Trekking in Nepal

Trekking Nepal

MERA PEAK FROM RIDGE

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TREKKING THE HIMALAYAS

MUSTANG 1991
KANCHENJUNGA 1993
ISLAND PEAK & MERA PEAK 1994
NARPHU 1996
MAKALU & EVEREST 1998
MANASLU & NARPHU 1999
MILKE DANDA & NORTH 2000
NORTH EAST NEPAL TREK 2002

ARUNACHAL PRADESH TREKS 2003

ADVICE and TREKKING AGENTS

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
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TREK TO CLIMB ISLAND PEAK & MERA PEAK 1994

This trek started off with my wanting to go somewhere remote or an area unexplored. My enquiries locally brought up a group of experienced mountaineers who were planning a first ascent of Nyegi Kangsang 7047 meters /23100 feet, the highest unclimbed mountain in the world at that time, on the Indian Tibetan border to the east of Bhutan. Max Holiday, Phil Booth, Rory Sellar, all experienced mountaineers and employed at the Peak National Park Outdoor Centres and very fit, along with Jackie Smith were all friends and had known each other for some time. Jackie was not an experienced mountaineer but she was a very good fell runners of some repute and extremely fit. All permissions from the Indian government were in place except the crucial one from the Home Ministry which was never forthcoming. The Indians climbed the mountain themselves the next year.

Putting together an expedition of this type requires a huge amount of work and planning. The biggest problem confronting all such expeditions is cost. We managed to obtain sponsorship from many sources but when we finally realized the trip was off, a new venue had to be found, our sponsors kindly let us have all the equipment donated or received at cost. I decided that the trekking peaks of Nepal would be a reasonable alternative for me and started to make some arrangements. To my surprise the other members indicated they too would like to go to Nepal but to attempt something a bit more adventurous.

The three experienced mountaineers decided to climb Mera Peak and then tackle Kusam Kanguru. After Mera Peak Jackie and I were going to trek on round via Lukla and climb Island Peak meeting up with the mountaineers coming down the Minbo La pass at Namche Bazar. So began a memorable adventure.

MAP OF TREKKING ROUTE

01	Max, Jackie, Rory and Phil sorting out the route at the Kathmandu Guest House.
02	Max and Rory sightseeing in Kathmandu.
03	Typical street trader, there are masses of trinkets manufactured for the tourist trade.
04	As we flew in to Tumlingtar, the paddy fields create a picture as though from modern art.
05	Tumlingtar is low down and very warm. I find the going tough in the hot climate carrying about 20 kilos.
06	Some of the Bamboo bridges were in need of repair. It's best to send the porters over first with their loads, about 50 kilos.
07	Fish trap on a tributary of the river. It was amazing that the fish could survive the very swift currents.
08	Water is used quite often to power small mills grinding grain crops.
09	This had me really perplexed; such a major engineering feat in a landscape populated by poor people. It is nothing more than a swing for the children.
10	Making our way up towards the Salpa Pass, I was carrying too much and found the increase in altitude hard going.
11	It's hard work trekking.
12	The normal route is over the Salpa Pass but we hired a local guide and turned off up the ridge to the north. It took us from about seven o'clock in the morning until gone noon to persuade the porters to carry for us; they were not keen to go on an unknown trail demanding extra money to carry for us.
13	The guide we hired, he could find the faintest of paths in difficult situations and although it was obvious he had not been all the way to the Mera La before, he was a great help.
14	This is Aconitum nepalense, I think. There were quite a number of good plants as well as Rhododendrons along the way from which I collected seed and now have for sale some good plants from our Hardy Plant Nursery. See www.dungevalley.f9.co.uk
15	The porters made things very difficult setting out so late, the trail was barely findable with a long drop off down through the forest and we were very late getting into camp. Flaming torches were dispatched to bring in the last few porters down to camp.
16	We came down off the top of the ridge to the left. Just at the apex of the triangular shape in the middle of the picture is a tiny white dot; camp the previous night.
17	Bamboo is cut and used in many ways for buildings, bridges and utensils.
18	Rory, Phil and Max discussing the route, we head out along the ridge in the distance with tantalizing glimpses of the mountains in the cloud. To the right of the picture is a solar panel used to charge the battery for my video camera.
19	The way was difficult with the Sirdar sending out porters to try and find the way. The actual route here is round to the left of the hill in front. Water was also a problem, in fact we ran short and on two occasions had no extra other than what could be carried.
20	Stunning gentians; they are still in flower from about 3000 meters on.
21	Excitement and a little in trepidation at what lies ahead.
22	Again we had considerable difficulty finding the route. It was very cloudy the day before we camped here and our guide only had scant knowledge of the route relying on the others searching around in the mist to try and find the way. We walked straight past a small lake and camp site in thick cloud and again were short of water that night.
23	We woke with a thick frost on the ground but wonderful views. We did not realize it at the time but this was a virtually unknown view of Mera Peak.
24	Finding our way down off the ridge was a real problem. It was tough going, with some ice on the path.
25	The guide was incredible at picking out the faintest of trails. In the distance the ridge we have come off.
26	It was wet and cold when we arrived at camp and there was little room to set up the tents.
27	Great views across to Mera Peak with an early morning start in the shade. A real incentive to move quickly to get into the sun.
28	The trail such as it was contoured left round the hill directly in front of us. Chamalang 7319 metres in the far distance unknown 6228 metres peak in the foreground.
29	Dropping down quickly through Rhododendron forest. Some nice plants of Rhododendron hodgsoni here now quite good sized plants. I collected seed here.
30	Coming down through a quite thick forest of Rhododendrons with white undersides to their leaves. I bent the leaves over of these large leaved Rhododendrons to guide the porters following. The going was difficult for them as the trail was having to be made as we went.
31	Getting water for camp down by the river, the Hunku Khola, at Urpa; a name but there was nothing there. I did not realize that we were short of food particularly rice for the porters. It took us a total of eight days from the Salpa Pass to get over the Mera La and to Kambra base camp on the other side where there was provisions to be purchased.
32	Very difficult going alongside the river from bolder to bolder until we had to cut our way out through the forest.
33	We were trying to cross the river but there was no bridge so a plank of wood was commandeered from another small river crossing to get us all across safely. At this point two German trekkers turned up literally starving. They had tried to find the route we took, which is marked on some maps, but had failed and had got themselves into real trouble. I gave them a much coveted bar of chocolate and told them they would probably remember eating it for the rest of their lives.
34	Incredibly Yak herders had come over the Mera La to burn of the grass to improve the grazing for the yaks.
35	It was very cold and frosty as we set out from camp and the tents were frozen and therefore far heavier than they should be. Here Sonam, our Sirdar is instructing the porters to dry out the tents to reduce the weight. We had a hard climb over the Mera La that day.
36	We again found food for the two Germans who were making great efforts to get over the pass as soon as possible, they knew there were potatoes to be had at Mera Base Camp.
37	Unspectacular: Mera Peak from this direction.
38	Porters have died on this pass, the Mera La 5415 meters. It is difficult terrain in bad weather and many porters come totally unprepared for the cold. The onus should be on the western clients to make sure all is well but often cost is more important that the welfare of these incredible people.
39	The route down off the glacier. We should have had crampons on but they were packed away in the porters loads some way back.
40	Coming down to Mera Base Camp on the other side of the Mera La.
41	Sorting out gear at base camp for the climb. I had great problems carrying a heavy rucksack, a crushed vertebra in my neck sometimes traps a nerve and I found it very hard going.
42	High camp on Mera at about 18000 feet. I was fine coming up but again found that water was a problem at night, with only a single burner supplying water for three people in one tent, Phil and Jackie were in the other. I went to bed thirsty and awoke in the morning with the classic symptoms of altitude sickness including violent diarrhea and being sick simultaneously.
43	The rucksack was a real pain all the way. I suffered again on two more occasions with diarrhea and sickness. Another problem going up was the high altitude gear, it was a still day and as I climbed the temperature soared, I found myself trying to strip off to bare skin until Phil pointed out the error of my ways. Going up higher the rucksack was slowly emptied until even my camera was too heavy to carry and was stashed safely for my return. It was definitely Phil's encouragement and the fact that it was made quite clear to me that I would have to go back if I did not keep up that bucked me up for the final ascent. As I cooled off I found the going much easier, in fact I was the third person to reach the summit. I think we all found it harder than anticipated. The trek back down to high camp was a nightmare. I had to drag the rucksack along on the ground as my shoulder was giving me so much pain.
44	But it was worth it! We camped at high camp again that night then set off early to base camp.
45	The views were stunning but I was ready to kick the rucksack all the way down to base camp the next day. I was finding the group dynamics very difficult; we had so little in common.
46	The Mera La and base camp in the distance. After climbing Mera we packed everything up and continued down to a lower altitude for a rest day at the first settlement down the valley.
47	The massive west face of Mera Peak first climbed by the Japanese, I believe.
48	Here we parted company with Max, Phil and Rory who were going off to make an attempt on Kusam Kanguru 6369 meters and a fearsome peak to attempt. It was fortunate we parted company here as things would have been very difficult otherwise. I was worried as Jackie and I were sharing a tent but all went very well for the rest of the trek.
49	Looking north. After the Zatrawa La 4600 m /15180 ft we drop down steeply into Lukla. Many attempts on Mera Peak fail at this pass which is a killer. Many treks start off going straight up from Lukla from about 2727 m /9000 ft and there is just not enough time to acclimatize.
50	Looking out west it was a steep decent down to Lukla but we were looking forward to some good food and a chance to do some washing. There was some snow on the way down but I used the dwarf Rhododendrons covering the slopes to good effect they offered a far safer way down rather than using the trail.
51	Our camp at Lukla; we decided we would camp all the way and not use the tea houses.
52	A plane coming in to land at Lukla. If the weather turned bad trekkers could get stuck here for some days waiting for flights out and things can and do get very fraught.
53	Wonderful painted Marni Stone on the way to Namche Bazar.
54	We were fit and acclimatized and got to Namche Bazar in two easy days. The trail was very busy and a bit of a culture shock after our remote trek to Mera.
55	The Yaks are used extensively for carrying but I very nearly got stabbed by one even though I had climbed a low wall to avoid them. They were across the trail three abreast and one ran a horn across my thigh but I was only bruised, luckily. From then on I found a use for my Ski stick to fend them off.
56	Many new tea houses were being built along the trail, all chopping massive amounts of timber from the local forests to build them and to cook for the trekkers and mountaineers going up and down the trail.
57	Looking back to Namche Bazar from Tanboche Monastery, an easy walk except for the long climb up. The trail has some 4000 trekkers a week going up and down in October, this drops off to just 1000 a week in November but it is colder.
58	Tanboche Monastery. Sonam, our Sidar went to his local village for some of his Yaks and his sister came to help to get our equipment up to Island Peak.
59	One of the beautiful Betula utilis just past Tanboche Monastery I now have some of these trees for sale. Its very rewarding to collect tiny seeds and grow them into small trees. See www.dungevalley.co.uk
60	Camp at Dingboche, a Puja was in progress with much chanting and clashing of cymbals, a man had just died in the village. Looking back down the trail.
61	A postcard looking up the valley towards Island Peak, left foreground, it is actually dwarfed by the surrounding peaks. Makalu far right and Baruntse middle.
62	The Huge face of Lhotse 8507 m /28073 feet from Chhukhung.
63	Base camp at the bottom of Island Peak. We are sorting out the climbing gear for the ascent to high camp at about 18500 feet. There were a number of climbing groups attempting the summit, starting out at midnight so as to try and be on top at dawn but most were failing. Time was the important thing, we were well acclimatized but many came up the trail with a set itinerary having come up from Lukla quite quickly.
64	A small group of trekkers were killed by an avalanche here, quite incredible bad luck.
65	The decision to go to high camp in the afternoon and then start climbing at first light made for a much easier ascent. I really struggled again with a heavy sack going up to high camp. With a light rucksack and better acclimatization we set off at about 6.00 am and climbed steadily.
66	Jackie and Sonam, our Sirdar and climbing guide, getting the gear ready for our climb up. We did not have much to take up leaving Jackie's rucksack at the bottom.
67	On Mera Peak it was only the second time I had worn crampons, Island Peak was the third. I was much more prepared for the climb having purchased a lightweight rucksack at Namche Bazar and although the route up required some ice climbing I found it a lot easier than Mera Peak. You can see Mera Peak in the far distance beyond the Amphu Labtsa Pass 5780 m with Chamlang 7319 m to the left.
68 69	The cloud had come in whilst we were climbing but the scenery was stunning.
70 71	Amadabla in the distance, Sonam, who had climbed Island Peak the year before, said he hardly recognized the way up, it had changed so much with the snow fall.
72	We had wonderful views off the top..
73	Most of the views the other way were obliterated by cloud but we had the mountain to ourselves that day which made it feel special. We walked up a quite narrow ridge to the summit.
74	Jackie and Sonam on top.
75	The trek back down to Namche Bazar only took us two days.We were very concerned as to how the climbing on Kusam Kanguru had gone. The attempt turned out to be over ambitious; it is a major expedition to climb Kusam Kanguru but Phil, Max and Rory had a great walk out back over the Mera La and exiting via the Minbo La. When they turned up in Namche Bazar they looked weary and drawn.
76	View from the airport above Namche Bazar; we rested here a day then trekked to Lukla and flew out to Kathmandu.
CONCLUSION	I was very grateful that the other members of the group for allowing me to become involved in the planning of a major expedition but the fact is that we were so far out in our basic outlook and philosophy of what the mountains and the people meant that it was a recipe for a very difficult trip. After that trip I vowed never again to trek with a group again as it was such a traumatic experience.

For more information please contact me

David Ketley

Dunge Valley Hidden Gardens
& Hardy Plant Nursery,
Windgather Rocks, Kettleshulme,
Nr. Whaley Bridge, (Stockport)
High Peak, SK23 7RF,
ENGLAND
Tel / Fax: 01663 733787

E-mail me at david@dungevalley.co.uk

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This Page was updated 01/01/2002