Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

It looks like we are coming to the end of this trip at last. F or those who have just discovered these photo blogs, the previous posts about my trek through the Everest Region in November 2021: Kathmandu Part I: Lukla to Namche Part II: Namche to Khunde Part III: Khunde to Pangboche Part IV: Ama Dablam Basecamp to Dingboche Part V: Chukkhung Part VI: Kongma La Part VII: Everest Base Camp Part VIII: Cho La Part IX: Gokyo Part X: Renjo La Trekking Nepal, Part XI: The Thame Valley and home Day 19 After our afternoon hiking in the thick (and cold) fog, we woke as usual to bright sunny skies. There was scenery in all directions. We came from somewhere up there. The little building was labeled "Hot Shower," but it wasn't even a shower, let alone hot. The Thame valley leads to the Nagpa La, the pass that provided one of the traditional trading routes to Tibet. International politics have led to the closure of that route, but it was the way the Sherpa people came into the Khumbu...

  F or those who have just discovered this, the previous posts about my trek through the Everest Region in November 2021: Kathmandu Part I: Lukla to Namche Part II: Namche to Khunde Part III: Khunde to Pangboche Part IV: Ama Dablam Basecamp to Dingboche Part V: Chukkhung Part VI: Kongma La Part VII: Everest Base Camp Part VIII: Cho La Part IX: Gokyo Trekking Nepal Part X: Renjo La, the last pass Day 18: Thursday, Nov.  25 The morning of departing Gokyo was as beautiful as the rest of the time there. Though the wind picked up in the afternoons, it was calm at night. My efforts to photograph the mountain and stars reflected in the lake of course failed, but it was also beautiful under the morning light. Gokyo Lake (#3) with (I think) Pharilapche beyond. The breeze is just starting to pick up as we head out. We climbed around the right side of the lake, skirting the base of Gokyo Ri, with the first part of our route visible and daunting. This is a rough trail, and some of our gui...

F or those who have just discovered this, the previous posts about my trek through the Everest Region in November 2021: Kathmandu Part I: Lukla to Namche Part II: Namche to Khunde Part III: Khunde to Pangboche Part IV: Ama Dablam Basecamp to Dingboche Part V: Chukkhung Part VI: Kongma La Part VII: Everest Base Camp Part VIII: Cho La Trekking Nepal Part IX: Gokyo Day 16: To Gokyo and around the lake After the endless descent of the day before, we were looking forward to a quick transit to Gokyo, with time and energy to climb Gokyo Ri after lunch. That would allow time on our second day in Gokyo to hike up the valley past Gokyo Lakes 4-6, toward Cho Oyu (the lake at Gokyo itself is Lake 3).   The first half mile or so, hiking up the valley between the glacial moraine and the mountain, was quick and easy. Then we had to cross the Ngozumba Glacier, which meant getting down onto it first. It wasn't that bad. Kind of like the "trail" down to the beach near our old home in Daly ...