First view of snow-capped Himalayan peaks approaching Salleri in the Solu Khumbu
'A truly awesome 11 hour drive from Kathmandu to Phaplu which is just beyond Salleri. It is now 7.25.pm and we are sat in the covered wooden balcony linked to the main room of our lodge called 'The Medway'. I am sat with Mingma and our driver Bacu. It is very dark outside and only dim lighting in the lodge. I have just enjoyed home-made fresh tomato soup . . . it was delicious! I then had the staple Nepalese dish of 'dal-baht' . . . it consists of steamed rice, a cooked lentil stew and seasonal vegetables.
So now we have left the noise and bustle of Kathmandu behind . . . we are now in the rural foothills of the Himalayas. This afternoon we finally entered the Solu Khumbu meaning we are approaching the Everest region in north-eastern Nepal. We set off from Kathmandu at 6.15.am in our 4x4 land-cruiser reaching Phalpu just after 5pm.'
Typical landscape in the foothills . . . a few hours after leaving Kathmandu
'Our drive from Kathmandu to Phalpu was for 270km (168 miles). For the first 7 hours we followed wide valleys with big rivers. Indeed one of the rivers came down from Tibet . . . it was the 'Bhotekoshi'. I was so excited at seeing the waters of a river with its source on the Tibetan plateau . . . the 'Roof of the World'. The road frequently became very rough as our land-cruiser negotiated the bulldozed path through the rocks and debris of recent landslides. Where a new road bridge was under construction we had to detour off to the side on a bumpy temporary track.
At 1pm we suddenly turned north beginning our steep ascent towards the Solu Khumbu. We climbed the twisting and tight hairpin bends. Bacu is an excellent driver and I have felt very safe all day. I sat in the front of our land-cruiser as there wasn't a seat belt in the rear seats . . . so I have had amazing views throughout the day. After a few hours, constantly ascending, we reached a pass at Pattale around 3000 metres (9,842 feet). There were patches of snow beside the road. Suddenly the clouds parted revealing blue sky and our first view of snow-capped mountains. It was just a glimpse for a few moments but so exciting. Everest is visible on the distant horizon from here but the clouds once again obscured the view. We soon started descending on a rough and bumpy road. I was so happy to be in the Solu Khumbu at last!'
Photo Gallery . . . Press Play! . . .Day 1 . . . 4x4 land-cruiser from Kathmandu to Phalpu!
'I saw so many things today . . . it was a 'real travel' day! So many spectacular pedestrian suspension bridges stretched across wide rivers linking remote villages with the main road. I saw farmers busy in the fields and terraces sometimes ploughing with buffalo. We passed through villages and small towns with people busy at the side of the road . . . fixing and mending vehicles, selling fruit and vegetables or sitting in roadside cafes. Tomorrow we have a rough road taking us from our lodge here in Phalpu to Bupsa which is just beyond Kharikhola. On Friday after an overnight stay in a lodge in Bupsa we will actuallly start trekking to Everest Base Camp . . . SO excited!!!'
Next morning at our lodge in Phalpu!
'Today was one of the most awesome adventurous travel days in my life! We set off from Phalpu in our 4x4 land-cruiser in the early morning. We first went to look at the short Phalpu airstrip where there are great views of some nearby Himalayan peaks including Numbur Himal at 6958 metres (22,828 feet). After looking at the runway we suddenly turned up a rocky dirt track zig-zagging up high onto a huge ridge. This was the start of the next 7 hours on a mountainous journey that was to be 'off-road' all the way! It was slow progress but so exciting! As Bacu is such an excellent driver I wasn't worried about the massive drops at the side of the unsurfaced track. From the 3000 metre pass the track plunges in zig-zags down almost 2000 metres eventually crossing a bridge over the Dudh Koshi. The off-road track is not shown on the above map but if you connect Phaplu with Kharikhola with a direct line then that is roughly the route we took. Truly awesome!!!
3000 metre (9,842 feet) pass on the high ridge after leaving Phalpu
First view of distant Everest with its cloud plume
from the pass . . . dark triangle between peaks on far left!
'We eventually reached the high pass by mid-morning with awesome views of a range of Himalayan giants! It was so exciting to get our first view of Everest nestled between two nearer snow capped peaks! I hadn't expected to see it so soon! I could easily make out the dark mass of the South West Face with its plume blowing off the summit. Buddhist prayer flags strung between trees on top of the pass flapped in the breeze. I suddenly became very much aware that I was now entering the High Himalaya!
Photo Gallery . . . Press Play! . . .Day 2 . . . 4x4 land-cruiser from Phaplu to Bupsa!
So for the rest of the day we very slowly made our way on the very rough 'off-road' track . . . it was only just wide enough for us to pass between boulders and rocks. At times our land-cruiser rocked from side to side plus up and down! It took us 6 hours high on mountainsides and down into deep valleys. We had lunch around 2pm at a remote lodge in the valley of the Dudh Kosi which flows down from the Khumbu Icefall and Everest itself. We sat on a terrace overlooking banana trees, see photos, looking across the valley. We all enjoyed a dal-bhat. From the terrace we could see Mingma's home Sherpa village perched high on the opposite mountainside. We drove through remote villages . . . it was fascinating observing all aspects of local rural Sherpa life . . . with steep terraces cascading down to the Dudh Kosi River.
Tonight we are huddled around the wood burning stove here in the 'Sundup Lodge' in Bupsa. Its now 8pm! The lodge owner has climbed Everest and many other 8000 metre peaks. At the moment I am sat with Tendi our porter for the trek. I am about to put on my headtorch and go to my room. Its very cold outside. I have just posted on the MacsAdventure Community Group . . . fortunately the WiFi is currently working. What a day!!
Tomorrow we finally start walking on our trek to Everest Base Camp and Gokyo.
I would love to hear from you either by commenting directly to this blog or by secure email as outlined in the 'Contact' section of my website . . . 'Beyond the Sacred Mountains'.
I saw this trekking quote a few days ago . . .
"Let's wander where the WiFi is weak!"
During my month in Nepal I really did experience the above . . . actually I quite enjoyed it!
Regards
David