The trek begins at Kathmandu Domestic Airport – a place of complete chaos. It is one open hall. As soon as we enter we pass through security check-in – very basic. My pockets are full and I was carrying a bag on my belt – none were searched. The rucksacks were scanned but the speed they were passing through the scanner makes me believe it they were not really being looked at. All luggage were given a ‘Security Checked’ sticker that immediately fell off – my rucksack one was stuck to my back. The floor was littered with them. Onto Check-in where the bags are moved from one pile, weighed, tagged and moved to another pile right next to where the first one was. It was not clear what baggage had been checked in or not. One positive thing was that there were no queues – everything was done at panic-level speed. Then it was a case of waiting for our flight to be called – or rather shouted!. There was no tannoy system.

When called we got on a bus to take us to our aircraft. It was most satisfying seeing our luggage on the trolley being taken out to the aircraft. It was here we met Bruce from Sydney Australia. He asked if he tag along with us. He told us his story. He was a member of an informal ‘blokes’ club that met up to place bets on sporting events. When they have a win they put their winnings into a pot. When the pot reaches $4,000 they have a competition to send one of their members off on an adventure. Previous winners had gone to Russia/Kazakhstan, Argentina (swimming with sharks). Bruce was the 6th winner and the group had selected him to go to Darjeeling, then Kathmandu and to spend 4 days trekking to Namche before returning to Kathmandu. In accordance with the rules, he knew nothing about the itinerary until reached Sydney Airport. No knowing about trekking, the country, the language, he asked to tag along.

We boarded the a Twin Otter, Yeti Airlines Fight QR117. There were 18 passengers, arranged in rows of one seat on the left, two on the right. After being given a mint and balls of cotton to stuff in our ears (no safety brief), we took off. The flight gave us magnificent views of Kathmandu, but soon we were crossing the countryside. Very few roads / areas of civilisation could be seen. Half an hour later Lukla airstrip was in the 11 o’ clock position, but before making the final approach, the pilot had to clear a ridge, descend rapidly then double bank left and right to get lined up. (It was only a month ago that one of this airline’s aircraft crashed attempting to land here in bad weather killing the 18 Westerners onboard). Fortunately for us the weather was perfect.

The airport is situated on the side of a mountain. The runway starts on the edge, rises steeply (for an airstrip) and ends abruptly at a rock face. The apron is at the right hand end of the runway. The Twin Otter landed and swept straight onto the apron coming quickly to a halt. No hanging around here! An engines running turn-round was executed and it was back in the air 15-20 minutes later with a full complement of returning passengers.

After collecting our rucksacks we located ‘Summit Trekking’ at the Yeti Lodge through whom Mike had arranged our Porters. There was some negotiation required as Mike had been told in Kathmandu that they would be hired for 600Rs per day but now Summit were saying they were 800Rs per day. We settled on 700Rs and paid them half their fee for the 16 days. Their names were Nehma and Pasang.

Once sorted we set off for Phakding at about 113 along Lukla main street which was a hive of activity. Our starting height was 2840m but dropped quickly down into the Dudh Koshi valley heading north on the eastern side of the river. Immediately ahead we could see Nupla (5885m), the southern peak of the Kongde mountain range. The first suspension bridge to cross was the Thado Koshi Khola bridge over one of the Dudh Koshi tributaries .

Along the way we passed (keeping them to our right) a number of painted or engraved Mani Stones. At Nurning there was also a set of Prayer Wheels that must only be turned clockwise. We arrived at Phakding (2610m) after crossing the Dudh Koshi river at 3pm.

Whilst we sat outside in our duvet jackets (the sun had gone behind the mountain now) drinking afternoon tea, we watched a brother and sister barefoot on the concrete playing with a cardboard box and tormenting a very large dog with a water pistol.

Our first night in the Himalayas was spent at the Phakding Star Lodge. I shared a room with Bruce for the night which turned out to be the worst night of the whole trip. Bruce is a very heavy snorer. Even with my earplugs he kept me awake the whole night. He later confessed that when he goes away with his golfing mates, they pay for him to have a separate room. The Star had particularly low doorways on the stairway – obviously built for Nepalese, not Europeans! On my first ascent I took a slice out of the top of my head leaving a scab that would take a week to disappear.

Day 2 : Phakding - Namche

As we left Phakding we got better views of the Kongde mountain range and Thamserku (6608m) which would dominate our view over the next few days. In the morning we crossed the river over long steel suspension bridges three times: first over the Nagbuwe Thenga Khola bridge, next back over to the east side of the Dudh Kosi and then over the Manjo Khola bridge.

Around 1015 we arrived at the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park entrance between Monjo and Jorsale. Here we had to pay a fee (1000 Rs) for an entrance permit and get our Tourist Information Management System (TIMS) card stamped. A board behind the counter showed that over 9000 trekkers had passed through the check point during October 2008.

After entering the park we crossed the Dudh Kosi twice more, once at Jorsale and then about an hour and half later at Midday over the Larja Bridge where the Bhotse Kosi meets the Dudh Kosi. The Larja bridge at 2830 is also back up to the height we started at Lukla. Then came a two and a half hour climb up to Namche at 3440m. Half way up we had our first view Everest. We had a welcome break when we came across some enterprising local lads who sold us some fresh oranges.

The town of Namche has been built in a bowl on the side of the mountain and is dominated by the Kwongde (or Kwange) mountain range to the west on the opposite side of the Bhote Koshi valley. The open space in the base of the bowl was occupied by a large Tibetan market. The buildings were mainly Hotels and lodges but we could see a large school and an Army camp on the Eastern slopes above us. We had our way to the Sherwi Khanga Lodge which unfortunately was towards the top of the slope at the back of the ‘bowl’. Here we met Andy’s group and spent most of the evening and the next day discussing their best moments and our trek. They had walked up to Gokyo, then crossed the Cho La to go up to Everest Base Camp. Here three of them camped out overnight. They were now on their way back to Lukla.

This time Bruce and I had separate rooms (thank you Bruce!). He had found the day particularly hard going. Not being prepared for the trek and carrying over 10 Kg in his Rucksack he struggled. Nevertheless he had accomplished his task – duly recorded in his video diary. Although reaching near-exhaustion today, he still had to get back to Lukla. As we were due for a rest day, we offered him Pasang’s services. He paid him 500Rs to carry his Rucksack back down to Lukla. Pasang would then join us again on Thursday.

Before supper I had a full proper shower - the water was only just warm but you could use as much as you want. I would not get another proper shower again until we got back to Namche in over a week’s time. It was here we first experienced the concept of ‘Bed Tea’ as advised by Andy’s team. At a pre-arranged time in the morning, your Sherpa wakes you with a hot cup of Black/Ginger/Mint/Lemon tea – whatever is your favourite.

Day 3 : Namche

Today was a rest day. After saying goodbye to Bruce, we watched a slideshow of views, fauna and flora of the locality in the Museum cellar adjacent to the lodge. There was also a good collection of books. Later Andy took us off to the Everest View Hotel up and over the ridge behind the lodge. This is an upmarket hotel built for the rich and famous to fly into the Syangboche Airfield nearby and see Everest from their rooms. Because the hotel is at around 3800m, many guests suffer with altitude sickness. For this reason it is fitted with 2 small pressurised rooms and a supply of oxygen. Besides a good view of Everest, we also get our first view of Ama Dablam. This looks just like a giant armchair.  After morning coffee out on the veranda looking out at Everest we returned to Namche the direct route across the Syangboche airfield.

In the afternoon we walked down to the Tibetan market. Namche also has a Saturday market, mainly food and essentials for the locals, but during the Summer / Autumn months, there is also this permanent Tibetan market. They come to Namche from Tibet via the Bhote Koshi Glacier and return before the Winter closes the pass. Once Sherpas acted as middlemen between the Tibetans and the Rais. This trading ceased when China invaded Tibet in 1959. Now the market is full of counterfeit items (mainly clothing) targeted for the tourists and trekkers.

Day 4 : Namche - Khumjung

The original plan was to spend 2 rest days at Namche but as we were all feeling fine we decided to move onto Khumjung – another 340m of altitude. First we needed to call in at the Tibetan market bto but some walking poles as strongly recommended by Andy who had used them for the first time on his trek. Mike successfully negotiated with the ‘barrow-boy’ traders down from 2400Rs to 1600Rs for two sets (one for him, one for me) ie about £7 each set.

Before leaving Namche we visited the Namche Gompa. (Nehma first buying a small hand prayer wheel (?) at the market to receive the Lama’s blessing (or equivalent!!)). Besides statues, the wall were covered in drawers in which various prayers were held. We signed the Visitors Book, made a donation and moved on. We set off back across the Syangboche Airfield and headed for Khumjung. Half way there we passed the second of two Stupas. The high ground between Namche and Khumjung appeared to hold some significant religious relevance. The entrance to Khumjung is preceded by what must be one of the longest Mani Walls ever. Khumbria presented a magnificent backdrop for the village.

It is immediately noticeable how neat and ordered the village is. All the buildings and fields are well maintained. The houses all have green roofs (the Gompa being the exception having a red/brown roof). It is very evident there is wealth here. The entrance itself is a large stone archway inside the roof and sidewalls magnificent paintings. Just outside a group of elderly ladies dressed in traditional Buddhist attire sat talking. They were walking the boundaries of the village (something to do with the full-moon?). Unfortunately they did not want us to take their photograph. The first building we see is the Hillary School - built and sponsored by the Hillary Trust. Children were both in the play ground and in classes on the hillside. Next came the Stupa – one of the best maintained we had come across.

The village is set on a small plateau on the side of Khumbila. There are fine views of Ama Dablam to the east and the Kongde to the west. In the village we following a lady carrying a large basket on her back full of dry leaves presumably for the latrines. The enclosures close to the village are the potato fields – the village’s main crop. Some fields there were boys turning over the field with a large adze picking up any remaining potatoes and placing them in a basket. The main crop had been dug up and dried some weeks earlier and the above-ground foliage dried and removed. Other fields contained mounds of earth. These covered pits dug into the ground (much wider than the narrow entrance hole on the surface) where the villages stored and protected their potatoes from the frost. When full, the pit is enclosed with a layer of turf and a mound of earth built up on the top.

We checked in at the Highland Sherpa Guest Lodge for lunch and tucked into a large slice of Apple Pie and very thick and bright yellow custard.

In the afternoon a gentle stroll up the slope to Kunde. Here again the wealth was evident. First call was the Kunde Hospital, built and sponsored again by the Hillary Trust. There are two full-time doctors here. The one we met was a Nepali who was sponsored by the Trust to attend Med School in Fiji! He spoke of the difference the hospital had made. Previously all the houses were of a similar basic design – one up to live in, one down for the livestock. Most common ailment was respiratory as a result of living together in a single room containing the Yak Dung Stove. Some quite elementary changes made all the difference improving the health of the villagers considerably eg proper chimneys, separate food preparation areas, proper latrines. He showed us into the Clinic which had that immediately recognisable smell of antiseptic. Along one wall was the row of patient records that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a UK clinic. We also saw his store room. The stock gets replaced every six months. One of the key education programmes the doctors have undertaken is working with the local ‘witch doctors’, not trying to replace them but to work with them such that they can advise their ‘patients’ to visit the clinic as well as taking their advice. On the walk back down to Khumjung we passed yet another set of Mani ‘mounds’ and a Stupa – recently constructed from their appearance. Also we crossed a significant earthworks built to divert water running off Khumbila across to the other side of the valley instead of washing down over the potato fields.

Next a visit to Khumjung Gompa sitting high above the village. This was even more impressive than the one at Namche. The walls were lined with a hundred or more Prayer Drawers. There was a cabinet that supposedly contained a Yeti skull. When we paid a donation we were allowed a look. It was more like an overgrown coconut shell with a pointy bit! Outside was a courtyard containing a couple of ancient trees. Elsewhere trees of this age had long been cut down for firewood. Inside separate buildings were massive prayer wheels which when rotated (clockwise!) automatically rang a bell. On the way back into the village we passed what could be described as a satellite aerial farm! Such is the diversity in technology here.

Many of the lodges have ‘Hot Showers’.  At the Highland Sherpa lodge this consisted of a currugated plastic sheeting construction of the side of the building.  A bucket was fixed outside the bedroom windows with a pipe leading from the bucket to the shower head inside the ‘shower room’.  When ready you shout to the Landlady who filled the bucket with hot water.  Obviously there is a need to be well-organised and ready as once started there is no way to turn the water flow off - and once finished there was no more so your timing had to be pretty good! The lodges are all of a similar design.  A stone outer wall and inside rooms built of Plywood sheets containing two bunks with a mattress.  The window ledge provided the only shelf space.  The variations were only the standard / provision of curtains, bed-covers, pillows, lighting.  All rooms are locked – usually with a padlock, but as we were to find out, other rooms could be unlocked with the same key! At Khumjung I did some washing for the first time and experimented drying it out in a special compartment on the outside of my rucksack which would be exposed to the full sun the next day.  The outside dried, but unsurprisingly the inside didn’t. Whilst eating supper that evening, I lost a slice off one of my molar teeth.  I did have thoughts about having to go back down to Namche to visit the Dentist there.  As it turned out the slice was off a tooth that I had previously had root canal surgery.  Hence the tooth had no nerves so I was not in any pain. Also as the slice was from the outside, I didn’t even notice it was missing. Throughout supper we could hear locals outside singing.  This was a celebration of Losar leading up to the Tibetan New Year in February.  The celebration occurs on each full moon preceding the New Year.  After supper a group of children came into the Dining Room to sing and wave their arms at us.  As with Christmas Carol singing, a donation of course was expected. A memorable moment of the trek was watching the sun set behind the left hand ridge of the Kongde in the west followed a short while later by the full moon rising from behind Ama Dablam in the east. The singing outside continued well after midnight – another occasion for getting out the earplugs!  It sounded just like Saturday night with football supporters celebrating a win.  I didn’t think I would ever forget the chorus ‘Away – Away – Awoe’ – or whatever!  Day 5 : Khumjung - Portse Tenga At the Portse Tenga Lodge, I had a single room but the standard was the lowest encountered.  Being on the corner at the back of the building with two windows, the room was very cold.  One set of curtains was ok, but the other set were in shreds – and being only net curtains, didn’t offer any privacy whatsoever!  This was the first lodge we had stayed at that didn’t have mains electricity (supplied by the Hydro-electric plants seen on the way up).  Power here and higher up was provided by solar panels charging up 12 or 24 volt batteries.  Either inverters were used to drive fluorescent tubes or more often the 12/24v powered LED lights.  In my room the builders had obviously ran out of light switches, just leaving two bared wires which I had to twist together to switch the light on. In the afternoon, Nehma and I crossed over the river and walked up to Porche (3810m).  The bridge was a little suspect.  The three trunks spanning the river appeared to be sound enough but the wooden planks lying on top were well rotten.  Half way up the slope we came across a pheasant showing off it magnificent iridescent blue plumage.  The village did not look as touristy as the others.  There were about 4 or 5 lodges but no tea houses.  The only local we saw was an old man carrying great stone slabs from one end of the village to the other.  Later we did see a group of builders (including a woman) digging out the foundations for a new house just below one just finished (but still unoccupied).  We visited the Gompa sitting above the rest of the village, but it was of a standard much below that of the others we had seen. In the dining room for Supper, we had the pleasure of the company of a group of Eastern Europeans with one particular loud fellow who only stopped talking to eat.  He was clearly held in high esteem as one of the group video-recorded his non-stop ranting.   That night the temperature dropped well below freezing which meant sleeping with full cover – ie bed socks, aircrew long-johns, tee shirt and fleece plus a fleece hat pulled down over my eyes and ears.  Next morning I chose not to take off my shirt for my morning wash (there are no indoor washing facilities except in the big lodges in Namche), although the others did say they saw the East European chappy stripped to his boxers having a cold all-over wash.

Day 6 : Phortse Teng - Dole

Today was another short trekking day to Dole covering only 3 km but involving a climb of 430m to a height of 4110m. It is necessary not to climb too quickly to avoid the effects of Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS). As the trek up the Dudh Kosi is relatively steep it has to be taken in small steps. The guide states to climb in 300m steps and on the third day stay an extra night at that height. If flying from Lukla, stay an extra night at the Namche height 3440m or below. Even so we saw groups striding on missing out stops and individuals suffering with severe headaches. Because of the reduced pressure fluids can leach out into the cranium and lungs and it can kill. When Andy's group were at Gokyo, one Swiss lady died and another lady had died a fortnight before in the same region. Even at our pace, I had headaches in the early morning. These would clear after an hour or two once I was up and about.

Soon after starting the leg we saw a couple of waterfalls. Ice had formed on the rocks either side of them. (On the way back I took photos of the falls completely frozen). They were not particularly impressive but it was easy to imagine what they would be like during the monsoon or after the Winter thaw. We passed also an abandoned National Park Check Post which I guess checked your TIMS before the Check Post lower down was built.

Along the trail we would see many porters with huge loads carrying either Trekkers equipment or supplies for the villages further up the valleys. The biggest loads seemed to be for the organisations consisting of equipment in stuff bags for the group's trekkers. There is a view that the organisations use less porters than their trekkers have paid for. The tents, cooking equipment, food, tables etc generally are carried by the Yaks and Naks. The porters often have a walking stick which doubles up as a seat they can use without having to unload. The stick has the appearance of a large Ice Axe.

As Dole was likely to be a popular place with lodgings difficult to find, we sent Pasang ahead to reserve places for us to stay. This is something Andy's group regularly did especially along the Everest Base Camp route because it was so busy. Unfortunately the place Pasang found on the main track was not very impressive so we choose the Alpine Lodge further down the hill-side instead. Obviously the owner of the first place was not too happy - neither was Pasang - so we didn't ask him to do that again.

We arrived at midday. After lunch I went down to the river with an alloy bowl to do some washing. The water was near freezing. While I was there the Alpine Lodge Landlady came down to do her washing. I noticed she used industrial strength rubber gloves!

Later I had a 'hot shower'. This involved taking a bucket of hot/warm water and a jug into a lean-to 'shed' made from plastic sheeting and pouring the water over me. The best bit was soaking my feet in the water remaining in the bucket. From the Alpine Lodge was a fine view of the peaks above Machherma - the area we were heading next.

The Dining Room being the warmest place in the lodge after the cooking was done, the Landlady joined us breast-feed her 22 month old toddler. Her husband was off 'portering' somewhere and she was left to run the lodge, do all the cooking and look after her child. She did have a young teenage girl to help her in the early evening. The women and children run the lodges totally and have to be as resilient as the men.

Day 7 : Dole - Machherma

Today involved another 300m climb to Machherma at 4410m. Here we would spend a rest day.

We passed through Luza and again saw barefoot children playing with simple bits of rubbish. Along the way at Dole we saw one child flattening piles of Yak dung ready to be dried for burning in the stoves.

Machherma is built on the lateral moraine on the northern side of a valley headed by Kyajo Ri to the west. It is stated in the Guides and on the map that is was at Machherma that a Yeti killed 3 Yaks and attacked a woman in 1974. On arrival we headed for the Namgyal Lodge - as recommended by Andy. Unfortunately they were full that evening so we had to stay at the Trekkers Lodge directly opposite. Because the Trekkers Lodge was full the next night due to the arrival of the Everest Lafuna Marathon runners, we booked our rooms in the Namgyal Lodge for the following day.

That afternoon we sat on the raised area with our washing drying on the wall behind us watching the KE Trekking Group arrive and pitch their tents in front of us. Earlier their porters and Yaks had passed us on the way up and had already unloaded had sorted their loads. That evening, the Trekkers joined us in the lodge to keep warm.

Next day I awoke to a magnificent view of the sunrise shining off Kyajo Ri from my bedroom window. After breakfast it was pack your bags and move across to the lodge on the other side of the central courtyard. As we drank our morning tea and took some team photos, we watched the owner's dog 'Tashi' playing on the wall beside us. It was a 3 month old Tibetan? - the breed that was Champion this year at Crufts. Also we witnessed how the solar panels and chimneys were cleaned. The latter by ramming a wooden pole down the chimney by the lad standing on the roof. Later that morning we walked up onto the ridge behind the settlement. To the north towards the Ngozumpa Glacier we could see Cho Oyu in the distance. This is the 6th highest mountain in the world. To the east, Cholatse at 6440m dominates whilst back down to the south, Thamserku can still be clearly seen. Excellent views all round! Below us was the Rescue Post manned by two young lady doctors from the UK. In the afternoon we watched ice clouds forming and changing shape above Thamserku. As we arrived back at the lodge, the marathon runners were just arriving - finishing that day's leg and checking in.

Mid afternoon we walked up to the Rescue Post. We followed a long black water pipe. This took water from higher up the valley and by the time it reached the settlement it was warm enough to do your washing with. We arrived at Rescue Post just in time to see the 2 doctors give the daily presentation on AMS. They run a clinic every day with just a break for lunch and also operate a 24 hour emergency service. They are nearly at the end of their 3 month posting and return to the UK in a fortnight. The Rescue Post is relatively new - built with donations made by various groups and individuals.

Namgyal Lodge had one of the better Dining Areas. They are all very similar - a square room with the stove in the middle, bench seats all around the outside and tables in front of them. Large Dining Rooms also have benches or chairs on the inside the tables as well. Typically in the evening, the porters can be found sitting on chairs in the centre around the stove - the trekkers will be in their duvet jackets round the outside. If lit, the stove will always have one or two large kettles of water on it.

Day 8 : Machermo - Gokyo

Next morning we packed our bags again and climbed back onto the ridge taking the higher track up the valley towards Gokyo along with a group of Americans.  We hadn’t seen many of them because in USA, Nepal is still listed as one of the countries their citizens are advised not to visit.  Again we encountered Sherpas carrying excessive loads for the expedition groups – followed by their Yaks. 

The day’s trek involved walking along a long level track on the side of the mountain and then 300m up a steep ‘valley’ to bring us to the level of the Ngozumpa glacier to the right of us.  The track then levelled off again all the way to Gokyo.  On the way we passed the rebuilt village of Phang which was destroyed by an avalanche in November 1995 killing 26(?) Japanese tourists.  This followed a freak snowstorm – unusual for that time of year.  The new houses have been built well away from the hillside!

On the approach to the first lake, the area was covered with Rock Art – pillars of rocks of all dimensions.  An hour later we were beside the Second Lake.  Both had a bright azure colour.

We arrived at the prayer flag entrance of Gokyo (4790m) just before midday.  In the afternoon, Nehma, Pasang and I took a walk around the Third Lake Dudh Pokhari (4750m) overlooked by the Gokyo settlement.

Day 9 : Gokyo & Gokyo Ri

I spent the whole night counting down the minutes until the next intake of Ibuprofen.  The pulses of 'ache' in my lower back did relax somewhat during the night.  At their worst I was measuring 7/10, at best there was just a constant ache of about 5/10.  I got up at 6am and took 400mg Ibuprofen with my breakfast but it made no difference.  The back spasm had seriously affected the sciatica down my left leg down to my knee.  Not only could i not lean forward but I couldn't lift my left leg very far.  Getting my socks and boots on and tied was an extremely difficult evolution.  I suppose I could have called in Nehma to help but I didn't want to scare him how restricted I was in my movements.  My boots were quite loose but it wasn't as if I was going to do any extreme climbing that day.  Clearly I had to change my plan about going over the Renjo Pass and get down to the docs at Machermo to get stronger painkillers.  I told Nehma and the couple who we were going to accompany, paid the bill, packed our bags (Nehma taking all my heavy kit) and set off back the way we came towards Machermo. With a relatively light back pack and a pair of walking sticks the going wasn't too bad once I got going.  The main difficulty was when the ground was dusty / stony and steeply falling away ahead. Nehma followed closely behind.  I could hear this "slap, slap" of his feet making solid contact with the ground.  It sounded like Gollum from Lord of the Rings.  Because I couldn't bend forward or firmly place my left foot, my feet kept slipping away from me.  This obviously concerned Nehma behind me.  I kept hearing this voice saying "oo" from behind.  Despite the huge weights both he and Pasang were carrying throughout the trek, I don't think either of them slipped once.  They have this knack of putting their feet in the perfect place to avoid slipping, twisted ankles etc.  I suspect they are gifted with this gene - along with the one that gives them flat feet! We arrived at Machermo Rescue Post mid morning but had to wait about 20 minutes while the girls saw to another patient. My diagnosis was Acute Onchronic mechanical back sprain resulting in restrictive flexion.  Treatment was a stronger set of anti-inflamatories - Diclofenac 50mg (to be taken with meals) and Co-codamol (30mg Codine / 500 mg Paracetamel)tablets to relieve the pain at night.  The total cost of the consultation and medication was $60 - money well spent!!So Gollum and I set off again and headed off to Dole which we made in good time being a straight forward downward trek.  We arrived at the Alpine Lodge at about 12:20 in time for lunch and my first Diclofenac tab.  At first I didn't notice the toddler asleep in its cot in the sunlight on the bench seat covered with a thick blanket in the Dining Room. It was only when the mother put the strap around her forehead and carried the cot off to the kitchen did I realise what it was.   When we stayed here on the way up, the mother was helped by a young teenage girl.  But now she had sprained her wrist and held her arm in a makeshift sling.  So now the mother had it all to do herself - run and clean the lodge, cook and look after the toddler.  This time I asked for a room on the front of the house which caught the sun for most of the day and so was much warmer.  The rest of the day I just lay on the bed in the sunlight and dozed.  I could still only lie on my front.  Of all the Lodges we had stayed, the Alpine Lodge had the simplest of latrines.  There were two side by side inside between the Kitchen/Dining area and the block of 8 or so twin rooms.  They were of the same design - a room with a plywood floor with a hole cut into it.  Everything went down that hole.  In front of the back wall was a board holding back a pile of dry leaves, a handful to be used to cover over whatever you put into the hole.  Very simple and yet it was probably one the cleanest toilets visited on the whole trek.  Soon it was suppertime and time for another Diclofenac tab.  In the dining room were quite a few other trekers, including a 'youngish' Korean girl telling us had recently climbed Ama Dablam and Lhotse East.  She said she spends all her money ice climbing - the greatest burden being the fees to climb these mountains.  US$400 to climb Ama Dablam for instance.  There was also yet another single woman trekking with a Nepali guide - I've come across so many.  This time an elderly German lady travelling up to Gokyo.  Again the stove at the Alpine Lodge proved very in effective despite being fed with copious amounts of Yak Dung.  It was still perishing cold in that Dining Room even with a Duvet Jacket.  So by 6pm I was getting into bed.  I decided to leave my walking socks on rather than struggle to get them off.  In fact it was so cold I got into my sleeping bag with all my walking clothes on.  I was still in still discomfort so I took my first Co-codamel tab. By 8pm I still hadn't got to sleep and still couldn't lie on my side so I took another one.  This did the trick of getting me to sleep.  However I woke at 2am with soreness in my back and left leg.  Rather than struggle on I took a third tab and this really did do the trick.  I was out like a light and didn't stir until 7am the next morning.  Much of the soreness had gone to!

Day 13 : Dole - Namche

So it was breakfast, another Diclofenac Tab, pack the rucksack, pay the bill and get back on the track down the valley.  Amazingly the bill for a full-day's board at the Alpine Lodge was 1070 Rs - less than £10 for lunch (hash brown with eg and cheese top) supper (plateful of fried potato and veg) breakfast (porridge) and a twin room to sleep in.  Even more amazing when it is considered that all the fuel and provisions have had to be hand carried up the valley to the lodge.  Soon after leaving Dole, the landscape changed dramatically.  One minute it was rocky, dusty, barren - next we were surrounded by Rhododendron, Juniper and 'Kara' shrubs - the latter bearing red berries which when dried and stuffed alongside your gums, can be used to relieve toothache - the black berries are known as 'Timbore'. The yellow butterflies were very noticeable again.  A bit further down the track we disturbed 2 Impeyan Pheasants that scattered leaving a cloud of dust.  They had an iridescent, multicoloured plumage  - possibly males?  Looking down the valley the sun was just catching the river which looked like a flow of molten silver.  It was still however very cold.  When we got to the waterfalls we had seen on the way up, they were completely frozen.  At 0930 we stopped at Portse for a cup of black tea before making our way up to and over Mong.  This would give us fine views looking back to Portche, Ama Dablam and eastwards towards Tangbouche.  At the top one and a half hours later it was time for another 5 minute rest and let another Yak train pass.  The route between Portse and Namche was like a motorway.  At midday we were back down the other side at Sanasa and ready for lunch.  The village was obviously geared to catch the passing trade with their 'touristy' items for sale laid out on long tables to the side of the track.  On reflection, the walk down from Dole was probably one of the most pleasant walks we had during the whole trek - even taking into account the discomfort in my back and leg.  The track broadened out and became really busy in the early afternoon as we made our way to Namche.  On arrival, the problem was to locate the 'AD Friendship' Lodge where we were to meet up with Mike, Sue and Pasang.  Nehma asked several locals - some gave vague directions, others didn't know or just ignored him.  At one point we were back-tracking I stopped help a little girl down by my feet who had either climbed or fallen down a really steep bank and couldn't pull herself up.  She was waving her hand at me.  Her little brother offered to help but she waved him away.  So I leant down as best I could with the weight on my back my fairly restrictive left leg to grab her hand.  As I did I heard / felt a large rip in the seat of my trousers!  I pulled (dragged) her up and placed her in a heap on the track. As she scrambled up on her feet her first words were 'Thank you' in perfect English and ran off with her brother.  She couldn't have been anymore than 6 or 7.We soon found the lodge - not helped by having HOTEL TIBET signage all over it which would have been recognisable by the locals.  Mike and Sue were sitting outside in the sun.  They had booked a room for me.  The first I needed was a hot shower which was soon arranged down in the basement floor in a Guest's Room.  Next priority was a walk down to the shopping area for a new pair of 'fake copy' walking trousers.  This lodge was very much bigger than the others we had stayed at previously - more like a hotel but run on the same lines.  It however only had a limited menu, but then I realised why - the hotel / kitchen was being run essentially by 2 lads and 2 girls!

Day 14 : Namche

A full night's sleep without the drugs.  Woken up by the sound of crows and chickens.  First time also my feet were warm - and without any socks!  Looked out the window and Namche was under low cloud - the first time that was the case since we arrived.  After breakfast it was next door to the internet cafe to look at and send emails.  Then down to the shops and the Tibetan Market to do some shopping and take a few shots of the town. I had a walk round Namche and came across an area where a considerable amount of new lodge construction was happening.  A row of stone chippers were facing blocks of rock to build the outer casing of the buildings. Met up with Mike and Sue for both morning and afternoon tea.   Finished getting this log up to date.  In the evening played Gin Rummy as a five-some - A 'proper' rest day!

Day 15 : Namche - Lukla

This time is was some domestic ducks that woke me up.  No time to hang about as we had a long day ahead, walking back down to Lukla, back over the long suspension bridges.  Halfway down the Choi Gang descent through the pine forest there was time for one last look at Everest against clear skies once more. Again the landscape changed.  Now there were more trees, flowering shrubs anf greater sizes and variety of veg patches. At the bottom, I took more pictures of the Laija Bridge where the Bhote and Dudh Koshi rivers meet.  We soon came across the first of a number of porters carrying enormous loads destined for 'Moonlight Lodge, Namche' - presumerably a new lodge being built. The individual loads included vast amounts of Insulation material, 3m steel weight-bearing pillars, 15 2m lengths of 10x10cm timber, 7 2m lengths of 15x5cm Floor Boards.  An hour further on we could look back at Kumbi sitting above Kumjung before crossing the river once again and checking out of the National Park at Jorsale.  This time I did photograph the Tourist Record at the Checkpoint.  Note 9,260 visitors last month.  The reason for the low numbers in 2002 was because of the Maoist uprisings.  At 1230 we were back at the Phakding Star in need of lunch.  Here there were different butterflies - similar to Tortoiseshells - on the Marigolds.  Another 2 hour trek to Lukla.  Along the way many of the villages looked very poor.  They had probably once been prosperous with the trekkers staying there, but with the introduction of the airport at Lukla, most now pass them by.  A few lodges were burnt out - maybe from the days when candles were used for lighting.  Particularly at Nurning, the veg patches were full of produce, ready for picking and pickling before the winter sets in.There was the usual hive of activity at Lukla.  The landscape was could be imagined anywhere of the Himalayan foothills.  We met the Yeti Lodge proprietor who gave us the keys to our rooms.  The lodge looked as if it had never been finished.  There was no stove in the Dining Room, just some ineffective electric radiant heater and the rooms had no finishing.  The only other occupant was an Australian who was with a party climbing Ama Dablam but had to pull out as he was suffering a severe chest cough. My room was between his and Mike & Sue's and she still had her cough as well! So I could be in for a restless night. We settled up with Nehma and Pasang giving them the balance of their pay plus a 1400 Rs tip each.  So for the 15 days they will have had 12,600Rs - about £110.That evening Mike and I sampled the local Tambe beer.  This should be a small barrel (in our case a plastic jug) full of millet and spice over which boiling water is poured and the alcohol sucked up through a bamboo shoot.  It was very similar to drinking warm wheat beer.  Instead of turning in straight away, I did some more writing up whilst listening to Pink Floyd.  At 9:30 I plugged in the earplugs (only for the third time - the others being when sharing with Bruce and at Kumjung.  However by 1 am when I had to get up for a leak, all was quiet on both sides so I no longer needed them and had an undisturbed sleep until waking up in the morning.

Day 16 : Lukla

My alarm woke me at 0600.  Porridge was at 0615 so that we would be ready to walk across to the airport for our 0730 flight, the second Yeti Airlines Flight out of the day.  I checked the weather - great! clear skies, no cloud.  However after breakfast we found out that there was mist in Kathmandu and no flights in or out.  Also Yeti Airlines had 2 of its 4 Twin Otters unserviceable on the ground.  There would be a delay getting away.  When the fog lifted in Kathmandu there was a flurry of aircraft from different airlines arriving and then taking off again - an opportunity for more photos.  We said our goodbyes to Nehma and Pasang.  Both were walking back to their home villages - a 2 day hike for each of them.  Took more pictures of the 2 control towers and one of Nupla with flowering shrubs in the foreground.  At 0930 we were asked to take our baggage down to the check-in area.  Again very chaotic and nothing much happened for another hour when our bags were actually checked in.  Then is was another hour or so waiting in the departure lounge watching all the other flights coming in, waiting for ours. When it did, we had to wait on the apron for all the beer that it had brought in to be unloaded.  We got away at about midday.  Tried unsuccessfully to take some pictures through the aircraft windows. It was too badly scratched.  Below was quite a different landscape from the one seen travelling in the opposite direction.  We must have been further south.  There were many more roads (tracks?) and hundreds of square miles of terraced land.  Millions of man-hours must have been spent creating them.  Difficult to tell if they were still effective and hadn't had all the soil washed away in the Monsoons.  We soon landed back at Kathmandu - back to where this great adventure started.  I am really most grateful to Mike and Sue for giving me this opportunity and being such fantastic hosts.

Today was a short trekking day to Phortse Tenga (3680m) only a few miles north up the Dudh Koshi valley.  However it involved a climb to Mong at 3973m.  En route we came across a small herd of Thar deer amongst the vegetation still prevalent at this height.   From Mong we had an excellent view of where we had come from along the Dudh Koshi valley at the beginning of the week and also across to the other side of the valley.  Here the village Porche sat on a ledge carved out of the mountain ridge above the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and the Imja Khola river running down from Dingboche and the Everest Base Camp area.