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If you want to trek in the Mt. Everest
region of Nepal you have several choices on where to start
your trek, you can fly into the small town of Lukla shortcutting
some very good trekking, or you can do what I did and take
the local bus to the end of the road in Jiri and start
your trek from there. My trip begins with a bus ride from
Kathmandu to Lamosangu which is about 50 km south of the
Tibetan border on the Kodari highway. From there I turn
east crossing the Sun Kosi and take the 115 km road from
Lamosangu to the small town of Jiri (6,400 ft) at the end
of the road. The bus follows the twisting gravel road from
Lamosangu up and over the steep 7500 ft climb out of the
Sun Kosi valley through switch backs hanging over the precipice.
We travel for an hour and I can look out the window down
and see where we had been many hundreds and thousands of
feet below. It is an incredibly beautiful ride through
terraced farmlands reaching from the valleys up beyond
where I can see. It is a vertical world here. There are
mostly locals on the bus carrying goods back to their village
from Kathmandu. Everything from chickens to vegetables
and blankets. The bus is packed full and there are many
people riding on the roof. |
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It
was well after dark when I arrived in Jiri so I followed
one of the local kids who wait as
the bus arrives touting "guest house, good food, cheap
place to stay" having no energy to hunt out a place
myself. I ate a late dinner with many of the children
in the house giggling and watching me eat, and went to
bed.
Early in the morning, about 4am I awoke to the noise
of 4 or 5 porters getting ready for a early start on
the trail,
they had been sleeping in the room above me and the noise
on the thin plank floors was deafening. I myself got
up at sunrise, had a good breakfast of eggs and potatoes
and
started my trek. I passed through the village of Those
near where this photo was taken. Little did I know it
but when I was snapping this shot I was on my way to
getting
lost. |
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Journal
entry - April 1, The most beautiful bus ride ever,
12 1/2 hours from Kathmandu , climbing, climbing all
the
way,
The views of the terraced mountains are just breathtaking.
Encountered a fierce thunderstorm about an hour from
Jiri so backpack got a little wet. Had my first himalayan
dinner consisting of dal, potato's, eggs, tea and a
coke. 2 cokes. I'm still sipping one in my room above
the kitchen where some locals are laughing up a storm.
Had three local children join me while I was eating
dinner, they liked thumbing through my books. A rather
vicious occurrence on the bus ride here today, just
after pulling out of Lamusangu the ticket checker uncovered
a stow away on the bus, a large argument followed where
I gather the perpetrator seemed to be pleading poverty
and no money, the bus stopped, tempers flared, the
entire bus was yelling for and against the man, eventually
they dragged him off the bus forcibly and were in the
process of pulling his wife off the bus when he ran
up the hill and started throwing large rocks down onto
the bus, quick as a wink 10 or more people were off
the bus and pummeling the old man and pushing him down
the hill, his face was all blood. It was quite a hectic
scene and not a pretty one, a mob scene, the old fellow
paid for his sins in blood, and we were off again soon
enough. |
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Following
the somewhat cryptic directions in the guide book purchased
in Kathmandu I followed a trail up a very steep mountain
for a few hours. I ended up in this village high in the
foothills and realized that I had come the wrong way.
From here, however, I could see some of the beautiful
mountain views I would have otherwise missed. And the
farmland and terracing was spectacular. They have ingenious
irrigation systems where they will divert a small branch
from the river and build a aqueduct alongside the mountain.
They deliver a swiftly moving stream of water along the
side of the mountain this way to their fields now hundreds
of feet above the river. The village comes out to greet
me. The fellow in the middle is a school teacher and
speaks english. He volunteers to guide me to Durelli
pass which was my original destination. This saves me
from trekking back down the mountain which took me 3
very difficult hours to climb. He leads me along criss
crossing paths through some small villages and cultivated
fields and past a slate mine where locals peel away layers
of the rock for the roofs on their houses. He explains
how only the wealthy farmers can afford to pay for the
labor intensive work of cutting and hauling the slate
from the mine. |
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Durelli
Pass (about 8,000') and some of the local villagers.
Took me 10 hours to reach here from Jiri. Probably
would have been less if I had not wandered off up
the wrong mountain trail. The problem is that there
are
so many trails heading off in every direction that
it is difficult to to stay on the correct path. I'm
constantly asking the local Nepali's I pass if I
am on the right trail. The problem with this is that
they
try to be polite and always agree with you. I ask "is
Durelli pass this way?" and they say "yes,
yes, durelli" pointing in the direction I indicated.
If I point up a different path and ask "Durelli?" they
say,"OK, Durelli" nodding. Narayan on the
right was very friendly and took me to his families
home for breakfast the next morning for "sherpa
stew" which is a vegetable and potato stew and
tea, and finally butter tea (not to keen on that
but I drank it anyway). |
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Journal April 2, Durelli Pass: One
day hard walk from Jiri, what a day, walked from 7:30 till
5:30, two very difficult climbs, one just coming out of
Jiri, nice river side walk to Those, followed the river
east from Those and took the first river on the right up
into the gorge and started the second climb, very steep,
thought I would die, eventually I reached a small village
at the top where many children greeted me. I took their
photo and then found out that I had come up the wrong ridge
and was off the trail. The options were to climb back down
or take the serviced of a porter-guide, which I did. We
clambered through very steep cow pastures and followed
the range around for four hours of hard climbing we reached
the pass. Met some very friendly local boys at the pass
and went to see their village just 10 minutes walk from
here, very large house, with communal living spaces, women
hand grinding wheat in one room, children doing homework.
Narayan showed me his books, where he slept, and around
the house, We went outside an met his friend. I went back
to the pass and soon 2 Aussie trekkers came in who were
quite friendly, and with whom I will trek up to the monestary
to get cheese tomorrow and spend the night. So I'm in the
candle lit lodge, 5 or 6 porters just came in and are having
tea and watching me write.
April 3, Everyone is up with the fist light, hacking,
coughing, 5:30 am. The porters are setting off down the
pass with heavy loads strapped to their foreheads. I
take a few photos of the mani walls and buildings around,
the prayer flags blow in the morning wind and I go back
inside. Children come into the lodge shivering and sniffing,
the views up here are just beautiful, the far ridge is
dark before the rising sun.
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Thodung Monastery (10,140'), a 2 hour walk
up above Durelli Pass. There is a cheese factory near here
where I purchased some excellent cheese. All was quiet at
the monastery. Very beautiful and peaceful inside. I stayed
at a hotel at the cheese factory in a nice room with fireplace.
Beautifully rustic.
Journal
April 3rd, Above Thodung monestary at the cheese factory
lodge. Situated on the
top of the ridge, I can
see Gauri Shankar on the Tibet/Nepal border rising 28,000
ft covered with snow. I am at 10,140 ft here, just spectacular
views and a very comfortable lodge. I have a fireplace
in my room which will be nice tonight as it is pretty chilly
up here with the wind, probably in the 50's now at 1:30
in the afternoon. Hiked up from Durelli this morning after
having breakfast with Narayan at his uncles house, very
good vegetable and potato stew, then butter tea which was
horrible but I choked it down. Naraya says that "one
cup is not our way" so I forced down a second cup
of the tea trying to smile while drinking it. Presently
I'll hike down to the Monestary and have a look around.
Beautifully carved Mani Stones seen in
the many Mani walls along the trail. These stone are
carved with the Tibetan
Buddhist inscription "Om Mani Padme Hum" which
loosely translates to "Hail to the jewel in the Lotus".
You should always walk to the left of the walls as the
Buddhists do.
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