Day 16. After moving to our new lodge and setting up the tent in the back yard, we set off for our day's hike. Most folk come to Gokyo to do Gokyo Ri , a 2500 foot peak next to the village that affords great views out towards Everest and the surrounding peaks. We had talked to a Swiss couple this morning and they had suggested an alternative to Gokyo Ri, equally as inspiring if not better, minus the crowds. The Renjo La, at 17,850 feet was opposite Gokyo Ri and was the pass that connected with the Thami Valley. The approach led us around the base of the 3rd lake and then up the steep scree slopes that opened out into a broad, hanging valley. Further up we encountered a glacier at the foot of one of the adjacent peaks which produced a stream that cascaded down the lower slopes to the lake. At around the 17,000 foot mark, Annette opted to hang back and enjoy the views while I continued on up to the Pass.
    It was markedly more steep and loose underfoot up on this upper section and I marveled at how the porters managed to negotiate here with their huge loads. At the top fluttered prayer flags from wooden poles, held in place by stone cairns. The views from this perspective were awesome. Directly opposite was Everest, Cholatse and Makalu, below the huge expanse of the Glacier with Gokyo lake gleaming in the sunlight. Over to my left stood Cho Oyu and Pumori and behind me was another huge section of the Himalaya and the Thami valley. It was inspiring and fulfilling for me to be rewarded with such great views and to have the entire scene to myself. I only wished that Annette could have seen things from this perspective too! Not having to jostle with the steady stream of trekking pilgrims who were presently making their way up Gokyo Ri was a pleasant thought as well! Going up is always a bit of hard work, but coming down is usually a breeze, especially on scree slopes. I call it ‘scree ski’ where you can literally ski your way on foot down the steep mountainsides, heel plunging and sliding simultaneously. It’s a quick and efficient way of getting down, and what took 40 minutes to get up from where I left Annette only took 10 minutes to return. From here we returned to Gokyo tired but satisfied.

    Day 17. Today Annette laid low in Gokyo, hanging out with Orit while I just couldn’t sit still.  Needing to take advantage of every hill and glen possible, I headed further north up the Gokyo valley towards Cho Oyu I utilized the trail that overlooked the main glacier and followed this scenic route for about 5 miles.   Passing the 4th and 5th lakes, Scoundrels Viewpoint and the Nameless Fangs, I proceeded to ascend Knobby View, at a height of 18,250 feet.  The peak rose steeply from the shores of the 5th lake and was nearly another 2000 feet to the summit from here.   Towards the top the trail turned into a giant boulder field that had me rock hopping to the top.  Delighted to finally reach the point at which I could go no higher, I flopped down at the summit cairn, joining 3 other people who were already there savoring the fantastic views.
    There were Jane and Pat from Australia along with their porter/guide.   These folks were incredible, pretty much everywhere I found myself, however strenuous the hike or rough the terrain, there were Pat and Jane!  It almost became a bit of a running joke, knowing ahead of time that they would doubtless be at whatever destination it was we were shooting for.  I really respected their desire and drive to spend every available minute completely absorbed in this incredible and awe-inspiring mountain environment.     From this vantage point at the summit of Knobby View, the views were even far more reaching and startling than those seen from yesterday's high at the Renjo La.  Cho Oyu, is another of Nepal's big 8000m peaks (and considered one of the easiest of these to climb, relatively speaking!), and a hulk of a peak was literally in your face.  It loomed large and exposed its entire south slopes to us, heavily glaciated and gleaming in the sunlight.  Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cholatse and Makalu were all there too and the immense scale of the great glacier below became all the more apparent from this perspective.  I had arrived at the top pretty tired and knew that the long haul back to Gokyo would leave me with little in reserve, so I descended without having had the long savory summit time that Pat and Jane had bestowed upon themselves (they had also camped at the 5th lake and thus eliminated the long hike to this point!).  By the time I had reached the glacier ridge trail at the foot of Knobby View the sun was beginning to dip beneath the peaks on the west side and plunged the entire walk back into shadow.  It suddenly grew very cold and I was extremely glad to finally catch some warmth next to the wood stove back at the lodge a couple of hours later.

    Day 18. Today we left Gokyo at a leisurely pace as the day's hike was to take us only an hour and a half down the valley to Dragnag, where we would base ourselves in preparation for going up and over the Cho La.  Backtracking to the 2nd lake along the edge of the glacier, the trail split off at this point and traversed directly across the huge ice pack.
    To the untrained eye, the glacier here would just resemble an undulating gravel field with a worn trail etched across the surface,  not unlike the usual conditions found on mountain trails.  But, in fact, under foot there was a thin superficial layer of rocky matter on top of what is several hundred feet of ice in places.   The glacier acts as a gigantic excavating machine, constantly at work grinding away at the valley floor and sidewalls. It is slowly moving, advancing and sometimes receeding, depending on the upper snowfield conditions that feed the monster new fodder.  As snow falls on the upper slopes of the huge surrounding peaks, it packs down and over time compresses and exerts a downward force on the mass of the main glacier pushing it onward. So the surface rock is just the matter that has been etched away from the surrounding terrain and carried along with the flow.  Just look at the glacier as a frozen river that moves ever so slowly.
    At our crossing point the glacier was about a mile across and surprisingly in places where the conditions had favored accumulation, there were sand dunes!  The tiny granulated rock debris gets blown into pockets, little wind eddy’s that allow for a such build up.  At intervals the expanse of rock and ice was punctuated by glacial lakes, in which icebergs floated at times.  These were a milky green/grey color, cold and forbidding.  On the far side of the glacier just below the moraine sidewalls we found a pool of particularly crystal clear water, blue/green in color.  How this little gem existed here is unknown to me. We filtered some water from this clear source and hiked the remainder of the trail to Dragnag.
    This could hardly be called a village as there were only about 3-4 small lodges that existed here solely on account of the trekker. Out of season this becomes a ghost town.  For now it acted as a place where we could rest and eat and build up our strength for tomorrow's long, hard hike up and over the pass.  We took advantage of our early arrival and the sunshine (though a chilly breeze still blew) to get some laundry done and clean ourselves.  Here and at several lodges to date we had taken to bunking in the dorm room with other trekkers (including Pat and Jane at this particular one!).  They were usually a bit warmer than some of the private rooms on account of multiple bodies, and truly the walls were so thin between the private rooms that they were hardly that! So why not share?

    Day 19. This was Annette’s day of dread!  The Cho La at 17,800 feet is one of the toughest single days anywhere on the Everest trek.   Everybody that had we talked to about this part of the trail had expressed how challenging it had been for them.  Not only is it a long day in terms of distance and time, but the actual approach to the pass is very steep, rocky and exposed.  Annette had been collecting horror stories and building on her natural fears so I knew it was going to be a long and very challenging day on many levels for us both.
    We left the comfort and warmth of the lodge early.  The sun would be some time away even though it was on the rise, the steep sidewalls of the valley held back its direct warming effect.  The first 1500 feet wound upward at a steady incline and we made good progress.  It crested and we were able to see the Cho La from this point, nothing more than a snow saddle in between two big flanking peaks.  At this distance, even with binoculars I could barely pick out the thin ribbon of trail that picked its way through rock and scree up the main face that terminated at the pass.   I down-played its difficulty and built up Annette’s expectations in an attempt to mentally prepare her for the challenge.  From the crest we descended once more to the valley floor and were then met with a large boulder field on the other side.   Picking our way up and through this first obstacle proved to be more problematic than I would have expected, but we managed.  To make things a little easier on Annette I emptied half her pack and took the weight myself.
    The trail became ever increasingly steep and slippery because of the loose scree and it made for slow going.  I had to flank Annette all the way up this section and keep her eyes and attention focused solely on the trail in front of her - Otherwise the exposed drop offs to the side of us would have put her into even more of a panic!!!  But slowly working our way up in this fashion we did what at times had seemed impossible.  We made it to the pass!  I was really very proud her knowing that she had faced and obviously come to grips with some basic core fears.  We were very happy to be on safer ground. It was truly beautiful up here, a high valley with snow all around and a well trodden path indicating our descent route.  Stone cairns and Buddhist prayer flags proclaimed the pass had been attained.  And guess who was also here to greet us, yes, JANE!  The views were astounding and we savored them for a short while before commencing the task of getting down.
    The valley sloped away gently then dropped quite sharply on the other side and we picked our way down the icy path with caution.  Once past this section the trail opened out onto the next valley below and we could see way off in the distance our day’s destination.  Glad to now have a focal point in which to work toward we continued on with new resolve.  Much to my delight I watched Annette pick her way down the trail in a manner that exuded new confidence.  She seemed much more at ease with her feet and balance and cruised down the steep, rocky slopes.  This transformation was great to witness, though at the time I am sure she wasn’t particularly aware of the change.  Two hours later we rolled into Zongla and un-shouldered our heavy packs. 
Zongla is comprised of only two lodges and a lot of open space in which to pitch tents, of which there were numerous already standing.  We grabbed the two remaining bunks in the dorm and flopped.

    Day 20. Switching lodges because we were unhappy with conditions in last night's one, we decided to remain in Zongla for an additional night to aid recuperation and enjoy the beautiful location.  Directly down the valley was Ama Dablam and across the way was Cholatse exposing its daunting and huge vertical north face.   All around us towered huge snow capped peaks.  It was a particularly delightful and scenic place in which to spend some time.  We pitched the tent as space was not available in the actual lodge and relaxed.  There were 3 really nice Belgian guys here who I spent some time talking with about climbing and later in the day I went for a short hike down the valley to see the big glacier fed lake at the foot of Cholatse.  As it turns out the young man (and his wife) who ran the lodge was an 8-time Everest summiter and high altitude guide/porter, though I only learned this fact later. There are only a couple of people in the world who have managed this feat more times.  He was a very quiet and unassuming character who said very little but just went about his business and ran a great lodge and restaurant.

    Day 21. Making tracks once more, we headed for Gorak Shep which is the furthest outpost on this particular one-way stretch of the trek.  It sits at 17,000 feet and again consists of only two lodges.  We left Zongla and traversed around the valley into the main Khumbu valley heading in a northerly direction.  It leads up past Loboche and on to Gorak Shep and the Everest base camp area beyond.   This section of the trail prior to Loboche offered us some wonderful views of the beautiful Pumori peak and its neighbors and Nuptse on the opposite side of the valley.   It was a pleasant and fairly easy first half of the day’s hike, stopping only in Loboche for lunch.
    The remainder of the trail was a series of smaller undulating hills and dips that wore on us after a while and we finally arrived at the Snowland Lodge in Gorak Shep tired from the day's adventure.  Here we shacked up in the dorm on the upper bunk level where what heat there might be would sure to be hovering!  To get to our beds we had to ascend one of the aluminum ladders that had been used by the Everest climbers in negotiating the deeply crevassed Khumbu icefall.  They were all scarred by crampons(the sharp metal spikes worn on the climbers boots to traverse snow and ice conditions) and these particular ladders had obviously been retired from their former life on the mountain. The man who owns the lodge has a stack of these ladder’s out back of the lodge and rents them to the expedition teams during the Everest climbing season which is typically April/May.
    We settled in, ate an early dinner and went to bed as it got dark.   This would be the highest altitude we had slept at to date and so far we were adjusting to life in the thinner air pretty well.  Other than physically challenging us and taking our breath away at times we had not suffered any mountain sickness symptoms to date.  It was noticeably colder at this elevation with the temperatures dropping well below freezing at night.  Everyone’s worst nightmare is to have to get up in the middle of the night to pee; and if you are taking Diamox to lessen the effects of altitude (in essence it makes you breath faster, keeping the body oxygenated and inhibits the usual shortness of breath symptoms – we were not taking diamox) you will certainly be doing this a lot more frequently as a result.  With very few exceptions all the toilets are located outside, seemingly miles away from the comforts of your sleeping bag and to have to leave the warmth of your cocoon to go the distance is a bummer.
    Shortly after going to bed a woman named Olivera, who was to become a good friend over the course of our shared time, entered the dorm and told us of an unfolding drama out in the dining room area. Someone had been taken down off Kala Pattar (a smaller peak opposite the lodge where people hike to the summit for the best views of Everest) having collapsed from the effects of altitude and had all the classic symptoms of serious cerebral edema (a form of acute mountain sickness that can kill you if not treated in time). He was now lying in a Gamow bag and receiving oxygen and moral support from a roomful of onlookers.
    Out of morbid curiosity or just plain intrigue or something we extracted ourselves from our sleeping bags and went through to the dining hall to observe the goings on. We opened the door to find a large red inflatable tapered tube (shaped somewhat like a mummy sleeping bag) there on the floor and several people gathered around shouting words of encouragement, advice and instructions into a small clear plastic viewing window at the head of the bag.  The poor man inside had to be kept awake at all costs and aware of how he was feeling and how he was reacting to treatment.  Off to one side a lady systematically pumped on a foot operated bellows that fed the Gamow bag with oxygen, repeating the action every 4 seconds (and having to keep this up all night long!).  The Gamow bag acts like a low altitude simulator which offers a more oxygen rich atmosphere in which the occupant can slowly recover from the effects of the reduced oxygen levels at high altitude.
    We learned that the man lying before us was named Patrick and he was from Singapore.  Patrick was a heavy smoker and had been having difficulties pretty much all the way up the trail.  Several people had suggested that he not continue up Kala Pattar and in fact should return to a lower elevation for his own good.  His acclimatizing had obviously not been going well and half way up the mountain he had finally collapsed and gone into convulsions.  If it wasn’t for the quick thinking, reactions and help of one person in particular, Matt Lang from Australia, Patrick may well have died that night.  Matt had several interactions with Patrick prior to this event and had trekked alongside him and his girlfriend for a day or so.   Matt had observed his deteriorating health and recognized what could have been early warning signs of trouble to come, but Partick supposedly pushed stubbornly onward.   (Matt later told us the full story of events and the details are too many and not essential for this account)  After he collapsed, Matt was on his way back down from a sunset Everest viewing and encountered Patrick lying in the middle of the trail and several Sherpas standing around just looking at the prostrate man.
    Matt jump-started them into some kind of organized reactionary force and set about trying to get Patrick down off the mountain.
It was dark by this time and everything had to be done by headlight.  Patrick is a big man, well in excess of 200 lbs and add that to being ‘dead’ weight compounded the problem of carrying him down.  In the end two of the sherpas took turns piggy-backing him down the steep slopes and finally managed to get him to the relative safety of the lodge.  Things were just beginning and it would be a long night for a few dedicated individuals, Matt taking center stage for his efforts.   Luckily there was an expedition camping on the grounds of the lodge that had the Gamow bag at their disposal and a doctor as part of their team.  The bag was quickly utilized and the doctor was on hand for advice and he also dispensed some medication that was to aid in reducing the swelling in Patrick’s brain.  Had it not been for all these fortunate circumstances falling into place, there would have been no way in which anyone could have got Patrick safely down to a lower elevation in time to save him.   This would have meant a drop in altitude of several thousand feet and helicopters simply do not fly at night!  There was naturally so much tension in the room that night and a very somber group of onlookers.  The puzzling thing we observed was how distant and seemingly removed Patrick’s girlfriend was during the entire time he was in the bag.  On occasions she had to be prompted to go and sit next to the bag and speak to him.  It perplexed us at the time but Matt later reasoned this for us out also.
    On this particular night we sat next to the stove for an hour or so and were only casual bystanders, observing the events and praying for a positive outcome.   We did not get to really know Matt until afterwards, but were very impressed with his dedication and commitment to Patrick’s plight and his genuine concern for human beings.  We became really good friends and hiked the remaining week in the Everest region together.  Patrick made it through the night with the help of friends and Matt didn’t sleep a wink!

Clicking on any picture will take you to a larger image and tell you more about the photo.

    Day 22. We entered the dining room this morning to the news of Patrick’s recovery and even though he emerged from the Gamow bag looking extremely frail, puffy-eyed and disoriented, at least he was alive! Around 8 am a helicopter arrived throwing up a cloud of dust and sand and Patrick and his girlfriend were whisked away down the valley where medical help would be more readily available.  Everyone left in the lodge stood outside and wished them well and waved goodbye.  It was a very sobering experience to have witnessed.  Already this season in the Everest region alone, there had been 6 altitude-related deaths and numerous accounts of near fatalities.  Every year it’s the same story, and nearly all if not all of these travesties could be avoided with proper acclimatization strategies.
    Later in the morning Annette, Olivera, Matt and I made our way up the Khumbu valley towards the Everest base camp area. The trail passed another indicator that life in the mountains can be perilous at times. Just a short walk out from the Snowland Lodge we came across the Memorial to Rob Hall and members of his 1996 expedition to Everest who died in the controversial and highly publicized catastrophe (Into Thin Air, The Climb, etc). Further up there are a couple of other less obvious memorials to individuals who had perished on the big peaks - simple engraved eulogies on rocks at the trailside. Annette accompanied us about half way up the valley before opting to return to the Lodge. So the three of us continued on down from the ridgeline trail that had been skirting the edge of the moraine and descended onto the glacier. Here a faint trail picked its way through the mass of ice and rock, often becoming obscured and hard to follow. It was an eerie, inhospitable landscape that twisted and undulated and threw up new obstacles at every turn. Huge rocks and boulders perched tenuously on fingers of ice that were constantly being etched away, undermining their support. On the far side of the glacier, close to the famed Khumbu icefall, huge standing wave –like ice formations reared up like the spines on some great white monster.
    The icefall itself was a pretty impressive and formidable looking obstacle, knowing that any attempt on Everest from this side would indeed require the climbers to negotiate their way through this very dangerous and difficult section. It’s a series of huge gaping crevasses and towering seracs (ice towers, sometimes the size of apartment blocks, that frequently peel off from the main body and come crashing down!). The Khumbu icefall is a tumbling waterfall of ice and snow, a glacier of substantial magnitude. The Base camp generally sits at the foot of the Khumbu icefall, but varies its exact location from year to year on account of the fact that the Glacier is ever-changing its shape and slowly moving.
    So the expeditions locate their tents where it is appropriate and safe. It’s a pretty rough place to try and make it your home for a couple of months. Nowhere is the ground even remotely flat. It’s a mass of icy and stony lumps and bumps and any hope of making some comfort around here requires major effort in clearing and leveling! (But I guess if you are paying up to $65,000 for the privilege of having a stab at climbing Everest, then you will probably have some other lackey doing that chore for you). There were a few obvious signs that we had reached base camp; a couple of large stone cairns with prayer flags flying and a few shells of simple stone wind shelters, but not nearly the mess of left-over expedition garbage that I had imagined would be strewn around. There had definitely been enough bad PR about this place in the past! A few plastic wrappers and tin cans here and there, but for such a seasonally busy location with no routine garbage trucks in the vicinity, I was impressed with how clean it was. (Maybe that $65,000 is paying off. Now, if only they could get all the discarded oxygen bottles off the mountain!).
    The location really couldn’t get any better though for the views. It was simply breathtaking and magnificent. We were surrounded by some of the worlds tallest and grandest peaks. Pumori, Changtse, Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse. We explored the area and enjoyed the brilliance of the day, before heading back to the lodge. Once across the glacier and on to the safety of the trail above, I went on ahead of Matt and Olivera with intentions of capitalizing on the remaining daylight and climbing up Kala Pattar for sunset.
    It was still several miles back down the valley and I made good time. I stopped back at the Lodge to check in with Annette and see that she had arrived there safely, before filling up on water and food. Kala Pattar (18,226 feet) was still another 1200 vertical feet above the Lodge and by accounts an hour and a half’s hike minimum. I needed to get going if I was to arrive before the sun dipped behind the peaks to the west. I guess I still had some steam left in me after the long hike up to base camp because I made it up to the top of Kala Pattar in just under an hour and right in time for a truly glorious sunset. The evening’s golden glow bathed the entire mountainscape.   From this perspective I got to see almost all of Everest including the south col, Lhotse and the immense flank of Nuptse with its jagged summit ridge. The views extended far a field and included the unmistakable profile of Ama Dablam to the south. I sat beneath the summit prayer flags and stone cairn’s on Kala Pattar until the sun’s rays had turned the snow capped peaks pink and the chill of the ensuing nights air started to crawl under my skin. It was time to go down and warm up by the fire.

    Day 23. Annette, Matt and I departed Gorak Shep around midday and had a really enjoyable day’s hiking.  What made it so much fun was that it was down hill, all the way to Dingboche.  The day was beautiful and there was a definite spring in our step.  As we passed the next batch of trekkers bound for Gorak Shep, laboring over the seemingly never-ending ascending morainal trail, we felt a twinge of pity and rejoiced at having the majority of hard hiking now at our backs.
    Above the tiny settlement of Dhugla we encountered yet another memorial, this time to the American 1996 Everest expedition led by Scott Fisher.  In addition there were seemingly hundreds of other small stone cairn’s covering a broad, open grassy area that overlooked the valley below.  Prayer flags flew in the breeze and Ama Dablam acted as the backdrop for this fairy tale like setting. From Dhugla, the trail contoured around the hillside to another side valley perpendicular to the main Khumbu valley and then dropped down sharply to the village of Dingboche at the foot of Ama Dablam.  This would be our last foray into the High peaks region before making tracks for home.  It was our intention to head up the Chhukung valley and climb Chhukung Ri, an 18,230 foot peak that offers fantastic views of Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam and Island Peak to name a few.

    Day 24. From Dinboche, it was a casual 3-hour hike up to Chhukung where we checked into a great lodge that offered us striking views of Ama Dablam and its heavily glaciated north facing slopes.  The three of us shared a small dorm room that was a little on the dark side but the warm and light-filled dining room which served hearty meals more than compensated.  As we arrived around lunch time, we decided to take an afternoon hike further on up the valley towards the Island Peak base camp area, another 3 hours away.  Island Peak is one of the most popular of the ‘Trekking Peaks’.  Endless streams of organized expeditions can be seen making their way here from all over the Everest region.
    While we stayed in the lodge at Chhukung, we shared the place on both nights with large groups, once with a German party and the other a Swiss group.  Many of the folks going up this peak seemed new to the sport of mountaineering and were even getting instructions in the lodge on how to tie into a rope or attach their crampons.  
    The word ‘Trekking’ peak can be a little misleading.
It only refers to the fact that the peaks height is less than 6500m, as distinct from bigger, more expensive peaks.  You need a permit to climb any of the peaks in Nepal, and the price varies from a couple of hundred dollars up to fifty thousand or so.  It does not mean you can just put on your hiking boots, be on the summit by noon and down again for dinner.  None of the peaks in this part of the world should be taken lightly and each poses its own unique mountaineering challenge.  But for some reason this particular peak has great allure for the novice and seasoned climber alike and has been heavily capitalized upon and commercialized.
It is a bit of a climbing ‘meat market’ from what I hear and there is supposedly a full-time/all-season German high camp set up 1500 feet or so from the summit that pretty much ‘processes’ one group after another.  So we had an enjoyable, ambling hike up alongside the glacier and savored the tremendous views of Lhotse whose summit was continually in and out of the furiously swirling clouds.  There was definitely some fast moving air up there and it must have been mighty cold! 
    We bumped into two other trekkers who were on their way back from a day’s hike to Island Peak base camp and they said it was uneventful and not worth the effort (unless you just liked looking at a collection of tents).  So we cut the day’s physical exercise a bit short and returned to the lodge and ate some more of their tasty food!

    Day 23. Annette, Matt and I departed Gorak Shep around midday and had a really enjoyable day’s hiking.  What made it so much fun was that it was down hill, all the way to Dingboche. The day was beautiful and there was a definite spring in our step.
As we passed the next batch of trekkers bound for Gorak Shep, laboring over the seemingly never ending ascending morrainal trail, we felt a twinge of pity and rejoiced at having the majority of hard hiking now at our backs.
    Above the tiny settlement of Dhugla we encountered yet another memorial, this time to the American 1996 Everest expedition led by Scott Fisher.  In addition there were seemingly hundreds of other small stone cairn’s covering a broad, open grassy area that overlooked the valley below.  Prayer flags flew in the breeze and Ama Dablam acted as the backdrop for this fairy tale like setting.      From Dhugla, the trail contoured around the hillside to another side valley perpendicular to the main Khumbu valley and then dropped down sharply to the village of Dingboche at the foot of Ama Dablam.  This would be our last foray into the High peaks region before making tracks for home.  It was our intention to head up the Chhukung valley and climb Chhukung Ri, an 18,230 foot peak that offers fantastic views of Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam and Island Peak to name a few.

    Day 24. From Dinboche, it was a casual 3 hour hike up to Chhukung where we checked into a great lodge that offered us striking views of Ama Dablam and its heavily glaciated north facing slopes.  The three of us shared a small dorm room, that was a little on the dark side but the warm and light filled dining room which served hearty meals more than compensated.  As we arrived around lunch time, we decided to take an afternoon hike further on up the valley towards the Island Peak base camp area, another 3 hours away.  Island peak is one of the most popular of the ‘Trekking Peaks’.  Endless streams of organized expeditions can be seen making there way here from all over the Everest region.
    While we stayed in the lodge at Chhukung, we shared the place on both nights with large groups, once with a German party and the other a Swiss group.  Many of the folks going up this peak seemed new to the sport of mountaineering and were even getting instructions in the lodge on how to tie into a rope or attach their crampons.   The word ‘Trekking’ peak can be a little misleading.
It only refers to the fact that the peaks height is less than 6500m, as distinct from bigger, more expensive peaks.  You need a permit to climb any of the peaks in Nepal, and the price varies from a couple of hundred dollars up to fifty thousand or so.  It does not mean you can just put on your hiking boots, be on the summit by noon and down again for dinner.  None of the peaks in this part of the world should be taken lightly and each poses its own unique mountaineering challenge.  But for some reason this particular peak has great allure for the novice and seasoned climber alike and has been heavily capitalized upon and commercialized.
Its a bit of a climbing ‘meat market’ from what I hear and there is supposedly a full time/all season German high camp set up 1500 feet or so from the summit that pretty much ‘processes’ one group after another.
    So we had an enjoyable, ambling hike up alongside the glacier and savored the tremendous views of Lhotse whose summit was continually in and out of the furiously swirling clouds.  There was definitely some fast moving air up there and it must have been mighty cold!  We bumped into two other trekkers who were on their way back from a day’s hike to Island Peak base camp and they said it was uneventful and not worth the effort (unless you just liked looking at a collection of tents).  So we cut the day’s physical exercise a bit short and returned to the lodge and ate some more of their tasty food!

    Day 25.  Chhukung Ri, 18,230 feet. Annette, Matt and I made tracks towards the trailhead for Chhukung Ri as the first rays of sunlight struck the valley and chased away the morning frost. We had to carefully negotiate our way across the partially iced-over river that lay at the base of the peak.  From here it was a solid hour's hike up a very steep and dusty section of trail to a prominent knob that afforded us a natural rest spot and viewpoint.  Annette, content with the scenic vistas from this location, remained here for a while before descending.
    Matt and I pushed on for another two hours to the saddle which was dotted with cairns and prayer flags.  From this point you could see the summit of Chhukung Ri which looked like an easy 20-minute hike, but because of perspective foreshortening the time was extended to a challenging 45-minute scramble.  It was all loose slab slate that was very unstable in places and was particularly evident in the gullies and chutes.  It was quite cold at these elevations and the wind was gusting hard at times.
    Just before we arrived at the summit we could make out a couple of people already at the summit enjoying the magnificent panoramas.  Low and behold it was Pat and Jane once more.  They had already been up at the top for over an hour and seemed unperturbed by the chilly and exposed conditions.  Matt and I snapped a few pictures and chatted a while with them, but after half an hour up here we were more than ready to leave the cold and wind behind and returned within the hour.  It was a perfect end to hiking in the high peaks of the Everest region.

    Day 26.  Retracing our steps towards Dingboche, we soon encountered an obstacle that would take us almost half an hour to pass.  The main river that flows down the valley had all but frozen over and presented us with quite a challenge to cross. It was only about 20 feet wide but the current that flowed underneath the surface layer of ice was strong and a slip would be dangerously chilling.  Two porters arrived and between us we managed to smash up the ice sufficiently on top of several large boulders, that it created a kind of stepping stone pathway. It was extremely precarious and we took turns ferrying loads across using our walking sticks for added support and balance. Once on the other side we proceeded on to Dingboche where we ate breakfast before continuing on down the valley.
    It was another magnificent day and we had to keep looking back for our last sweeping views of Lhotse and the magnificent valley we were leaving behind.  The trail wound its way through another deep valley and on to the picturesque village of Pangboche.  From this perspective were some of the finest views of Ama Dablam, which has to be one of the world's aesthetically beautiful peaks.  Descending to the roaring Imja Khola (river) below Pangboche we crossed over to the opposite mountainside via another suspension bridge.  It was a short hike to Debouche through a magical forested area that was shrouded in mist, adding to its mystique. 
    Our intended destination was the romantic setting of Tengboche which has a very beautiful and famous Buddhist monastery and was to host its annual Mani Rimdu festival over the next few days.  People were descending on the small hilltop settlement from all over the Everest region and beyond.  Mani Rimdu is a 3-day Sherpa festival which features colorful masked dances and dramas performed by the monastery monks and celebrates the victory of Buddhism over the old Bon religion.  Every available lodge bed and camping space in Tengboche and its neighboring villages were completely full.  Our lodge at Debouche even had 20 people sleeping shoulder to shoulder on the dining room floor.  Tengboche is a short  25 minute walk up a steeply winding grade through pine and rhododendron forests from Debouche.

    Day 27.  We arrived at Tengboche around mid-morning on the day that practice dances were to begin in preparation for the big event 2 days later.  It was surprisingly quiet and peaceful, yet there was an air of anticipation.  Nobody really knew exactly when the dances would begin (seemingly not even the majority of monks themselves, it was all quite informal at these early stages).
The day began with beautifully clear but cool weather and the views from the village were some of the most photographed anywhere in Nepal.  The famous Gompa and Stupa with the backdrop of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest has always been a favorite for tourists and professional photographers alike.
    We wandered leisurely through the village savoring its picturesque qualities and admiring the marvellous views from this truly awesome vantage point.   The Gompa was colorful and quite majestic from every angle and was offset by the beautiful backdrop of snow-capped peaks.  The Monks were dressed in saffron undershirts and deep maroon robes, closely cropped heads that were beautifully shaped and characteristic wide grins.  Young and old alike were busily engaged in cleaning and preparing the Gompa for its visitors.  A time of 1pm had been posted as the official beginning of the Mani Rimdu practices. 

    Before entering the Gompa to take our seats, we visited the Monastery visitor center and gift shop, a relatively new addition.
It had a very nicely laid-out display, complete with informative descriptions about the Monastery’s history, its resident Rimpoche's (High Lamas), photographs, video and saleable items.  In addition, other buildings adjacent to the visitor center were under construction and would be used as future halls of residence for the monks.  The old Gompa had been burned down in 1989 and another one built in its place. It is a well-endowed and important monastery so obviously new building projects like these can be accommodated.  Tengboche Gompa attracts many pilgrims and tourists annually as well as its share of climbing parties seeking the Rimpoche's blessing before they undertake their high altitude adventures.
    Prior to the official opening of the Monastery at 1pm visitors were not permitted to enter because of preparations so we were not able to witness Puja (daily prayers and ritual) at this time.  By the time we took our seats in the courtyard for the festivities the mists had risen from the surrounding valleys, limiting visibility and forcing temperatures to take a downward plunge. The long horns sounded the start of the event.  Two young monks blew hard into the enormous beaten copper instruments that were about 8 feet long.  They were elaborately embellished in silver and produced a deep drone that was not intended to be musical, rather to awaken; and quite removed from the western musical sense of rhythm, timing and harmony.  The performers gathered at the tops of the Gompa steps, staying back in the shadows of the foyer, as the first young monks descended in slow rhythmic movements. As this was just the practice run, none of the colorful carved masks were worn which was somewhat disappointing.  But the dances themselves were full of gesture, poise, balance and movement.  Facial expressions were limited and controlled, relaxed and collected; everything you would come to expect of someone rigorously trained in introspection, reflection and hours of deep meditation.   Even in these cold temperatures the monks only wore their robes, nothing extra.   While we sat shivering on the side, visible beads of sweat ran down their foreheads from their focused effort.
    In the center of the courtyard was a tall flagpole draped with the customary prayer flags.  The monks either danced solo or in groups around this pole, utilizing the whole courtyard area for expression.  At times they employed cymbals for musical accompaniment while they performed the dances.  It was a fascinating performances on many levels.  After 2 hours of silently sitting on cold cement steps watching the performance, the damp chill forced us to make a hasty retreat to the warmth of our lodge dining room.

    Day 28. We rose at dawn to try and catch the early Puja ceremony at the Gompa in Tengboche. It was due to wrap up around 8 am, so we raced up the hill, only to find that the morning prayers had long since been completed. As usual the monks' schedule was unpredictable and obviously dictated by divine invocation!  We had so hoped to see the interior of this famed monastery, as the pictures in the visitor center looked stunning. It was disappointing to realize that we had come all this way only to be denied this fine opportunity. At 8 am the VC opened and we enquired as to when this chance might arise again. The lady there was most helpful, but even she conceded that there was no telling. Anything that may have ordinarily resembled a schedule was thrown out the window during the festival period. Only when we heard the sound of the conch shell being blown would there be another Puja session - and only at these designated times were tourists allowed to enter and observe.
    Much to our surprise and delight the shell was blown 5 minutes later!   The monks started filing into the inner sanctum of the Gompa and after they were all seated we followed, sitting on the right hand side of the brilliantly decorated interior. The Rimpoche sat on an elevated platform facing the other monks.  Behind him were huge statues and images of Buddha. Hundreds of butter lamp candles burned along with the familiar smell of incense.  Every square inch of wall, ceiling and support pillar was colorfully decorated with images of the Buddha’s life and other ornamental features.  It was a very elaborate and inspiring interior and to sit there for over an hour observing the prayers, teachings and ritual was a compelling experience.
    At different times during the ceremony, the horns and cymbals accompanied the prayers which added another layer to the richly textured experience.   At other times the ten or so head monks who sat facing each other would put on elaborate headdresses and additional colorful bibs that made them look regal, only to remove them again after the specific prayer or invocation had been recited.  The room was cold but the monks seemed accustomed to this and pulled their robes tightly around their shoulders. One of the very young apprentice monks went around the room dishing out food to the praying monks, including items such as prawn crackers, rice balls and popcorn to name a few.  Another young monk had the job of keeping tea cups constantly filled with sherpa tea (a mixture of water, salt, yak butter and black tea).  It is the staple drink in this region and people can consume as much as 60 cups in an average day! Most westerners think it tastes vile.
    Annette bought some silk prayer scarves from the VC shop before going to Puja.  During the ceremony she approached the High Lama and he blessed these scarves for her.  She was touched by his gentle spirit and cherished this intimate moment.
As other tourists came and went, we sat and savored the ambience and energetic quality in the room.  Prayers often last several hours, but unfortunately we couldn't.   Outside we encountered further preparations for the days coming event, a 'Blessing Ceremony', which would officially commemorate the opening of Mani Rimdu festivities.   The main pathway from the entrance of the Gompa to a shrine about 150 yards away was broomed clean (as clean as a dusty trail can get), and images from Buddhist culture were drawn in the dirt with a white powder that resembled sand.  The shrine was in the process of being decked out colorfully and a long richly textured carpet had been rolled out in front where the monks would sit.
    The numbers of people in Tengboche had grown significantly over the last 24 hours as countdown to the festivities commenced.  There were now many tents crammed into the available open areas, mainly organised tour groups.
The small, usually quiet village now resembled a refugee camp.  The pressures of time constraints on our schedule made it necessary for us to leave before the festivities began.  So we didn't see the colorful extravaganza, but we felt more than content with our experience and time here and pushed on toward Khumjung.  It was a very steep descent to the river 2500 feet below and particularly hard on the knees. We felt pity on the people making the ascent of this route, knowing that it would be a relentless 3-hour slog at best to Tengboche.
    We had our own hardships on the other side of the river, which was steep in itself. The latter half of the day seemed to drag on forever; it was cold and misty now and we laboured the last hour into Khumjung. Just outside the village we had encountered numerous pheasants, a species called 'Impeyan' which are Nepal’s national bird and a real treasure to behold. Strikingly iridescent, with a small crests on their heads we admired the birds for quite some time. Heading for the first lodge that showed signs of having a lighted stove, we checked in and made ourselves comfortable in the dorm; we ended up having this spacious room for the next two nights. It was run by a Nepali man who had spent 3 years working in the States, but now had returned home and opened up this brand new guest house. A couple of doors up was the 'Everest Bakery' which became a warm and tasty hang-out for us during our stay.

    Day 29. Khumjung is where Sir Edmund Hillary (The first to summitt Everest along with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa) started his first school for Nepali children. There are now 28 in the Khumbu region. It also has a Gompa that boasts the scalp of a Yeti! (Nepal's version of 'Big Foot'). It was housed in a dusty glass case, and kept locked within a large steel safe box. It resembled an old dirty toupee and didn't convince me entirely!

    Day 30. Leaving Khumjung, Annette, Matt and I retraced our inbound route back through Namche Bazar and continued on down the steep valley trail to Bhenkar once again.

    Day 31.  It took us a little over 4 hours to reach Lukla, which was the end of the road, so to speak.  From here we would catch a flight back to Kathmandu.  Lukla was all we had imagined it to be from the stories we had heard so far from other trekkers. None of them glorified the place.  It was purely a mandatory pit stop for the majority of people visiting the Everest region.  One could only hope that their outbound flight would get off without any glitches, minimizing time spent here.   It is dirty, hectic and altogether an unfriendly kind of place; or at least that was our impression of it.
    Our hotel was situated right next to the airstrip, which was nothing more than a short gravel runway on a steep incline.  People use the airstrip as a pedestrian crossing and a policeman would have to blow his whistle to warn of incoming planes or take-offs. On the surface it appeared that there was little order to the way things were accomplished.
    Unfortunately Annette got food poisoning from the hotel's pizza which compounded our rather negative outlook on Lukla.
Our flight was due to depart at 9.10 am, but when we checked in at the departure terminal, (which was no more than a simple shed with podiums representing the various airlines and a few primitive scales for weighing baggage) we were told that Kathmandu was blanketed in mist and all outbound flights were suspended pending clearing weather conditions. Lukla was notorious for long delays, often for days at a time because of inclement weather. The previous batch of trekkers had been holed up for 3 days.
It was going to be one of those long, waiting games.  Lukla airport was due to close at noon for continued construction work on expanding the facility and it wasn't looking good for us.
    But, thankfully, by 11am the mists over Kathmandu had lifted sufficiently for the planes to begin their journey to Lukla.
A ferrying effort then commenced, whereby the different airlines shuttled passengers to another airstrip 20 minutes south of Lukla. By now, though, flights were running 4-5 hours behind schedule.  The actual take-off of our 16-seater prop plane was a little hairy to say the least. It revved up its engines with a high pitched whine and hurled itself headlong down the steep gravel slope at full speed.  Just when you thought it would plunge headlong down into the valley below it managed to become airborne as the runway expired.  The short flight south took us high above the Dudh Kosi valley and clear conditions allowed us to gaze back down upon part of the route we had taken in the initial part of our journey.  The plane covered the distance that had taken us 2-3 days to hike in a matter of minutes.
    From Lukla we descended around 5000 feet to a grassy hilltop airstrip in the colorful, fertile lowlands.  It was warm down here and we lazed in the sunshine for another several hours awaiting our airplane that was to finally take us on to Kathmandu.
It had been a long and exhausting day but at least we had made it back without being stranded in Lukla any longer.

    Happy to see the smiling faces of friends back at the Kathmandu Garden House, we settled in for the night.

Click here for "Nepal part 3"