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Against my fear i seemed to have a good nights sleep! Have the frozen veg sandwich i had packed the previous night. Yup don't want to workout in empty stomach. Get myself to Dining hall armed with a torch. People ready for the ultimate destination of the trek over a cup of tea and off we go. We walk a small plane and the ascent starts and that jolts down our speed. Its up and up and only one way which is up! Does not look so easy. Every step have to breath harder and the over worked diaphram pains. But there is no meaning stopping now. When all the things are right around just have to push the self. Start the rhythmic chants of 'you can make it', 'comon just a few more steps' !! Going gets real slow. People are tired. Some are up ahead and some are below. We have to climb through snow walked paths. By now the day breaks and we are still half way up. There is no rest in the incline it just goes up in a straight line. This is getting real tough compared to Base camp trek and in no time is the toughest part of the whole trek. The sun is raising behind the mountain range and the sky is clear. One by one the mountains tops glows on! Ponmuri is looking fantastic. Are we there yet? no long way up. Can see more of the Mt Everest every step. But just the shilovet as the sun is behind it. there is lil clouds around it which glows with the sunlight kinda giving a halo to Mt Everest. It getting colder every meter up. Finally we make it to the supposed summit of Kalapattar. Every one hurrayed and congratulated each other. But some how the view did not seem right. I could not see the whole Khumbu glacier. It see a path going up to the communications tower above. That was on a kinda over hand jutting out of the mountain top. Now i want to get there! On inquiry people were happy with the official summit of kalapattar. Well its time to take things on own and i started up and let the group go. Guess its the biker instinct to go till the last possible point. Cant control it! It was as good 50-60 meters up and chanted my way up step by step. The water drops on the bottle started freezing. And there is made it to the summit kind place. Could have gone till the edge of the over hang some 20 feet away but fear got the bettor of me and was happy till what i have climbed. I turn back and i am gifted with what i was looking for. The typical Mt Everest view from Kalapattar where you can see the the entire Khumbu glaciar from the origin. Guess this where they take 'the' pictures from. was a lil over 5600 meters. Cant really express in words the feeling of beeing up there all alone with such stunning nature around. Was confused as to how the take the pix as nothing seems right. But in truth morning is not a good time up there as the sun is behind the Mt Everest. But these times the clouds are also up by noon. Take what pix i can. Just when i positing the tripod the sun comes over the mountain range and spoils what lil pix i can take of the Mt Everest. But managed a few. Sat there for some time trying to grasp the ambiance. But i am not getting carried away cos the trek is not over. Not over till i get myself back to lukla on my own two feet. Starting from now i have to trace back each step i have taken so far and its going to be solo from here.
Reluctantly start back. Getting back to Dingboche is the plan for the day. Coming down you take two levels at a time and should be in Lukla in three days. Also i kinda had enough of the cold interiors, the food and wanted to get out of there :D walk back slowly looking around. Cautioning myself to take each step carefully cos any fall means not much help around and that to in off season. Get back to the hotel where i see see the group leaving. I have to take things at my slow pace now. Have a hearty meal and start back alone. It was a fantastic day take one last glance of the panorama around and walk towards Lobuche. Not many people around now but the occasional porters moving things. Walk some time beside the khumbu glacier and of course taking pix at will. Now that i am on my own can take as many breaks as i can. After one climb bid farewell to the khumbu glacier and all the mountains around and drop back to the valley of sorts. Felt like i was the only living thing around. It was a fantastic walk. My walking seemed to have improved a lot and things see so easy going down. Make my way to Lobuche by lunch time where i see the group for their lunch break. Just shuddered at the terrible night i spent at this place. Had lunch and it was time for Dingboche by the end of the day.
Everything seems so different today cos the last time i walked this path we were in a snow fall. Now all the snow is gone under two days of sun. As i walk down to the end of the valley of sorts i see some rock falls on the other side. Glad that i am not there i take a right and nothings familiar. Kinda lost for a moment. Luckily there were a couple of shepas who pointed me the right direction and yes i have to walk under the rock fall trail. Man it was a bit scary. could see chunks of rocks rolling down. Not really till the path but you never know when a big one is coming. Cross it any way. could see only couple of people till now going up taking each step with difficulty. Yup have to deal with it going up. Then i reach the point of climb down to Dukla. Could see the Dukla hotel all the way down in the clear weather. Kinda felt good that the other day weather was not clear else we would all be tired just by the look of the climb hehe. Could see the group far ahead with the colorful cloths who had crossed the river at Dukla and on their way to Dingboche. I get to Dukla, for a cup of hot lemon and soup. Get on to the last leg of the day. Now i see some mist emerging out of the valley! Man this is not good. The path is bit confusing near Dingboche, where i need to see the Stupas to get my bearings right. But the distance is so far that there is no point in hurrying and there is no chance of beating these swift moving mist clouds. Just enjoy the solo walk. All the while i could see Pheriche town in the valley floor while i am walking on top of the ridge towards Dingboche. Kinda tempted towards Pheriche, but i was told that since its off season, most of the hotels close down and a single customer will not get good service or food. So decided for Dinboche anyway. What can i say it was nice. Mist clouds though not heavy ones come from the valley take a turn with the valley and race out. It was a beautiful sight. Slowly i make it till where i could see the stupas. Luckily the mist was not that thick. I get down on the other side of the ridge for the Dingboche town and into the same hotel where i am welcomed by the group. Made it by like 4 pm
Well there is nothing much to do here but to absorb the warmth from the fire stove in the dining room. Could feel how all the people are now care free now that the though things are dealt with. Really enjoyed the western sense of humor. Haans and Cissy the elderly couple who made it all the way were quite enthusiastic all the way. I got a bit care free to and ordered a Mars Roll. Mars Roll? it did not do so well with my stomach. I kept asking myself the rest of the day, how could i order a Mars Roll? hehe. By now my feet are hurting a bit. yes the riding shoes meant for riding showing its color now. All these days i was taking it slow but today it was a day of swift walking covering some distance. Hoping thing will be fine get to bed. Tomm is a long walk to Namche.
Reluctantly start back. Getting back to Dingboche is the plan for the day. Coming down you take two levels at a time and should be in Lukla in three days. Also i kinda had enough of the cold interiors, the food and wanted to get out of there :D walk back slowly looking around. Cautioning myself to take each step carefully cos any fall means not much help around and that to in off season. Get back to the hotel where i see see the group leaving. I have to take things at my slow pace now. Have a hearty meal and start back alone. It was a fantastic day take one last glance of the panorama around and walk towards Lobuche. Not many people around now but the occasional porters moving things. Walk some time beside the khumbu glacier and of course taking pix at will. Now that i am on my own can take as many breaks as i can. After one climb bid farewell to the khumbu glacier and all the mountains around and drop back to the valley of sorts. Felt like i was the only living thing around. It was a fantastic walk. My walking seemed to have improved a lot and things see so easy going down. Make my way to Lobuche by lunch time where i see the group for their lunch break. Just shuddered at the terrible night i spent at this place. Had lunch and it was time for Dingboche by the end of the day.
Everything seems so different today cos the last time i walked this path we were in a snow fall. Now all the snow is gone under two days of sun. As i walk down to the end of the valley of sorts i see some rock falls on the other side. Glad that i am not there i take a right and nothings familiar. Kinda lost for a moment. Luckily there were a couple of shepas who pointed me the right direction and yes i have to walk under the rock fall trail. Man it was a bit scary. could see chunks of rocks rolling down. Not really till the path but you never know when a big one is coming. Cross it any way. could see only couple of people till now going up taking each step with difficulty. Yup have to deal with it going up. Then i reach the point of climb down to Dukla. Could see the Dukla hotel all the way down in the clear weather. Kinda felt good that the other day weather was not clear else we would all be tired just by the look of the climb hehe. Could see the group far ahead with the colorful cloths who had crossed the river at Dukla and on their way to Dingboche. I get to Dukla, for a cup of hot lemon and soup. Get on to the last leg of the day. Now i see some mist emerging out of the valley! Man this is not good. The path is bit confusing near Dingboche, where i need to see the Stupas to get my bearings right. But the distance is so far that there is no point in hurrying and there is no chance of beating these swift moving mist clouds. Just enjoy the solo walk. All the while i could see Pheriche town in the valley floor while i am walking on top of the ridge towards Dingboche. Kinda tempted towards Pheriche, but i was told that since its off season, most of the hotels close down and a single customer will not get good service or food. So decided for Dinboche anyway. What can i say it was nice. Mist clouds though not heavy ones come from the valley take a turn with the valley and race out. It was a beautiful sight. Slowly i make it till where i could see the stupas. Luckily the mist was not that thick. I get down on the other side of the ridge for the Dingboche town and into the same hotel where i am welcomed by the group. Made it by like 4 pm
Well there is nothing much to do here but to absorb the warmth from the fire stove in the dining room. Could feel how all the people are now care free now that the though things are dealt with. Really enjoyed the western sense of humor. Haans and Cissy the elderly couple who made it all the way were quite enthusiastic all the way. I got a bit care free to and ordered a Mars Roll. Mars Roll? it did not do so well with my stomach. I kept asking myself the rest of the day, how could i order a Mars Roll? hehe. By now my feet are hurting a bit. yes the riding shoes meant for riding showing its color now. All these days i was taking it slow but today it was a day of swift walking covering some distance. Hoping thing will be fine get to bed. Tomm is a long walk to Namche.
Going up towards Kalapattar summit...
Mt Everest...
Ponmuri welcoming us...
Everest hiding behind the Nuptse...
Looks like halo on the Everest...
Some daring bird was hopping very close to us...
Mt Everest again....
High enough to fragment the light...
One by one mountains glow...
Long way up the summit...
I go a bit higher...
The troop happy down there...
This is the classic Everest view pic angle that you see in the pix. Guess this is where they take the pix from. You can see the entire khumbu glacier right from its origins... But the sun was behind the range so not good for photography....
Yup thats me there...
Long way down...
The communications equipment up there...
Glaring light behind the range...
Me at the official summit of kalapattar...
Down i go...
looking through the goggles...
Snow macro!!
Fantastic Ponmuri...
GorakShep below...
Hehe now i see it after coming down..
Thats not everest though....
Nuptse...
The glacier flows on...
Rocky path to walk back...
me there...
crystals in the glacier...
Going down the valley...
A memorial there...
Yup the whole this is private now...
Meet the occational porters...
Lobuche town for lunch....
Did i just see two walking stacks of chairs walk by ???
Towards Dingboche...
peering at the beauty...
Thats not the way... some camp there... the last time i was here every thing was snow covered...
The porters who guided me to the right direction...
Walk in the rock fall zone again...
Yaks...
Just before the climb down to Dukla...
Can see Dukla below, the ridge tot he left and the Periche town below the ridge... but i gotta walk on the ridge and get down the other side for Dingboche town...
what a climb down.. good that we could not see the whole thing while coming up...
Basic bridge...
Towards Dingboche...
No 1 around... the solitarity was just great...
I march on...
Pheriche below... kinda tempted to go there as there was mist approaching and it was a bit confusing near Dingboche in the mist...
Mt Taboche...
Closed tea house...
Clear enough to find my way... Dingboche below...
Hotels finally washing off thier quilts at the end of the season..
young yak...
Kala pattar accent...
GorakShep to Lobuche...
Lobuche to Dingboche...
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