Day 12: Dzongla

22 April 2007
Dzongla, 4830 metres, 3.00pm

Took nearly 5 hours to get here from Lobuche because I lost my way. It was a fantastic walk to begin with; the landscape was covered in a carpet of snow, even the trail. At first I was a bit unsure about walking in the snow rail. But I soon found my feet. Also footprints, both human and yak, abounded so it was easy to follow the trail. It was a fresh, gorgeous morning and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. But after I crossed a flat snow field, I had trouble connecting to the trail to Dzongla.I could see a trail higher up on the mountain so I just walked up to the bottom of the hill and climbed up to the trail. Thereafter I was alone for a long time. after a few hours I met a couple of trekkers and was relieved to find out I was on the right trail. There was snow on the trail and their footprints were prominent enough for me to follow. But after a while the footprints disappeared and i found myself walking up to the crest of the hill and following what looked like a trail. But it vanished into nothing and I had to backtrack to the crest. There I found another descending path. This led me to Dzongla. Some of the trail was slippery and for a lot of the time I was afraid I wasn't on the right trail. Apart from the 3 trekkers I didn't meet anyone on the path.

But I enjoyed the walk and the sense of total isolation in the mountains.

As for Dzongla, I have yet to see a more cold, desloate place on earth. Preched high on a little bit of flat surrounded by mountains it has just two lodges and a toilte that is spectacularly filthy.

soon after I arrived, it started snowing. Even my down jacket didn't seem to keep out the chill.

But theres also a kind of satisfaction in being so far from anywhere.

i'm a bit worried about the pass tomorrow. It has a slippery bit on the other side and I don't know how I'll do on it.

But I'll have a porter to guide me so I'll at least know where I'm going.

It'll take all of 6 hours to go to the next village and I've a feeling I'm going to take much longer.

Last night was the most social evening of the trek. I met an English family and 3 Americans and we had a great evening, chatting about all sorts of things. Come to think of it I haven't seen that many English on the trek.

Day 11: Lobuche

21 April 2007
Lobuche, 4940m, 2.10pm

Took 3 hours to get to Lobuche from Gorak Shep. The twists and turns over the moraine were not easy, but after a bit I found myself singing. I was right in the middle of the Himalaya, walking alone in a valley that led to Mount Everest, in glorious weather. The morning mist was dissipating and on my immediate left Nuptse once again materialised.

I also found myself thinking about my future. I would like to make a feature film in the Maldives and this was on my mind as I descended to Lobuche. I also thought about building a house, a rustic stone-walled one with windows all round it. I liked the inisde seating in the Sherpa kitchens I'd been in. I want the inside walls to be plastered but left uneven.

When I got to Lobuche, I decided not to have the customary nap but to sit outside in the sun and stare at Nuptse and the people arriving here on their way to Kala Pattar. But even in the sun it was pretty cold. Later on the sun disappeared and I had to go in and get my down jakcket. I'm now in the kitchen but it's freezing in here.

Days 9 , 10: Gorak Shep

20 April 2007
Gorak Shep, 5,170m, 3.30pm

I've had the most wonderful summit day yet. I breakfasted on toast and jam and by 6.30am was climbing the first steep bit of Kala Pattar. The sun was still behind Everest. I was unusually frisky this morning, overtaking slower trekkers and keeping within the pace of others. I have to say, however, that a few did go past me. On uphills, I kept a slow steady walking pace in harmony with a breathing pattern and this sometimes worked so well that I didn't have to stop for rest.

As the sun rose over Everest, I knew it was going to be a gorgeous day---blue sky all around with Everest and its trademark plume of cloud backlit. I was on the higher 5,600m summit of Kala Pattar at 8.15am (7.30am Maldives time). This means I took only 1 hour 45 minutes to reach a peak I had taken 3 hours to climb in 2005. In the glorious morning sunlight, the euphoria was very much in evidence with groups and individuals snapping summit pictures.

I found myself a nice spot on the crowded summit and looked down on the amazing view (in the photo), enjoying every minute of the 45 minutes I stayed there. It was surprisingly mild and I was only wearing my fleece. In both my previous Kala Pattar summit days I was wearing a down jacket and still feeling cold. This time around, the general atmostphere, the beauty of the monring and, of course the fact that I had taken a relatively short time to get here, made it the best climb up Kala Pattar ever.

The return took slightly longer, but I still made it under 2 hours. It has to be said that the initial steep bit, which had been somewhat scary, very much on my mind on my way down. In fact, I'd gone straight up over this bit instead of zigzagging like the others did---I only saw this switchbacks on the return.

Although today is one of the best days of this trek yesterday was the worst.

I went to Everest Base Camp over the endless moraine and it took 3 hours, 15 minutes. The rout was sometimes not very marked and I was quite often by myself. Moreover, the headach had come back and I was not in good spirits. But I'm glad I trekked to EBC, because it was only in the spring that you can see all the tents and the activity. More than 30 expeditions were here this year, I was told. The arrival at EBC was marked by a crashed helicopter. The air here, with only half the oxygen at sea-level, is so thin that the rotors have almost nothing to hit on.

The initial part of the walk was over snow, since it had snowed all afternoon on the 19th. The roofs of the lodges, and even Kala Pattar had a dusting of snow when I started. But by afternoon, the snow had melted. The return to Gorak Shep, with the worsening headache, took me nearly 4 hours!

Back in the lodge, the kidchen was crowded with groups of trekkers and their porters and guides. People were garrulous and althought my headache had gone by then, I wasn't feeling too good.

Last night I seriously considered skipping Kala Pattar and heading down to Lobuche. But the thought of coming all this way and not climb KP, the main objective of any trek here and, in my case, the test to see if Zinan's training had made a difference, was something I just couldn't bear. Since I first climbed KP in 1994, the summit day, in different visualisations, has been my most recurring dream.

On the way down KP, I thought I felt a slight headache but by the time I got to the lodge I was fine.

I now feel confident enough to attempt Cho La pass, Gokyo Ri and any other challenges ahead of me.

My only real worry now is that the money might run out. Also, I'm getting filthier every day. I'm really looking forward to a hot shower in Namche.

As I sit here writing this, the sun is dipping and I can see the last rays on Kala Pattar.

I wonder if I will ever be back up on that hill.

Day 8: Gorak Shep

18 April 2007
Gorak Shep, 5,170m, 4.00pm

It's been snowing since around 2pm and all the roofs of the lodges are covered in a sheet of snow. There were quite large patches of snow on the way here too.

I think it's been my slowest day so far. I took about 3 hours, 45 minutes to get here. I found the moraine quite daunting, even though there weren't any sharp ascents or descents. I think this is because of the altitude; the headache returned on the trail. This seems to be a pattern since Dingboche--I develop a headache around lunchtime, on the trail, which then dissipates after I've had some refreshment at the day's destination.

At one point on the trail I almost went into the I-don't-care-anymore-zombie mode. In any case, the headache seems to have gone again, but it's freezing in the kitchen. The kitchen's the warmest place here. I'm also a bit worried about eh hike in prices. Ican't afford dhal bhat anymore, so I've switched to fried vegetable noodles. Here's a sample of prices at Gorak Shep:

Milk tea: 50 Rupees
Toast with jam: 250 Rupees
Dhal Bhat: 250 Rupees
Setamed vegetable momo: 180 Rupees
Mars bars: 250 Rupees

I'm hoping I'll regain my strength and stamina in the next day or so, so that I can do Kala Pattar and go to Lobuche on the same day. I can then go across the Cho La pass into the Gokyo valley, where things are cheaper. I can then also cut short the trek by 3 days.

Yesterday, Lobuche, I gave an interview to a Polish filmmaker--I blabbed on for quite a bit, but not really sure about what, as I was recovering from the headache. Elvira--that's the name of the filmmaker--came all the way to Lobuche without any acclimatisation stops. I was shocked but she seemed bubbly and fine. But this morning she'd got the headache. I met her on my way here; she was descending down the route without having climbed Kala Pattar and looking really bad. But she had a long day ahead of her as she was going all the way to Periche.

Day 7: Lobuche

17 April 2007
Lobuche, 4,940m, 3.00pm

The headache returned and, although not unbearable yet, is persistent. I started to feel it during the second half of the walk. I'm generally feeling a bit out of sorts and was exhausted on the trek here.

Dingboche to Dughla was 2 hours, 15 minutes, and Dughla to Lobuche took 2 hours, 30 minutes.

It took an hour to climb the steep rocky bit immediately after Dughla on the summit of which are several chortens or stone monuments, a memorial to people who've died climbing Mount Everest.

The place is a grim reminder that not all those who pass this hill make it back alive.

Day 6: Dingboche

16 April 2007
Dingboche, 4,350metres, 2pm

I might have the beginnings of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickeness). Last night I woke up a few times because my head felt heavy. But when I adjusted the pillow a little I was OK. And, this morning I was fine also. So, after breakfast, I headed off to Chukhung (4,750m). It took 1 hour 45 mins to get to Bibre and another 25 minutes to reach Chukhung. The return trip took less than 1 hour 30 minutes.

I was Ok for most of the trip but on the gentle uphill I did stop a few times to rest. For the last 30 minutes or so I didn't stop at all.

At Chukhung, it emerged that 2 American climbers were on Ama Dablam so there were a lot of people trying to spot them through binoculars. Chukhung has fantastic views of Lhotse, Island Peak and a fluted snowfall (in the photo).

I felt a slight headache there and it was with me on my way back, still is actually. I'm a little worred but I'll see how it goes. If it's still there in the morning I'll just stay here another night.

4.30pm
I'm sitting by the window watching people sow potatoes as clouds roll up from the valley. It's freezing out there but they're cracking jokes and smiling as they work the tough land. It's a picture of hardy folk struglling for existence in an extreme environment.

My headache's gone and my appetite is back. As I look out of the window I can see groups of tired trekkers arriving--I probably looked worse when I got here.

Day 5: Dingboche

15 April2007
Dingboche, 4,350 metres, 16.15pm

It's snowing, but only lightly. Clouds have covered the surrounding peaks and it's bitterly cold without the sun.

I made acceptable time again. Tengboche-Pangboche was 1 hour 50 minutes while Pangboche to Dingboche was 2 hours 50 minutes.

I'm finding it easier to negotiate the steep uphills and, to some extent, even the stone steps.

I met Pasang and his family (in the photo) at Pangboche and delivered a copy of Himalayan Dreams. They watched it while I ate lunch and had a laugh. Pasang's son recognised me as soon as he saw me and they woke up their new baby daughter so that I could take a photo to show Muha.

Pasang has a lodge in Dzongla, on the route to the Cho La Pass. He said I can hire a porter there. I'm seriously considering doing the pass, but everything will depend on how I feel and do further up, and snow conditions on the pass.

In Dingboche, I have the lodge all to myself, a welcome change after having had a to squeeze myself into a tiny kitchen in Tengboche last night with noisy trekkers.

So far I seem to be doing well, but the altitude here is well above 4,000 metres. It was here that I got symptoms of altitude sickness back in 1994. Last time, because we stayed two nights in Pangboche before coming here I didn't really feel any symptoms of altitude sickness.