The jeep is stuck, happened many times on the ride to Khadbari.
Num to Khandbari
Bus
Most of my socks had the consistency of cardboard, so it seemed like a good morning to do some laundry and take a rest day. Num is a simple place, but with just enough facilities to charge mobile devices, do laundry, and have a pseudo shower in the town’s well, which is just a glorified spout. It’s socially acceptable to wash everything you can get to without taking off your pants. I got stared at for doing it in my tights, which was the only clean thing that didn’t need washing. The bus ride to Khadbari, which I took at about 1pm, is a cramped ride along some seriously muddy 4 wheel terrain for 5-7 hours. Fortunately I was seated in the front seat which was holding 4 people rather than the usual 2, so the gear shifter was located between my legs; occasionally the driver would have to drop it into low 4 wheel and knock me in the balls when he did so.
A personal video by me, probably not going to die.
Khandbari to Manchewa
Distance: 13.4km Gain: 1077m Loss: 1074
Well, here’s the day I felt a little fucked. Khandbari is the “district headquarters”, e.g. the biggest place you can find east of Lukla. Turns out you can find everything here BUT a map. So, I got the names of 6 towns to go through from the locals for the best way to Lukla. I still had a map that would cover me to Lonkuwa, but even with a map finding the “right” trail here is excessively confusing. There’s no signs, and an absolute madhouse of splitting trails going to every which village in the land. I made a lot of wrong turns.
A strange bridge across the river near Dobani.
Manchewa to Jobani
Distance: 18.5km Gain: 2028m Loss: 753m
Without a map I was constantly asking the locals to make sure I was on the right trail to my destination for the day. So, it was an awesome surprise when I hit a fork in the river valley clefted by a giant ridgeline and asked this guy “Jobani?” that he pointed up to the top of the ridgeline. The village is about 500m tall and the sole road is a giant stone staircase that leads you up towards Salpa Pass. Then I’ll make a big mistake, applying spicy achar to my food with the wrong fingers, and then taking my contacts out. My eyes didn’t stop fully burning until a day later.
The river between Bung and Godel.
Jobani to Bung
Distance: 20km Gain: 2017m Loss: 2647m
I moved like a rocket ship this day, big distance, big up & down. I arrived in Bung, hungry as hell, and just in time for their club meeting. 30 Nepali surrounded me, threw a lay over my neck, and asked that I make a donation. I either had denominations of 1000 rupees ($12, which is a lot in nepal) or 25 rupees (like 25 cents), I had to give him the 25 as I knew money would be tight as there was probably not an ATM until I got back to Kathmandu. Then the guy invited me over to where a crowd of 60 people was gathered and having a party. He announced my generous donation of 25 rupees, d’oh. They partied all night. I ate delicious pig curry and rice, yum.
Pangum
Bung to Pangum
Distance 15.6km Gain: 2778m Loss: 1475m
The elevation profile tells me I hit a 75% incline this day. I’d believe that. Up the other side of Nanjingdingba bridge was practically a rock scramble up over 1000m to Pangum. The steep and consistent downhill staircases are starting to hurt my knees and calves really well.
Looking east from the valley near Lukla.
Pangum to Lukla
Distance 15.8km Gain: 1523m Loss: 1638m
Ahhh, the Lukla valley. Real lodges, snickers bars, menus, and food other than Dal Bhat Tarkati. This would have been excellent had I not gotten some bad food for breakfast from the lodge in Pangum. I stumbled my way through the first 6km of the day, and then started feeling much better until I puked my brains out after dinner in Lukla. Fortunately, that was the end of it, just some bodily chills and then I was fine in the morning.
Elevation Profile
The Google Earth Tour
I’ve spent significant time and taken the GPS coordinates I logged, the maps we used, and what’s visible from the satellite photos to bring you an interactive and extremely accurate representation of our trek in Google Earth. You will need to download Google Earth to watch the tour. Hit Play and watch the journey. Hit Pause at any time and check out the views.