Nepal 04

Tracing the Footsteps

It had always been my dream to see Mt. Everest ‘live’.

Mountaineers, such as George Mallory, Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Chris Bonington and many others inspire me. While I could not possibly emulate them and achieve what they achieved, I was more than happy to be able to trace and follow part of their footsteps and experience part of their experience.

And so, I set my eyes upon Kala Pattar, a relatively difficult and challenging trek, in the Everest Region.

For more detailed account of the trek and the experience, go to ‘Mt. Everest – A Dream No More (Nepal 04)’ under ‘Footprints’.

The Summary

Summary of the trip
(Click on the photo to view larger version)

The Route and the Trail

(Click on the photo to view larger version)

The Trail Profile

(Click on the photo to view larger version)

Lukla – Phakding

Flew from Kathmandu to Lukla (2,800m)

Lukla Airport
We started trekking right from the airport

Along the trail – relatively flat? Steep descent coming!

Scenery along the way (above and below)

Lunch stop – after 2 hours of walking

Lodge in Phakding (2,800m)
Another one hour of walking after
lunch and finally we were in Phakding

Phakding – Namche Bazaar

The trail and the trek (above and below few)

After 7-hour long and gruelling trek with
steep ascent and descent in between, we finally
arrived in Namche Bazaar (3,440m)

Namche Bazaar, the administrative centre
for the Khumbu region and…

…an essential acclimatisation stop for those
who plan to trek to higher ground

The market area (above and below)

Inside the hotel

Acclimatisation Day – Syangboche and Khumjung

Trekked up to Syangboche (3,900m) and Khumjung (3,790m) and back to Namche Bazaar for acclimatisation purpose to avoid acute mountain sickness (AMS) which is common at altitude beyond 3,000m.

In Khumjung, we visited the school which was established by Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man who set foot on the peak of Mt. Everest in 1953.