We arrived yesterday in the bustling town of Namche Bazaar. It feels almost like a city compared to the small villages we have stopped in along the way.
As we passed by the town of Lukla we noticed a large influx of tourists on the trails. Most trekkers fly into the town of Lukla before beginning their trek. This cuts off about 8 days of hiking. However, it is also known as one of the most dangerous airports (more like airstrip) in the world. Many times flights are delayed or cancelled due to precipitous changes in the weather and many planes have been known to crash by clipping tips of mountains. This is the main reason Briana and I decided to hike the extra 8 days and also because we have a 45 day visa which allows us to do so. However, due to a couple unplanned rest days on the way to Namche we have decided that it would be best to fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla. We have heard many wonderful things about the second largest city in Nepal called Pokhara and we want to make it back with enough time to relax for a week in this city.
Tomorrow we head out to our final destination, Gokyo. Gokyo is at approximately 4,750 meters which is around 15,500 feet. It will take us around 4 days to hike there. Each day we will hike about 3 hours or less in order to slowly acclimatize to the high elevation. In Gokyo we plan to stay for 3 days in which we will hike t Gokyo Ri which is a 5,360 meters or 17,500 feet! On one of the days we also plan to hike to the Sacred Lakes, 5 lakes high in the Everest Region. During the Sacred Thread Festival in August hundreds of Nepalis make a pilgrimage to immerse themselves in the lakes. Brian and I are contemplating doing this, but I am afraid I might become hypothermic.
Side Note: We did attempt to get into the 5th lake and immediately regretted our decision when we realized that it was A: freezing and B: the mud at the bottom was so slippery that we were afraid we wouldn't be able to get back out of the lake. We ended up stripping down and only getting in up to our knees.
As we passed by the town of Lukla we noticed a large influx of tourists on the trails. Most trekkers fly into the town of Lukla before beginning their trek. This cuts off about 8 days of hiking. However, it is also known as one of the most dangerous airports (more like airstrip) in the world. Many times flights are delayed or cancelled due to precipitous changes in the weather and many planes have been known to crash by clipping tips of mountains. This is the main reason Briana and I decided to hike the extra 8 days and also because we have a 45 day visa which allows us to do so. However, due to a couple unplanned rest days on the way to Namche we have decided that it would be best to fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla. We have heard many wonderful things about the second largest city in Nepal called Pokhara and we want to make it back with enough time to relax for a week in this city.
Tomorrow we head out to our final destination, Gokyo. Gokyo is at approximately 4,750 meters which is around 15,500 feet. It will take us around 4 days to hike there. Each day we will hike about 3 hours or less in order to slowly acclimatize to the high elevation. In Gokyo we plan to stay for 3 days in which we will hike t Gokyo Ri which is a 5,360 meters or 17,500 feet! On one of the days we also plan to hike to the Sacred Lakes, 5 lakes high in the Everest Region. During the Sacred Thread Festival in August hundreds of Nepalis make a pilgrimage to immerse themselves in the lakes. Brian and I are contemplating doing this, but I am afraid I might become hypothermic.
Side Note: We did attempt to get into the 5th lake and immediately regretted our decision when we realized that it was A: freezing and B: the mud at the bottom was so slippery that we were afraid we wouldn't be able to get back out of the lake. We ended up stripping down and only getting in up to our knees.
No comments:
Post a Comment