November 13

Most people got up early here to climb Gokyo Ri, the 17,990 foot hill above Gokyo, before clouds obscured the view of Mt. Everest to the east. I got up at 5:45 AM to prepare for the climb, and shared a pack of the `Temple' biscuits I bought yesterday with Lal. These were cream-filled cookies with a picture of a temple and a nectar (flowery) flavor. We had tea as well, but the kitchen was not yet serving breakfast. By the time we left the lodge at 6:15, there was already quite a parade up the steep hill. The Singapore lady, Ling Soo Kim, started climbing, but quickly turned back because she did not feel well. As we climbed, the rough, barren glacial landscape just over the low ridge behind Gokyo became visible. Soon, the tip of Mt. Everest became visible, further east.

This climb was difficult, but seemed easier than Kala Pattar. We reached the top in two hours, a fairly good time. It was not as cold as Kala Pattar. I wore the same clothes, but ended up removing some. Everest is further away here, so more of it was visible over Nuptse's ridge. The entire view was spectacular, with lots of mountains, and the bright blue Gokyo lakes far below. It was very clear and sunny, and the hill top was crowded. There was just a little bit of ice on top. We stayed a couple of hours and took a lot of pictures. I had the impression that the view here was even more beautiful than from Kala Pattar, especially because of the Gokyo lakes. I shared a Cadbury bar with Lal, and then we headed down. He wanted to go fast, so I let him run down while I enjoyed the views and took more pictures. Once, I stopped and sat for a while to look at Gokyo and the lake. I took my black Columbia gloves off to take some pictures, and forgot to put them back on. By the time I remembered them, I was too far down the hill to climb back up and look for them. Since we would never again be climbing to such a high altitude, I thought my wool gloves should be adequate from now on, and I decided to leave the heavy gloves behind.

Back at the lodge, I had corn soup, which I had not seen on a menu before here, and more Temple cookies and tea. When I told Lal I lost the gloves, he felt guilty for having left me behind, since he always checked to make sure I didn't forget anything. He offered to go back up and look for them, but I said no, because he would never find them. I was sitting away from the trail at the time.

We packed and started down the valley at noon. It was now becoming very cloudy. The downhill walk was easy. Soon, snow flurries started. We arrived in Fangka in ninety minutes, and stopped for tea. An American couple on their way to Gokyo was there. The woman was from Georgia, and mentioned that she had seen few people from the south here.

Soon, we arrived in Machhermo. We had planned to continue to Dole, but it was still snowing, and Lal was getting cold, so we stopped here at the same lodge as earlier. A group of women and children on their way back up from the Saturday market in Namche Bazaar stopped at the inn, and stayed a while, talking to the hostess and her sister. Ling Soo from Singapore was here as well. The lodge was near freezing inside. After the visiting women left, we gathered around the fire to keep warm. After dark, the kerosene lantern contributed some warmth.

We all ordered rice with curried vegetables, which today were potatoes with a little cabbage. Before dinner, Lal and I ate a couple of the green oranges. Lal said oranges are grown near Kathmandu. He told me he would invite me to his home for dinner Saturday, before we started our Annapurna trek. I had trouble finishing one plate of food, but Lal ate vast quantities. We had some home-made pickles and hot sauce with the curry, which was otherwise bland. At bed time, the dormitory was very cold, and Lal asked to borrow my down jacket so he could put it over himself to keep warm. His sleeping bag was thin, and this lodge could not provide many blankets. The sky was overcast all night, but became clear by daybreak.

Copyright Scott A. Yost, 1994. All rights reserved.