Everest Base Camp:
It can be difficult to secure accommodation and flights in the Everest region during October without being part of a supported trek or other prearrangement. Due to the popularity of Everest Base Camp, accommodation in the two nearest townships of Labouche and Gorak Shep must be booked in advance. While flights out of Lukla are obtained on a first served basis on the morning of the flight with supported trek leaders usually securing the earliest flights for their groups. Unsupported trekkers can sometimes have difficulty securing flights on their preferred day as departures will cease once the cloud begins to collect in the mountainside around Lukla making it unsafe to navigate the small Twin Otter aircraft.
Quick Statistical Overview for 2013:
Popularity (Trekkers/Mountaineers by Arrival Month)
1. October (33,169)
2. April (21,194)
3. March (17,713)
4. September (15,033)
5. November (10,274)
Popularity (Trekkers/Mountaineers by Nationality)
1. German (9,353)
2. French (8,807)
3. UK (8,775)
4. Australia (8,528)
5. US (7,686)
In October 2013, I was one of the 8,528 Australians to travel to Nepal with the aim of trekking her, specifically her Everest Circuit.
The Everest Circuit is an 18 day trek which combines the Gokyo Lakes and Everest Base Camp treks. After acclimatising in Namche Bazaar, the Everest Circuit follows the less traveled Gokyo Valley through the towns of Portse Tenga, Dole, Luza and Machermo to Gokyo. The town of Gokyo and the peak, Gokyo Ri are separated by the third stunning, glacial Gokyo lake. Trekkers summit Gokyo Ri before crossing a pass called the Cho La to rejoin the procession to Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu Valley. Here trekkers stay at the townships of Labouche and the original base camp, Gorak Shep before they attempt Base Camp and the more challenging Kala Pattar. Afterward, trekkers return down the Khumbu Valley to Namche Bazaar and then Lukla via Thengboche.
That, however, was not to be my experience of the Everest Circuit. The light precipitation that began to fall the day we arrived in Namche Bazaar did not stop until we left two days later and was in fact snow falling at the higher altitudes. We crossed the snowline between Dole and Luza en route to Machermo where we were subsequently informed that trekkers and locals alike had been snowed in at Gokyo for three days. The trail had been reopened the morning of our arrival. There was much uncertainty about whether we would even be able to trek to Gokyo as the freshly cut trail passed through an avalanche zone and a couple of yaks had already been lost but the trail was firm the following morning and we crossed it quickly.
Crossing the avalanche zone:
Although we did arrive in Gokyo, it was soon apparent that the Cho La could not be crossed and due to time constraints, we were unable to ascend Gokyo Ri. The avalanche zone between Gokyo and Machermo had to be crossed in the morning before the trail became too soft and dangerous. Ascending Gokyo Ri would have meant remaining in Gokyo for another night. Not everyone in our group had the endurance or training to be able to reclaim that lost day on foot and there were no guarantees that the trail would not be closed again in that time by more falling snow.
We returned to Portse Tenga to take up the Khumbu Valley trail and rejoined with our trek schedule in Gorak Shep a few days later. The trail to Base Camp and Kala Pattar had been closed also by the snow but had thankfully reopened prior to our arrival. The functional acclimatisation developed during the trek to Gokyo enabled the group to ascend the Khumbu Valley faster than the other trekkers. We were also walking fit by that time but for some that was not fit enough and the day we ascended Kala Pattar before descending down the valley to Dingboche was trial and testament of their mettle. That was only a 7.5 hour day trekking for myself but it was a grueling 9 hours for the slowest two members of the group.
The unseasonable snow that rerouted our Everest Circuit was said to be the worst weather the Everest region had experienced in October in over 20 years. Typhoons in South East Asia were responsible for the huge dump of snow that disappointed many trekkers that year. Their photographs, however, would have been spectacular as mine were and an experience never forgotten.
While my Everest Circuit was rerouted, the observations made in my daily trail journal about the culture, many of the townships, my experiences and learnings may be of benefit to others researching a trek to the Everest region. These journal entries discuss my gear list, things that could have been useful. The price of chocolate, Pringles chips and showers. The accessibility of recharging services and cash withdrawals and phone reception. Postscripts included at the end of some of these entries detail additional information that I felt would have been useful to have known prior to departure.
Daily trail journal entries are linked below:
1. Introduction: A reflection on my hike.
2. Pre-Melbourne Departure: Gear list including weights and pre-departure thoughts.
3. In Transit: Observations of Changi Airport and Kathmandu.
4. Kathmandu: Observations of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple (Hindu temple) and the Great Stupa of Boudhanath (Buddhist temple).
5. Lukla to Ghat: The flight into Lukla and the gentle trek down into Ghat.
6. Ghat to Monjo: The relatively mild trek into Monjo noting that already the altitude has begun to affect some trekkers.
7. Monjo to Namche Bazaar: The markedly steeper trail into Namche Bazaar and the mental difficulty rather than physical difficulty of the day's trek.
8. Namche Bazaar to Portse Tenga: Last minute search for the perfect poncho before the wet trek into Portse Tenga.
9. Portse Tenga to Dole: The much quieter trail into Dole and our first introduction to yaks.
10. Dole to Machermo: Crossing the snowline and the Machermo Porter Shelter & Rescue Post.
11. Machermo to Gokyo to Dole: The stunning glacial Gokyo lakes as we trekked into Gokyo before being rerouted back to Dole.
12. Dole to Portse Tenga to Pangboche: The continued descent to Portse Tenga and entry into the Khumbu Valley via the township of Portse before camping at Pangboche.
13. Pangboche to Dingboche: The better traveled route to Dingboche located beneath the stunning peak, Ama Dablam.
14. Dingboche to Labouche to Gorak Shep: The way to Everest Base Camp.
Entries still to be published:
15. Gorak Shep to Dingboche: The ascent of Kala Pattar before a 5 hour descent down the valley to Dingboche.
16. Dingboche to Debouche: The descent back below the treeline to Debouche with a brief gear review.
17. Debouche to Namche Bazaar: Visiting the Tengboche and Khumjung Monasteries before descending into Namche Bazaar with a possible yeti sighting.
18. Namche Bazaar to Ghat: Considering the size of the support crew required for 7 trekkers to undertake the Everest Circuit trek.
19. Ghat to Lukla: Last day of trekking.
20. Kathmandu: Return to Kathmandu with an excursion to Bhaktapur.
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