We made good time (and enjoyed ourselves) on our ‘training walk’ circuit from Lukla-Surte-Chauikharka-Lukla and on our first day Lukla-Benkar. But disaster can strike anyone/anywhere. What happened wasn’t really disaster and didn’t ruin our trip but it certainly had that potential. We decided to split the day’s walk from Benkar to Namche in two, remembering what a steep climb it is – and a long day (worse if you begin at Phakding, as most do). We were in no hurry this trip and just intended to take it easy and enjoy ourselves spending the extra night in the picturesque village of Jorsalle, the last place you can stay before Namche.
Farewell to Nima’s wonderful Benkar Guest House
And her excellent chapattis.
Nima (from the Benkar Guest House) had recommended we stay with her relative at the Everest Guest House in Jorsalle only an hour and a half or so up the track (past Monjo, one of the check-points). This should have left us an easy day walking up to Namche though it is a bit of a climb. We arrived in Jorsalle for an early lunch (Dahl, of course) and prepared to rest-up, sight-see around Jorsalle, etc. BTW They are building a new ‘donkey path’ on the opposite side of the river (all the way from Phakding to the Hillary Bridge – Larja – I understand) to reduce some of the ‘traffic’ on the main route so soon you will soon be able to walk all the way from Lukla on either side of the river (for a change of scenery). Local knowledge may help here.
Monjo
Onwards to Jorsalle.
Looking back from Jorsalle towards Monjo mountain.
Leaving Jorsalle everything seemed rosey.
We set out again from Jorsalle quite refreshed the next day and had been going well (for an hour) until we hit all the steps leading up to the Hillary Bridge – where Della began to faint. This was quite unexpected. It was a good thing we always make a point of walking on the inside of the track as there are some pretty long drops down into the river where if you fell (in) you would be most unlikely to survive (whatever your age).
There is a small monument between Tok Tok and Benkar to some foolish young person who perished attempting to raft/canoe this river. A further cause for concern is that (because she is partially sighted) Della always follows me, but because I am deaf I often can’t hear her call out for help. Still, we have survived up to now. Perhaps we should rope each other together?
She still looked fine at the bottom of the Hillary Bridge steps – though she is standing a bit close to the edge there.
I was just holding her (from falling) on an inside bend on the staircase when a couple of helpful sherpas came along and helped me carry her and sit her down on the stairs. It was pretty obvious she would not be going on further that day.
After she had recovered a bit (rest/water/lollies) one of them kindly carried her pack while the other one and myself held her hand and helped her walk back down to Jorsalle (where we spent yet another night). They refused to take any money for this service and simply answered ‘Humanity’ which is the kind of folks these wonderful people are.
We were suspecting dehydration, (lack of) electrolytes and/or low blood sugar as the cause of Della’s weakness but are now thinking maybe angina as well. She may aslso have been beginning a chest infection. She has now had a course of antibiotics and is feeling much better. Now we are home we will have her checked out thoroughly (and put down if necessary – only joking). She may need another stent. The last one has lasted a decade anyway. I (now) have serious doubts about dehydration and too much salt as being causative agents too.
Be Warned: Nepali food can certainly have too much salt in it. You have to specifically ask/demand that no salt be added when cooking or some things will be almost impossible to eat. It reminds me of my late mother’s cooking in which you could float a spoon because of her love of salt. I think the excess salt acts as a diuretic and that this leads to dehydration and consequent weakness – and also to awesome constipation which you really don’t want to know about, but should avoid if you can.
At the Everest Guest House (Jorsalle) they recommended we employ a friend of theirs (Maila from Benkar 974 6348916) to bring his horse up to help carry Della’s pack or herself (if necessary) on to Namche the next day (when she seemed to have completely recovered). This proved to be an excellent idea (and Maila a delightful man) and I must confess I decided if Tasi (his horse) was going to carry Della’s pack he might as well carry mine as well – which he did.
I am ashamed to say how cheaply this service was done for us though we did pay him more than he asked. However, I highly recommend that you avail yourself of Maila’s service. He will come to Lukla to pick you up in the morning then take you through to Benkar, then bring you from Benkar (the next day) through to Namche (or vice versa). On his horse by himself he can make either of these ‘legs’ in under two hours. As you will be able to ride the horse if you become (too) exhausted) this seems like a pretty good option to me. Maila has a tea-house and shop in Benkar where he is well-known to every donkey man and porter on the trail as serving the very best Dahl Bhat in a hundred kilometres. He is also one of the kindest, best -humored and all round wonderful people I have ever met.
Maila and his horse Tasi outside the Everest Guest House Jorsalle, Our packs are in the bags.
Just below the Hillary Bridge.
Freight crossing the Hillary Bridge.
All the way up there to Namche. You have to love steps.
Past a delightful little musk deer.
Arriving in Namche.
View of Kongde from our bedroom window,
Namche from the heliport on the Thame road.
Kongde again.
Just about lifesaving the meals at the Sherpa Barista cafe (at the top of the shopping strip on your right) were to die for.
I particularly recommend their Chilli Chicken and Honey Cake.
View uphill at Namche.
This is as far as Della could get on the way to the Everest View Hotel.
The view down to Namche – it is such a beautiful town.
Beautiful wildflowers on the road to Thame.
Even if it is illegal to pick a wildflower to grace my beloved’s hair I may as well be hanged for it.
With Maila and Tasi’s help the trip to Namche went without any further trouble – though we were no doubt dreadfully slow by Nepali standards, but only about as slow as another Aussie couple (Paul & Jacinta from Warnambool) in their fifties whom we walked much of the way with – and enjoyed their company very much.
As usual we stayed at the Shangri La Guest House in Namche (977 038 540127) where we were welcomed like long-lost friends (our seventh visit). The Shangri La is just at the top of the shopping strip (to the right when you come to the hairdressers) so it is very convenient to all the shops and services in Namche – which is a truly astonishing place – not least for the awesome view of the mountain, Kongde just across the valley.
Now we are off down again.
Our last (and only view this trip) of Everest through the trees just before the Hillary Bridge,
And a last view of a fabulous donkey train on the Hillary Bridge.
These are the steps where Della (nearly) came to grief on the way up.
Fortunately she did not faint here on this slip just before them.
Lunch stop back at the Everest Guest House, Jorsalle. Tasi patiently waiting.
Tasi leading the way (as he did for the entire distance) coming finally into Lukla.
And a fond farewell to Maila and Tasi outside the Lama Hotel Lukla.
A last farewell to Lukla and its beautiful animals.
And we are off on Sita Air for Kathmandu.
To enjoy once more the bustling streets of Thamel.
A last farewell to the rhinos at the Kathmandu zoo.
One last celebratory meal at the Black Olives Cafe.
And a monkey to share our breakfast at the Sapana Gardens Hotel.
And we are off flying over Kathmandu on or way home to Oz.
When we left home we had no intention of going ‘all the way’ on the EBC. We thought we might (again) go up to Dingboche (via Tengboche, but perhaps sojourning in Phunke Tenga) then come back along the other side of he river through Phorche and Kumjung. We also envisaged a side trip out to Thame for a couple of days. After Dingboche the terrain and vegetation becomes dreadfully desolate and to us unattractive. I would have like to see the beautiful rhododendron forest around Tengboche in bloom though but that will now (alas) have to wait for ‘another life’.
We naturally decided to walk up to the Everest View Hotel for lunch (as we did in 2019) and another view of Everest (which had been in cloud on our way up from the Hillary Bridge). We set out to do that (with plenty of time) on the morning of the second day. I must admit it did seem to be taking rather a long time just getting up to the turn-off at the top of the town near the army base.
The steep climb after the EBC turn-off found us going even more slowly – particularly Della who needed very frequent rest stops. After an hour or so it became clear that we just weren’t going to make it to the top of the hill even though we had easily done that and completed the circuit back via Kumjung and Kunde afterwards in 2019.
In retrospect we (now) realise that Della has sometimes (even) become tired on our afternoon walks and has begged a halt from time to time. We suspect that one of the arteries in her heart is just not functioning properly. With any luck they can run a pull-through by it and clean it out and she will be as right as rain again for the next punishing trip.
Instead of any major excursions we decided to settle for many small forays around Namche and just a slow, leisurely return to Lukla (again with Maila’s help). One of the days we did manage to walk out about half way to Thame which proved a very beautiful expedition indeed. After the initial climb (to the helipad) the route is quite level and passes though some very beautiful forest (mainly Himalayan pines) but sprinkled with many rhododendrons in full and glorious bloom in Spring. There are also outstanding views of the majestic valley and of the towering mountains opposite.
When we left Oz we had thought we might walk back from Thame to Tok Tok via Kongde. This is apparently harder going than the EBC but I’m sure would make an excellent alternative route. We were also going to walk along the other side of the river (from Phakding down – for a change). ‘Another life’, again. There is no intermediate accommodation though (which we knew) and one of the reasons why I always carry a small tent – actually in this case the Aricxi Tarp which we did not need. Always best to be prepared though. We always carry our own inflatable mats, sleeping bags etc for the same reason. You just ever know what is ahead of you in life.
I had been (re) reading the novel ‘Out of Africa’ the last few days on the walk. It is (as you probably know) a long ‘Goodbye’ to Africa – tear-jerkingly nostalgic – as this post has become (for us) a long goodbye to Nepal. We don’t know whether our health will recover to the extent that we can enjoy another trip there. Probably not. But we have enjoyed our four visits there immensely – even this somewhat foreshortened one. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
See Also:
2. EBC Starting Out Kathmandu to Lukla
6. Ultralight Hiker EBC Videos
9. Preventing Batteries from Going Flat at High Altitudes
From my previous trip, see:
My Life Was Wild and Wide and No-one Knows My Heart
