Gokyo

Our last day in Namche, we changed our plans. We saw a poster about the Gokyo valley, and got inspired. The trip up the Gokyo valley is steep, ascending almost as high as Everest Base Camp with shorter trekking days and even more dramatic scenery. That sounded good to us, so we headed out.

The first part of the trail out of Namche is some of my very favorite. Wide paths hug the mountain, offering views of Everest, Nupse, Lotse, Ama Dablam and other dramatic peaks. Here is a shot of Adam, almost as high as Everest!

But soon we took the side trail toward the Gokyo valley. Our first stop was Mong-la, a tiny "village" of four lodges (only two were open) on the top of a ridge. The climb up was hard - but the descent to the river valley the next morning was even harder. 

Last time I was here, my excitement about the trip overwhelmed the truth - going up is HARD. Traveling uphill means fighting both gravity and altitude. The downhills are no better. It takes lots of leg strength to balance, step after step, down the slopes, rocks and stone steps. The Gokyo trail is both steeper and narrower than the "main" trail to EBC. And as before, amenities get sparser as we traveled up. It got colder. Western toilets made way for squat toilets. Running water was only found outside in streams - even the drains were frozen inside. Electricity and heat were severely limited, and there was no internet.

But it was awesome. Mountains surrounded us. We could see for miles, and were amazed over and over again to see the next settlement way in the distance, only to arrive there later the same day. We met people each evening, huddled around the stove in the common room. And we loved the time together as a family. As Adam's stamina increased, he became positively chatty, sometimes just at the point when I could only focus on putting one foot in front of another.

On Christmas Eve, we arrived in Gokyo, at about 15,500'. We were all having problems breathing and sleeping. The last bit of the hike involved hiking up the lip of the end moraine to the ablation valley that contains the 6 Gokyo lakes. The lodge was nestled on the shores of the third lake. It was cozier than many lodges, with double thickness of foam on the beds, and fabric on the walls to keep them warmer. It got to -12 degrees c that night - a bit chilly in our unheated rooms even with the extras!

The lakes were gorgeous. They were mostly frozen over, and when the sun hit the lakes, they emitted weird booming moaning sounds. Christmas morning, after a tiny celebration in our room, we climbed the ridge to see the glacier. These mountains will be around for millennia, but not the glaciers. I'm so glad we got to see this one. 22 km of glacier with the Pamori range in the background.

Afterwards, we decided to head down. We were all having altitude problems, and none of us really had the energy to climb Gokyo Ri, a 2,000 foot climb for great views of Everest. We figured we had already seen it. 

Three days of walking later, we pulled into Namche Bazaar, tired, filthy, and ready to connect to the world. After showers, bakery, a bit if battery charging, and Internet, we are feeling quite proud of ourselves. Tomorrow is a rest day!