On Top of The World

With our legs rested & recovered, we set off from Namche Bazaar in the direction of Mount Everest! While Luke was in high spirits and good health, Jelley quickly realized that she was coming down with the notorious ‘Khumbu cough'. The condition is still a bit of a mystery, generally this ‘cough’ is caused by a combination of low humidity and temperatures in high altitudes, and it seemed like just about everyone we had spoken to in Namche had it. We were hopeful that the cough syrup and paracetamol/ibuprofen combo would be sufficient to combat the cough and so we decided to continue on our journey with caution after a quick visit to the pharmacy.

We had several shorter hiking days ahead of us, as we were now entering the thin mountain air above 3,500 meters (11,482ft) and our research advised that we only ascend 300-400m (1,000-1,600ft) per day to acclimatise properly. It was good timing to have these short days we could take slowly, as Jelley needed the rest.

Day 13: Namche Bazaar to Mong La - 9.7km (6mi)

Climbing out of Namche, we shared the track with the masses who were trekking on the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trail. This was easily the most renowned and popular hike in Nepal (and maybe the world?). We had considered the EBC early on in our research, but we decided we would prefer to take a more remote and less busy track with equally as impressive views and scenery, which is how we landed on Gokyo Lakes as our target destination! Gokyo is a short distance west of Everest Base Camp, still within the Sagamartha National Park, and touted sweeping views of Everest and its neighbouring peaks.

We had perfect weather ascending out of Namche, and were blessed with a stunning view of Everest. Often when we hand our camera to strangers for a pic together it turns out at a weird angle or a thumb over the lens. This day we got lucky as the stranger turned out to be a bit of a pro and snapped a perfect picture of both us and the Himalayas in the background.

Our trail toward Gokyo Lakes soon branched off away from the EBC groups, and we enjoyed walking along the ridge line before reaching the Hilltop teahouse, aptly located on top of the hill at Mong La Pass. It was a sunny spot with great views, and a nice place to rest for the afternoon. We met a group of Slovakian hikers and shared a nice lunch together but they were on a tight schedule so they continued onward up the trail. This little teahouse was our home for the night and we enjoyed a relaxing day taking in the mountain views and quiet atmosphere.

The accommodation itself had very basic amenities and was one of the first accommodations that we had to pay for electricity and other essentials. We were still very impressed with the setup considering we were at approximately 3,600 meters (11,800ft) elevation and everything had to be carried / helicoptered up. We had a lovely Dal Bhat dinner that we shared with one other pair of Scottish hikers who we later found out had previously submitted Everest and neglected mention that to us!!

Day 14: Mong La to Dhole - 7.7km (4.8mi)

It was another short day today - we had estimated 3 hours, but even with Jelley a little slower than usual, we reached Dhole in 2.5 hours at 10.30am. It was another perfect bluebird day and the trail offered sweeping views of the Dudh Kosi Valley. We even saw a gorgeous Himalayan Monal pottering around one for the hillsides which was a nice treat. It looked like a combo between a peacock and a pigeon.

Upon arriving at the small village of Dhole, we very quickly realized we were now in the high alpine country. No WiFi, no crowds, no problem. We were the only 2 people in the tiny village and while it was very tempting to continue hiking, we followed the elevation rules and stayed put at our little "Alpine Cottage". 2 groups arrived just shortly before dinner, and it was nice to have a social atmosphere again! The other trekkers were from Canada and the UK. The ladies from Canada were retired and in their 60s and 70s, and had left their husbands at home for 2 months travelling together through Nepal! They had already successfully completed a 5 week trek in the Annapurna region around Manaslu and Tsum Valley, and they were now headed on the same circuit as us from Namche Bazaar to Gokyo Lake and then returning via Renjo La Pass. It was super inspiring to meet such an active group of ladies, although Luke was hoping Jelley didn’t get any ideas to leave him for 2 months (again).

Day 15: Dhole to Machermo - 10km (6.2mi)

We didn’t sleep well. Once at high elevations, it gets harder to sleep through the night, but at least Jelley was feeling a little better this morning, and it was good to get moving again. It was another short but scenic day!

We soon caught up with the Canadian ladies, but unfortunately one of them had taken a turn for the worse overnight and was struggling ascending today with definite symptoms of altitude mountain sickness (AMS). They made the tough decision to helicopter her back down to Lukla for recovery. She was gutted with this decision, particularly as they had all coped well with even higher altitude on their previous hike, but made the right choice that it just wasn’t worth the risk. Unfortunately we weren’t staying at the same lodge in Machermo as the remaining 3 ladies and their guides, but we were hopeful to see them again in Gokyo as we had shared a lot of laughs, and Jelley had promised to braid their hair.

On the trail today, we also crossed paths with an Irish couple we’d met in the bakery on our first day in Namche Bazaar. They were one day ahead of us on their journey, and had spent the night in Machermo,, but the wife had woken up in the night gasping and struggling to breathe, so they had also decided to turn around to descend before reaching Gokyo Lakes. They had been to Gokyo around 15 years prior, so this decision wasn’t as hard for them.

When we reached Machermo, we were quickly enticed into the ‘bakery lodge’ with the allure of delicious treats. While the room was the same price as our travels so far, the menu was double the price! Boiled eggs were even 10x the price from earlier in the hike - once going for 60 rupees for 2, here they were 600 rupees for 2 (approx USD$7)! We had reached peak prices based on the ‘boiled egg index’. Other trekkers here weren’t phased by the prices, and were straight to ordering popcorn, pasta and connecting to the wifi on their laptops! It was around $7 per phone to charge, and we were hopeful our solar power bank would prove it’s worth. We didn’t have any cell reception now so could keep our phones on flight mode and keep our charging budget to a minimum. 

We accepted this more expensive fate both here and onwards toward Gokyo. It was certainly understandable, with the expense of getting suppliers carried or helicoptered into these remote locations. Aware of the mixed standard of teahouses at Gokyo Lakes, our next destination for 3 nights, we had already pre-booked our next accommodation at a spot with great reviews which was 5x the cost of a usual teahouse. The promise of a warm, double-glazed room with an attached bathroom at 4,790m (15,715ft) was totally worth the ‘splurge’. 

After ditching our packs, we went for a short walk up the nearby ridge line to continue our ‘climb high, sleep low’ strategy and took in our stunning surroundings. It really was magical up here, and we knew the best was still to come! Jelley was feeling okay today, and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and early night. 

Day 16: Machermo to Gokyo Lakes - 10.4km (6.5mi)

The Khumbu cough now had now spread to Jelley’s sinuses, and after an awful night, she was feeling quite miserable. Luke had a great sleep. At least it wasn’t both of us on struggle street! Our window was entirely frozen on the inside when we woke up, and it was hard to get out of bed. Over breakfast, we got chatting with a couple of awesome, like-minded German girls, and convinced them to stay at the same guest house in Gokyo as us. 

Walking was slow today, but made easier by the distraction of the stunning views. We climbed 400m, before reaching 2 crystal clear alpine lakes, then eventually rounding the corner to Gokyo. It was truly magical. WOW.

Our accommodation (definitely the best in town) was right on the lakefront, and just as perfect as we’d hoped for. We were stoked to call this place home for the next 3 nights! It was seriously so cool. Just opened in 2017, they had only had a few regular seasons before covid shut down the trekking and tourism industry. The owner’s parents owned another lodge in Gokyo and he grew up here before continuing education in Kathmandu and returning to Gokyo to set up this business. He had a proper coffee machine, extensive menu and even a mini art gallery in his quaint teahouse! One interesting feature was using yak dung doused in gasoline as the fuel for the fireplace.

The German girls we met earlier, Maike & Eva, arrived and we shared lunch with them. We tried something new from the menu - Rigi Kur, a potato pancake with yak butter - which tasted far better than it looked. It went down well for us, but unfortunately not for one of the girls!

Their guide, Abi, was a super interesting guy to talk to. He was a Nepalese student in his final year of a 4 year degree, and supposed to go back to university just the next day after the holidays but there was no way he’d make it back from Gokyo in time! He had been part of a Thorong peak expedition in October, and after comparing photos and dates, it transpired he was staying at the base camp at the exact same time when we saw it while crossing the Thorong La pass on the Annapurna circuit! It’s a small world. While he enjoys trekking and guiding, Abi’s true passion is mountain biking, with a dream to set up his own company in his hometown in the Mustang one day. We talked about how most young, educated Nepalese head abroad for work, which is a shame, and that his own brother is living in Auckland, New Zealand! He’s hopeful his business idea will get off the ground so he can stay and be successful in Nepal. The next generation is in good hands if every student has the same ambitions and attitudes as Abi.

Mieka, Eva & Abi were feeling good, and decided to head up the nearby summit (Gokyo Ri) that afternoon for a sunset hike. We definitely didn’t have the energy to join them, and had the luxury of an extra night in Gokyo, so decided to save it for another day and just head up the short ridge behind the town for our sunset, then go to bed early (again!).

Day 17: Gokyo to Gokyo Ri return - 4.9km (3mi)

Jelley woke up in pain from her blocked sinuses, and had started a collection of crowd-sourced medication from other trekkers to try to tame this pesky cough! We were monitoring our blood oxygen levels and were conscious to check in with each other regularly to ensure were weren't exhibiting any signs of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), but this cough was more of an annoyance than a cause for concern.

It was the perfect morning to chill in the hammocks on the lakefront. Although it was really sunny and looked warm outside, we needed to bring our sleeping bags down to survive in the ice-cold wind! We were determined to go up the neighbouring peak of Gokyo Ri for sunset. It was also a good test to see whether we would be able to continue on our planned circuit to ascend over Renjo La pass in a couple of days, or return back through the valley we had come up. According to our host, the weather patterns had only just changed 3 days ago, resulting in clear skies at sunset. This was great news to hear! Up until now, we had experienced the clouds rolling into the valleys right on schedule from 2pm, leaving the mountains fully enshrouded with clouds and fog until the next morning’s sunrise. 

We knew this would be a challenge for Jelley with her blocked sinuses and sore chest, but we decided to give it a go, taking it slowly on the steep ascent with lots of rests.

Jelley soon found her rhythm and was first to reach the top! We were the only ones on the summit when we arrived. What a special, special spot, at 5,357m (17,575ft). There was no mistaking Everest amongst the giants surrounding us. Other notable peaks included Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse & Kachenchunga, all amongst the top 10 highest points in the world. Gokyo Lake looked like a small pond from above.

Our intention was to stay at the peak of Gokyo Ri until sunset because we had perfect visibility and we had heard that this was a magical thing to witness. Despite it being a clear blue sky, it was frigid atop the summit, so we put on all our warm clothes and drank some warm tea from a borrowed thermos in an attempt to try and stay warm. We were eventually joined by another 8 hikers who also made the trek to witness this dazzling sunset. As the 10 of us stood there on the summit, (most of us jumping around to try and stay warm), we were all awe-struck by the beauty that surrounded us. The sun slowly descended and the sky burst into a vibrant array of colours. The last light always touches the highest peak and that was undoubtedly the all mighty Mount Everest which was on full display. Time stood still as we watched the 8,849m (29,035ft) mountain radiate a fiery red as if it was a volcano erupting in front of us. After the sun set, the stars began to speckle the sky and change colour from a pinkish-red to an purply-teal creating an unreal spectacle. This was a gorgeous sunset that will be etched into our memories forever.

We were so enthralled by our surroundings as sunset turned to dusk, but as soon as the sun set, the temperature plummeted, so we quickly packed up and headed back down in the dark and cold. On the way down, we heard the rumbling of yaks in the distance, but couldn’t see them with our dim headlamps. It was both spooky and funny and there were a couple of close calls encountering the giant beasts laying down around us! We thought our fears were unfounded until reading about an incident between a tourist and a yak a couple of months later...

Although feeling on top of the world on Gokyo Ri, Jelley was shattered on our return, but extremely glad to have achieved the mission. It was a small comfort to hear 90% of the other guests had a similar condition at our guesthouse. Another a decent dinner and a couple of card games with Eva & Mieka, we bidded farewell, as they were continuing on to tackle Renjo La pass early the next morning. We had one more day in this mountain paradise, and exchanged contact details with the hope of meeting up again before Namche. 

Day 18: Rest Day in Gokyo - 0 day (Luke 13.4kms / 8.3mi)

Jelley had a horrendous night’s sleep (again), and decided a rest day was in order. It was not a bad place to be feeling like rubbish though! Over breakfast, we got chatting to an Australian family who had mysteriously appeared in the early hours of the morning. We were in absolute disbelief as they said they arrived by helicopter that morning from Everest Base Camp rather than walking across the Cho La Pass like anyone else travelling that route had been doing. Wow. We didn’t realise there was a helicopter taxi service up here, and assumed the constant noise pollution from the choppers was solely due to medical rescues. The parents had trekked 20 years ago in the Annapurna region, and returned with their teenage daughters for this trip - they were finding it a lot harder than they expected but didn’t have any sicknesses or injuries, and seemed to be well enough to head up Gokyo Ri that afternoon.

Jelley filled up her social cup chatting with other guests before returning to our sunny room to sleep for the day. Luke set out on a solo adventure up the valley to the ‘4th & 5th’ lakes. Gokyo Lakes are known as the sacred lakes, holy to both Hindus and Buddhists, with swimming forbidden except for just one time per year during the Janai Purnima festival. If Luke had continued on to the 6th & 7th lakes, he would've arrived at Cho Oyu base camp, the world’s 6th tallest mountain (8,188m / 26,864ft), straddling the edge of the Nepal and Chinese border. Luke enjoyed the solitude and only came across a handful of other walkers out there. The turquoise glacial lakes and views of Everest and Cho Oyu were a real treat.

In the early afternoon, the cloud started rolling in over the lake and surrounding mountains, and we felt extremely grateful to have experienced the wonders from the day before.

Over dinner, we agreed to make a decision on the route tomorrow based on our sleep quality that night. Our initial goal was to cross the Renjo La Pass and return to Namche via Lungdhen and Thame. Plan B was to head back down the same valley we had walked up but on the western side for a change of scenery. Plan C was to return along the eastern side of the valley and retrace our steps. We were really hopeful to do Renjo La, but the main focus was a good night’s sleep.

Day 19: Gokyo to Lungdhen via Renjo La Pass - 12.7km (7.9mi)

We have limited trip notes from the these next couple of days. Mostly because Jelley was in full struggle mode from the Khumbu cough. Luckily Luke has some great memories, and we have epic photos to reflect on! After another poor night’s sleep, we decided to go for Plan C and retrace our steps through Machermo/Dhole/Mong La through the valley toward Namche Bazaar. It had been a week with no improvement for Jelley and she probably needed antibiotics at this stage.

We were all packed up and ready to say goodbye to Gokyo. However, as we said our farewell to our host he asked us which way we were heading back down. We’re still not entirely sure how it happened .. but he somehow convinced us that we should commit to hiking over Renjo La Pass as originally planned! The conditions were perfect and he made it sound like it was relatively undemanding, so we figured we had to give it a shot. The reward would be worth the effort.

Truthfully, the pass was much harder than he described. It was a steep never-ending ascent, that absolutely pushed us to our limit! As we ascended the near vertical trail, we quickly realised that it was too late to turn around and we had no choice but to go up and over the strenuous pass.

But holy guacamole, the view from the top of the pass was breathtaking. We felt privileged to enjoy a crystal clear view of Mt Everest and all all of her glory. It was from this perspective that we could really tell that Everest was the tallest among its neighbours. We enjoyed a long rest at the summit of the pass, and had an extended lunch break to take it all in.

There was a long, gradual descent ahead of us to reach our home for the night, and we were delighted to find well-formed steps on the other side of the Pass. It was a relatively easy descent and certainly very scenic, but it kind of dragged on after a while and we were ready for it to be over. We met a solo older Kiwi lady on our way down and it was a nice distraction to listen to the stories of her adventures. Renjo La was the final pass for other hikers completing the famed ‘Three Passes’ trek, and she had a blast on the very challenging circuit with a patient, caring guide.

We meandered our way down into the valley and arrived at the very small settlement of Lungdhen nestled on the ridge. After our cozy and warm accommodation with double-glazed windows in Gokyo Lakes, we were disappointed to have to sleep in a cold, rustic accommodation again. Especially after such an arduous day of hiking. There were a few familiar trekkers and guides at the teahouse tonight, and Jelley had a new drug cocktail to try out. We were extra grateful for our sleeping bags and warm clothes, going to sleep with the knowledge we would again wake to a thick layer of ice on the inside of our windows.

Day 19: Lungdhen to Namche Bazaar - 19km (11.8mi)

We had planned to walk to the town of Thame today, and stay a couple of nights, as we had heard there were several other day hikes worth exploring from there. It was, however, day 19 of hiking, and the immediate priority was to get to Namche, seek further advice and likely start Jelley on antibiotics. We also wondered if the extra oxygen at a lower elevation might boost Jelley’s recovery. We had loved this hiking experience so much, and felt like there wasn’t a lot left in our bodies to keep going further than we needed to. Jelley also had a 3rd job interview coming up, and as the wifi and cellphone reception hadn’t been optimal throughout this trip, we calculated that we might be able to fly back to Kathmandu in time to do it there instead of in the Himalayas.

We reached the town of Thame in the early afternoon and decided to press on along a well-formed trail to make it to Namche Bazaar. It was a 1,200m (4000ft) descent in just one day (wow!), but we were determined to continue. The promise of wood-fired pizza was also a motivating factor.

It was a pleasant descent through various small mountain villages which all seemed to have yak dung casually drying on their rooftops in preparation for the coming winter. Friendly locals waved to us as we passed by in hopes that we would stop to stay at their teahouses but we were determined to carry on to Namche. We hugged the river for a few kms and crossed a few swing bridges before taking a quick break to regroup. Luke looked up on the hillside behind us and spotted family of Himalayan Tahr majestically perched on a rock, letting their brown hair flow in the wind. These elusive creatures also happen to inhabit New Zealand but are native to the Himalayas because they thrive in high alpine environments. We enjoyed watching them bask in the sun for a bit before heading on down the trail.

It was a huge relief to see the familiar sight of Namche Bazaar. We reconnected with the owner, who informed us he would be closing for the season in just 5 days. It was noticeably quieter in the lodge, which had been packed when we were there just one week prior. There weren't many people staying at the lodge at this stage, but we we did get talking to an interesting older British couple. They had moved to California at the height of the tech boom and retired so that they could sail around the world and explore hard to reach places. We shared many travel stories and felt inspired by their story.

Day 20: Namche Bazaar to Ghat - 15km (9.3mi)

We retraced our steps today from Namche to Ghat, keen to stay at our favourite guesthouse with guaranteed good food and a decent hot shower. It's astonishing how the smallest pleasures can bring such satisfaction when we've went without them for a while.

We made great pace on the way down (down was much easier than up!), but the second half we didn’t recognise at all. We were on such a mission to get past large tour groups on the way up, but now the trail was near empty, just with the odd porter carrying an entire glass window frame or fridge. Even the National Park permit guys were visibly more relaxed, keen to have a prolonged chat about our hike and they were impressed with the wildlife we had encountered.

Our teahouse in Ghat was also closing for the season and we were the only guests, but it was just as clean, friendly and with as delicious food and as hot a shower as we remembered. Luke was unfortunately just starting to feel a little sick, so the worst wasn’t over for us yet.

Day 21: Ghat to Lukla - 7km (4.3mi)

We were in disbelief. This was our final day after 3 weeks of hiking! We had just a super short journey to reach Lukla, the town we had bypassed on our way up, best known for its airport. We joined the trail at an unfortunate time, stuck behind a particularly moody herd of adolescent yaks causing a ruckus. The slow pace was okay as we were feeling rather slow ourselves. 

As we continued downhill, we crossed paths with a kind older chap named Ranid. He was the most quintessentially Australian bloke from the NT, who we had chatted with briefly in Gokyo lakes. He was also nearing the end of his own journey in Lukla, and we arranged to meet for a celebratory drink in at a local pub. One surprise on the way down was the sound of Christmas music! It was the end of November, but the first time we had heard these jolly tunes this year. It triggered cravings of home comforts, and we shifted our mindset to the rest and recovery period which would follow.

Visiting Lukla Airport (also named the Tenzing-Hillary airport after those who originally built it!) before flying out might not have been the best idea for our nerves - it was even scarier than we expected! Lukla Airport is well-documented as the most dangerous airport in the world, and for good reason. It was nonetheless impressive to watch the arrivals and departures into this tiny airstrip on the side of the mountain, but we did feel a little sick at the thought of being on one of those planes the next day.

It felt surreal that we had reached the end of the epic hike, and with just $200 and 25mins we could be back in Kathmandu - a journey which previously took us an 8 hour bus ride & 10 days of walking! Reflecting on the journey, we were so proud to have seen 6 of the 10 tallest mountains in the world and to have done it all by our own two feet! What an achievement.

We went to sleep quite unclear as to our flight arrangements for the morning - our host in Namche had messaged his mate in Lukla who worked as an airport manager and said if we stayed at his teahouse we could get a seat on a flight the next day (lol). We handed over the remainder of our cash (which we had carried from Kathmandu!) and hoped for the best as we set our alarm before sunrise, for the final time.

Day 22: Lukla to Kathmandu (30 minutes by plane)

It was an early start, as we followed a crowd of Nepalese locals through the tiny streets to the airport in the dark. Part of the reason the flights are comparatively expensive for tourists is to subsidise the locals prices for the elderly who head down to Kathmandu Valley during the frigid winters.

The tiny airport was an expected site of chaos, with 2 tiny airlines taking passports from the crowds, before issuing the funniest little handwritten piece of paper as a ‘ticket’. We then went through to a holding pen, where the odd airline names were shouted out just as a plane from Kathmandu would land. There was no real schedule, we guessed it was just due to the uncertainty if flights would actually make it from Kathmandu and land, then be able to take off again.

We were quite nervous for the flight...terrified, actually. The weather was in our favour though, and with no fog or wind we were able to take off easily, and enjoy the unbelievably scenic flight. The route retraced our steps below, and we saw snippets of the trail that we had painstakingly walked along over the past 3 weeks. A highlight was seeing the top of Pikey Peak, the spot where we caught our first glimpse of Everest and witnessed a spectacular sunrise with our doggy friend.

This hike was an unforgettable journey, and one we will treasure forever. 22 days and 210km/130miles of trekking through the Everest region of Nepal, in the shadows of 6 of the tallest mountains on this incredible planet. Learning more about the legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary, experiencing the hospitality of the Sherpa people, testing ourselves physically and mentally, and feeling immense gratitude every step of the way.

We were excited to spend some quality rest & recovery time back in Kathmandu before continuing our exploration of this incredible country, albeit with a lot less hiking.

Until then,

 - A Kiwi and A Cali

P.S. Yes, this is possibly a new record for the most delayed blog post...it’s hard to believe it has been nearly 6 months since we were enjoying a sunset over Everest. Life has changed a lot since then as we are now settled in the fantastic Frankfurt, Germany! We can’t wait to get caught up on our posts again before our next adventure begins again!