Today's the day; I'm setting out to conquer the 18,159 ft / 5,535 m Kongma La. This will be the first of what will (hopefully) be three passes crossed on this trek (the Three Passes Trek - get it now?). Luckily, I've found a crew of three other trekkers who have graciously allowed me to tag along
Three Passes Trek Day 7: Dingboche to Chukhung
Today's hike won't be too intense since yesterday I was convinced that should attempt Kongma La (the first of the three passes) from Chukhung (the next village) instead of from Dingboche (where I am now). However, I am up early to say goodbye to Pavel and Olga, my Russian friends who have been with
Three Passes Trek Day 6: Dingboche Acclimatization
After what may have been my best sleep of the trip thus far, I spring out of bed to meet Pavel in the common area for our early-morning breakfast (Olga's decided to sit this day's hike out). There's only one problem: where's breakfast? Typically, you order breakfast the night before and tell the
Three Passes Trek Day 5: Pangboche to Dingboche
I'm blaming the altitude, but the dutch oven that is my sleeping bag this morning is out of control (there's probably some pills I could be taking to combat this gaseous expansion). In other news, the woman who runs the lodge wasn't very friendly with me this morning. I suspect she's a bit sore
Three Passes Trek Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Pangboche
Today I broke one of the rules I prescribed for Himalaya hiking; I didn't check the toilet basin for (liquid) water before passing solid waste (my sincerest apologies, person who finds this festering later today). In other news, it's Tibetan bread with cheese for breakfast followed by a liter of
Three Passes Trek Day 3: Namche Acclimatization Loop
My alarm isn't set to go off for another forty-five minutes, but my body appears to met its sleep quota for the night (something I didn't know was possible). Today, day three of the Three Passes Trek, is scheduled to be my first acclimatization day. What's an acclimatization day? It's a day spent
Three Passes Trek Day 2: Monjo to Namche Bazaar
I had forgotten how crazy my dreams are when I sleep at elevation; last night did well to remind me (all I will say is dinosaur apocalypse). After returning to bed following an early-morning excursion to the bathroom (it's quite rare that my bladder wakes me), I awake again and decide it's time
Three Passes Trek Day 1: Lukla to Monjo
After waiting around all day yesterday, it's time to return to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport for a second attempt at boarding a plane to Lukla (where I hope to begin the Three Passes Trek). I took advantage of my extra afternoon in Kathmandu to get myself a TIMS Card from the