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Trek to Everest a Walk in the Khumbu Himal Mon WILDERNESS & TRAVEL MEDICINE Everest at sunset © David Breashear Trek to Everest A Walk in the Khumbu Himal Mon. April 21 to Fri. May 9, 2014 19 Days – Demanding High Altitude Trekking ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Destination Himalaya 807 Grant Ave. Suite A • Novato • CA 94945 • Ph: 1.415.895.5283 or 1.800.694.6342 • Fax: 1.415.895.5284 email: [email protected] • www.DestinationHimalaya.com imalaya – the name says it all. Straddling the border between Tibet and its southerly neighbor, the Kingdom of Nepal, the world’s tallest mountains soar to Hthe heavens, seemingly piercing the unimaginably blue Tibetan skies. For the peoples of the Himalayan kingdoms, these mountains are sacred; for on their lofty heights dwell the gods and goddesses of the Indic religious traditions of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. In fact, the mountains themselves are considered manifestations of the deities. The South Face of Everest Rising above them all is the “goddess” of all mountains, the colossal Everest. Reaching a stupendous 29,017 feet, the world’s tallest mountain exerts a powerfully magnetic pull. Indeed, for many an intrepid explorer, the lure of the summit has proved irresistible, albeit at times tragically so. Known as “Peak XV” by the early Indo-British surveying team that established its summit as the world’s highest, the mountain was later named after Sir George Everest, head of the Great Trigonometrical Survey. While this is the name by which most Westerners know the mountain, to Tibetans it is Chomolangma, “The Goddess Mother of the Universe,” while to Nepalis it is Sagarmatha, “The Forehead of the Sky.” We begin our journey in hustle and bustle of Kathmandu before taking the breathtaking mountain flight to Lukla, our trailhead. We then undertake the popular trek to bask in the glory of Everest’s majestic south face in the Khumbu, land of the Sherpa. Staying in comfortable mountain lodges or private camps, we hike along the historic trekking route that was pioneered by the like of Sir Edmond Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. 2 I T I N E R A R Y Days 1 & 2 Monday & Tuesday: April 21st & 22nd DEPART NORTH AMERICA Flying over multiple time zones you “lose time” as you head east. There are no non-stop flights from North America to Nepal and one must connect via the far east or middle east countries.. Note on international flights: The cost of the trip does not include your flight from USA to Kathmandu. Please inform us if you would like assistance in booking your international air flights. Trans-pacific connections are via Hong Kong or Bangkok. Trans-Atlantic connections are via Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Delhi. Depending on your choice of international carrier you may be required to depart the USA a day earlier. On flight Day 3 Wednesday: April 23rd ARRIVE KATHMANDU / IN KATHMANDU Once you have cleared the formalities of customs, immigration, you step into the receiving area where you will be met by our Nepalese Guide and escorted to the Yak & Yeti. “Namaste” is the greeting you will receive from the friendly Nepalese people, a traditional Hindu greeting, derived from Sanskrit, which means “I salute the soul (God?) within you.” We will check in to our hotel, the classic Yak & Yeti, before spending the afternoon taking in some of the sites of Kathmandu Late afternoon/early evening we will have an orientation meeting to discuss effects of high altitude and check our trekking gear (Kathmandu is a great place to get completely outfitted with trekking/climbing gear, in case you forgot something). After the meeting we will take a walking tour of “old Kathmandu,” including Durbar Square, Hanuman Dhoka, the ancient palace of the Gorkha Kings and the old bazaar, ending with a “welcome dinner.” Yak & Yeti Hotel (B, L, D) 3 Day 4 Thursday: April 24th FLY TO LUKLA – START TREK (9,380 ft.) We begin our Everest trek with an exciting flight in a Twin Otter plane to the small airstrip at Lukla, elevation 9,275 feet, where we will meet our trekking staff. Well-rested from two days of light activity, we hit the trail with renewed enthusiasm. The first day's walk is moderate, as we make our way down from Lukla to the Dudh Kosi (the “Milk River,” named for its color). Hiking up the valley to the village of Monjo. Mount Kailash Lodge (B, L, D) Day 5 Friday: April 254h TREK TO NAMCHE BAZAAR (11,300 ft.) A long and challenging day with many ups and downs to Namche, with an extended and steep hill trail leading into Namche Bazaar (pictured below). Along the trail are villages interspersed with forests of rhododendron, magnolia trees, and giant firs. Towards the end of the day, about halfway up the final hill to Namche, we find our first views of the snowed-capped summits of Lhotse (27,916 feet) and Mt. Everest (29,035 feet). Arranged in a steep amphitheater at 11,300 feet, the town is packed with shops and small lodges, not to mention the winter homes of many prominent Sherpa families. Namche is the trading center for the entire Khumbu region, and the nexus of Sherpa social life. We stay is a lodge founded by Pasang Kame (a famed Everester) in what is “ground zero” for Everest climbs. Most of the well-known Everest summitters have stayed here at one time or the other and lend their names to the various rooms. We will walk about the bazaar and explore the heart of Sherpa community. Khumbu Lodge (B, L, D) 4 Day 6 Saturday: April 26th TREK TO KUMJUNG An easy day toady as we enjoy a leisurely breakfast before taking a two hours hike to our next location, the scenic village of Kumjung. It is here that Ed Hillary started his first school for the Sherpa community and this is also the site of the Kunde Hospital. Our lodge here is built to offer magnificent views of Mt. Amadablam (pictured above). Being a full moon we will have the opportunity of photographing the full moon rise against the high peaks of the Himalaya. Amadablam Lodge (B, L, D) Day 7 Sunday: April 27th TREK TO THYANGBOCHE (12,700 ft.) The morning takes us downhill, through terraced fields and pastures to our lunch site at Phunko Tenga, amid colorfully painted Buddhist prayer wheels, turning slowly by waterpower. Crossing the foaming Dudh Kosi River on a footbridge we start our long, steady climb through a pine forest to one of the most beautiful spots in the Himalaya, the monastery called Thyangboche, where, at 12,687 feet, we stay in the adjacent Guesthouse. Thyangboche offers one of the most stunning panoramas in the Himalaya – Tawoche (2l,463 feet), Nuptse (25,843 feet), Mt. Everest (29,035 feet), Lhotse (27,9l6 feet), Ama Dablam (22,493 feet), Kangtega (22,235 feet), Thamserku (2l,806 feet), and Kwande (20,806 feet). Founded some fifty years ago by Lama Gulu, the monastery is the main spiritual center of the Khumbu. 5 The main temple was destroyed by an earthquake in l933, was reconstructed and again destroyed by a fire in 1989, and, with the assistance of many trekkers, the monastery has once again been rebuilt. Buddhism is believed to have been introduced into the Khumbu towards the end of the 17th century by Lama Sange Dorje, the fifth of the reincarnate lamas of the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet on the other side of Mt. Everest. According to local legend, Sange Dorje flew over the Himalayas and landed on rocks at Pangboche and Tengboche, where he left his footprints. Sunrise and sunset are magnificent, with the rocky tip of Everest peeping from behind the dramatic Lhotse/Nuptse wall, the beautiful Ama Dablam, and many other peaks shifting through the pink spectrum of alpenglow colors. Thyangboche Guest House (B, L, D) Days 8 – 10 Monday – Wednesday: April 28th – 30th LOBUCHE – HIGH CAMP EN ROUTE TO EVEREST BASE CAMP These three days are spent hiking in the high country surrounded by Everest and all of its satellite peaks. The trek leader will determine how far and which view points that the group will visit. This will be based on the strength and acclimatization of the group. Our experience has been almost all trek members make the hike to Everest’s Base camp. Leaving Tangboche we hike through a forest of birches, conifers and rhododendrons, crossing the Imja Khola (river) on a steel bridge we climb up to Pangboche and then reach Dingboche by mid-afternoon. The views are again spectacular as we see another face of Amadablam, Island Peak and Makalu. From Dingboche we hike through the high alpine region, across the glacial frozen river at Thukla and climb up hill to the Lubuche, with magnificent views of Cholatse, Lobuche, Pumori and Nuptse. From Lobuche we are within striking distance of both, Everest’s Base Camp and the peak of Kala Pathar. Lodge (B, L, D) 6 Day 11 Thursday: May 1st KALA PATHAR EXCURSION Being directly opposite Everest, Kala Pathar (18,200 ft) offers some of the best panoramic views of Everest. In fact, most of the famous pictures of Mt. Everest’s rock pyramid peak are taken from Kalapathar (photo on left). We have a relaxed morning and after an early lunch, we start our slow but steady climb (no technical climbing required), reaching the black stone peak of the mountain by late afternoon. After spending some time on the peak (we may stay to watch the setting sun light up Everest’s rocky summit) and talking a number of photographs we descend back to our camp at Lobuche.
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