I Have Made A Very Big Decision – Thanks Lou (Second blog today)

We gathered for breakfast in the tea house when we made it down from Kala Patthar.

The previous night Nawaraj, the boss of our tour guide company, had rung to advise us that groups were pulling out of Annapurna and Manaslu treks as the weather was turning adversely. We were his only group in the Everest area and he was ringing to advise us of the situation.

We had checked the weather for our route, particularly the high pass Cho La, and it was for more snow in a couple of days for a couple of days. We knew this pass was problematic, with ice and snow issues close to the summit, but this was greater difficulty than could be expected at this time of the year. We don’t have crampons, which are spikes strapped to the bottom of your boots to stop slipping on snow and ice.

We also knew that other people were pulling out. The bloke that bruised his buttocks (always reminds me of Fforest) had run up to us the previous night in a panic. He was following the three high passes route and knew that we were too. He said he had hired a helicopter to take him to Kathmandu to get him out. He said that if we went up we wouldn’t get down. His guide was equally concerning, saying that both Cho La, and the last pass Renjo La, were going to be dangerous.

We decided over breakfast that it would be too risky for a small, non-mountaineering group to try to continue the original route in view of the weather forecast. After discussion we came up with a cracking alternative. To follow in the footsteps of Hillary and Tenzing. To trek from Gorakshep via Pheriche to Pangboche tonight, where we stayed on the way up. Then to continue down past Lukla, through the lower jungle, eventually to climb Pikey Peak at over 13,000 feet, with amazing views of the entire Himalayan high range, and then continue to Jiri, where Nir lives.

This is a brand new and very challenging continuation of our adventure. Bye Everest!

Back down via Lobuche the route looked rough from the perspective of up going down.

And what a classy picture show we had as a farewell to this area.

Down towards the end of the valley leading down from Everest Base Camp, were memorials for many climbers who have died in this range. A moving tribute to their courage and commitment.

We made it down to Thukla for lunch and then struck off southeastwards down the river valley that Everest was melting into. We were setting a good pace and, looking back, we were saying goodbye to the highest of mountains in the range.

Two hours later our river ran into the valley that we followed up from Pangboche to Dingboche, as the weather was turning worse.

This is a domesticated stretch of valley, with the main enterprise being the drying out of Yak turds for sale as firedung. Effective it is too.

And the woods were ever so slightly more autumnal than a week ago.

Finally we arrived back in Pangboche, lurking just over Senor Kilby’s right shoulder. A big decision taken today, and a big challenge ahead of us.

Night night.