Stu's Camino

EBC Day 16 to Day 18 – 2nd to 4th November 2009

Leaving Prakding I felt a little gloomy as this would be the last day walking on this most amazing adventure. At 0800hrs we slowly made our way to Lukla, taking in the scenery and enjoying last of the trek.

On approaching Lukla we came across Steve, Neil and Leon sitting on a wall having a break. While chatting with them the ground started to rumble, and looking up, loose rocks were tumbling down from the mountain, dislodged by grazing Yaks above. They rolled over the path in front of us, a close shave!

Not wanting to wait for the next thundering rock fall, we all continued on to our teahouse where we ordered some food. We opted for spicy chicken wings, which were on the hot side, but delicious. Unfortunately my dining companions found them too spicy; fortunately for me they were perfect, so I finished them all off!

The dreaded stomach bug that had been plaguing the group had reached Pete, so he spent the day and evening in bed. I brought up some plain toast and orange juice for him, but he struggled to eat it. I managed to evade this bug completely, the only one who did!

I spent the day in the bar drinking and playing pool with the group until dinner time. The entire group, guides and Sherpas, all had a meal together on us. We presented gifts and tips to our guides and Sherpas.

We all then went back to the bar for happy hour and played killer pool with another walking group. It was my turn to be inebriated! It was a shame Pete wasn’t feeling well enough to join in, however it was good for him that he got the bug on the last day, where there were proper en-suite toilet facilities.

I staggered back to my room around 2300hrs to sort my bag out for tomorrows flight to Kathmandu. In the morning I thought I would treat myself to a shower, however it was the biggest mistake I had made on the entire adventure. I was all now nice, clean and fresh, but I could now smell my clothes.

They absolutely stunk and to think this is what I had smelt like for two weeks! As we were all stinking together we hadn’t noticed it. It was uncomfortable putting back on my walking gear. At breakfast we got the bill from last night’s festivities and it seemed there were a few drinks that were unaccounted for, looked like they had added some extra rounds!

The airport was busy, packed full of walkers. I couldn’t believe how many, as we hardly saw any on the route yesterday heading to Lukla. Getting through security was another experience. I put my bag on the counter, he asked me “Any knives, cigarettes, bombs or guns?” I said “no” at which point he frisked me then waved me through. He didn’t even check my bag!

The flight back to Kathmandu was hairy. There was a lot of turbulence and it felt like the small plane was being blown around like a leaf. At one point I swore we were moving sideways! I was so relieved once the wheels hit the tarmac and on the bus back to our hotel.

After a shower and changing into the clothes we had left at the hotel two weeks earlier, we went to the Rum Doodle bar for dinner with the group. This is a famous bar in Kathmandu, where everyone who has summited Everest, draws a sketch on a wooden plaque, that are then hung up on the walls. I spotted Hillary’s and Alan Hinkes’.

Rajesh presented us with certificates for reaching EBC and we all made our own plaque. We called our group ‘The Very Dangerous Team’, an ongoing joke we had with the guides from crossing the Ngzumba Glacier and all the silly antics we got up to along the way.

The following day me and Pete just spent the day pottering around Kathmandu, doing a bit of shopping and relaxing at the hotel. We were exhausted and didn’t feel like doing anything else. We sorted our bags out ready for the flight back to blighty.

In the evening we went to a steakhouse we had eaten at on our first night in Kathmandu with the group. Our last meal together, a very poignant moment, saying goodbye to people who were strangers two weeks ago, but are now dear friends.

We have kept touch over Facebook and we all got together to climb Snowdon in the winter a year later. Me and Peter met up with Colin and Linda in Keswick in 2018, as we randomly ended up holidaying in the Lake District at the same time.

I would highly recommend this trip if you ever get the opportunity to undertake it. Don’t put it off or doubt yourself whether you would be able to do it. Don’t let fear of altitude sickness deter you or the cold and the difficult moments I have described in this blog series. The guides are very professional and well trained, they will look after you. Even if you don’t make it to EBC, the experience of the journey will stay with you. Honestly, getting to EBC wasn’t the highlight for me, crossing the Ngzumba Glacier, the Cho La Pass and the friends I met along the way, were the memorable moments for me.

EBC Day 15 – 1st November 2009

We had breakfast at a bakery in the middle of Namche Bazaar before we continued down the valley. Again the weather was perfect and the walking so much easier than two weeks ago. The steep descent out of Namche being the biggest challenge for the day.

We reached the viewing platform where we now get our last look at Everest. It hit home at this point, that my adventure was drawing to a close. Two more nights would remain before catching the plane back to Kathmandu.

The route now had more activity with fellow walkers setting out on their own adventures; all clean and shiny! Yak trains were more frequent and Sherpas carrying their wares on their backs towards Namche.

Criss-crossing the river in the low autumn sunlight was blissful. We passed the tiny single storey buildings with their small veg gardens, that again reminded me of the Shire. The day’s walk was over far too quick as we reached Prakding, the small village we stopped after our first day of walking. This time our rooms were an upgrade from our first visit, it had en-suite toilets!

After dinner and a pub quiz, most of the group retired for the night. Myself, Andre, Brydon and Nigel went to another teahouse in the village for a couple of drinks. The whole group has now wound down from the adventure and are looking forward to returning to the comforts of our hotel back in Kathmandu.

All but me. Passing through the small homesteads, I truly appreciated the slow pace of life here. No electrical gadgets or motor vehicles, no pollution or the hustle and bustle of life back home. I felt so relaxed with the simplicity and basicness of life here. No office politics or annoying bosses on your back. Everyone you meet has a smile on their face.

The Sherpa people are friendly and welcoming, good humoured and laugh a lot. I do miss being amongst them and hope to return one day.

Banbury to Chipping Warden

Hannah and I arrived in Banbury around 1030h, after leaving a car at Chipping Warden. The weather had forecasted rain, however it held off typically until we started our walk. There is no official starting plaque for The Jurassic Way, so we decided to begin the walk at a sculpture of a pirate by the canal side.

The route follows the Oxford Canal south out of Banbury for a mile and a half. It is a while before you first see a Jurassic Way marker; identifiable by a shell. In fact, unless you have a keen eye, it is easily missed. The over hanging trees covering the towpath, thankfully provided shelter from the brief rain showers.

We continued along the canal, waving at the people on the narrowboats until we reached bridge 172. At this point the route leaves the towpath crossing open fields, over a wooden bridge and into a small wooded area. Here the footpath cuts through tall stinging nettles, that seemed to purposely want to inflict pain on us. With our arms raised in the air to avoid these pests, we passed through this stinging jungle as quickly as possible. This wouldn’t be our last nor our worst encounter with these hellish plants today.

We eventually crossed under the M40 and left this behind as we walked through small hamlets. At about 3 miles we reached the hamlet of ‘Overthorpe’, that gave views back towards Banbury; we could roughly see our starting point. It gave Hannah a confidence boost, having been able to see how far we had already traveled.

The route passes by farms and through fields of flax. The blue flowers of this crop were interspersed with bright red poppies, making it picturesque as we reached Middleton Cheney, our halfway point for the day.

We called into ‘The Dolphin Inn’ for a drink, a snack and a quick rest before moving on. Dodging more brief rain showers, crossing fields of wheat and through overgrown hedgerows that resembled the triffids, we made it to another little village called Chacombe.

There were smallholdings with alpacas and fields of cattle that quizzically watched us walk by, probably thinking “what are these pair of idiots are doing walking in the rain?” We Climbed over countless styles to reach the village of Wardington at the 9 mile mark.

As we entered Wardington, the map shows the route veers to the left, over fields that skirt around to the other side of the village and rejoins the road. I had contemplated skipping this little part to continue along the road, but thought that would be cheating!

We followed the route, but soon came to realise that it was a mistake. The markers were a little confusing and when I finally found the correct path, a heavy rain shower hit us. I pulled out my brolly and pushed on ahead, only to reach a narrow path between the boundary to a farm and a house. It was just a sea of stinging nettles. We had no choice, but to pass through them.

Our legs and arms were red and blotchy by the time we came out the other side. We ducked under a bus shelter where I put on my waterproof trousers and waited out the rain. Once it subsided we continued on.

Leading out of Wardington was really our only challenge for the day. We ascended the only hill of the stage, that got our blood pumping. Looking back, we were presented with views over the village below.

From here it was a straight run for about 2 miles into Chipping Warden. Just passing the hamlet of Edgcote, there was a field full of grazing horses that were intrigued by us. They followed us right the way to the end of the field, but were not brave enough to come up to us and say hello, despite us calling them over.

From here, it was a short shallow hill into Chipping Warden. The first stage of The Jurassic Way done. Hannah, pleased to have completed a longer walk and not aching too much was smiling like the Cheshire cat. We called into ‘The Griffin Inn’ for a pint and a bite to eat, before heading back to our respective homes.

The Jurassic Way

After blogging about my antics in the the Lake District this year, my friend Hannah has been inspired to get outdoors and explore the countryside. She has been working hard to improve her fitness and has challenged herself to climb England’s fourth highest mountain, ‘Skiddaw’.

She has never climbed a mountain in her life, so ‘Skiddaw’ will be her first. She could have picked a small one, but she wants to push herself. She is also taking this opportunity to raise money for the charity ‘Dementia UK’.

Having not ventured out to the Lake District since 2002, let alone not climbed any of the Wainwrights, she has asked me to be the guide to make sure she will get up and down in one piece, which I gladly accepted. (Any excuse to go to my favourite region of the UK!)

To read more about Hannah’s Story and if you would like to donate, click here.

As part of Hannah’s training she has been hitting the gym, but wants to up her game and go for some long distance walks. Knowing I will don my walking boots at the drop of the hat, it was a no brainer to buddy up with me and undertake more challenging treks.

Before deciding on The Cotswold Way for my through hike back in March 2022, a contender was The Jurassic Way. The route starts in Banbury, Oxfordshire and ends in Stamford, Lincolnshire. It follows an ancient limestone ridgeway for 88 miles, mostly through Northamptonshire, our home county; a perfect choice.

It passes The Catesby Tunnel, the Welland Viaduct and Rockingham Castle. Follows parts of the Grand Union Canal, the green rolling hills of Northamptonshire, Braunston (an important location for the boatmen living on the narrowboats during the industrial revolution) and the ceremonial county of Rutland.

Unlike my usual through hiking adventures, this one will be done over the summer period, leading up to the Skiddaw challenge on the 1st of October. I will blog our progress, although it will be more of an ad hoc basis, to fit in with our shifts.

EBC Day 14 – 31st October 2009

I was woken in the early hours by a dog constantly barking for a solid 10 minutes, I managed to doze off shortly only to be woken again by a monk banging a gong at the monastery. I looked out the window to see two dogs being chased by a couple of horses around the square. I guess they too were fed up with the barking!

The way to Namche was easy, we descended further into the valley passing the point where I was almost trampled by the Yak train. Crossing rope bridges and passing through the small villages from a week ago. Before long we were back in Namche Bazaar, offloading our packs at the teahouse.

Me and Pete did a bit of souvenir shopping, picking up an authentic Sherpa hat and a prayer wheel. I tried my hand at haggling and managed to get a 100 Rupees of the price! I was well chuffed with myself at getting this big discount, but when I converted into British Pounds, it was 85 pence!

After food, a few of us went to a little bar down a back street, accessed by a narrow staircase. To Pete’s delight, they had the Man Utd game on a small TV behind the bar. We spent the night drinking and swapping stories of our adventures, way in to the early hours. Pete had become quite inebriated after moving from the beer to whiskey and coke.

As we walked back through the now deserted streets lined with sleeping stray dogs, Pete thought he had lost his camera and began frantically searching for it, to my amusement, as it was attached to his belt!

We made it safely back to our rooms where I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Being tired from the walking and the high altitude, made the beer act as a sleeping tonic. I only had 4 small cans of Everest lager and I was falling asleep!

EBC Day 13 – 30th October 2009

The tiredness from the excitement and intensity of the last four days and the Oxygen rich air at 4410m, made me sleep like a log; I was away as soon as my head hit the pillow. I slept right through to 0630hrs, when I decided to treat myself to a fully body baby wipe wash.

We set off late morning as the trek today was a short 4 hour stroll. The sun was out keeping the temperature pleasant, however the path was very dusty. We had to pull our snoods over our mouths to stop the dust getting into our airways.

The further we descended the greener it got. Bushes started to appear and sub 4000m we had trees! The shrines to the side of the path became more elaborate and signs of civilisation were more frequent.

Always in front of us, our destination for the day, Tengboche sat on it’s perch above the forest line, with the snow capped mountains as the backdrop. It was like something out of a fantasy novel.

We soon entered the copper birch and fur tree forest on our approach to the village. The sun shone through the canopy and the air was cool and comfortable. A very relaxed and enjoyable walk into Tengboche.

After a short but fairly steep hill we entered the village. The centre is dominated by the Buddhist monastery and next to this was a bakery! The whole group piled in, to get some food before basking in the sun on the patio outside. I ordered a huge portion of a Dutch apple pie. It was so good not even a crumb was left on my plate! Our lodgings were across the square opposite the monastery.

While we were waiting for our keys to the room, I ordered an egg sandwich as I was still hungry, despite the pie. I sat outside in the sun until it arrived, and when it did, it came with a portion of chips! Best day ever!

Our room was on the corner of the teahouse and had a window looking out at the monastery and another back up the Khumbu Valley, with a view of Ama Dablam. The sun began to set, casting it’s waning light over the giant peaks. The colours were breath taking as they changed the tone of the mountain tops.

I grabbed my camera and raced outside to catch the last rays. I got the picture of the adventure that day, it is one of my all time favourites, from all my travels. The clouds had rolled in giving it a mystical and otherworldly look.

We joined the group for dinner at the teahouse. Turns out the owner is the daughter of Dawa Tensing, who was part of Hillary’s 1953 summit team. There is a scrap book containing pictures and letters of him and Sir Edmund Hillary himself.

Everyone was in high spirits and Irish Neil had even started on the ‘Firewater’ (fermented millet) and whiskey. I even won the jacket for carting my tripod up Kala Patthar and not using it! Everyone was excited about reaching Namche Bazaar, even planning on how to celebrate our achievements from the last two weeks. There was talk of a pool competition!

EBC Day 12 – 29th October 2009

Although the ascent up Kala Patthar was tiring, it was not on the scale of Gokyo Ri. It was bitterly cold when we left at 0700hrs and two members of the group opted to stay behind, as they had caught a stomach bug that was doing the rounds. It didn’t last long, roughly 24 hours, but almost everyone in the group had contracted it. Thus far me and Pete had escaped it; we were very religious in using alcohol gel before eating or touching our faces.

In fact if you go back to my post from Day 9 and in the picture of me on top of the pass, you can see the dispensing top to the bottle in my side pocket to my trouser leg. I kept it there all the time so it was easily accessible, granted it was a large bottle and was extra weight, but I never came down with the stomach bug; a worthy trade off.

The route up was steep and full of false summits, but we eventually made it. The temperature was low and my hands were in pain again, but nowhere to the extent as Gokyo Ri. I had taken two pairs of gloves, the warm ones that weren’t warm, that I used previously and a thin pair of work gloves. This day I wore both pairs. I didn’t find the climb difficult until around the 5400m point, where I felt the lack of Oxygen. By the time I reached the summit at 5548m, my lungs and legs were burning.

The wind had whipped up something fierce and windchill was uncomfortable and proved difficult to operate my camera. I fired off a few snaps and didn’t bother with the tripod. I had wished I packed my down jacket. The skies were clear and the views of Everest were second to none; looking down the Khumbu Glacier was breath taking.

I didn’t stick around long on account of the windchill and began to make my way back down to Gorak Shep. I raced back to the teahouse for a hot drink of black tea. Once warmed up, we set off to Dingboche, passing Lobuche for some lunch.

The descent was gradual and easy to walk. We came to the Cho La Pass turn off and I shuddered at the direction of Dzonghla, as I recalled our stay there. We came up to a graveyard of cairns, erected to honour those who had died on Everest. The likes of Mallory, Rob Hall and Steve Fischer. There were prayer flags suspended between them. As we entered the graveyard the wind dipped giving a very eerie atmosphere. We spooked ourselves and moved on quickly.

As we descended further, the air was noticeably thicker. The little steep hills on the route that would leave me out of breath only a few days ago, were nothing now as I skipped up them. The sun was getting low, casting long shadows and shrubbery began dotting the surroundings. It felt like a lazy autumn afternoon, adding to the peaceful enjoyment of the walk into Dingboche. Perhaps it was the richer Oxygen levels, but I felt so relaxed and happy. A perfect end to the day.

EBC Day 11 – 28th October 2009

We had a lot of ground to cover today so by 0600hrs we were on the trail. I had slept really well and found I no longer have headaches or difficulty breathing the thin air. I had finally acclimatized to the altitude. Getting to Gorak Shep (5140m) the last stop before EBC, was easy going.

At 0900hrs we had arrived to have a second breakfast and picked up our pack lunches for last stretch to EBC. We stopped for about an hour, before “Djam Djam” was shouted.

The route zigzagged following the moraine to the Khumbu Glacier, until the point where we would drop down and cross to base camp. From here the views of Everest are limited due to Nuptse sitting in front of it. This section wasn’t strenuous; had it not been for the early start I wouldn’t have felt as tired as I did.

Khumbu Ice Fall, Nuptse in front, Everest behind.

By midday we reached EBC. We did it! I felt so elated! The group congratulated each other shaking hands and I gave my brother hug; everyone had a smile like the ‘Cheshire Cat’ beaming across their faces. The sense of accomplishment was powerful, as we had achieved something spectacular; it had been a difficult trek.

We posed for pictures, took in the views and the atmosphere while munching on our packed lunches. After a while the wind and the windchill was making it uncomfortable to remain still, this signaled us to begin our walk back to Gorak Shep.

It seemed to take ages returning, I think the come down from the adrenaline and excitement of reaching EBC had exhausted me. When we finally reached our teahouse I was rained. As soon as I entered my room I flopped down on to my bed to have a siesta; I didn’t even have the energy to take of my boots!

After our naps we spent the remainder of the day in the common room playing ‘Rons Game’ until dinner time. It would be another early start in the morning as we had a 6 hour walk following the summit of Kala Patthar, down to Dingboche.

Nick, Neil (front), Ram (guide), Colin (Rear), Andre, Brydon (front), Linda (rear), One of our guides (can’t remember his name), Ron (front), Steve, Neil (front), Irish Neil (rear), Leon, Mark (front), Me, (Another guide I can’t remember his name), Pete.

2022 Keswick Adventure

At last the Keswick Beer Festival has arrived, after it’s two year hiatus due to the Pandemic. This is my annual pilgrimage to the Lake District, that starts off a week of drink and hill climbing.

We zipped up the M6 Friday 3rd of June to arrive at the log cabin we had rented for the week. By 1500h we chucked our bags through the door and headed to the festival with tickets in hand.

Once we picked up our glasses we entered the huge marquee lined with beer kegs. I tend to stick the light and pale ales to keep the hangover at bay.

We met up with friends, some I hadn’t seen since pre-pandemic. Although it was cloudy with rain showers on the drive up, it had stopped for the day on our arrival. This allowed us to sit outside and enjoy the festivities.

After returning to the cabin for some food we headed back for the evening’s live entertainment, with ‘The Moobs’, the perennial headliners. However, they have a new frontman, that I think played the wrong choice of songs. There seemed to be a lack of energy to the music that we are used to.

At 2300h, day one of the festival ended so we popped into Keswick for a cheeky pint before heading back to the cabin.

Day 2 and the sun was out in full force, not a cloud in sight. After lounging in the sun on the decking to the cabin we made our way to the festival.

The whole gang were out basking in the glorious weather. We pulled up a pew to join in. It is a rarity to get such good weather in the lakes over the beer festival, so we made the most of it. Some more than others, as in me, who ended up with sunburn.

Pretty much repeating the plan from the day before, we ended up back in town for a nightcap, calling an end to festival, from now on it would be active part of the trip.

Sunday the weather wasn’t too great with rain showers. Still a little sluggish from the beer the day before, we walked into Keswick before heading out to the village of Belle Vue, near Cockermouth, for a Sunday dinner.

After being served huge portions, we rolled out and returned to the lodge, before calling in for a a couple at the Pheasant Inn, the local pub to us, finishing off the day with a colourful sunset.

Day 4 kicked off the walking. Me, Pete and his girlfriend Ellina, caught the bus down to Grassmere. A quaint little village that inspired many of William Wordsworth’s poems. The mountains in our sights today were: Helm Cragg (also known as the lion and the lamb), Gibson Knott and Calf Cragg.

From the bus stop we crossed the road to a lane leading to ‘Allan Bank’ (once a home for Wordworth), where we cut across a gravel footpath to join ‘Easedale Road’ and up to a little hotel called ‘Lancrigg’. This marks the starting point to Helm Cragg.

The route passes through a small wood before it zigzags up to the summit. It is a short but steep climb to the lion and the lamb. The rock formation resembles a lion looking over a lamb when viewed from the valley below.

However up close, it bears no resemblance. After a few pictures and a chat with fellow walkers, we continued on across the top of the fell to Gibson Knott. It took us about 30mins to reach the second Wainwright of the day.

We stopped for our packed lunches here before moving further along the fell, to Calf Cragg.

It took us a little longer to get to our third Wainwright. It involved a little scrambling and bog skipping. From this summit it was a shallow descent back down the valley into Grassmere.

It followed a small stream with a few waterfalls that caused us to stop and admire. We even came across a rock formation that looked like a surfboard, that I had to climb and pose for a picture.

Just after 8 miles we arrived back at Lancrigg for a deserved pint. We sat in the beer garden with views of the fells around us, a nice ending to the walk. We caught the bus back to Keswick calling the end of Day 4.

Tuesday arrived with more sunshine and we fancied a round of crazy golf. We headed down to hope park to tackle the windmills and the unforgiving ramps of the course.

After a bite to eat we took a boat ride around the lake before feeding the ducks. Seeing the the hills from the middle of Derwent water gives them a new perspective. We finished off the day having a couple of drinks in town.

Day 6 brought the rain; had it remained dry we were going to head to Buttermere and climb ‘Haystacks’. Instead we boarded the bus for a tour around the lakes.

After dodging the tree branches on the open top deck, the first stop was Bowness, a small village on the shores of Windermere. I had a walk around, calling into the 15th century church of, St. Martins.

We opted to skip Ambleside to revisit Grassmere to have a longer look around. We walked around the daffodil garden and the church grounds to see Wordsworth’s grave. After a pint and a slice of gingerbread, we got the bus back to Keswick to get dinner.

Our last day, we took the bus to Grange at the opposite end of Derwent Water to climb the smallest of the Wainwrights, ‘Castle Cragg’. We opted for a short walk, as rain was forecast and the clouds looked menacing.

From the bus stop we crossed Grange Bridge and along a small lane opposite the church. Following the sign post past the campsite for Castle Cragg, you enter a woodland on the banks the river Derwent.

You eventually reach the circular path around the Wainwright, taking the anti-clockwise direction, you ascend up the right hand side in the shadow of ‘Goat Cragg’ towering above.

It is a fairly easy ascent until you reach the spur that takes you up to the summit. The path sharply zigzags upwards to a small plateau giving views over Rosthwaite.

Evidence of the slate mining is prevalent here. There are disused quarry’s around the area and under Castle Cragg. Another short ascent brings you to the top, marked by the gravestone honouring those who gave their lives in the Great War.

We were treated to views down Derwent Water with Skiddaw in the distance. We descended back down to the circling footpath follow the river back to Grange.

We came across a cave with the slate deposits piled up outside. We paused for some pictures then walked the rest of the way to the village. We called in the Barrowdale Gate Hotel for a well deserved pint!

As the rain was falling we caught the bus back into Keswick, where we dined out in the Thai restaurant, calling an end to the day and holiday.

For a short video with more pictures from the adventure, follow the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MEU6tjCZlw

EBC Day 10 – 27th October 2009

Well the stop at ‘The Green Valley Lodge’ will be one I unfortunately will not forget. It was appalling; by far the worst teahouse I had encountered on the entire trip. There was only one long drop toilet catering for over a hundred guests. It was so bad no one used it and opted to finding a convenient rock to do their business behind. There was soiled toilet paper scattered everywhere, creating a minefield of filth.

Our dorm was next to the kitchen where the grain sacks were stored, resulting in the staff coming in and out constantly, thus no privacy. However this was nothing compared to the nighttime. Rats sneaked in under the cover of darkness to feast on the grain. I woke to them scurrying over the top of our sleeping bags to get to the food. It was worse for Irish Neil as he was right next to them!

None of us wanted to spend a second longer than necessary at the place and couldn’t wait to get walking. At 0800hrs we were running out the doors. I disregarded my steady slow pace I had employed to avoid altitude sickness. I just wanted to put as much distance as possible between me and ‘The Green Valley Lodge’.

It was an easy day on the road with the terrain remaining relatively flat. It was very lunar like and our companion for the day was Arakam Tse towering at 6423m. We joined the main trail to Everest and by midday we arrived at Lobuche (4910m), our end point for the day.

Pete and Me Putting Distance Between us and Dzonghla

The teahouse was a 1000 times better, it even had proper flushing en-suite toilets! This was the Ritz! We spent the rest of the day relaxing either in the common room or out on a terrace basking in the sun. Ron had decided to do some washing and hung his clothing out to dry.

However, embarrassingly for him, when he went to retrieve them, they had frozen stiff like a board. The onlooking Sherpas sitting in the sun were laughing at him, much to his chagrin. For this, he was awarded the infamous jacket!

There is only two more days left before we would begin our descent back down the Khumbu Valley to Lukla. I was saddened by this, as I had been having the time of my life and the end was beginning to crest the horizon. The next day we would reach Everest Base Camp, a bittersweet feeling that I’d be soon reaching the finish line.