Exposed and enlightened in Himalayas
It was noon September 13 when the phone rang.
"Hello, this is Jan Bromilow from The West Australian. As prizewinner in our 2009 Be Our Travel Photographer Competition, how would you like to be part of an 11-day trek to the Himalayas in Nepal?"
The offer was genuine. I would be joining a World Expeditions trek known as The Everest Sherpa Trek - 11 days of "moderate" trekking in November, with the highlight being a visit to the base camp of the 6812m Ama Dablam, in Nepal's eastern Himalaya, close to both Everest and Lhotse.
But aged 65, and in receipt of my first pension cheque, I had to ask myself if I could cope with such a venture? How would I fare with altitudes of over 4500m, and up to seven hours trekking a day? Could I get myself fit enough in the two months to the departure date?
My mind wandered back to my boyhood days, when I had watched in awe Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in that classic mountaineering documentary on their conquest of Everest, and how I had dreamt of seeing those mountains for myself one day. There was no way I was going to miss this opportunity.
My training started in earnest the following morning. I found a set of 60 quite steep stairs leading down to the beach, near my home in Mandurah.
With 10kg of camera gear in a backpack, I steadily built up the routine to 3000 steps up and 3000 down a day, with a 4km walk in-between each session.
I supplemented this workout with up to 45 minutes a day on my home exercise bike. I lost 5kg during those hectic weeks, but all too soon departure day arrived and I set off for Nepal via Thailand.
A street scene in Kathmandu. Picture: Jeff Tupper
Kathmandu is intimidating and confronting - an assault on your senses. Our minibus slowly weaved its way out of the airport traffic congestion and into the chaos of street life in Kathmandu.
We saw sights on the roads to the Radisson Hotel that, for us Westerners, almost beggared belief: suffice to say, if there is another city in the world that has more overt poverty, pollution, rubbish, desperate people and traffic insanity, I would not want to see it.
Yet, in this Armageddon-like existence, there is some order: a sole uniformed traffic policeman is able to stop/start the city's almost perpetual motion with one blast of his whistle.
We were met at the hotel by our World Expeditions trek leader, a quietly spoken man from Darjeeling, known to us as Sal. There were five in our trek. Sal proceeded to outline the pattern of our daily treks with great detail concerning matters of health and hygiene, altitude sickness symptoms and treatments, local customs and "do's and don'ts".
We were then given our travel bags, sleeping bags and liners, and a down-filled jacket: everything we would need along the way, excluding what we each carried in our day packs, had to fit in this one large travel bag, with a target weight of 15kg or less.
The next day, we drove to Kathmandu for the short flight to Lukla, where the walking would begin. But poor visibility and low clouds ensured no flights into or out of Lukla.
Sal worked his magic with his mobile phone and local contacts, and by mid-afternoon, he had brokered a deal with a helicopter company to fly us into Lukla for the bargain price of $100 a person.
The lion's share of the charter cost would be met by passengers desperate to return from Lukla to connect with their international flights from Kathmandu.
We squeezed our six bodies and all our gear into the chopper and to say the ride was exhilarating would be an understatement: it was hairy but just brilliant.
About 50 minutes later, we touched down at Lukla, off-loaded our gear, and headed to a local guesthouse for a late-afternoon lunch, before an easy 90-minute walk downhill to our camp for the night, in the village of Ghat.
Day two saw us walking in cloudy and cool conditions for around four hours. We crossed and re-crossed the turbulent waters of the Dudh Kosi several times on swing-bridges, before arriving at our campsite in Monjo.
Sal had warned us that the next day's trek uphill to Namche Bazar would not be easy and he was not wrong. We awoke early to a cold, clear morning, with magnificent views of snow-capped peaks catching the sun's rays high above and around us.
Our spirits were high, and we set off at a steady pace, at first a leisurely walk along relatively flat tracks either side of the river, and several swing- bridge crossings, before passing through the gates of the Sagamartha National Park.
I remember stopping to remove some clothing as the sun warmed us all, then seeing Sal point to the clouds. "That's where we've got to get to," he announced. Collectively and simultaneously we muttered: "You've got to be joking."
We had a vertical climb of over 650m in a horizontal distance of what looked like less than 1.5km. It took us 4 3/4 hours that day to reach our destination, without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
Along the way, through a small clearing in the trees, we managed our first glimpse of Everest and Lhotse. What a sight. We arrived at Namche Bazar just after noon, exhausted and elated.
Namche Bazar is a picturesque and prosperous village, set within a horseshoe-shaped valley, opposite the beautiful peak of Kongde Ri. It is known as the Sherpa capital of Nepal and is a good place to haggle for a bargain with both Tibetan and Sherpa traders.
The next day we took an optional morning walk and were rewarded for our efforts with a spectacular panorama of mountain peaks. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Ama Dablam were all easily distinguishable, with three other 6000m-plus peaks around us - Taweche, Thamserku and Kantega.
It is hard to put into words what one senses and sees in this fabulous landscape, and equally hard to capture in a photo the enormity of nature here. Never were the words "seeing is believing" more true.
The following morning saw us up early and on the relatively easy trek to Deboche where we enjoyed the best views yet of Everest, Lhotse, Kantega and Ama Dablam.
After lunch, we made our way uphill to the Buddhist monastery village of Tengboche. The monastery was rebuilt with the help of Sir Edmund Hillary, after it was destroyed by fire in 1989.
After a frosty and sleepless night, we had 4 1/2 hours of steady trekking before setting up camp near Mingbo, high up on a slope beneath Ama Dablam. The vegetation had changed to mostly a tundra-like tussock grass, reflecting the fact that we were now at over 4500m.
Clouds rolled in around us, and it began to snow lightly. I was now aware of my own shortness of breath, and pondered whether I would attempt the three-hour climb up a further 300m the following day to the Ama Dablam Base Camp.
I decided I would make my decision in the morning, based on how well I slept and how my breathing stabilised. Our guide Sal pointed out that, at the height of the base camp (4800m), the oxygen in the air was only about 60 per cent what we breathe at sea level.
It was our coldest night yet. We all agreed it must have been around minus 8C. Our group had slept little and I had struggled with irregular breathing and was developing a head cold. My decision was easy: I would stay at the campsite while the others would attempt the climb to the base camp.
Instead, I decided I would attempt a smaller climb myself, to get a better view of Ama Dablam.
After an exhausting hour's climbing, I reached the top and was rewarded with a spectacular view of the mountain, up through the steep walls of a ravine.
I sat down beside a small stupa, adorned with colourful prayer flags, and soaked up the moment, all the while trying to capture nature's beauty with my camera.
Boudha Lodge. Picture: Jeff Tupper
This was definitely the high point of my Himalayan odyssey, alone with my thoughts in such majestic surroundings, and for me almost a spiritual connection. I will never forget that day.
After another freezing night at our site below Ama Dablam, we set off in clear skies for a tiring five-hour trek to Phortse.
We descended almost 700m throughout the day, and while my breathing got easier, I recalled a sense of light-headedness, at times almost unaware of how precarious and narrow the track was. My trekking pole saved me a few times.
The next day's trek back to Namche via Khumjung and Khunde proved to be the most arduous yet and almost eight hours long.
We stopped by the Hillary-built school in Khumjung and we also visited the monastery in Khumjung, supposedly exhibiting the scalp of a yeti. I remain unconvinced. We then retraced the climb we'd made some days ago to the Everest View Hotel, and stayed overnight again at the Sherwi Khangba lodge, where a proper bed and hot shower awaited for the princely sum of 500 rupiahs (about $7).
We had another long day trekking to Ghat, and the following day to Lukla from where (hopefully) we would fly out to Kathmandu a day later. Our hotel was alongside the Lukla mountain airstrip, where we watched the skills of the pilots landing and taking off.
Would our luck hold for good weather and a safe flight out tomorrow? All fingers and toes were tightly crossed when we went to bed that night, even though a thick fog had set in.
We were so lucky yet again. We took off on schedule but within a few minutes of arriving in Kathmandu, we learnt that Lukla had once again shut down due to low cloud. After a rest day (which included a city tour), I boarded the plane for the flight to Bangkok and the flight to Perth.
A trek in Nepal's Himalayan region will test your limits, both physically and mentally. It will astound you visually, and question you spiritually.
Your soul will be moved by the incredible resolve and tenacity of the Nepalese people, and you will be left in total awe at the beauty and immensity of Mother Nature's creations.
I have fulfilled a lifelong dream, and seen the roof of the world with my own eyes. I feel very proud of my accomplishment, and humbled and privileged to have experienced such an adventure.
Would I do it again? Maybe, but other exotic travel destinations have now taken on a higher priority.
Would I recommend it to you? Unquestionably, but with the following caveats: you will experience physical pain, but the joys and elation you will also experience along this fabulous journey will stay in your hearts and memories forever.
Group shot at Everest View Hotel.
FACT FILE
We are grateful to small group adventure specialists World Expeditions for sponsoring the Be Our Travel Photographer competition.
World Expeditions' Nepal itineraries include Everest Base Camp $2790 and Annapurna & Chitwan $2090. See www.worldexpeditions.com.au or phone 9486 9899.
Thai Airways flies from Perth to Bangkok, with connections to more than 70 destinations worldwide including to Kathmandu. See www.thaiairways.com.au.
