Achievers do not quit and quitters do not achieve
OUR TEAM:
Chris Williams, Tracey Shore, Colin Dawe - Trekkers
Chhabbi - Guide, Hari & Dani - Porters
THE TREK:
Colin, Tracey (Colin's partner) and I set off from Heathrow on Friday 28th September 2007 (my mother's birthday) bound for Kathmandu via Bahrain.
From Kathmandu we took an internal flight to Lukla, the start of our 17 day trek to Everest Base Camp. This is where we met our Guide - Chabbi and our porters for the trip Hari & Dani. Below is the itinerary we followed:
Monday 1st October - Arrive in Lukla (2,800 mtrs above sea level) and trek 3 hours to our first overnight stop in Phakding. This village is actually situated at 2,610 mtrs asl .. yes we actually started our trek by going downhill!!!
Tuesday 2nd October - Our final destination for our trek today would be the famous trading town of Namche Bazaar 3,500 mtrs asl. On this part of the trek we caught our first glimpse of the "lady" herself. We spent the next 36 hours in Namche Bazaar acclimatising. On our trek today we officially entered the Sagamartha National Park. Sagamartha being Nepalese for Mount Everest.
Wednesday 3rd October - We trekked the short way up to The Everest View Hotel where, thanks to the fantastic sunny, clear day we could see Everest and her surrounding peaks in all their glory.
Thursday 4th October - We ascended a further 400mtrs to Tengboche. Whilst 400 mtrs may not sound a lot, given the altitude and the fact to achieve it we would have to trek approx 6 hours with gradients at times of about 1:2, it was a very taxing day. We arrived at Tengboche thoroughly exhausted. This had been our hardest day yet.
Once rested we took a tour around the Buddhist Monastery late afternoon and observed one their prayer ceremonies.
Friday 5th October - Our trek took us again still higher to a village called Dingboche 4,350 mtrs asl. Today had seen us leave the green lush forest and ascend into more rocky terrain.We would spend a further 24 hours here to acclimatise. During our rest day on the Saturday we trekked for the morning along the Chhukung Valley. From here we viewed the peaks of Ama Dablam (6,856 mtrs) and Island Peak ( 6,189 mtrs ).
Sunday 7th October - This was to be our most arduous trek yet. Ahead of us lay the infamous Thokla Pass. This is a 2+ hour ascent where every step takes you higher. Owing to the terrain we had to meander our way up so the 250 metres we ascended was virtually quadrupled. Our final destination for this day was Lobuche 4,910 mtrs asl. We were now at the foot of Khumbu Glacier!!
Monday 8th October - We made the decision to have a long day and trek all the way to Everest Base Camp and return to our resting place for the night in Gorak Shep. By doing this we would eliminate the need to spend 2 nights sleeping (or not!!) at over 5,000 mtrs (16,400 ft). We set off at 05:45 reaching Gorak Shep for the first time at 08:45. We deposited our bags and had a fill up of hot lemon before setting off for EBC.We eventually arrived at EBC at 14:00. We were then told they had moved it!!! We still had a further 400 mtrs to traverse arriving at the ACTUAL EBC (5,364 mtrs, 17,500 ft) at 14:30.
Tuesday 9th October - After a sleepless night in Gorak Shep (5,140 mtrs) we trekked again for a long day back down to reach Pheriche (4,270 mtrs) by late afternoon.
Wednesday 10th October - Our "walk" today was down to Namche Bazaar where we spent the next 36 hours.
Friday 12th October - This final stage took us back to Lukla. By this time the weather had turned and we arrived at our homeward destination drenched to the skin.
Saturday 13th October - We boarded our internal flight back to Kathmandu where we were once again met by our tour guide Bhairam and taken to the Hotel Shanker. Another 4 * hotel in the city centre with all the luxuries we had been deprived of over the last 10 days.
Because of our longer trek days we had actually completed the trip a full 24 hours ahead of schedule. We could therefore relax more before our flight back home on Tuesday 16th October.
We arrived back in the UK early morning of Wednesday 17th October.
Our trek although a trip of a lifetime puts everything into perspective when you consider certain things. My memories will be of how happy the locals are even without the trappings of what we take for granted in the western world. Their attitudes to life put us to shame and their appreciation of even the smallest gestures should be a lesson to us all.
In conclusion, I will have lifetime memories, a new appreciation of even the simplest things and the knowledge I have experienced something not many individuals have had the privilege to enjoy.
I look forward with nervous anticipation to my return to these wonderfully warm, friendly and hospitable of people.
Please browse the sub pages where you will see the training I underwent before I departed and the fantastic pictures I was able to shoot.
Chris