Planning An Epic Walk

We have spent the last three days gathering advice from guides on which trek to choose, which variations on each trek are best, and whether to go with a porter and/or a guide.  Our friend Alex in Vermont recommended trying the ambitious “Three Passes” trek in the Everest Region (or Khumbu), and doing so with his guide and friend from many years ago, named Tanka Rai.  After communicating with Tanka via email for some months, we have now met with him twice and seen for ourselves that he is friendly and speaks English well. 

I know from having done the Langtang trek here in Nepal in 1986 that employing a guide is not necessary when staying in teahouses and not camping.  But I agree with Eydie that having a guide along will teach us lots more about Nepalese culture, as well as provide important companionship for Brook.  Knowing that Tanka has visited clients/friends in the States once, including Alex in Vermont, gives us additional confidence that he will understand our wishes.  All three of us immediately had a positive impression of Tanka.  It’s hard not to.  So today we asked him to be our trekking guide and he has agreed.  We are delighted! Tanka will also find a porter to join us, to greatly reduce the amount of weight we each carry throughout the trek. 

In consultation with Tanka, we have decided to take Alex’s recommendations to do the Three Passes trek and to enter the Everest region the slow way, by busing eight hours to the town of Jiri, then walking for 8-10 days to reach the town of Lukla.  The fast way, and the way that more than 90% of trekkers choose to enter the Everest region, is to fly to Lukla directly from Kathmandu.  We expect that trekking from Jiri to Lukla will allow us to acclimatize (adapt to thinner air) more gradually, more safely.  It will also put us in great walking condition before we reach the high altitudes.

What these decisions mean is we will be out walking among the highest mountains in the world, away from vehicle access, for a solid month.  It should be quite an experience!   We’re less concerned with how Brook will meet the physical demands than how he will manage the potential boredom of so, so many hours on the trail.  Time will tell, for now we have committed to this plan.  We leave in three days!

- John