An attempt at 3 passes - Day 5 to Lungde

The morning of Day 5 was bright and sunny and cold...today's hike would take us to 4380 m - an altitude gain of 580 meters. In the past treks I noticed that a significant bunch of hikers started to get mild AMS symptoms around 4200 m, and given AD can't  take Diamox  due to sulfur allergy and AA hadn't yet started on Diamox, it was imperative that we climb slowly.

Mid-morning tea halt

After breakfast, an easy walk took us to Tarnga (4000m) where we stopped for some tea and AD's dark chocolate trail mix. While the trail wasn't difficult on its own, the wind was really strong and cold and dusty. The path followed the river and we also crossed a couple of landslides.

After crossing Langmuche Khola (which drains the Langmuche glacier) on an iron bridge, we climbed into a wide sandy valley that continued to Marlung (4210 m). Marlung has lodges on either side of river and it is also a good place to observe the spectacular view of the largest glacier in the Himalayas (Ngozumba glacier) and Kongde Ri.

Iron bridge

From here around 2.5 hours of vertical climb through the dry valley finally took us to Lungde. This trail offers a beautiful view of snow capped mountains and the valley. The altitude was now beyond 4000 m and AD & I were backpacking - the combination resulted us in getting tired and we needed more frequent breaks.
However, our guide was very strict and after just 3-4 minutes of rest he would start nagging us to start moving again. At one point, AD & I got so frustrated that we told him to go ahead without us. After all, we wanted to also enjoy the beautiful views...it wasn't just about reaching Lungde.

We reached Lungde around lunch time and after dropping our bags into our rooms we proceeded for lunch. AA suddenly wasn't feeling very well - he was cold, had no appetite, had some headche and was very tired. These looked like symptoms of altitude sickness but they weren't severe and headache wasn't too pronounced so we made him take a paracetamol with lots of water and ensured that he eats some garlic soup. Post this meagre meal, he got into his sleeping bag and I covered him with two blankets as he was feeling very cold.

Our guide stayed with him for some time lest it was serious but after about half an hour, he also felt that it was just cold & fatigue, so he left to get some much needed rest for himself. The rooms here had attached toilets but they weren't western style and had no running water - were clean though...this is the best one can get at this altitude!!!

Having decided on an early dinner, we met back in the dining gall at 6 pm and I was happy to see AA back in good spirits...guess rest was all he had needed. While eating, I started chatting up with a group that was coming from Gokyo (we were hiking the reverse route). They informed us that we had chosen a tougher route - a climb of 1000 m from this side to Renjo La vs 600 m from Gokyo. This news at this late an hour wasn't of much help to us except preparing us mentally for a tough climb.

Our guide insisted on a 4 am start for us to get to the pass around 10 am for a clear view of the Everest range but I was adamant that I won't get up that early - I pouted till we settled for 4:45 am start...we were going to get same view again from Gokyo Ri anyway!

An attempt at 3 passes - Day 4 to Thame

We big good bye to SJ with a heavy heart and started our hike towards Thame. It was to be an easy day because the altitude gain wasn't that high and the trail is not that steep. However, at the starting attitude of 3440 m my backpack started to feel heavier than the previous days.



Flowers in bloom along the trail

Till Namche the route was same as to EBC, but now the trail was new to me and I honestly was enjoying the hike more now. The distance to Thame is 9.7km (about 6 miles) along a good trail. The walk itself is peaceful with excellent views of the mountains as it winds in and out of the forest on the side of the canyon.

Beautiful views

After about two hours walk from Namche Bazaar we reached a larger village of Thamo renowned by a nice gompa. If you set out from Namche very early at dawn, it is the ideal place to have a breakfast. We ofcourse had some snack here and after a short break continued our hike. In Thamo, we had to climb the steep stairs to the monastery, but the continuing way was not so steep.

Crossing Bothe Khosi

The path continued to rise up slowly for about an hour and dropped down to the river, which pushes its way through very narrow gorge. All around are beautiful Buddhist paintings. From the bridge over Bothe Khosi followed a steep hike to the village of Thame. This hike felt very tough to me, even though it was just 150 vertical meters, I kept asking the guide how much longer will it take us to get there. At the gate of Thame, AA decided to help me with my  bag and swapped my 12 kilo backpack with his daypack. I felt as if I could fly :)







Now the first order of business was to look for a lodge with "attached rooms". We found that only two lodges have them. First one had only two rooms available and they were a bit dark for our taste. We then proceeded to Sunshine Lodge that came recommended from some hikers I had met along the way. We got three rooms - better than the other lodge and all with a wonderful view of the range.

View from our rooms

After Namche, Thame felt quite peaceful. It is a traditional village that has escaped the crowds trekking to Everest and has one of the older monasteries in the region. The village is notably the hometown of Apa Sherpa who has made it to the summit of Everest 21 times!

It took us about 30 minutes to find the right lodge and settle down and by that time we were all starving. So we decided to have lunch first and then proceeded for a hot shower in the attached bathrooms - thanks once again to solar power.

After the lunch, AD decided to walk to the monastery and I decided to rest up even though originally I wanted to do this as an acclimatization hike. AA and I instead spent time in the warm dining hall uploading pictures on FB and chatting with our loved ones

Once AD got back from her short hike, we had our dinner...the food at this lodge was really good, and after another great meal, we called it a day around 8:30 pm.





 

An attempt at 3 passes - Day 3, Acclimatization

The guide assigned on us this trip is actually a climbing guide and he was a bit strict compared to the other trek guides. I had to negotiate hard on the start time for the acclimatization hike. He wanted us to start at 7:30 am and I wanted to sleep in - so after much haggling, we settled for an 8 am start.

It was to be an easy day - no backpack, with only water and a warm jacket we were good to go. After a hearty breakfast we started the hike to Everest View Hotel in Khunjung (3780m). Namche is at 3440 m - this meant a climb of approximately 1100 ft in 2 hours. One of the fellow hikers kept asking me the need for this acclimatization hike. He was wondering why didn't we simply proceed to Thame (our next destination) which at 3750 m is at similar height to Khumjung. I am not sure I did a good job of explaining it that time, so I will try again:

The most important precondition and best way of avoiding altitude sickness whilst trekking in Nepal is to increase altitude gradually and systematically. In Nepal a safe altitude to which you can climb rapidly and straight away is: 2,700 – 3000 metres. The most popular mountain airports in Nepal are located in this altitude range: Lukla and Jomsom. On the day of your arrival, you must definitely spend the night at the same altitude. And that is why we spent the night at Phakding (slightly lower than Lukla)

Thereafter you must stick to a set climbing regime: 300 – 400 altitude metres a day. Accordingly, every overnight stay must be at an altitude of 300 – 400 metres higher than your previous overnight accommodation. Having climbed a total of 1,000 altitude metres, you must devote one whole day to altitude acclimatization and stay overnight at the same altitude. It is advisable to spend the day of altitude acclimatization doing a little trekking leading up to a short stay at a greater altitude (300 – 400 m) before returning and staying overnight at the previous altitude.

We had landed at 2860 m (Lukla) and spent first night at 2610 m (Phakding) and then we reached 3440 m (Namche) - this gain of 2400 ft definitely demands an acclimatization day - especially because leaving for Thame would mean entering very high altitude range the very next day. There are three altitude ranges and one should spend acclimatizing well in previous one before entering the next zone:

• High Altitude   (1500m-3500m/ 4921-11,483 ft)  
• Very High Altitude  (3500m-5500m/ 11,483 – 18,045) 
• Extreme Altitude  (>5500m/ >18,045ft)

Well enough gyan for now, back at the hike we were having an amazing day...we reached the Everest View Hotel and found an amazing view of the whole range awaiting us. It was a bright sunny and clear day. Last  time all we saw was clouds...but this time entire range was visible. We spent some time at the hotel enjoying the view, drinking hot chocolate and exchanging some good natured banter.

At Everest View Hotel

As expected some spots brought the memories of the last time I was here, including where my friend had twisted her ankle on the way down that made the rest of the hike really painful for her. Hence, I kept reminding everyone to walk back down slowly and carefully. And thankfully we made it down without any incident. On the way back we even met some climbers who were planning to climb Amadablam - a mountain I hope to climb some day.

All in all it had turned out to be a great day so far and I was very excited about getting back on trail to Renjo La. But as luck would have it, this time instead of an ankle injury, one of us fell prey to stomach upset. While it wasn't a case of altitude sickness and given an extra day of rest, he could have resumed the hike but his heart was no longer in it.

So it was decided that tomorrow, as 3 of us proceed to Thame, he would make his descent back to Lukla. Our guide made plans for a porter to accompany him to Lukla and on this sad note ended the day that had started so bright and happy!

An attempt at 3 passes - Day 2 to Namche

As is the practice, we started our day early and started the hike towards Namche at 7:30 am. Having done this hike 18 months ago on way to EBC, I knew that this was going to be a tough day and I had informed my fellow hikers about same. There are two villages on the way to Namche - Monjo and Jorsale. After Jorsale, there are no more places for a formal halt - which means we need to carry water and food that we might need on the steep hike that makes the journey from Jorsale to Namche.

Just above Monjo is the entrance checkpoint for the Sagarmatha National Park, where TIMS card and national park receipt is checked. And soon after that is Jorsale. We had a short tea halt before check point and even then we were in Jorsale by 10 am. Now this was way too early for lunch but I knew the tough day that lay ahead of us, so I forced my fellow hikers to eat something and to pack some Tibetan bread (with jam & butter) for the road. I filtered the water using  my personal water filter because I wasn't sure I would get any tap water later on and rest of the group bought bottled water.

Thus prepared we left Jorsale for Namche at 10:30 am. At first it didn't seem tough but about 30 minutes into this latter part of the hike, came the steep inclines. We had to first climb upto the higher suspension bridge, cross that and resume the hike to Namche.

Easier beginning - walking next to Dudh Koshi

Beginning of the steep inclines

Once I started to ascend, I started to remember the trail - the place where we shared a joke or where we stopped for a photo shoot. It felt wonderful at first, but at every such memory stop, I also recalled how far I was from the destination for the day and that didn't help at all! The two gentlemen were way ahead of us backpacking women and often we would find them waiting for us in shade somewhere, looking thoroughly bored.

Climbing much higher than the second suspension bridge

Almost halfway between Jorsale and Namche is a place where one can find a tap and some toilets - both very important. Former because that is the only source of water on this part of trail and if you have a filter you don't have to lug the water from below. Latter because this trail was very crowded and it wasn't easy to find a secluded spot to void the bladder. This spot even had a vendor selling fruits and bottled water (at exorbitant prices). All in all a good place for a break especially because it has a large tree underneath which a manmade structure allows you to rest. The trail is very dusty and its almost impossible to take breaks except at designated places.
We continued our hike slowly - primarily because of me and AD as backpacks had slowed us down significantly. Slowly we made way through the very dusty and steeply inclined trail and took a break to eat some of the Tibetan bread we were carrying only to find that we were just 200 m from the Namche check point...in hindsight we shouldn't have taken the break.

Namche...phew we made it!

After checking in, we proceeded to Namche Bazaar. I was extremely relieved to see the entrance to the village, even though our lodge was still more than a couple of hundred steps away. Based on my previous experience, we had decided to stay at Camp de Base and it turned out to be a great choice especially with the hot water available in the attached bathroom (thanks to the solar power)

We reached our destination at 2 pm and while there were folks (with heavier backapcks) completing the same hike in 4 hours, I believe we did pretty well considering the fact that previous time we had reached Namche around 5 pm.

Namche is the last place, before you proceed further on the hikes in this region, where one can have all modern comforts - there are pubs, coffee shops, cyber cafes, ATM, shops of all kinds selling trekking gear and even those where you can rent down bags or jackets. So after a nice lunch and hot shower, we decided to check out the place and I found that many more shops and eating places have been added in the 18 months since my last visit. 

The rough day was behind us and we retired happy in the knowledge that next day we just had an acclimatization hike without our backpacks.

An attempt at 3 passes - Beginning of the hike

After having hiked to Everest and Annapurna Base camps, the big hike that was in my mind was the one that covers 3 passes - Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La. And after my acceptable performance on the tough hike from Yuksom to HMI base camp with a 12 kilo backpack I decided to backpack through the 3 passes. Pretty lofty goal, I must say - in hindsight.

AD, a friend of a friend, lives in US and wanted to hike the Himalayas with me and when she reached out to me last year, I jumped at the idea and promptly booked the hike through my favourite agency in Kathmandu.

I started my usual training - Nandi hills hikes and climbing up and down the 15floors of the apartment building that I live in, all with an 8 kilo backpack. I also redid the 9 week Insanity program to build my cardio endurance. Between the time I booked my tickets and the trek date, we had two more members join our small group.

Four of us met in Kathmandu and after some last minute shopping for down sleeping bag rentals and water bottles and trekking poles, we met Pertemba Sherpa for an early dinner. He may require some introduction to those not into mountaineering.

His first taste of a mountaineering expedition came in 1970 as part of Chris Bonington’s team who made the first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna. His climbing skills so impressed his leader that he soon became a climbing Sherpa. When he made his first ascent of Everest in 1975, it was not by the standard Southeast Ridge, but by a much more technical route up the Southwest Face, where he reached the summit in overcast conditions with the climbing legend Pete Boardman. He climbed Everest again with a German team in 1979, and again with a Norwegian team in 1985. On this third and final climb he reached the top with his old friend and mentor Chris Bonington. *

* Source http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2014/10-great-sherpa-mountaineers/

It was an honour to meet him and break bread with him. We had an amazing multi course meal at Thamel House Restaurant. At the end of the meal, we were all so full that we could barely walk back to our hotel. This time I had chosen a Trip Advisor recommended hotel - Hotel Friend's Home and it turned out to be great place - value for money and extremely clean with all modern amenities plus a good breakfast.

Long wait  on way to the aircraft - spent time clicking pictures

Next day as we left for Lukla, based on my past experience I was more than prepared for not being able to land there on the first attempt. However weather gods were benevolent even though air traffic control wasn't and after about 90 minutes of wait, we finally took off & landed in Lukla around 10 am.


Starbucks at Lukla

It was a bright sunny day - to the extent of being warm. Our porter met us at the Lukla airport, taking the group tally to 6 - 4 hikers, 1 guide and 1 porter (for the two additions - AD & I were still planning to backpack). We stopped for some masala tea at Hotel Numbur and left our return tickets there with the owner. The hotel is really good, is just next to runway and has the added bonus of being run by wife of a gentlemen who works for one of the key airlines that fly between Lukla and Kathmandu.

After this brief halt, we started for Phakding, our destination for the day. We cleared the Lukla check post around 10:45 am and inspite of walking slowly (it was first day of the hike and we were suddenly at 2800 m), we were in Phakding by 2 pm.

First suspension bridge on the trail

The two gentlemen with day packs were not tired at all and would have liked to go on. But having faced altitude challenges before, I vetoed the idea (also because my shoulders were hurting) and we checked into Sunrise lodge. Last time I had stayed at Beer Garden Inn which had really dirty linen and dingy rooms. This one was 100 times better, even had hot water in the attached bathrooms (yes we had taken "attached rooms" as they are called there) and had lots of sunlight streaming through the big wide windows.

After lunch, shower and rest, when lounging around in the dining hall, we got talking to this gentleman who was on his 15th hike to EBC. It was amazing to hear how amenities have improved, on the trail, over the last 2 decades. While I wasn't really tired, I decided to retire early as I wanted to rest up before the tough hike to Namche Bazaar next day...I knew it is going to be really hard with my 12 kilo backpack.


 

Greek Islands

No trip to Greece is complete without visiting some of its key islands. The islands are the main characteristic of Greece’s morphology and an integral part of the country’s culture and tradition. Greek sovereign land includes 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, of which only 227 islands are inhabited.

Most of the islands are found in the Aegean Sea and are divided into seven groups. With the limited time we had, we couldn't possibly visit even the top 10 islands, so we decided on a day cruise to 3 islands in the Argosaronic Gulf - Hydra, Poros and Aegena.

We started with Hydra. This island has one main town, known simply as "Hydra port". It consists of a crescent-shaped harbor, around which is centered a strand of restaurants, shops, markets, and galleries that cater to tourists and locals. Steep stone streets lead up and outward from the harbor area. Most of the local residences, as well as the hostelries on the island, are located on these streets.

Hydra has no cars or motorbikes (by law), garbage trucks are the only motor vehicles on the island. Horses, mules and donkeys, and water taxis provide public transportation. The inhabited area, however, is pretty small and hence mostly walkable

Port of Athens - beginning of the cruise



Hydra Port - as visible from the island

Beautiful white houses, Hydra



Lovely Blue windows, Hydra

Our next stop was Poros - an island with rich vegetation. It has a good road network and adequate tourist infrastructure, which makes it a popular resort for short holidays.



Port of Poros

Port of Poros

 



View of Sea from the base of lighthouse, Poros

Another view from the base of lighthouse, Poros

Lighthouse, Poros

By the time we reached Aegina, we decided to spend more time enjoying the island, rather than clicking pictures, hence no photos to share. Aegina island is know for its pistachios and of course we also bought some. We skipped the optional tour to the Temple of Aphaia and instead just roamed around the island.

On the way back to Athens, we were entertained by local music and dance performances. Those really made our day. Overall the cruise was really worth it - ofcourse we didn't get to spend much time on any of the islands but it was still a great experience and I would highly recommend it if one is short on time and wants a flavor of Greek islands.

Santorini
Next day we flew to Santorini (Thira) - one of the Cyclades. The name “Cyclades” refers to the islands forming a circle (the name in English means: “circular islands”) around the sacred island of Delos. According to the Greek mythology, Poseidon, God of the sea, furious at the Cyclades nymphs turned them into islands.

We took Ryan Air flight from Athens to Santorini and rented a small car there (quite similar to Santro and it was manual transmission). Thira is a small island and car came pretty handy - so if you can drive stick shift, I would definitely suggest renting a car - book it online and someone will meet you at the airport with the paperwork and keys.

With help from google maps, we were able to locate most of the key attractions easily and even managed to find parking in the busy downtown where we had a long leisurely lunch accompanied by some amazing wine.



Oia, Santorini

Oia, Santorini



View from Monastery of Profitis Ilias 



View from Monastery of Profitis Ilias 

It was a nice drive to the Monastery - not really steep as some of the blogs had suggested. I had no issues getting my small car up to the top.






























We had booked 19:45 flight back to Athens and when we reached the airport around 6 pm, we found it closed. Apparently in off season months, the airport is not open whole day. The weather had turned quite cold as it was raining most part of the day and right now we were really grateful for the warm confines of the car where we had decided to wait it out.

To be honest, 2 days simply weren't enough but it did give us a taste of what Greek islands can offer. A vacation just to spend some quality time  on these islands is definitely in the offing.

Greece - A day at the navel of Gaia (earth)

Day 3 of the trip was reserved for a tour of Delphi - there were two key destinations, the museum and the archeological site. As we did with Acropolis, we went to the museum first and then to the site.

This was a guided tour, took us abut 3 hours to get to Delphi in a comfortable coach with a breakfast stop in between. Unfortunately it was raining whole morning and we were worried if we will get to really enjoy the day. However, just before we reached Delphi sun came out for some time and I got to witness one of the most beautiful rainbows of my life. (no photograph of same as I spent my time just watching the rainbow rather than clicking it)

Once again I will use photographs to capture this day...first set is from the museum:

Two identical Kouros Statues. They are the oldest monumental votive offerings at Delphi, and one of the earliest examples of monumental archaic sculpture. Early 6th c. B.C. (circa 580 B.C.) Over life size (6.15m) each. Made by Polymedes of Argos.

Chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statues, possibly depicting Artemis (left) and Apollo (Above). 6th c. BCE.

Sphinx - front view

Large Sphinx of Naxos sitting on an Ionic column about 10m tall. Circa 560 B.C.

Sphinx - side view

The pediment and frieze from the east facade of the treasury of Siphnos. The pediment depicts the dispute between Heracles and Apollo for the oracular tripod. 525 BCE.

The omphalos of the earth. This sacred object was located in the Adyton of the Temple of Apollo, and was viewed only by the priests and priestess who had access to the chamber. It is a Hellenistic or Roman copy of the original



White kylix with a drawing of Apollo. 480-470 BCE.
  .

The god is crowned with a myrtle wreath and is seated on a lion-footed stool. He is holding his lyre and pours libations from a phiale, while a crow or a raven watches from a perch

 

The Charioteer of Delphi. 470 BC., 1.80 cm tall (5' 11")

The "Charioteer of Delphi" is one of the best known ancient Greek statues, and one of the best preserved examples of classical bronze casts. It is considered a fine example of the "Severe" style.

 

The sculpture depicts the driver of the chariot race at the moment when he presents his chariot and horses to the spectators in recognition of his victory. 

 

The Charioteer of Delphi is undoubtedly one of the main highlights of the museum, and it is exhibited in its very own hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are the pictures taken at the archeological site:

 

 

The restored Treasury of the Athenians at Delphi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Athenian Treasury was a votive building in the form of a reduced scale temple, designed to hold the multitude of Athenian offerings to the Delphi oracle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stoa of the Athenians

 

 

 

 

Dedicated by the Athenians after the Persian War, the top step has an Archaic inscription dedicating trophies taken from the Persians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temple of Apollo Doric columns

 

 

 

Temple of Apollo was first built around the 7th c. B.C. by the two legendary architects Trophonios and Agamedes. It was rebuilt after a fire in the 6th c. B.C. This temple was destroyed in 373 B.C. by an earthquake and was rebuilt for the third time in 330 B.C.





Delphi Theatre

The theater at Delphi is build further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo and it presented the seated audience with a spectacular view of the entire sanctuary below and the valley beyond. Its 35 rows can accommodate around five thousand spectators who in ancient times enjoyed plays, poetry readings, and musical events during the various festivals that took place periodically at Delphi.

Delphi Theatre with the temple of Apollo in the background.

Delphi Stadium

Mountain-top stadium where the Pythian athletic contests were performed. These were second in importance only to Olympic Games. Its stone seats could sit around 6500 spectators -  its track is 177.55 m long (about 550 ft.), and 25.50 m wide.

 

 

Aegean sea in the distance

We wrapped up the day with a lovely lunch in the village with a view of Aegean sea in the background. By lunch time it had started raining again and temperature dropped close to zero but we still managed to spend some time outside enjoying the beautiful views.

Delphi Village

Post lunch, we got back into the warm cocoon of our bus and started back for Athens. Thus ended our day at the center of earth (navel of Gaia)