The weather really does change overnight – high level snow and low level rain.
Chetrabu is transformed into a winter wonderland. Although waking up in a plywood box it feels more like a Siberian gulag reenactment experience.
We make an early start after porridge for breakfast and up we go into the snow.
The view looking back down.
And up…
Morning tea. Passang sorts out drinks while we sit under blue tarpaulin light.
Then back to going upwards.
Until we reach the pass; cause for a bit a photo celebration.
That really is the end of the up – from now on it is all downhill – just a matter of 2000m downhill.
That’s the lunch spot down there, just above a sea of cloud
The tea house we choose doesn’t seem to be expecting visitors. Jangbo helps out in the kitchen and we get pretty good food.
After lunch we walk down below the snow line into rain.
There are some places to shelter.
We are soon down amongst the forests with the high mountains high above.
We reach the first villages and alternative places to stay.
Despite the offer of hot showers here we will only have a few more hours to Lukla. Already looking forward to our guesthouse accommodation – back to civilization at last.
We reach Lukla just as it is getting dark. We are staying at the Everest Mountain Home guest house. The rooms are nice, spacious with clean duvets and sheets. But alas, there is no hot water! The system is solar and the weather has been too bad. It’s little better than a cold bucket shower to clean up a bit. And with no heating in our rooms there is no chance of drying any wet kit.
Anyway, stop moaning, the trek is over and it’s been a fantastic experience.
In the evening, we have dinner with the porters, the largely unseen heroes of the trip who’ve carried our bags every day and all the way up to High Camp. We pay for whatever they want for dinner, which is dhal bhat of course, and give out some tips. It’s a lovely ceremony to end the tour.