Our Last Day of Adventure

Wow the trip is over. Just like that. Today, October 28, we spent most of the day on a plane. We arrived in Philadelphia at 8 am eastern time but it felt like we had been on the plane for the whole day. Silly time change! :) We then flew to Detroit, picked up our car and drove home. 

Dad with his tea from Starbucks 

A happy Mom in Philadelphia 

Well the trip is over and we are all feeling both happy and sad. Happy to be home after a month but sad that our adventure has come to an end. I guess this is my last blog post so thank you to everyone who has taken part in our adventures through the blog!! My Dad is going to start putting up photos of our trip on his Flickr account. Check it out at:

https://www.flickr.com/x/t/0094009/photos/30393651@N03/sets/72157647839079509/ 

Chloe

Leaving Nepal

Today, October 27, was the second last day of our trip :( We left Kathmandu for Doha, Qatar. We are currently waiting 9 hours for our flight to Philadelphia. 5 down 4 to go. We really didn't do anything exciting today. Just slowly making our way back home. Here are some photos for your enjoyment :) 

Kathmandu airport

Braeden, Mom, and I boarding the plane. Braeden leading the pack as always

The fancy new Doha airport

Can't wait to be home!! 

Chloe 

Gliding above Kathmandu Valley

Today, October 26, we went paragliding over Kathmandu Valley. This morning we drove up a very bumpy dirt road to get to the take off spot. It was on top of a hill just outside Kathmandu. Then, one by one, we all ran off the top of the mountain, and flew through the air. It was a lot of fun seeing the valley below and feeling like a bird soaring above the ground! After that Braeden, Dad, and I had the worst meal of our trip. We waited 50 minutes for lunch and when we finally got it, we couldn't stop laughing because there were hotdogs for ham on our sandwiches! Mom missed it because she was resting at our wonderful hotel. Luckily, later that night we had an excellent dinner which made up for our horrible lunch. Tomorrow we start our long plane ride home with a flight to Qatar. 

Part of the valley we paraglided over

The road to the top of the hill

Patan Durbar Square 

Coming home soon! 

Chloe

Hanging around in Patan

Today, October 25, we explored more of Patan. We visited the Golden Temple, Braeden did some bouldering at a local bouldering gym, and walked around the city. Everything is closed because of Diwali so we have eaten at the same place three times already... It seems to be the only open restaurant in all of Patan!

The streets of Patan

One of the many temples here

Braeden hanging off the bouldering wall

Tomorrow we will hopefully go paragliding over Kathmandu!

Chloe

Exploring Patan

Today, October 24, we moved to a different hotel in Patan, an older part of Kathmandu. We said goodbye to Terrell and Paula who both flew to different places today. Later that afternoon we went to the Swayambhu Temple, otherwise known as Monkey Temple. We took the scariest cab ride to get to the temple. Driving in Kathmandu is crazy! The temple was beautiful and full of monkeys. One monkey even jumped on my leg! Our cab driver on the way back to our hotel dropped us off in the middle of nowhere. Luckily we were able to find our way back! Overall today was a very eventful and exciting day. 

Eating lunch at our cute hotel in Patan

Part of the Swayambhu temple

A couple of monkeys 

Flying out in three days :(  My Dad thinks we should stay here! 

Chloe 

I'm Going (back) To Kathmandu

Today, October 23, we flew from Lukla back to the busy city of Kathmandu. Once we got there we had a nice lunch with Prakash and explored a bit more of the city. We then met up with Paula, and Terrell, members from the other Mountain Monarch group we were with earlier in our trek, for dinner to catch up on our two adventures. 

Our t-shirt hung up on the ceiling of the hotel in Lukla

The lights on our hotel in Kathmandu for Diwali 

Spending more time in Kathmandu tomorrow. 

Chloe 

The Final Trek

Today, October 22, was our last day of trekking. We trekked 20 km from Namche to Lukla. Later that night we had a celebration dinner, did a little bit of dancing (taught Prakash and Mingma the YMCA dance), and decorated a Canada shirt to hang up on the ceiling of the hotel. Tomorrow morning we fly back to Kathmandu. 

The four of us back in Lukla

Decorating our t-shirt 

It's sad to be leaving the wonderful himalayan mountain range after 17 days of adventure. I guess we can't stay here forever. 

Chloe 

Together Again!

Today, October 21, we finally met up with Mom! We hiked 15 km on a different trail to Namche. Mom was quite happy and surprised to see us because we got there earlier then she had expected. We caught up on our adventures in a little coffee shop in the village. We are now one very happy family!

Catching up in the coffee shop

Dinner with Prakash 

Tomorrow we hike all the way down to Lukla! 

Chloe

Heading Down

Today, October 20, we trekked down below the tree level to Pangboche. We trekked a total of 18 km in 5 and a half hours. We stopped to check out a couple of very blue, glacial lakes near base camp. Around the lakes we saw some mountain cat and pika tracks. We got to our tea house around 4 pm, ate, played cards, and hung out. 

The glacial lakes

Tomorrow we finally met up with Mom after 4 days without her. 

Chloe

We Reached the Summit!!

Today, October 19, we finally reached the summit of Island Peak. It took us a total of 14 and a half hours to go up and down the mountain. We got up at 12:30 am, left at 2 am, summitted at 11:30 am, and got back to camp at 4:30 pm. It was a really long day and everyone was exhausted by the end. Jumaring up a steep 200 metre slope was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Thankfully, our guides would encourage us, especially me, whenever we wanted to give up, or felt too tired to continue. Once we got back to camp, we had lunch, and slept for two hours. Then we had an amazing dinner, and headed to bed for the night. 

The summit of Island Peak

Braeden celebrating at the summit

Heading down to Pangboche tomorrow! 

Chloe

Island Peak Base Camp

Today, October 18, Braeden, Dad, and I trekked from Dingboche to Island Peak Base Camp. Once we got there we had a light lunch (during lunch it started to snow) and then had our climbing clinic. We learned what various climbing equipment did, how to ascend a rope using a jumar, and how to repel yourself down. We had a delicious dinner around 6:30 pm, and we were in bed at 7 pm to wake up at 12:30 am the next morning. 

Island Peak Base Camp

The sky after the snowfall ended

Practicing our climbing skills

We will hopefully reach the summit of Island Peak tomorrow!

Chloe

There Goes the Chopper

Today, October 17, my Mom and another sick trekker took a helicopter down to Namche, while my Dad, Braeden and I made our way to Dingboche. It was hard to see her go alone, but we all knew that the best decision was to helicopter her down to a lower level of altitude, where she can get better. My Mom will now spend 4 days there relaxing at the spa :p while we try and climb Island Peak. 

Leaving Lobuche for Dingboche

The summit of Island Peak is in reach! 

Chloe

Lobuche Again

My Mom is feeling terrible. Today, October 16, after my Dad, Braeden, and I woke up at 5:30 am, and climbed part of Kala Patthar, we planned to trek back to Dingboche. We had to cut our trek short and stop for the night at Lobuche, because my mom was too weak to continue. The sun burn and sun stroke had made her too weak to walk on her own for a long time. She had to get piggy backed by Prakash and our assistant guide Mingma, for most of the trek to Lobuche. Once we got there, the lower altitude helped my Mom feel a bit better. Tomorrow if my mom feels better, we are planning on trekking to Dingboche. If not she might have to be helicoptered down to Namche or Lukla. Let's hope she gets well soon! 

View of Mount Everest from Kala Patther. Everest is the small darker triangle

Chloe

Everest Base Camp!!

Yay we made it to EBC!! Today, October 15, we trekked to Gorakshep, and then to Everest Base Camp. Unfortunately, only Braeden, Dave, and I made it all the way to base camp. Crystalle had to turn around because she was not feeling 100 percent and didn't want to push herself. Base camp was awesome even though there were no expeditions going on. It was amazing being so close to the Khumbu ice fields. When we got back to our tea house in Gorakshep, we learned that my mom had a horrible sun burn, and was not feeling well at all. We stayed the night at Gorakshep and hoped she felt better in the morning. 

Leaving for Gorakshep

Khumbu Glacier 

The three of us at Base Camp

Climbing Kala Patthar tomorrow for a good view of Everest! 

Chloe

A Snowy Trek to Lobuche

Today, October 14, we walked to Lobuche in the chilly, snowy weather. It snowed for most of our 5 hour hike so everyone bundled up in several warm layers. Once we made it to Lobuche we had the afternoon to rest, read, and play cards. 

Lobuche covered in snow

Tomorrow we go to Gorakshep and then to Everest Base Camp! 

Chloe

Acclimatisation Day Take Two

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Today, October 13th, was an unexpected rest and recovery day. My Mom was still recovering and I got sick last night from weird food, so we took our extra spare day today and recovered. We did a short hike in the morning and then we packed, rested, and slept the rest of the afternoon. It snowed today! During our afternoon tea, we looked outside and discovered it was snowing! It snowed 6 centimetres in total this afternoon. It's supposed to snow a lot in the next couple days... Hopefully we have good weather when we get to see Everest! 

Mom and I in the start of the snowfall

The snow is now piling up! Look, the yaks are covered snow! 

The sign pointing to Lobuche and Chukung. We go to Lobuche tomorrow and to Chukung in three days 

Finally off to Lobuche tomorrow! Hopefully everyone feels good enough to go! 

Chloe 

Look it's Island Peak!!

Today, October 12th, was another acclimatisation day. My mom was still recovering from yesterday so she did not join us on our hike, but Braeden was feeling better so he did! We got our first look at Island Peak from the windows of our dinning room. No one knew how close it was until Prakash pointed it out. We hiked uphill and saw some amazing views! We also saw some of the trail we are taking tomorrow to Lobouche. It was only a two hour hike but it was enough to get us moving and get even more used to the altitude level. Then we had the rest of the day to rest and pack our bags for tomorrow. 

Island Peak is the mountain in the very middle of this photo. It is 6189 metres above sea level! 

Everest Base Camp in two days!! Can't wait! 

Chloe 

An Eventful Night

Today, October 11th, we hiked up above the tree line to Dingboche. We hiked 11 km in 6 and a half hours to reach the village which is 4400 metres above sea level. The hike was long and tiring but we eventually all made it! Unfortunately, Crystalle had a horrible migraine and was not feeling well. Her migraine got much worse later that night and she started feeling nauseous. Braeden started feeling nauseous as well. We were sitting in the noisy dinning room waiting for dinner when she passed out, falling into my Dad. Our guides quickly set up the portable altitude chamber, a pressurised oxygen bag that gives more oxygen to the person in the bag and puts them down to a lower sea level. Crystalle was then loaded into a sleeping bag and into the chamber. They brought her down to Lukla's sea level and she stayed there for a good 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Braeden was not feeling good at all. He found a spot to lie down and rest in the same room my Mom was in. That room became a mini hospital. At around 9 o'clock, they finally took Crystalle out of the PAC. She still had a bad migraine so we decided that all four of us would sleep in the hospital room that night. My Dad and I gathered all our important belongings from the tea house across the path and brought them to the room. Once everything was set up we quickly fell asleep. All of the worrying and running around to get things had made us exhausted. That night was one we did not want to repeat!

In the town of Dingboche

Unfortunately, no one got photos of my mom in the portable altitude chamber, we were all to busy to stop and take a picture. Oh well :) 

Chloe

The Dusty Trail to Phortse

Wow there's wifi here?! Yay! Only for a day though :( Anyways, gotta catch up on the past three days then! 

Today, October 10th, we hiked to the village of Phortse (3800 metres above sea level). It was a 4 and a half hour hike from Khumjung. We saw many interesting sights along the way! We saw several yaks on the trail, Nepal's national bird (it looks like a colourful pheasant), the oldest Stupa in the Everest region, and mountain goats. The villages higher up in the mountains only get electricity by solar power, and the sun sets much earlier (today was around 6 pm). This meant that we ate our dinner, at 6:30 pm, by candle light and a giant lantern. It was quite a change from the earlier villages we stayed in and how we live in Canada. 

Looking down on village of Phortse from outside our tea house

Night everyone! 

Chloe 

Our First Sighting of Everest

Today we hiked for 3 hours to Khumjung. About halfway through the trek, we got to the top of the pass and got see a beautiful view of Mount Everest for the first time! We stopped at Everest View Hotel, a very expensive hotel, and had a cup of tea. We then made our way down to our tea house in Khumjung. Later that afternoon we went to check out the Yeti scalp a local monastery. It was locked up in a glass case inside a large locked metal box, inside of a locked room, inside of a locked building, inside of a locked area for its safety. What? Then we went to the local school and saw what school is like for the local children. No one was in school because of their local festival.  After seeing the longest prayer stone in the Everest region, we made our way back to our tea house for the night. 

Braeden sleeping in his Sherpa hat this morning. He looks like a cozy bug in a rug! :) 

Mount Everest!! 

Yay Yaks!! Everyone saw their first yak today! 

Unfortunately, Nepal In The Fall is shutting down for the next 11 days. I learned that we will not have any Internet access until we get back to Namche in 11 days. I hope everyone has enjoyed the blog so far and will check for an update on October 20th!! 

Good bye!! 

Chloe 

The Beauty of Namche

Today was an acclimatisation day. This meant that we "climb high and sleep low" according Krish, one of our guides. We started our day at 9 am and climbed to the airport above Namche. We saw the stunning view of the village with several mountains in the background. After our 2 and a half hour trek, we explored the many shops of Namche. After, we had warm showers and did some laundry (by hand). Tomorrow we trek up to Khumjung and spend another night there.

Exploring the streets of Namche

Braeden making way for some dzos (cross between cow and yak) carrying packs to villages further north. Our lodge Mountain Dreams is in the background

I will probably not have wifi for the next couple days, but I will try to update when I can!

Chloe

It's all Uphill from Here

The next day, October 7th, we trekked to Namche. It was a hard and tiring trek taking 7 hours to trek only 11 km. This was because most of the trek was uphill! We passed many beautiful sights along the way. We also crossed the highest suspension bridge in Nepal. Crossing the bridge was very thrilling as it was very windy and the bridge was above a rushing river! We finally made it to Namche at 4:30 pm. The village is approximately 3440 metres above sea level and curved and steep to fit the mountain side. 

The highest suspension bridge in Nepal

The village of Namche

Chloe

A Thrill - Seeking Flight

Yay! I finally got wifi!!

Today we went on the most thrilling flight I have ever been on. It was a 30 minute plane ride into the village of Lukla. We were in a small 'box' plane that sat 15 people. The pilot had to carefully steer the plane onto the super short runway. Once we landed on the ground, we met our assistant guide and porters. Our guide Prakash kindly let us meet his mother and see her home. Then we were off on the start of our trek to Phakding. We trekked for approximately 3 hours till we reached our destination. We then stayed the night at a tea house in Phakding. It was a very rustic and cozy place! 

Chloe

Kathmandu, Day Number Two

Today we explored more of Kathmandu. We went with our trekking company to a Hindu temple called Pashupati Temple, and the Great Boudha Stupa. It was very interesting to learn about the two main types of religion in Nepal. We then had the rest of the day off to explore, and shop by ourselves. I thought the streets in Kathmandu were busy yesterday, but they were packed with people today! This is because in Nepal, Saturdays are the weekend and no one works which makes Sundays quite busy because everyone is working and not spending time with family. We went for dinner at a Momo (dumpling) restaurant. Then we packed and got ready to fly out to Lukla. We leave early tomorrow morning and take a thrilling plane ride into the village. 

The Great Boudha Stupa

A monkey hanging out at our hotel this afternoon

Since we are going to be trekking from now until the end of our trip, it might be hard for me to get Internet. I will try to update the blog as much as I can, but this will also mean very few or no pictures. My dad is also not continuing his flickr album of the trip because of the lack of Internet and slow uploading speeds.

Wish us luck on the scariest and most dangerous plane ride in the world!! 

Chloe

Kathmandu

Ugh... Jet lag is horrible. We are all exhausted and the time change is really messing with us! Is was our first full in day in Kathmandu. We walked around the busy city streets and explored a place called Garden of Dreams. Later that day we met with Prakash, our guide, and Pradip, the director of our trekking trip, to go over details about the trip and sort out our gear. We also tried Dal Bhat for the first time when we had a cultural dinner with Prakash. Tomorrow we are going on a cultural tour of two religious temples in Kathmandu.

A street in Kathmandu. It was very busy and full of

motorcycles

The view from our hotel floor of Kathmandu.

Goodnight all!

Chloe

19 hours on a Plane

We made it to Kathmandu! The last two days were crazy and felt like they never ended. On October 2, we woke up at 4:30 am for a flight to Philadelphia at 7 am. It was a short flight compared to the 12 hour flight we took to Qatar later that day. We arrived in Qatar on October 3 at 6:30 am their time. We ended up going on a spontaneous tour of Doha, the capital of Qatar, during our 6 hour layover! It was nice to get out of the airport for a couple hours and see the city. We arrived in Kathmandu that day at 8:30 pm Nepal time. Once we went through getting visas and our luggage, we met our trekking guide Prakash. Then we drove through the narrow winding streets to our hotel. The drive was quite nerve-racking because our driver sped through the streets and drove very close to the other drivers! Unfortunately it was too dark to take photos of Kathmandu when we got there, but expect some later today!

Here is a photo of our plane to Qatar

New City, Doha, Qatar

Mom and I striking a dance pose on the amphitheater in Doha

Here is the link to my dad's flicker stream of photos from our trip: https://www.flickr.com/x/t/0094009/photos/30393651@N03/sets/72157647839079509/
We're going out to explore Kathmandu soon! Can't wait!

Chloe