Day 7: Gokyo to Thagnak

The third part of our trek took us from Gokyo Lakes eastward towards the main Everest Basecamp route. We were feeling strong and adequately acclimatized, so we were ready to face the major obstacle on this three day section, Cho La Pass.

This was our final breakfast at Gokyo Lakes. The food here was a little salty for our taste, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the many options. I mainly stuck with pancakes for breakfast. Before we left we had a long conversation with the tea house owner, who was also an expert on yaks. He generously supplied us with valuable information to help us with our yak video.

After shooting some video on yak dung, we headed out and up into the hills. This day’s hike took us up over a small mountain and straight across an enormous glacier which we had viewed from above the day before.

The hike down onto the glacier was a little treacherous, with steep, rocky trails and distracting views.

The small lakes were a vivid turquoise color, standing out even more against the stark gray surroundings.

Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world, was the background as we traversed the rocky terrain.

We carefully followed cairns when the trail was a little hard to follow. This would be a huge challenge if there was any snow.

Tempted to go swimming in the beautiful clear water, but that would have been a very regrettable decision.

By this time our porters Ram and Rabin were always nearby. Early on, they trekked ahead and we only saw them at our final destinations. Now, they had become a part of our trekking team and when there was potential for some fun, they were right there ready to participate. We decided to have a rock skipping contest across this frozen Lake. Obviously Thu lost, but in the process she almost decapitated Ram with an awful near sideways throw. Then we tested whether or not we could break through the ice with heavy rocks.

The glacier winds its way down a narrow valley, and to get out we had to climb an extremely steep and slippery trail. It didn’t help that a bunch of other trekkers were standing at the unstable edge, unknowingly dropping chunks of earth and rock.

We then had a quick hike down a short rocky valley to get to our tea house for the night. We could have kept replenishing our water supply with rivers like this, but instead we purchased bottled water each night at the tea houses.

Arriving in Thagnak for the night. This was a short day, only a couple miles. We wanted to take it easy because the next day we would be climbing over Cho La Pass, probably the hardest day of our trek.

We loved this tea house. It had a nice warm sun room, the location was spectacular, and once again we had a private restroom,

We went out and watched the sun set over some ominous looking peaks.

Day 8: Thagnak to Zongla

Day 8 This was a crucial day for success in order to complete our Everest Basecamp trek. We were a little over halfway through the whole trek, and it was necessary for us to get over Cho La Pass. If we failed we would be required to turn around. Cho La Pass is around 17,800 feet, so we would have to climb around 3,000 feet in the freezing cold, and we were going up the steep side. If bad weather or altitude sickness struck, we wouldn’t make it. Thankfully we planned very carefully to properly acclimatize for this challenge, and we were feeling confident as we left Thagnak. We had to begin before sunrise to ensure conditions were as good as possible. Later in the afternoon the pass can get extremely windy and dangerous and rockfall potential increases.

Looking back down the valley we came through. Notice the lighting…it was incredibly cold in the shadows and we were wishing the sun would hurry up and fill in the valley so we could feel some warmth.

We summited a small ridge, and for a short time we enjoyed the welcome warmth of the sun.

It didn’t last long, however, as we plunged back down into the shadows of the massive mountains that were blocking out the sun.

Looking up, I saw there were a couple different sections that looked like they could be the pass. I jokingly asked if we were going up the scary looking one. Kieran said yes, not jokingly. This was a serious climb, and I could tell from the bottom that this was going to be a big challenge, especially at this altitude.

There was a cable to assist the climb similar to Half Dome. If it weren’t there, this would be nearly impossible if there was a little ice on the trail.

This bird must be used to people coming up over the pass. It was just sitting there hoping for some crumbs.

The key to fighting the altitude is to take it slow and stay hydrated. We did plenty of both. Pole pole as they would say on Kilimanjaro.

Nearing the top. I think the sunlight helped encourage us to keep going.

Finally, we reached the top of Cho La Pass. Time for a quick snack and group picture.

This was the other side of the pass. Much more gradual.

We had a quick steep section, then a nice pleasant walk across the snow.

Looking back up the pass. I can see why people prefer to go this way.

We found a nice little ice tunnel at the end of the glacier. The icicles were perfect for target practice and it was a perfect stop for a short rest.

With the hard part of the day over, it was all downhill. Or so we thought.

This was a strange split rock that we came across.

This was a beautiful section of trail. Although exhausted, we couldn’t stop admiring Ama Dablam as we slowly worked our way towards this astounding peak.

Some nicely packed trails were so nice after the rocky scree descent.

Ram and Rabin leading the way. How are they possibly carrying over 40 pounds each at this altitude and able to remain so happy?!

We kept thinking we were “almost there” but we were wrong. Finally, after another grueling mile or so, we spotted Zongla, our stay for the night.

We stopped to admire this enormous pile of yak dung. Shaped almost in the image of Ama Dablam.

I had to go out and shoot a timelapse of Ama Dablam. This was such an incredible spot, and only a few minutes walk from our lodging. The colors were fascinating to watch as they slowly turned into pastels and then deep purples and blues. What a perfect way to end a very difficult but satisfying day of hiking.

We decided to brave the cold and go outside to view the stars. The moon was a little too strong, but it was still a sight worth seeing.

Ama Dablam lit by the moon. Incredible!!

Day 9: Zongla to Labuche

Another morning of Tai Chi. This had become a normal morning routine while I checked over camera gear and tried to get them to shoot fireballs with all the energy they were generating.

Thu had to try on Rabin’s pack. She wouldn’t have made it more than 100 steps with all that weight. None of us would have! I can’t stress how important porters are to this trekking thing. They are incredible human beings…physically strong and such kind and energetic people.

I wasn’t expecting the locations of our tea houses to be as scenic as they were. Each one seemed perfectly placed to give the best views possible.

Of all the turquoise lakes, Chola Lake wins the most turquoisey of them all. This was one of the most memorable views on the trek. You can see Cholatse and Taboche in the background.

At this point, we luckily hadn’t had any stomach issues which is a very common problem on these treks. Unfortunately, this is where mine began to make some unwanted noises.

No need to go into details, but luckily just before this bend there are some enormous rocks that easily provide privacy. No more stomach problems!

The textures were a little overwhelming.

This was the spot where our path met up with the main path in the Khumbu Valley. From here it would get a little more crowded since this is the more popular way to get to Basecamp.

We were originally supposed to stop in Lobuche for the night. Kieran suggested we walk another mile or so and he would have a nice surprise for us.

A nice yak dung drying operation. The amount of work that is put into collecting and preparing this precious resource is impressive.

We took a side trail and this is what we found. Kieran had booked us spots to stay at the Italian research center called The Pyramid. When it’s not full of scientists, they offer rooms to trekkers and luckily it was empty the night we were passing through. The best part, because of all the solar panels they have hot showers and plenty of electricity to charge camera batteries!

We had a nice tour. Thu found a room full of plants.

Up to this point, we had shot a decent amount of footage for our yak video. One thing we were missing was a brown one. As we were enjoying the amenities of the Pyramid, a few yaks wandered into the valley looking to do some grazing. One of them happened to be a beautiful brown. We watched them graze, drink, and just wander around being yaks. Some porters had to throw rocks and clear them off the trail as a couple other trekkers wandered into the area.

What an ending to the day. As the sun left the valley the yaks left with it. We went to sleep and were so happy to stay in such a cool and unique location. The next day would be another physically demanding one, so we really needed a good night’s sleep.

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