Day 99: Trekking Day 6: Gokyo (4790m) - Gokyo Ri (5360m) - Dragnag (4700m)

Primer de tot diré: FELICITATS MARONA!! No tinc cobertura per enviar-te un SMS pero et desitjo molt bon dia de Sant!!! Avui ha sigut un dia molt interessant, primer he passat mala nit pq em queien tota l'estona les mantes i em despertava mort de fred!! Un cop llevat he vist que feia un dia espectacular aixi que ha tocat fer el primer cim del trek Gokyo Ri (5360m)!! A les 7 ja caminava (hi ha gent que a pujat a les 5 per veure la sortida del sol, no soc tant motivat). En un parell d'hores era a dalt i QUINA VISTA!! Amb vistes a la joia de la corona Everest (8848m), que de bon mati es veia perfectament pero a la que he comensat a baixar ja es tapava i gent que pujava tard no se si l'haureu pogut veure!!! De baixada parada al alberg per fer la motxilla, dinar i anar a Dragnag (4700m), per demà fer el pas de Cho La (5420m). Lo maco d'arribar aquí ha sigut creuar el glaciar, gràcies a deu no nevat, amb unes vistes precioses!!

First of all I have to say: HAPPY SAINTS DAY MOM!!! I have no signal on my cell phone to send you a text but I wish you spent an amazing Saints Day!!! Today was a very interesting day, first of all I had a hell of a night as the covers kept falling so I kept waking up freezing cold!!! Once I was awake I saw the day was spectacular so it was time to do the first summit of the trek Gokyo Ri (5360m)!! At 7 I was walking (there was people walking since 5 to see the sunrise, I'm not that dedicated). In a couple of hours I was at the top and WHAT A VIEW!!! With views to the queen's jewels Everest (8848m), that you could see perfectly well early in the morning but once I started to go down it was being covered by clouds and people who went up later not sure if they were able to see it!! Once down stop in the lodge to pack, lunch and leave for Dragnag (4700m), to do the Cho La pass (5420m) tomorrow. The beauty of getting here was crossing the glacier, no snow thank god, with some beautiful views!!!

Gokyo Ri (5360m)

Mount Everest (8848m)

Gokyo Valley (4790m)

Mount Everest (8848m) again

En Croqui porta la senyera

Mount Everest with a cloud

L'Everest amb un núvol

El glaciar que creuaré a la tarda

The glacier I will cross in the afternoon

Gokyo (4790m)

People to follow

Gent a seguir

Dragnag (4700m)

Yak looking over laundry (only freshening up not actually washed XD)

Yak vigilant la bugada (només airejant-se no rentada XD)

Day 98: Trekking Day 5: Machhermo (4470m) - Gokyo (4790m)

La raó de fer el trek mes llarg era per a passar per aquesta vall primer, i la veritat es que ha valgut molt la pena!! Avui he recuperat molta de la meva energia, ahir al vespre despres de la xerrada em viag prendre un ibuprofeno doncs tenia una mica mal de cap i tenia entès que no era bo prendre'n, pero ens van dir que no passava res, aixi que gràcies a això he dormit com un angelet crec!!! A mes a mes he tornat a fer servir el meu mini sac, que ahir no vaig fer servir pensant que no feia gens d'efecte, pero tot el contrari, tot i ser només un llençol de seda ajuda a crear una mini cambra d'aires calent!!!!! Total que avui amb mes energia he arribat a Gokyo (4790m) i amb tanta energia i d'hora que he arribat he estat a punt de fer el cim avui, Gokyo Ri (5360m). Pero al migdia que es quan hagués comensat a pujar comensava a ennuvolar-se aixi que he preferit deixar-ho per demà mati com estava planejat!!! Pel camí he passat per 3 llacs ben macos!!!

The reason to make my trek longer was to go through this valley first, and it was totally worth it!!! Today I got back my energy, last night after the talk I had an ibuprofen as I had a little headache and I had been told that it was not good to take them, but they told us it was ok, so thanks to that I slept like a little angel!!! Plus I got to use my mini sleeping bag, last night I didn't use thinking it wouldn't be doing any kind of effect, but totally the opposite, although only being a little silk blanket it helps creating a little hot air chamber!!! So today with much more energy I got to Gokyo (4790m) and with so much energy and early I arrived I was tempted to do the summit today, Gokyo Ri (5360m). But after noon that's when I would have started to climb  it started to be cloudier so I decided to leave it to tomorrow as planned!!! Through the way I crossed 3 really nice lakes!!

Longponga (4710m)

Taujung Tsho (4740m)

Dudh Pokhari (4799m)

To the left Gokyo Ri (5360m) where I will go tomorrow, to the right Gokyo (4790m) where I'm staying tonight.

A l'esquerra Gokyo Ri (5360m) on aniré demà, a la dreta Gokyo (4790m) on passo aquesta nit.

Dudh Pokhari (4790m)

PD. Avui s'han casat la Celia i l'Oscar!! He pensat molt en vosaltres ballant i celebrant mentres m'acurrucava dins del sac de dormir per no morir de fred!!!

Day 97: Trekking Day 4: Dhole (4200m) - Machhermo (4470m)

Etapa mes suau la d'avui ja que també ha servit per aclimatació a l'altitud!! Ha estat be per prendre-s'ho amb calma de bon mati (no haver de matinar tant, tot i que quan ets al llit a les 9 del vespre et lleves bastant d'hora de tota manera!!). Avui per fi no he pogut evitar haver de fer servir un lavabo no occidental (a cuclilles), després de 3 mesos i mitj per India i ara Nepal, ha anat millor del que esperava!!!! Tots estem fent la mateixa excursió aixi que et vas retrobant a les parades i als albergs!! Aquesta nit ha nevat i ha sigut tot maco llevar-se amb tot el paisatge blanc!! En sortir el sol ha marxat tot de nou!!!! Ahir a la nit al alberg vaig conèixer una família que anaven tots 4 d'excursió, sense guia ni portor, fills d'entre 15-13. M'ha fet pensar en la meva família i com si al papa se l'hi hagués passat pel cap la possibilitat haguéssim vingut de petits!!!! Havent dinat em atès a una xerrada sobre el mal d'alçada, com prevenir-lo i els símptomes que te!!! Molt interessant, i donada per una voluntaris anglesos de la meva edat que porten 2 mesos de voluntariat aquí mentres també viatgen pel mon!!!! A canvi d'una donació (100 rupies), ens han medit els nivells d'oxigen en sang i ritme cardiac, jo estava a 78% oxigen (baixet, cosa que explica el cansament) i 95 de ritme cardiac!!

Today's trek was easier as it is used as an aclimatation day too!!! It was nice to take it easier in the morning (no need to wake up to early, though when you're at bed at 9 your gonna wake up early anyway!!). Today finally I had to use a non-western toilet (just a hole on the floor), after 3 and a half months in India and Nepal, it was better than I expected!! We're all doing the same trip and you keep into one another in the stops and lodges!! Tonight it snowed and it was nice to wake up to a white landscape!! Once the sun rose it took everything away!!! Last night in the lodge I met a family trekking together the 4 of them with no guide no porter, children between 15-13. It made me think on my own family and how if my dad had known that to be a possibility we would have come as kids!!! After lunch we went to a talk about altitude sickness, how to prevent it and it's sympthoms!!! Very interesting, and given by some English volunteers of my age who have been here for 2 months and are traveling around the world also!!! In exchange for a small donation (100 ruppies), they measured our oxygen level and heart rate, I was 78% oxygen (low, which kind of explains the tireness) and 95 of heart rate!!

Day 96: Trekking Day 3: Namche (3440m) to Dhole (4200m)

Etapa dura per el desnivell pero maca. Estic fent algunes fotos, pero la veritat es que no fan justícia al paisatge que estic veient!!! M'he llevat d'hora (esmorzant a les 7 per comensar a caminar a les 8)!! Primera part de l'etapa la mar de be, pujada fins a Mong (3800m) amb parada a dinar, on he conegut uns catalans molt macos que estaven de baixada i m'han donat una petita senyera de pulsera pero ser lluir quan faci els cims!!! La putada de l'etapa d'avui es que després de pujar a Mong (3800m) has de baixar a Phortse Thanga (3680m) per tornar a pujar a Dhole (4200m)!! Cada cop que veig que el camí baixa casi plori ja que no tinc gens de baixar ja que se que després hauré de tornar a pujar!! Em sento be de forces tot i que lent, l'altitud i el fet de que no estic en la millor forma de la meva vida ajuden!! Pero mica en mica un pas devant de l'altre es va fent camí!!! Avui per fi després de 4 dies m'he pogut dutxar (pagant extra per la dutxa llogicament), pero te gracia com es fan les coses qui dalt ja que la dona ha bullit aigua pq em pogués dutxar amb aigua calenta (rotllo post-guerra!!)!!

Today's trek was hard because of the change in altitude but nice. I'm taking some pictures, but honestly they don't make justice to the scenery I'm seeing!! I woke up early (breakfast at 7 to start walking at 8)!! First part was easy, going up to Mong (3800m) with stop for lunch, where I met this Catalan couple very nice who were on their way down and gave me a little wrist flag of Catalonia so I can show it when I get to the summit!! The bad thing about today's trek was that after Mong (3800m) you have to go down to Phortse Thanga (3680m) to go back up to Dhole (4200m)!! Every time I see the path going down I'm about to cry as I know it will have to go back up eventually!! I fell strong though slow, altitude and the fact that I'm not in the bit shape of my life help!! But little by little one step at a time I'm making my journey!! Today finally after 4 days I was able to take a shower (paying extra for it obviously), but it was interesting how they do things in the mountains as the women had to boil the wat for me to be able to shower with hot water!!!

Day 95: Trekking Day 2: Rest Day for Sant Jordi

Ahhh!! Quina diferencia!! Em trobo tant millor avui!! Ahir estava extenuat, he dormit 12 hores seguides!! I avui em sento amb les forces renovades!!! Avui ha tocat dia d'aclimatacio a Namche (3440m). Dia d'aclimatacio no vol dir dia de panching, el que vol dir es que dorms a la mateix altitud a la que has comensat el dia!! Aixi que després de llevar-me fins que el cos m'ha dit prou (a les 8 del mati, conteu que aquí a la que es pon el sol no hi ha massa a fer), he esmorzat tranquilament llegint un llibre (celebrant que es Sant Jordi). M'heu comprat uns pals (quina diferencia), he buidat la motxilla (encara mes diferencia) i he comensat l'excursió d'avui Namche (3440m) - Thamo (3480m) - Namche (3440m). Podria haver seguit fins a Thame (3820m), poder hagués estat millor, pero no tenia ganes de fer una excursió tant llarga, ja que el cos em demanava mantenir energia per l'etapa de demà!! A Thamo (3480m) he dinat a una casa/restaurant on havia una dona dinant a fora (sempre ves allà on hi hagui gent, aquest es el meu lema). Parlant amb la dona ha resultat ser californiana. Ella ha pujat a l'Everest i fet fotime de treks per la zona!! Resultava que estava dinant allà ja que era casa d'uns amics seus, i estava allà ja que 3 membres de la família havien mort a l'allau d'aquesta setmana a l'Everest i els havia vingut a veure i al vespre feien una cerimònia en el seu honor!!!! El dinar (un plat que ja tenien fet d'arroç) i una llimonada calenta no me l'han volgut cobrar (la dona m'ha dit que aquesta setmana amb el dol no cobren a ningú!!). Els hi he agraït un fotime de vegades i insistit a pagar pero no han volgut!!! Després de dinar i tenir aquesta conversa tant maca he tornat cap a Namche (3440m), ja que amenaça pluja (s'acaba de posar a ploure ara que estic escrivint això!!!). La dona estava amb un grup d'escaladors i m'ha dit que tenien intenció d'arribar al camp base de l'Everest en 4 dies (es pot si corres i passes d l'aclimatacio); ho explico per els que em preguntaven si calen tants dies per fer el camp base. Jo m'ho prenc amb mes calma i faig una volta per lo que trigo mes. La veritat es que es experiència maca ja que vas trobant poblets on parar i ho disfrutes mes si t'ho prens amb calma!! També m'explicava que el cim de l'Everest s'ha convertit amb unes rambles on has de fer cua per poder fer-te una foto al cim!!!

Ohhhh!! What a difference!! I'm feeling so much better today!! Yesterday I was extenuated, I slept for 12 straight hours!!! And today I feel with new renovated energy!!! Today was aclimatation day in Namche (3440m). Aclimatation day does not mean couch potatoing day, but that you sleep in the same altitude where you started the day!!!! So after sleeping til my body asked for it (at 8am, bear in mind there is not much to do once the sun sets) I had breakfast reading a book (celebrating my saints day). I bought some poles (what a difference) and emptied my bag (a bigger diference) and started the hike of the day Namche (3440m) - Thamo (3480m) - Namche (3440m). I could have continued until Thame (3820m), might have been better, but I didn't want to do such a long hike as my body asked me to save my energy for tomorrow's trek!! In Thamo (3480m) I had lunch in a house/restaurant where there was this women having lunch outside (always go to the crowded place, that is my mantra!!). Talking to the women she turned out to be from California. She climbed mounte Everest and did a gazillion hikes around the area. It turned out the she was having lunch there as she was friends with the owners and she was there as 3 died in this weeks avalanche, and she came to see them and to do a ceremony tonight in their honor!! They didn't let me pay for lunch (a settled plate of rice which they had made) and a hot lemonade (the women told me it was their grieving week and wouldn't charge anyone). I thanked them a million times and insisted in paying but they didn't want!! After lunch and such a nice conversation I came back to Namche (3440m) as it looked like it might rain (it literally started when I was writing the blog in Catalan but stopped now that I'm writing the English version!!). The women told me she was with a group of climbers and who had the intention of getting to base camp in 4 days (you can if you run and don't care about aclimatation); I'm telling this for those who we're asking me the other day if it actually takes that long to get to base camp. I'm taking it easier and doing a little detour that is why I take a longer time. Actually I think the experience is nicer if you take it slower as you keep going through this little towns which you enjoy more if you take it easier!! She also told me that the summit of Mount Everest has become a highway of people and you actually have to wait in line to be able to take your picture!!

Thamo (3480m)

Namche (3440m) - it's where all major treks around the area convey so it's full of stores and cafés (I just saw one selling Starbucks coffee!!!).

Namche (3440m) - es on conflueixen tots els grans treks de la zona aixi que es ple de botigues i cafès (n'acabo de veure un que venia cafè del Starbucks!!). 

Sopar de celebració - Dinner celebration

Day 94: Trekking Day 1: Lukla (2840m) to Namche (3440m)

Començaré dient que estic rebentat!! Crec que n'he passat una mica avui caminant, m'ho prendre amb mes calma els pròxims dies. Avui he fet dos etapes en 1!!! Havia d'haver acabat Phakding (2610m), pero hi he arribat molt d'hora (a les 11 del mati ja hi era!!). Així que he decidit seguir una mica mes fins a Monjo (2835m), on hi era a les 12.30!! Així que he decidit arribar fins a Namche (3440m), pero....jajajaja....aquí hi havia tota la santa pujada!!! M'he flipat una mica la veritat, pero així guanyo un dia, demà tinc dia d'aclimatacio i serà Sant Jordi!! Així que no volia fer tota la pujada pel meu Sant!!!! Fins ara puc dir que m'alegro de no haver agafat guia ja que el camí es moooolt clar, i et trobes un munt de gent pujant i baixant!!! A mes tens controls de l'exèrcit quan passes zones no habitades (comprovant que si hi has entrat en surtis). La gent fent la excursió es d'edats diverses (majoritàriament força grans 50s). I amb l'Anil (amic salvador de la Txenia que m'ho ha arreglat tot) ens truquem per saber que tot va be (guia a distancia)!!!

I will start by saying that I'm exhausted!!! I think I went to far today walking, I will take it easier the following days. Today I did 2 treks in 1!! I should have finished in Phakding (2610m), but I got there really early (I was there at 11 am!!). So I decided to go a bit further to Monko (2835m), where I was at 12.30!! So I decided to go up to Namche (3440m), but.....hahahaha....here was all the fucking elevation!! I shouldn't have gone that far, but like this I win one day. And tomorrow is aclimatation day and it will be Saint Jordi!! And I didn't want to do the climb for my Saints Day!!! So far I can say I'm glad I didn't get a guide as the path is reeeeeaaaally clear, and you find a lot of people going up and down!!! Plus you have army checkpoints in non inhabited areas (making sure if you enter you leave). People doing the trip has differents ages (majorly pretty old 50s). Plus Anil (savior friend from Txenia who has fixed everything for me) and I are in touch to make sure everything is fine (teleguide)!!!

Avió Kathmandu-Lukla (no apte per a cardíacs) - Flight Kathmandu-Lukla (non advisable for easy scarers)

Aeroport de Lukla (tot una aventura aterrar-hi) - Lukla airport (pretty exciting adventure to land in it)

Yak Nepal's national animal - Yak animal nacional del Nepal

Noi a la dreta carregant molt de pes, aquí tot es carrega a l'esquena aixi que es el doble de car per aquesta raó!!!

Guy on the right hand side carrying a lot of weight, here everything is carried on backs so it is twice the price for that reason!!

I crossed the bridge on the top - He creuat el pont de dalt

Primer lloc per veure l'Everest, s'accepten interpretacions de la imatge!! Es millor veure'l ben d'hora ben d'hora!!

First viewing point of Everest, interpretations of the image accepted!! It's better to see it really early morning!!