Team Cromwell are on their way home

Chhuldim generously presented us with Mountain Experience teeshirts and Kata on our departure from Hotel Tibet. Things have gone smoothly through check in and customs apart from Liam trying to smuggle a pocket knife through security. All good learning.

We have arrived in Singapore, been out for dinner and are checked in to our hotel. Tomorrow will be reasonably relaxed with some shopping and exploring. We arrive back in Queenstown at 12.35 pm Friday and look forward to seeing family and friends again. 

Pashupati and Monkey Temples, memorable World Heritage Sites

By 7 am we were weaving our way across a city where centre lines do not exist to visit the spiritually significant Pashupati Temple. The entry fee is high $13US and is used to fund site restoration and clean up the heavily polluted Bagmati River.

The site has been in existence for over 1000 years and is one of the holiest temples in the world for Hindus. Brightly made up Babas were seated around the Temple, keen for a picture for a price.
We were privileged to observe a traditional Hindu funeral from the blessing in the Bagmati to the family carrying their loved one clothed in bright yellow and orange and covered in marigolds to the cremation site. A private family ceremony shared so openly in this memorable temple, as it has been for hundreds of years. 

The Temples at Pashupati: The Bagmati River is in the foreground, about 2-3m wide. We observed the funeral taking place in the right foreground.  

Back in the van for the ride across town to the Monkey Temple, Swayambhu. This trip took us through the old Kathmandu, very narrow streets with as many people, motor bikes and taxis as in more modern areas. The centre was closed for a festival so we took a detour down what seemed like a garden path eventually arriving at the magnificent Monkey Temple.

They say there are a thousand steps to the impressive brass and gold plated stupa that affords panoramic views of Kathmandu. We didn't count but the staircase is certainly steep, easily handled though after our high altitude training.

Near the top of the stairs to The Monkey Temple, Swayambhu, the bright gold stupa in the background.

New prayer flags were bring hung by a man precariously scaling the dome by hauling himself up on a chain. No Health and Safety here. The stupa is beautiful and the views are just tremendous!  Devotees and tourists alike wander around entranced. Numerous stalls line the stairs and viewing areas selling Buddha, prayer wheels, singing bowls, knives, etc. And yes, there were monkeys too. All doing their own thing and quite oblivious to all the fuss.

Pauline, Will and Elsa taking in the views over Kathmandu. A monk checks his cell phone in the right of the picture

Will Jonny, Dave and Hugh - Monkey Temple

On our return to the hotel several were dropped off in Thamel for a last bout of shopping. Tonight we will be trying to fit everything into our cases for the flight to Singapore and home.

Retail therapy in Kathmandu

A relaxed get up this morning with a full continental and cooked breakfast, 'live egg station' included (omelettes prepared on the spot).
A day of shopping was planned first in Thamel then down to a newer area about 30 minutes walk from the hotel. We split in two with my group hitting the Thamel area and the others with Pauline continuing on to Durdar Square.
Five of us squeezed into a small Suzuki Taxi back to the hotel at 12 pm. After lunch we took another taxi down to met  the others at the E Revolving Restaurant that did revolve a just a little, near Durdar. It was then off for some serious pashmina shopping with Chhuldim. There was a massive increase in the crowds, density and diversity of shopping in this area. A colourful, pulsating shoppers heaven!
All ten of us plus two locals then packed into the back of a 3 wheeled tooktook for a short trip back to the hotel. 
Dinner is out at a restaurant in town tonight at 6.30 pm. We will be up at 6 am tomorrow to visit the Monkey Temple and other sights.
Soaking up the bustle and raw energy of Kathmandu is a wonderful contrast to the peace and grandeur of our amazing Himalayan trek. It is all part of our adventure.
Pictures of:
1. Big breakfasts for Jonathan, Liam and Hugh.
2. How many Cromwellians can you spot?  Shopping in the Durdar square area.

Helicopters to Kathmandu, the only way to fly!

The Nepalese know how to party. Lots of singing and traditional dance that they all know, young and old. This is something our culture lacks although we did sing with gusto the national anthem and Dave and I did an awesome school haka. Our strong porters and awesome sherpa were all there to enjoy the dere ramro (great) cake and celebration of a successful trek.

Our outstanding celebration chocolate layer cake

Dancing the night away

This morning it was breakfast at 7 with our flights due for 10. This all changed to 8 am, as it does in Nepal. We were now in 3 choppers with Pauline with 4 students followed by me and 5 students. Kim would join in with some climbers on a later flight.

Pemba presented us all with Kata as we waited. Pauline and her group got away ok then our chopper had to go to EBC to pick up some climbers. My group had the distinction of flying with Dave from London who had climbed Everest two days earlier.

Before take off we admired the skills of the fixed wing pilots landing and taking off from the short, sloping Lukla air strip. Yippee for helicopters.

A plane rapidly nears the end of the worlds most dangerous airstrip 

Hugh, Jonny and Leroy

A beautiful day to fly. There was fresh snow on the hills from torrential rain that fell last night and clear air to see in detail the intense terraced farming, huge brick kilns and sprawling housing of Kathmandu.

After landing at Kathmandu it was onto the back of a ute and around to the domestic terminal where we met up with Chulddim, Pauline and the others.

A taxi with extra leg room

Haere mai Kathmandu

We are all now back at the oasis that is the Hotel Tibet and have enjoyed fresh fruit, mango juice and a real coffee.

The team are resting, showering and heading to the nearby supermarket for essential supplies of chocolate, fizzy and ice cream.

Happy Mothers Day team mums and wives!

Luxury!

A party in Lukla tonight!

It was great to catch up with Peter Hillary over dinner at the Khumbu Lodge last night. He is guiding his own group to EBC over the next few weeks. It was special to hear him read the letter that his Dad wrote 3 days after climbing Everest in 1953. A very matter of fact account of an extraordinary achievement by his Dad and Tenzing.

This morning we were away by 7 am to visit the market Namche is renown for. A huge range of fresh produce, eggs,  spices, vegetables and a very basic butchery with plenty of buffalo being carved up. I couldn't resist buying an Everest exercise book!

A small part of the Bazzar. 

Morning tea was at Bengkar where the team reunited two weeks ago. It was very warm coming down valley. We passed numerous donkey trains on their daily run from Lukla and return, a full day!
The vege curry and Dahl Baht for lunch at Phakding was kaserang shimonok, superb!

Larga Bridge - David and I left our kata there

Great tukka - vege curry and dahl bhat

Elsa and Bryn spin one of the many the prayer wheels

Beautiful mani stone

Back in Lukla - a big day from Namche Bazzar

We finally arrived in Lukla at 2.20 pm to cloud, a few drops of rain and thunder. A shower, relax, afternoon tea and then its party time :). Five of the team are running the gauntlet having ordered Yak burgers or steaks!

It is now bucketing down outside, serious rain! Any gear not in plastic bags with our porters is going to be soaked.

Yaks and rhododendrons

I have had a request for some yak and rhododendron pictures. There are only a couple on my phone to show you. I will try to load some more in Kathmandu.

The yaks have long hair and we have only really seen them above Namche. They are quite deft on their hooves negotiating the step stairs and rocky tracks to EBC. Pauline and I did pat a couple at Dole, they were tied up though!

There are whole hillsides covered in the white, yellow and pink flowers of the rhododendron. Pauline has been enjoying identifying heaps of local plants. There were pretty euphorbia on the track to Lukla.

Home again in Namche

After another yummy lunch we headed over to the Khumjumg School. There was an assembly on with two girls doing a Nepali dance to students and many parents all squeezed into a small hall.

We admired the bronze of Sir Ed Hillary then walked past the longest mani walls in the park. we made a quick visit to Khunde hospital, built with support from NZ Lions clubs.

The descent back to Namche was steep and stunning with moody cloud swirling around. We are back at the Sukara Lodge and the team is out shopping already!

We have dinner with Peter Hillary tonight and wander down to Lukla tomorrow.

Down, up and down again to Khumjung, Khunde and Namche Bazaar.

Up early for some views of Ama Dablam and the monastery.

After a 6.30 breakfast we were trekking down to the Dudh Kosi and then climbing up to Khumjung for lunch. The team is definitely moving well as we decrease our altitude to Namche.

Thick patches of rhododendron forest, yellow, pink, lavender and white; a huge botanical garden! Tall stands of pine now dominate the upper canopy. We passed water driven prayer wheels and stopped for tea at 8 am at Phungi Thanga.

It was a steep climb to Sanasa for another hot drink trying to avoid yaks carrying film gear for the movie of the first ascent of Everest.

Ama Dablam is majestic to the north east. We passed several thar very close to the track, quite rare.

We are now at the Sherpaland Hotel for lunch just opposite Khumjumg School set up by Ed Hillary in 1961, roll 350.

Breathing easy at 4000m and off to the Tengbouche Monastery

We set off at 8 am after great sleeps at Pheriche. Being 800m lower makes a huge difference to your breathing.

Back into conifer, juniper, pine and rhododendron forest. More lovely views of Ama Dablam and the villages along the Khumbu.

It is so much busier in the Khumbu than the Dudh Kosi valley. Morning tea in Pangboche and lunch in Deboche.

At 3 pm we visited the monastery for there afternoon prayer service. The inside of the monastery is ornately decorated in paintings of buddha and a massive statue of the bhudda Guru Rimpoche sits peacefully at the front of the prayer room. Monks recited their mantra for about 10 minutes and after a circuit of the room and a donation we walked past heaps of prayer wheels around the monastery.

It has been a restful day walking beneath the ever present ice capped mountains, through numerous small villages and groves of flowering rhododendron forest.

Tomorrow we head back to Namche Bazaar via Khunde and Khumjung.

On the down hill home

After reaching EBC yesterday some of the group headed into the camp to find Guy Cotter's Adventure Consultants tent. The rest headed back to Gorak Shep while I continued on down to Lobuche to beat Dave at cards.

The Adventure Consultants group worked their way through the maze of 36 tent camps that make up the 2000 strong population of EBC. They were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed orange juice and a Snickers bar while hearing about the logistics of high altitude guiding from Lydia Bradey and the camp manager, Anna Gilouly.They were separated from the climbers to prevent any 'contamination'. Daniel Young, one of the climbers at EBC generously donated $500 to Phortse school!

This morning Dave, Jethar and I were away by 7 am heading to Pheriche. The rest of the group climbed Kala Pathar 5550m at 5.30 am and had panoramic views of the Khumbu icefall, Everest, Nuptse, Lingtren and other peaks around EBC. They arrived at Pheriche at about 1.30 pm.

There have been at least 10 helicopters through here already today. Several carrying out rescues for altitude sickness and others dropping off and picking up gear from EBC.

There is a bitter wind blowing up valley and the day is beginning to cloud up as normal.  The attached photo is a monument to all who have died on Everest since climbing began in 1922, over 220.

Tomorrow we will be in Tengboche and will visit the famous temple there at 3 pm.

On the way to EBC

Up at 5 this morning and away by 6 am. Spectacular day with great views of the Khumbu Glacier and Pumo Ri. Caught first view of Everest Base Camp above Gorak Shep. Having an early lunch at Gorak before heading to EBC.

Cromwell College EBC 2013! !

Thirteen days after leaving home in Cromwell we have made it to the location that inspired our adventure. It had been a wonderful journey and there is still more to come. Whaia te taumata, pursue the highest peaks and Deserve Success!

The twelve of us here are but a small part of our team.  Thank you everyone for your tremendous encouragement and support. Tashi Dele, Namaste!

P.S. There has been no internet access since Gokyo. I have been drafting posts on my Samsung Galaxy. I will add pictures and update posts in Periche tomorrow. Namaste.

On the main highway to EBC

A leisurely day at 5000m is getting woken at 6 for a 6.30 am breakfast and away by 8 for a 3 hour trek.

Today our destination was Lobuche one of the main stops on the EBC trek. More blue skies,  magical mammoth mountains such as Amakram, Cholatse, Ama Dablam, Pomu Ri and yak trains; the Mack trucks of the Khumbu.

We are lodged at the Mother Earth House, our flashest accommodation to date. The lunch was fantastic! Pizza, toasted ham sandwiches, chow mien,  noodle soup and vegetable curry. My toasted sandwich was the best I have eaten ever!

An afternoon of cards, napping, reading and washing. Tomorrow it is an early start for Gorak Shep and on to Everest Base Camp. We have decided that Dave Borrie will stay put in Lobuche, this height is just enough for him. I will come back here tomorrow after EBC and we will walk together with Jettar, one of our sherpas, and a porter to Pheriche and the team will meet us there.

All the team, including Dave, are well, eating heaps and in very good humour.

The life of a Himalayan trekker

We eat, we walk, we sleep while bring treated to the most stunning landscapes and enjoying the company of our sherpa and porters and the Nepalese culture.

Lodges
These tend to have quite grand names such as Gokyo Resort, Yeti Lodge and Hotel Zonglha Inn. The names don't so much reflect the quality of the structure, more the huge effort gone into transporting the materials by yak and porter. Some we have stayed in are only just over a year old but they look like they have been here for years.

The Snowland Lodge in Pheriche.  Peter Hillary, Rob Hall and Gary Ball stayed here for their 1990 Everest Expedition

A typical room in the Phortse Guest House

A typical dining room with yak dung burner. Here we are enjoying tea at the Phortse Guest House

The walls are ply and bedrooms are small with 2 single beds and window. If you are lucky you will have a small table and some wall hooks. There is a dining room with a yak dung fueled burner in the centre of the room. Squat toilets are the norm that are flushed with a jug of water. There have been a couple with standard flush toilets too. There is the chance for a shower but trickle would be the more fitting term. You need to be quick too. A warm bucket wash is the way to go! Our lodges have been clean and owners very welcoming.

A flash squat toilet and shower at the Sukara Lodge in Namche Baazar. Clean and functional. 

The day
Our day generally starts at around 5 or 6am depending on distance and altitude. We have our duffle bags packed for our porters before breakfast so they are at our next lodge by our arrival. Our porters range in age from 17 to 23. Akas, Pasang, Gyalbu and Aspal are strong, always happy and they move easily across this challenging country. They enjoy their games of cards with our team!

We climb around 300m a day so that we acclimatise well. Our day in Phortse and our Cho La Pass climb have helped get the team in great shape for Everest base Camp and Kala Pathar. Slowly, slowly, slowly is the sherpa mantra for the trekker!

Great advice on acclimmatisation in Pheriche

The food
There is lots in the blog already about the food. On the main EBC trail there is a wide variety of traditional Nepalise food such as sherpa stew, curries, potatoes, and dahl baht and Asian and Western foods like pizza, chips, fried rice and chow mein. Breakfast for our team usually involves porridge, omelets pancakes toast and tea. We all have our own favourite snacks from home with us to eat while trekking.

Elsa's Tibetin bread, then curried potatoes, naan bread, garlic soup, Liam's dahl baht and Bryn's fried vegetable momo 

Shimonok Sherpa Stew.

Our sherpa crew from Mountain Experience
Our adventure would not be possible without Childdum and his team from Mountain Experience. We are looked after like royalty.  Pemba Sherpa is our Sirdar and organises the lodges and meals and liaises with Kim on the plan for our day. Surya Rai and Jetha Rai are Pemba's assistants and set the pace for the group and help with our meals. They too love their cards and are very caring and supportive of all members of our team. Surya helped make Doug's birthday cake at Machhermo and Pemba presented colourful Kata scarves to both Liam and Doug on their birthdays.

When I come back with Julie we will certainly be making use of this extremely professional company.

Surya, Jethar and our sirdar Pemba near Everest Base camp