May 7, 2013

Nepal: Gokyo-Re: Series- 3

Lukla to Lukla: 14th april and 28th April 2012
Series – 3: 30kg Up the Hill - Porter burden

Summer most imp for the Pahadi people, which is also a fav time for all the trekkers - what you see is - things going up - food cloths all storage for winter like Gas and also construction material like ply wood....oxygen cylinders for high altitude. 

As they dont have any motorway roads all are taken by humans, donkeys and Yaks. You will find in many places lots of traffic sp till the Namche Bazar - the trekkers the guides and its group helping the trekkers take their stuff up and donkeys and yaks and human taking personal stuff for construction to storage foods. 
they only get 4 months to take stuff up after that it starts snowing and the walk way roads are all closed impossible to walk. The weather is so bad for many months they are stuck at home. few people stay way up the mountains only during the season and then they come down. 
because of the labor intensive transport - as you go up the cost goes higher - but as you dont get anything and after a long trek you dont want to starve you might spend that money.  
Human can carry minimum 30kg to 100kg - depends on the age and weight of the person
Donkeys: ??
Yaks:  ??
Nepal times has a more details statistics
http://nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19178#.UYiOWYLrYy4
 












 A basket ('doko') supported solely by a head-strap ('naamlo') porters can walk for hours resting often as they ascend up the trail. they rest on a stick which has a small U shape rest area built - like a resting chair.






May 6, 2013

Nepal: Gokyo-Re: Series- 2 14th april to 28th april 2012

Lukla to Lukla: 14th april and 28th April 2012
Series – 2: Lukla to Gokyo-re
Route: 
Lukla - North east of Nepal-Situated at 2,860 metres (9,383 ft)
Phakding - on the bank of Dudh kosi(river like white milk) river valley - 2800 metres 9186 ft
Namche Bazar - 3450 metres, 11318 ft
Khumjung - 3790m, 12434 ft
Dole - 4040m, 13254 ft
Machermo - 4410m, 14468 ft
Gokyo - 4750m, 15583 ft
Gokyo Ri 5357m, 17575 ft

Namche Bazar 




Prayer Stones





Map of Khumjung and Khunde village. 
this village has one school and one hospital  
3790m, 12434 ft


First glimpse of the Everest peak - the center left side it looks like the mountain is a chimney with smoke. 
on my way the mountains which i came across are:and what i remember are:
Thamserku,
Kusumkang, Kongde Ri, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Nupste and Makalu

River we meet on our way in many places are:  
Kyashar Khola and Dudh Kosi.


In this huge valley with so much of land all around still humans have to demarcate their areas by stones



Gokyo 3rd lake 



Glaciers which we dint walk  on



Walking towards fifth lake of Gokyo and the Cho Oyu Base Camp beyond
towards Tibet.



Cho Oyu
 


Photo and info credit of this above image: Sujoy Das

Gokyo 5th lake


Just the height makes the Everest most important mountain but i think other mountains around are extraordinary and this is actually the least attractive one.
it has many names

In Nepali: Sagarmāthā
In Tibetan: ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ -Jo mo glang ma; Chomolungma or Qomolangma i am not sure if all means "Holy Mother" but i think one of it means.
  In Chinese: Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng; Shengmu Feng

what i like about these names are- the Asians always Refer to it as Female and the Europeans or the west refers to it has male. anything to do with nature Asians look at it as mother earth or one form of energy which translates to female. But in the west they always name it after a person who is in a higher authority and they where all male. 







Nepal: Gokyo-Re: Series- 1 14th april to 28th april 2012


Lukla to Lukla: 14th april and 28th April 2012
Series – 1: Beyul Khumbu

If your knees and lungs are strong you should once in your lifetime trek to Gokyo-re. Of course you shouldn’t have high altitude problems. In our 10 member group there where 3 specialised doctors but the locals are the best to rely on. and if your height is short it is the best- i love this.

i start my Journey from Kathmandu to the valley of Beyul Khumbu. 

The two Pic below is the city of Kathmandu - capital city of Nepal. the aerial view from Swayambhunath and below is the market which sits in the Darbar and Palace area of the old Kathmandu city. 



Swayambhunath: When you start walking towards Swayambhunath from Thamel (which is almost centre market zone of Kathmandu) through the rough way, small lanes, up and down which leads to the destination gives you a glimpse of details of the local urban livelihood, architecturally to the small-scale industry of the city. 

Reach the entrance and you see a steep steps leading to the main Stupa. You start walking up noticing many candles, small oil lamps, monkeys and shelters with beautiful reliefs. Walking up might be little steep but the way up is almost like a celebration – and when you reach up breathless and you find this amazing beautiful elegant eye of the Stupa welcoming and then you notice the dense aerial panoramic view of the city, and realise what is the Stupa’s eye watching and protecting. 

It is a treat to see the contrast of the massive Stupa and the small small stone carved sculpture, which surrounds the place. Most of them are carved with a finished polished elegant pose. Mythology and symbols are in its high point. 

 



You Start your journey from Kathmandu to Lukla in a small 8 sitter Buddha airways. which is fun but also you need to know which side of the window you want as everyone gets a window but is it right to get the perfect view of the Himalayan Range. 

 

  
Lukla Airport which is called Tenzing-Hillary Airport most exciting airport - hassle free with not much security and it is like fast food. or like a bangalore Upahara Darshani - you stand have your edle-chatney or bisi-bele-bath and go no fafa time. Photo-video dance song all allowed.
In Kathmandu airport the bus who was taking us to the small aircraft was going all around the parking lot to search for the aircraft - it was like some car parking area. and in lukla airport the runway is so steep if the pilot misses his grip we will Zweeep go down the valley to the zero point it is in the edge of the valley.

watch the below video where the uploader of this video says how and why this airport is called the most dangerous airport in the world. But for me i think it was a very relaxed and practical airport. 



Now we start our trek to Gokyo-re. 14days trek - Lukla to Lukla.



Welcome

This traditional Kani Gate marks your entry into the Beyul Khumbu – a scarred hidden valley of the Sherpa people.

Khumbu is also a world renowned National Park and a World heritage Site.

While Visiting this special area visitors are encouraged to:

1.     Refrain from taking life
2.     Refrain from anger
3.     Refrain from jealousy
4.     Refrain from Offending Others
5.     Refrain from Taking excessive Intoxicants.

Enjoy Your Visit!

Above Notice was only read by 3 artist in our group and that too 10 times to make sure which applies to them. and we realized all above applies to us.

 

so we reach Namche Bazar after 2 days......