We Trek From Namche to Dole

​Describing our trek from Namche to Dole without using colorful metaphors might be difficult. We arrived safely after a very challenging day. The day began in bright sun in Namche at 11,400 feet. We hiked steadily upward with breathtaking views of Everest, Ama Dablam and Kangteka. After 3 1/2 hours of climbing we reached the village of Mong La at 13,100 feet. We enjoyed a great lunch with beautiful views of the deep valley and river below. As we resumed our trek it became obvious that we had to hike all the way back down to the river, losing 1,000 of the feet we had gained and climb right back up again. But, we didn’t come here because it was easy and we got right to the task. As we regained our altitude we made our way slowly to Dole listening to thunder roll and echo through the huge peaks. We arrived in Dole at 13,200 feet at 3:30, very tired but thrilled by what we accomplished and the things we saw along the way. Tomorrow, we advance to Machermo at 14,600. We continue to feel great and are grateful for the help of  our guide and porters who continue to take good care of us.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rest Day in Machermo

Image
​As in Namche, it was important for us to acclimatize in Machhermo (Big Yak Butter) before our big push up to Gokyo at 15,583 ft. and the summit of Gokyo Ri at 17,575. We arose to a crystal clear morning with about 5 inches of fresh snow. After a typically great breakfast, we set off on a steep climb up the skirts of Machhermo Peak.Trekking in fresh snow in the bright sun, we were surrounded with magnificent views. Although difficult, it will remain one of our favorite climbs. Despite many days of trekking, it seems that the higher we get, the bigger the mountains get and we continue to stop every few minutes with our mouths agape. We had particularly clear views of Cho Oyu, the world’s 6th highest peak. We gained a new high altitude of 15,500 feet and returned to Machhermo after about 4 hours ready for our push up to Gokyo the next day.
Read more

We Trek To Gokyo

Image
​Our trek to Gokyo was arduous but magnificent. We remarked several times that it seemed like a different world. We got an early start, said our goodbyes to Machhermo and with a steep climb, were soon on our way. We followed a beautiful river valley with magnificent views in all directions. After several hours, we began to climb away from the river toward the Gokyo Lakes. After a quick chocolate bar break, we passed the first and second stunning lakes and then finally the third large lake with the village of Gokyo at the far end. There beside Gokyo was the mountain we will climb tomorrow. While it seemed a bit daunting and certainly gave us pause, we feel healthy, ready and prepared for the climb. Our plan is to leave for the summit at 4:00, enjoy the sunrise from the mountain and take advantage of the crystal clear mornings.  Before dinner, our guide Jit led us on a short 500 foot acclimatization hike in an afternoon snowstorm that took us to 16,000 feet. An early bedtime for us is in
Read more