There are a lot of yaks and donkeys on the trail here. More yaks than donkeys at this point. They carry loads up and down the mountains. Apparently, the yaks go even up to 5000m! So basically we have got it easy because of them!
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This was so cool when the yaks in front of us simply strolled into the waterfall!
One of my most fav moments in this trek! |
On our climb up, we reach a point from where we see two suspension bridges. One of them is being used for Bungee jumping! We don't see anyone jumping though. And the other one is the famous Hillary bridge. When Edmund Hillary had walked this trail, there was no bridge here and he had crossed the river on foot. When this suspension bridge was constructed, it was then named after him. We cross this suspension bridge to cross the Koshi river as it sways in the strong wind blowing across the valley.
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| Hillary Bridge |
The last part of the trail gets steeper. Namche Bazaar is close but it seems to be getting further and further away as the gradient of the slope gets bigger and bigger. We take a short ‘snickers’ break and trudge along.
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| Snickers Break |
As we gradually walk up to Namche Bazaar, the forest suddenly opens up into this wide valley dotted with colourful houses all along the slope. It’s a bit misty now with soft clouds settling in and the Sun almost on the horizon. The place has a very positive and cheerful vibe to it.
Namche bazaar is one of the first villages where the Sherpas settled. Being the hotspot for trekkers and climbers, either going up or down, everyone seems to be in a jolly good mood here. It’s very touristy too. Lots of branded shops and multi-cuisine cafes and restaurants line up along the steep steppity road of Namche bazaar.
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| Struggle is real |
I break into a broad smile as I feel instantly relaxed by the vibe. It was hard for me today. I feel like the cold virus is making a comeback. I am worried. I do have a whole medical kit with me but what if it’s not enough! Anyway, we go up and down the steep steps of the town a few times looking for accommodation. I am a bit miffed with the guide as he is not being very helpful and my annoying nasal conditions are just making it worse.
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| So glad to be here! Entering Namche Bazaar... |
After a lot of confusion, we end up getting a costly hotel. Well, c’est le vie. If it helps my cold, then nothing like it! After settling in, I call up dad (connectivity is surprisingly good here!) for his unprofessional but my go-to medical advice. Later in the evening, as we stroll into the town for a big meal, I whine to my heart's content to my friend. Sometimes, all you need is a good moan and a faithful ear.
~Until the next day
I think, if I have to think of the whole trail on this EBC route, I would divide it into 3 broad phases -
Lukla-Phakding-Namche Bazaar
Namche Bazaar-Tengboche-Dingboche-Lobuche-Gorakhshep-EBC
EBC-till the downward trail back to Lukla (here you could take a few different route back)
After Namche Bazaar, the scenery changes rapidly with altitude. However, that is something for Part 3 of this saga :)
For now, we stay in Namche Bazaar tonight. It's a rest day tomorrow. Though I hear I have to go for a 3hours hike up to a view point the next day. “Rest” must have a different meaning in Khumbu!
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| To the elusive 'rest' day in Namche Bazaar... |
