Nepal is a country I have wanted to visit for a very long time. I can't say why exactly; I have never known much about it. I could claim a mystic need to journey there, but I think more likely I was drawn by little more than how sweetly the name Kathmandu rolls off the tongue. That and the presence of the odd high mountain.
And now, as I reflect back on the time in Nepal I find it quite hard to gather my thoughts. I certainly fell in love with the country, which is not a claim I recall ever writing previously, but it was also hard work, and held stark lessons of the ease and privilege offered by my day-to-day life away from Nepal.
Langtang Valley
As many of you will know, Nepal experienced a massive earthquake about two years ago. Almost 9,000 people died and a further 22,000 were injured. The villages in Langtang valley were extensively damaged.
The damage remains clear to see, and approaching Langtang village on the second day of walking is a sombre experience.
Before the earthquake, the village was home to several hundred people, including a hospital, a school and army barracks. The earthquake dislodged a rock slide from high on the valley side which must have been 400m or more wide and who knows how deep. It literally wiped the village away, killing over 350 people. All that is left is a rock-desert: a level plain of boulders varying in size from your fist to your car, at least 2m deep, and extending from the valley wall all the way to the river.
Since the earthquake a new village is being built slightly beyond the rock slide, on safer ground. It's a ten minute walk across the rock desert to get to the new village. Nothing grows or lives on the rock, so the crossing is nearly silent, except for the occasional rumble as rocks fall into the adjacent glacier, and speaking to break the silence feels out of place.
On a happier note, I would certainly encourage prospective travellers to visit the valley. It is absolutely beautiful, the trekking paths are all in good condition, and tea houses are dotted regularly on the trekking routes and are always welcoming.
We spent 3 days hiking up and 2 days down the valley, starting at Syabru Besi (altitude 1,410m) and trekking 6-7 hours a day to get to Kyangjin Gompa (3,900m).
The fourth day was brutal. We were up at 5am, with little sleep due to being un-acclimatised to the altitude. First up was a climb up Kaijing Ri (4,400m) to watch the sun rise, then down for breakfast and a long, long march to Lama Hotel (2,470m). When all was said and done, we were on the move a little over 12 hours: ascending 500m, descending over 2,000m and covering 22km!
Gosainkunda
By the time we reached Lama Hotel we were shattered to the point of questioning whether we were strong enough to tackle Gosainkunda (more long days and even greater altitude), and we spent the evening talking to Hem about what escape options were available should we find either the distance or altitude too much. We came up with a couple of alternative plans, all involved two days walking but would allow us to escape at moderate altitude if necessary. So with minds, if not bodies, somewhat comforted we set out for Sing Gompa (3,330m), with the plan for the following day to either make a small move up to Lauribiniyak or if we felt strong to continue to push through to Gosainkunda (4,460m).
The trek up actually went well and we walked directly to Gosainkunda, presumably we had acclimatised in the previous week and also built some additional walking fitness. The views once we had crested the pass were incredible, with sheer drops to the very distant valley floor, clouds rolling up the valley and towering peaks as a back drop.
Final Thoughts
I will be back in Nepal one day. It may be a long time before I get it right again, but there is no doubt.
I haven't really talked very much about the scale of the Himalaya, but they truly are awesome. The flight out of Kathmandu is the best way for me to describe their size. The airliner heads down the runway like normal, lifts off and wheels go up like normal, but then rather than levelling off a bit, the pilot banks right and keeps the nose pointed high into the sky. A tight full circle and the engines are still roaring and the altimeter ticks past 20,000ft. With a bit of comfort at hand, the pilot levels out heading south east towards our new destination, yet despite the effort to gain height, when I look out of the left windows I still need to look up to see the peaks still easily above us.
I have a final, final thought to share. We wanted to walk largely on our own, which to our minds meant not traveling in a group tour, and keeping our team small by carrying our own bags and not hiring a porter. However given our limited mountain experience and no knowledge of the Nepali language, we did decide to hire a trekking guide: Hem (pictured above). It was a fantastic decision for reasons we had not even considered: the amount of knowledge of the area, of the mountains and of the culture he had was brilliant and so interesting. He knew many of the owners where we stayed personally, so our evenings felt less like "staying somewhere" and more like "meeting new friends." All in all, he added enormously to our experience and our enjoyment, far beyond my simple expectation of making the logistics easier. I would humbly suggest that if you decide to embark on a similar journey to hours, find a recommendation for a guide and sign him or her up - you will not regret it!
And now, as I reflect back on the time in Nepal I find it quite hard to gather my thoughts. I certainly fell in love with the country, which is not a claim I recall ever writing previously, but it was also hard work, and held stark lessons of the ease and privilege offered by my day-to-day life away from Nepal.
Langtang Valley
As many of you will know, Nepal experienced a massive earthquake about two years ago. Almost 9,000 people died and a further 22,000 were injured. The villages in Langtang valley were extensively damaged.
The damage remains clear to see, and approaching Langtang village on the second day of walking is a sombre experience.
Before the earthquake, the village was home to several hundred people, including a hospital, a school and army barracks. The earthquake dislodged a rock slide from high on the valley side which must have been 400m or more wide and who knows how deep. It literally wiped the village away, killing over 350 people. All that is left is a rock-desert: a level plain of boulders varying in size from your fist to your car, at least 2m deep, and extending from the valley wall all the way to the river.
Since the earthquake a new village is being built slightly beyond the rock slide, on safer ground. It's a ten minute walk across the rock desert to get to the new village. Nothing grows or lives on the rock, so the crossing is nearly silent, except for the occasional rumble as rocks fall into the adjacent glacier, and speaking to break the silence feels out of place.
On a happier note, I would certainly encourage prospective travellers to visit the valley. It is absolutely beautiful, the trekking paths are all in good condition, and tea houses are dotted regularly on the trekking routes and are always welcoming.
We spent 3 days hiking up and 2 days down the valley, starting at Syabru Besi (altitude 1,410m) and trekking 6-7 hours a day to get to Kyangjin Gompa (3,900m).
Gosainkunda
By the time we reached Lama Hotel we were shattered to the point of questioning whether we were strong enough to tackle Gosainkunda (more long days and even greater altitude), and we spent the evening talking to Hem about what escape options were available should we find either the distance or altitude too much. We came up with a couple of alternative plans, all involved two days walking but would allow us to escape at moderate altitude if necessary. So with minds, if not bodies, somewhat comforted we set out for Sing Gompa (3,330m), with the plan for the following day to either make a small move up to Lauribiniyak or if we felt strong to continue to push through to Gosainkunda (4,460m).
The trek up actually went well and we walked directly to Gosainkunda, presumably we had acclimatised in the previous week and also built some additional walking fitness. The views once we had crested the pass were incredible, with sheer drops to the very distant valley floor, clouds rolling up the valley and towering peaks as a back drop.
Final Thoughts
I will be back in Nepal one day. It may be a long time before I get it right again, but there is no doubt.
I haven't really talked very much about the scale of the Himalaya, but they truly are awesome. The flight out of Kathmandu is the best way for me to describe their size. The airliner heads down the runway like normal, lifts off and wheels go up like normal, but then rather than levelling off a bit, the pilot banks right and keeps the nose pointed high into the sky. A tight full circle and the engines are still roaring and the altimeter ticks past 20,000ft. With a bit of comfort at hand, the pilot levels out heading south east towards our new destination, yet despite the effort to gain height, when I look out of the left windows I still need to look up to see the peaks still easily above us.
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