Himalayan Travelogue – The Complete Adventure & Pictures

So now that I’ve finished the whole sequence I figured I’d post the whole listing here on one page in order, it will make it easier for people finding it for the first time to access, enjoy:

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/himalayan-travelogue-part-1-%e2%80%93-a-beginning/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/himalayan-travelogue-part-2-%e2%80%93-the-great-glenn-way/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/himalayan-travelogue-%e2%80%93-part-3-welcome-to-utah/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/himalayan-travelogue-%e2%80%93-part-4-i%e2%80%99m-goin-to-kathmandu/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/himalayan-travelogue-part-5-%e2%80%93-going-to-lukla/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/himalayan-travelogue-part-6-%e2%80%93-moonlight-lodge-and-the-yeti-skull/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/himalayan-travelogue-part-7-%e2%80%93-higher-than-i%e2%80%99ve-ever-been/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/himalayan-travelogue-part-8-%e2%80%93-the-everest-marathon-skirts-and-up-and-down-days/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/himalayan-travelogue-part-9-%e2%80%93-lobuche-david-breashears-and-a-surprise/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/himalayan-travelogue-part-10-%e2%80%93-let-it-snow-let-it-snow-let-it-snow/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/himalayan-travelogue-part-11-%e2%80%93-in-the-land-of-na-and-gokyo/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/himalayan-travelogue-part-12-%e2%80%93-renjo-la-pass-and-machermo/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/himalayan-travelogue-part-13-%e2%80%93-up-to-mong-la-down-to-french-fries-and-fried-eggs/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/19/himalayan-travelogue-part-14-%e2%80%93-namche-reunion-back-to-lukla/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/himalayan-travelogue-part-15-%e2%80%93-back-to-kathmandu/

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/himalayan-travelogue-part-16-%e2%80%93-afterthoughts/

Himalayan Travelogue Part 7 – Higher than I’ve ever been

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.  ~Lao Tzu

We headed out of Namche on what passes for flat in the Himalayas, this then led to a climb, a very long climb up to Mong La on the top of a mountain for lunch (12,795 ft) this was the highest elevation I’d ever achieved and it felt great.  I needed the rest at that point and we had a leisurely lunch.  Then it was down, down, down to the river and then up a really magnificent hill to Phortse at 12,400 ft and a really great lodge.  My favorite part of the lodge was the owner’s grandson who was a bit of an urchin and who was utterly fascinated by my beard which he proceeded to try and pull off of my face. 

Himalayan Beard Pull - photo credit Mark Laws

Also had my first experience with an Asian squat toilet, they’re hell on the legs, must be one of the reasons the locals have such strong legs.

Asian Squat Toilet

The next morning I made the mistake of running up the stairs and suddenly felt lightheaded, so I grabbed my pack and went outside to try and get my breath back and feel a bit better.  About 10 minutes later one of our guides, Lhakpa, comes jogging around the back of the lodge to get me, the group was already well up the mountain ahead of us.  The adrenaline burst took my mind off how I felt and I slowly climbed my way back to the group.

We spent the rest of the day on exposed trails heading to Pangboche, a really difficult day hiking for me as I started out feeling off and running late.  Plus exposed trails really wear me out mentally, not to mention that we ended the day at Pangboche (13,040 ft), and during the day on the hike we hit (13,500 ft)  my new highest point, a recurring theme for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve been passing a peak from different angles over the last couple of days and it is quickly becoming my favorite, it’s called, Khan Tiega and it is pictured below:

Khan Tiega in the Mist

Took a very cold shower in Pangboche and then walked out to take some shots of some truly magnificent vistas behind the lodge, an example below.

 

We would be doing an acclimatization day in Pangboche and the optional hike was to go to base camp for Ama Dablam, the mountain shown below.  The peak of Ama Dablam is over 22,000 ft and features a huge ice climb.

Ama Dablam

Upper base camp at Ama Dablam which we visited is at 14,800 ft, which is higher than any mountain in the continental United States, so I decided to go and here I was only a few days into my Himalayan experience standing at a point higher than anything in the continental US.  It was an accomplishment that hit me at the time, one I was proud of and also hit me because I was feeling the effects of the altitude and was happy to drop back down the 1500 ft back to Pangboche.

My actual notes for the day:

“It was cool to see base camp at Ama Dablam today with all of the tents set up.  Walking through the valleys it was amazing clouds, snow and 6-8000 meter peaks (20-26,000 ft) and so quiet, except for the sound of the occasional far off avalanche.”

Himalayan Travelogue Part 6 – Moonlight Lodge and the Yeti Skull

Today we start to go uphill, after doing some walking and crossing several suspension bridges we really started to climb, and at the two and a half hour mark we stopped at what I started calling a Himalaya Rest Stop, where several local women were selling fruit to the trekkers.  I was excited to make friends with one of the ladies and buy the “last banana” at least the last one until we were up the trail I’m sure.  The stop had a much bigger significance however, it was the first spot where we had a view of Mt. Everest. 

Woman who sold me the last banana

 

First View of Everest

As the day closed we arrived at Namche Bazaar (11,315 ft) essentially a giant swap meet in the middle of the mountains.  Namche is the place where Tibetans who have walked over the mountains, often in sneakers, come to sell their wares.   The village also has internet shops, bakeries and most importantly hot showers and the last sit down toilets on the trail.

Getting to Namche was great and I was thankful for an acclimatization day the next day as I wasn’t feeling great, but then again, 11,000 feet, a tough day walking and a bit of sunburn will do that to you.

The next morning has me very excited, I’m a big believer in Bigfoot and its Himalayan cousin the Yeti, to the point that my brother and I produce a website related to this and related topics, www.dystopiantimes.com.  I’m excited because today we will visit a Gompa in Khumjung where they monks have a purported Yeti Skull.

Me and Stretch on the way to Khumjung

Acclimatization day does not mean rest day, in fact the goal is to go up a thousand feet or so and then come back down to sleep lower than you climbed.  We climbed up above Namche with amazing views in the clear November skies including Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse.  The crazy thing is way up here on the mountain at 12,000 feet we came across a dirt airstrip and actually got to see a plane take off, it was wild.

We walked to Khunde for lunch and visited one of the mountain health clinics and then the big attraction for the day, the Khumjung Gompa and the Yeti Skull.  Arriving at the Gompa we had to make a donation to get the caretaker to open the case with the skull in it, but once he did we got to get up close to the small glass container that contained the skull.  Unfortunately the glass and the lack of light made getting a good shot almost impossible so here’s my best one below:

The Khumjung Monastery Yeti Skull

I’m a big fan of cryptids like the Yeti, but I’m also a scientist and the fact is the Khumjung skull is not a Yeti skull, it has been previously investigated and it turned out to not be the real deal, the link below can give you more information.

The history of the skull:

http://keithinnepal.blogspot.com/2007/12/yeti-skull.html

A link to a picture of Sir Edmund Hillary with the scalp and it’s debunking:

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/hillary-08/

All in all it was still a thrill to be in the land of the Yeti and be talking to people who truly believe in its existence.  Here’s a piece on another Yeti expedition to the Himalayas and some really interesting results:

http://www.dystopiantimes.com/content/tom-slick-expedition

On the way back to Namche we stopped and took some photos including my favorite one of me in the Himalayas and here it is.