Mt Everest 3/ Three High Pass Trekking
mt Everest Three High pass Trekking in 14 days, (because of bad weather I could not do Kogmo –la pass ) Fir a 69 years old retired programmer/ businessman, it was not bad job.
Originally I planned to do it independently but thought danger and decided to get a guide cum porter from a company Adventure great Himalaya. The Owner and general manager, Babu was very helpful. Since this was my first Mt. Everest Trekking, I had so many question, among many trekking companies on the internet, he was the only one responded quickly over ten time through internet.
For the bad weather, I had to fly in sep 16, by helicopter paying, $350 per person, stayed at Phakding next to Namache, the second day and stayed one more day for acclimation & dingboche, each day, I failed to go to the summit & chukung Ri ( 5540m) for snowing, only stopped at 5,200m.
At EBC, (Everest Base camp) I met a wonderful guy plan to summit climbing from Australia preparing to start, he looked like hero with surrounding Himalayan Mountains. The mountains were amazing awe inspiring and memorizing. When I reached EBC around noon there was nobody around me, I decided to stay for long because I didn’t want leave. Peoples, however begain coming in more and more . finally I regretfully had to leave ebc around 1;30 pm. Fir all the noise of so many people.
Next morning I went to famous kalapather, standing 3:40 am it was freezing, cold (-10 degree) feared a lot of this climbing for all those scary you tube and internet stories.
It was not easy but not that scary, you will sweat while going up and freeze at the top. The down was grateful with all those Surrounding Mountains. I waited and waited around 7 am, the sun came up shining at all the snow caped mountains. I sat watching and watching for two hours thinking how my life has been trivial and making up my mind to live bigger life. The same day I went to Dzong la a grateful tea shop, village right below cho la pass .
Many people do not realize or ignore the beauty of evening, night of mt Everest area sunset and moonrise at Goraksheph, Dzong la the rising moon was the brightest and most shining among the entire moon, I have evere seen.
Gokyo and Renjo la pass( Both at 5,360m high submerging the trekking when I visited torrid dl pine, I lost my word at Britannica view point for it mesmerizing beauty But Gokyo Ri and Renjo la Pass are several times grand and beautiful. I can Say Mt. Everest 3 High pass Trekking is the number one trekking course in the world. If you do not want to regret visit these amazing mountains when a 69 years old guy can do it in 14 days, probably all of you can do it.
Finally I would like to thank Gakul at hotel Mountain gateway for his kindness when I arrived and left.
From Doug Shin
South Caroline, USA