This past Fall I had the amazing experience of exploring Nepal for 35 days. The opportunity to travel and share the experience with my mom made the trip that much more memorable.
We landed in Kathmandu around midnight after a grueling 24 plus hours of travel, but had overall smooth sailing. Waking up in the heart of Nepal the following morning, we were immediately overwhelmed with the sounds, smells, and activity of the bustling metropolis. In every corner of the city the scent of incense and the sound of car horns fill the air. Pedestrians are greeted by a constant barrage of vehicles: three-wheeled vans and mopeds maneuver at high speeds through the narrow streets.
With our hotel located in the tourist district of Thamel- complete with countless Nepalese hawking Tiger Balm, phony North Face apparel, and overpriced domestic tea- it became apparent that we needed to escape. We spent the next couple of days exploring the Kathmandu Valley on foot, visiting countless historical sites littered with a vibrant mix of Hindu and Buddhist architecture and walking aimlessly through the city’s various districts. An entire afternoon was spent inside a tiny tea shop sampling Nepal’s regional delicacies and observing the interaction between the owner and his local clientele. Evenings consisted of sampling various Nepali and Indian cuisine and typically ended with the sunset and a beer back on the roof of our hotel.
Glimpses of the snowcapped Himalaya dotting the Kathmandu horizon in the early morning hours was all the motivation we needed for our departure from Kathmandu after a few days in the polluted city. We headed out to catch our flight, mentally preparing for what turned out to be a memorable descent into the Luklah Airport (known as the world’s most dangerous airport), and getting excited for16 days hiking in Nepal’s Sagarmatha National Park.
After an incredibly scenic flight and a successful landing we’d arrived in Luklah; the starting point to approach various Himalayan peaks such as Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and a slew of other sky high summits.
The next six days consisted of a gradual ascent from 2800 to 4410 meters. We enjoyed a leisurely pace, laying over for two full days to acclimate to the high elevation and enjoying the hostel style “tea houses” for lodging along the way. Throughout the first week we experienced beautiful weather and increasingly spectacular views as we moved north into the Himalaya.
Leaving the tiny village of Dingboche early on day seven of our hike, mom and I parted ways for the day with her following the Khumbu Valley towards Everest basecamp and me climbing up and over the Kongma La Pass. At 5540m the Kongma La provided an incredible challenge, some of the best views of the entire trip, and Alaska-esque solitude.
After meeting back up in Lobuche for the night, we spent the next couple of days climbing along the Khumbu Icefall towards Everest Base Camp. With jaw dropping views and warm weather we celebrated mom’s birthday with a beer and some sunbathing at base camp. Tough to top ringing in your 58th year at 5380 meters!
Following an easy descent back down the Khumbu Valley the following morning, we headed East and pulled over for the night in preparation for a mother-son ascent of the Cho-La Pass. After a picturesque sunrise departure, snow-covered scree, a glacier crossing, and low visibility made for quite the adventure. A full day of travel later we arrived in the Gokyo Lakes region where we spent the next couple days recovering and patiently waiting for relief from the increasingly foul weather.
A full break in the weather never arrived and after a brief stint in the Gokyo Valley we began the trek south towards Lukla for our return flight to central Nepal.
After sucking down a few warm Tongba beers back in Kathmandu, we repacked and hopped a flight for Pohkara; the second largest city in Nepal and the access point for the Annapurna Region of the Himalaya. Luckily, our first couple of days in town provided brief views of the Annapurna Range and a chance to explore the region as additional plans were quickly abandoned following the onset of a typhoon moving inland from the Indian Ocean. The typhoon allowed for the consumption of gallons of tea and the completion of all 1073 pages of Alaska by James Michener, an epic read.
Eventually the rains subsided and we were able to explore a bit of the rural land adjacent to Pohkara on foot, camping along the way. A lush, mountainous landscape, complimented by rice terraces and friendly locals made for pleasant trekking.
With about a week remaining we headed south from Pohkara towards the India border via the most grueling bus ride I’ve ever experienced. Our destination was Chitwan National Park. Chitwan was established in 1973 after its historical perseveration as a hunting refuge for Nepal’s ruling class, and covers nearly 1000 square kilometers or wilderness. It lacks any permanent human inhabitants but supports some of the most impressive biodiversity found anywhere in the world. Choice inhabitants include populations of the Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, one-horned rhinoceros, mugger crocodile, and Asiatic elephant. Chitwan is found in low-lying south central Nepal along the India Border.
Barely able to walk after the five hour bus ride, we set up shop in the tourist outpost of Sauraha, on the northern border of the National Park. The next couple days were spent leisurely exploring the surrounding countryside, partaking in a few of the standard local tourist activities, and a guided walking tour within the National Park. Surprisingly, exploring the park on foot provided one of the most incredible, and definitely the most terrifying experience of the entire trip when we happened upon a male rhino walking our direction from 400 feet. After receiving instructions from our guide on avoiding being trampled if the giant did happen to charge, I handed off the camera and proceeded to hide behind an adjacent bush while the 4,000 lb critter ambled by. Far and away the most incredible wildlife encounter either of us had ever experienced.
With just a few days remaining until our flight home from Kathmandu, we loaded up for another hellacious bus ride headed west from Pohkara. After traveling 120 km in just under eight hours, we were back in the capital.
The last couple of days of our stint in Nepal provided an opportunity to revisit a few of our favorite eateries, and sample more of Kathmandu’s rich cultural history. Visiting the neighborhood of Bhaktapur wrapped up the trip, and shortly thereafter we were headed towards the airport with 24 plus hours of travel to look forward to.
I’m stationed in Utah for the winter months skiing the greatest snow of earth and brainstorming for future adventures.
Until then,
Andy