Trip report for Dhaulagiri Circuit led by Allan Gibbs and Domi Sherpa in October 2015

Photo: summit shot on Dhampus Peak of Domi, Sona and team (credit: Allan Gibbs)

Our Dhaulagiri Circuit group arrived back to Kathmandu on October 21st and are flying home today. On their return I caught up for a debrief with the leaders, Allan Gibbs and Domi Sherpa, and then met the group at KToo steakhouse in Kathmandu for their feedback on the trip.

The Mountain Company has organised Dhaulagiri Circuit ten times since I went on our first recce trek back in May 2008. However for October 2015 we made a significant change to the itinerary as we included the option to climb Dhampus Peak (6,060m) from Hidden Valley. This addition makes a superb trip even better as not only does the group get the chance to complete one of the most challenging treks in Nepal crossing two high passes over 5,000m but also includes climbing a peak over 6,000m! We had eight people in this group and five people paid the supplement to cover the permit fees for Dhampus Peak.

The group arrived to Kathmandu on October 4th and as usual with our teams there was a mix of nationalities with people coming from UK, Ireland, Canada and Germany. The leaders for our Dhaulagiri Circuit with Dhampus trip were Allan Gibbs (UK) and Domi Sherpa (Nepal). The Sherpa guides supporting the group were Sonam and Tenzing and the cook was Parbat.

On 5th the group flew to Pokhara and took the bus to Beni then after lunch walked to their first camp at Tatopani. For the next three days the trail passes through attractive traditional villages (luckily no earthquake damage here) with views of Dhaulagiri and surrounding mountains to the north. These first few days of Dhaulagiri Circuit are always very hot and humid as Tatopani is at an altitude of only 870 metres.

After Boghara village on Day 5 the trail enters sub-tropical forest and as usual during this section of the trek there was some afternoon rain after the group had arrived to camp. The group reached Italian Base Camp as planned on October 11th and after an acclimatising day on 12th they walked up to Glacier camp on 13th. There was a change in the trail as previously one approached the glacier on left side of Chonbarden gorge however the glacier has melted back and now there is no longer a gentle ramp to access the glacier. Therefore the new trail crosses the river below the glacier to access the right hand side of the glacier. Domi and Sonam rigged a Tyrolean traverse over the river and the lighter members of the group were hauled across whereas the heavier members (no names!) crossed the river on foot.

Throughout this expedition we received weather forecasts from Michael Fagin at everestweather.com and we sent these onto Allan by text to his satellite phone as well as discussed during our regular phone conversations. Overall the weather for this trek was excellent with sunny and stable conditions apart from one cloudy day walking up to Dhaulagiri Base Camp. This group was very lucky as had superb sunny day on crossing French Pass into Hidden Valley. This period of fine weather carried on until the end of the trip so the conditions for climbing Dhampus Peak and crossing Dhampus were very favourable- see photos below.

On October 18th three members of the group plus Allan left the camp in Hidden Valley at 5am to ascend to Dhampus pass, from there they started up lower scree slopes of Dhampus Peak. Above here the route joins the ridge and this is followed to the summit. I gather this year there was no snow on the pass and only a small amount towards the top of Dhampus.

Photo: summit ridge on Dhampus Peak (credit: Allan Gibbs) 

Photo: view from summit of Dhampus Peak (credit: Allan Gibbs)

It was a clear day with wonderful views from the summit of Dhampus Peak over to Annapurnas and Nilgiri to the east and over to Dolpo to the west. The climbers took a different way down from the top descending on Kali Gandaki side of the mountain and meeting the rest of the group at a camp over from Dhampus pass. The next day everyone descended all of the way down to Marpha instead of staying at Alu Bari camp, I think the draw of apple juice, apple pie (and apple schnaps?) was too tempting for everyone. Marpha is a traditional village and everyone enjoyed their time exploring the next morning before walking onto Jomsom.

As with all of TMC western led treks we track their progress while in the field through SPOT gps check ins, you can see the map of this trek on SPOT Adventure website

After arriving to Jomsom that evening the group had a good party thanking the local crew and handing out their tips. On the next morning most of the group flew out from Jomsom back to Kathmandu via Pokhara however three of the group hired mountain bikes to cycle down the Kali Gandaki valley to Pokhara. I look forward to hearing how their cycling trip went on their return to Kathmandu in a few days time.

Congratulations to the group for completing Dhaulagiri Circuit and well done to the climbers who summited Dhampus Peak! As mentioned this is the first summit of Dhampus Peak by a TMC group and hopefully not the last. I would like thank Allan, Domi, Sonam, Tenzing and Parbat plus the rest of the team for their help and hard work in making this trip work so well. Great job!

Photo: Sona and Allan Gibbs on summit of Dhampus Peak (credit Allan Gibbs)

The Mountain Company organise our Dhaulagiri Circuit trek and Dhampus Peak expedition twice a year in April and October, please get in touch if you like to join one of these departures. By the way our Dhaulagiri Circuit group in October 2016 is already guaranteed to run.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.,uk

Trip report for Ladakh Sky Trail GHT led by Almas Khan in August/ September 2015

Photo: start of trek at Lamayuru

Our Ladakh Sky Trail GHT group arrived to Leh on August 19th and on 21st drove to Lamayuru (3,500m) and 22nd they started the trek. This year we had eight people in the group and as usual we had an international mix with people coming from UK, Ireland, South Africa and Germany.

As explained in Trip Report for 2014 Ladakh Sky Trail GHT, Almas Khan created this unique itinerary from years of leading groups in Ladakh. This is his dream trek travelling through the best of the three areas of this region: Ladakh, Zanskar and Changthang/ Rupshu. For most of Ladakh Sky Trail GHT we follow rarely trekked trails and this is only possible due to the local knowledge of Almas and the local Ladakhi guide Tsering Samphel.

As for all or our treks in the Himalayas we received bespoke weather forecast from Michael Fagin at everestweather.com and as I was following these updates in London I was relieved to see the weather was settled and stable. Early in August there was heavy rain in Ladakh causing flash flooding that resulted in damage on trails and bridges on Markha Valley. See BBC article "British trekkers rescued amid flash flooding". This type of heavy precipitation is always a risk in Ladakh however this region is usually dry during the monsoon rains of July and August due to rain shadow effect of Himalayan peaks to the south. However every few years a strong pulse of monsoon pushes over these mountains causing heavy rain in Ladakh, as there is little vegetation to absorb the rainfall there is rapid flow of water off the mountains causing river levels to rise fast.

Fortunately the weather was good for our Ladakh Sky Trail GHT trek and I gather from Almas overall better than last year. There was a little light rain in the afternoon on the first three days then for the rest of the trek they had sunny days. As a result of clear skies at night the temperatures at night were a bit colder compared to last year with the minimum temperature experienced about -6 Celsius. There was more snow on the mountains above 5,800 meters but importantly for this trek the condition of the river crossings was good.

As mentioned in last year’s Trip Report we have carefully selected the time of year to run this trek, by starting in late August into September much of the snow in the mountains has already melted over the summer so river levels should be lower at this time of year.

There are three days of Ladakh Sky Trail where the group walked through deep gorges, this section of the trail involves many river crossings (around 120!). The feedback received from this group was that Teva sandals did not offer enough protection to their feet from rocks as most people were their sandals throughout the days for this section through the gorge. Therefore we have updated our kit list to include fully enclosed sandals to protect your feet rather than Teva type open sandals.

As the weather and conditions were favourable the group made good progress and followed the itinerary as planned. The whole group arrived to end of the trek at the stunningly beautiful Tsomoriri lake at 4,400m on September 11th and then on 12th drove back to Leh. As with all of TMC western led treks we track their progress while in the field through SPOT gps check ins, you can see the map of this trek on SPOT Adventure website

Photo: Tsomoriri lake at end of the trek!

I would like to thank Almas, Tsering Samphel and the hardworking Ladakhi team for doing a great job organising and leading another successful Ladakh Sky Trail GHT. Almas will be back in Ladakh again next summer leading our 2016 Ladakh Sky Trail and we have already requested for the same local Ladakhi crew to join our group. Please get in touch soon if you are interested in joining our Ladakh Sky Trail GHT or if you have any questions on this trek.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Key findings of The Mountain Co's post-earthquake recce trek to Everest region in September 2015

On September 15th I flew into Lukla with one of The Mountain Co guides, Pasang “Zarok” Sherpa, to carry out a post-earthquake recce trek in the Everest region of Nepal. As I am sure you aware on April 25th and May 12th 2015 there were two large earthquakes in Nepal and since then many aftershocks have caused damage in several trekking regions including Everest.

Photo: Roland at Everest Base Camp on September 24th

As part of our own internal risk assessment at The Mountain Co we decided to visually inspect the trail to Everest Base Camp and Gokyo and also the lodges before our groups arrive to Nepal for the Autumn season. I am writing this blog article to share my findings with anyone interested in coming to Nepal this Autumn season as there seems to be a lack of current information on the condition of Upper Khumbu/ Everest region. Hopefully our key findings in this article will be helpful and give confidence to trekkers considering coming out to Nepal to support the recovery of post earthquake tourism. During this recce trek I used social media to record our findings and to post photos, please take a look at The Mountain Company Facebook page.

Our comprehensive recce trek took 15 days and my route followed the classic Everest Base Camp trail through Namche Bazaar, Tengboche/ Deboche, Pangboche, Pheriche, Lobuche and up to Gorakshep for Everest Base Camp and Kalapatar. I also walked up to Thame from Namche Bazaar and up to Ama Dablam Base Camp from Pangboche. After Everest Base Camp we walked the low trail into Gokyo via Phortse and Na then climbed Gokyo Ri. After Gokyo we walked down valley through Machermo and Dole over Mong La to spend one night in Khumjung before walking back down to Lukla. To see our route please take a look at our GPS map on Spot Adventures website.

As a basis for planning this recce trek inspection I used the report from Miyamoto (earthquake and structural engineers) “Damage assessment of Everest region in Nepal” dated July 15th 2015. We decided to carry out this trek in late September as at this time of year the monsoon rains start to decrease. After an earthquake there will always be an increased risk of landslides especially during the monsoon due to the ground being loosened by the shaking and vibrations. By going on our recce trek in September we inspected the region for any further trail damage post publication of Miyamoto report and to check the condition before The Mountain Co groups arrive in early October.

Key findings: trail conditions
Overall the trail to Everest Base Camp and Gokyto was in pretty good shape and during our trek we had no issues with completing our itinerary. Where the trail had been damaged by the earthquake in most places had already been fixed or there were teams working hard to repair. In my view the objective risk has not increased significantly since the earthquake, there is always a risk of rockfall and landslides in the mountainous areas of Nepal especially during the rainy monsoon season from June through to September.

Photo: trail repairs are ongoing

Photo: crews working hard to get the trail repaired for Autumn season

As highlighted in Miyamoto report there are several sections of the trail with new rockfall or landslide risk as a result of the earthquake, these are as follows:

- near Tok Tok a section of the trail has been damaged by a landslide below the waterfall and this debris is now partially blocking the Dudh Khosi river. There always has been rockfall risk around Tok Tok and Bengkar as the valley is narrow here and there are cliffs high above these settlements. As you can see in photo below one house was destroyed by a large boulder falling from above. I heard some talk about relocating the trail onto other side of the valley in the near future however this has not yet been confirmed. We advise our groups walking through Tok Tok and Bengkar to keep moving and minimise breaks in this area and certainly not stop at lodge here for meals or sleep overnight.

Photo: landslide at Tok Tok into Dudh Khosi river

Photo: landslide at Tok Tok

Photo: local house in Bengkar destroyed by a large boulder

- above Namche on the low trail to Everest Base Camp, as you pass the Tenzing memorial there is an area with fractured rock zones above the trail. There is certainly rockfall risk here however if you are aware of this and do not stop below then the risk is quite low. Also the fractured rock is 200m+ above the trail so there should be time to move out the way if there is any rockfall.

Photo: rockfall area above Namche past Tenzing memorial

- there are several smaller sections on trail from Namche to Tashinga that have slipped however the trail is still passable and in one place just passed Sanasa has already been repaired. There is a large landslide newly formed during the monsoon directly below the trail shortly after Tenzing memorial however this is unlikely to affect the path.

Photo: there are a number of smaller landslides on Everest trail although still possible for trekking groups to pass 

- in my view the section of trail with highest risk is on the path to new bridge after Deboche, I gather the older bridge was damaged several years ago and new one was built 300m further upstream. On the approach to new bridge one passes under three landslides above the trail. These landslides are examples of natural hazards on Everest Base Camp trail that were in existence since before the earthquake in Spring.

Photo: trail to new bridge below Deboche

- trail from Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp has changed slightly in two places, firstly in moraine before Gorakshep the path now crosses a new bridge further 30 metres upstream. Secondly after Gorakshep in one place the trail follows below the lateral moraine for 200m whereas before was safer following on top of the moraine. 

Photo: walking to Everest Base Camp on lateral moraine

Key findings: lodges and guesthouses
During our Everest recce trek we inspected the lodges and guesthouses used by The Mountain Co and all of these places are now in suitable condition for use by our groups in Autumn season. Several of these lodges were badly damaged after the earthquake especially in Monjo, Thame, Tashinga, Phortse and Pheriche however the owners have worked hard to repair over the summer in order to be ready for Autumn season. The lodge owners and companies like Everest Summit Lodge have employed large number of workers from outside the Khumbu to help with the reconstruction.

Photo: having tea outside rebuilt Tashinga lodge owned by Everest Summit Lodge

Of course the focus has been on reconstruction of the lodges and guesthouses for Autumn season however there is still alot of work to be done to rebuild local houses. Due to the vast amount of rebuilding required workers are in short supply and their daily rates are increasing. 

It was encouraging to see throughout the Khumbu there were many solid, winterised tents provided by German Red Cross so everyone at least has shelter from the elements. I also saw in some villages "Relief houses" donated by Himalayan Trust, these are small houses made of corrugated steel and wood and look much better than living in tents. It is good to see relief supplies have been distributed throughout the Khumbu by charities and NGOs.

Photo: "relief house" donated by Himalayan Trust

Photo: "relief house" donated by Himalayan Trust

Photo: tents donated by German Red Cross

We noticed the construction methods are changing post earthquake with many of the rebuilt houses now made from corrugated steel and wood rather than stone blocks. Often the base of the house up to about half a metre is still in stone then the rest of the walls are in steel and wood. These houses should have higher earthquake resistance and be safer for people living inside compared to the traditional stone walls and roof.

Photo: reconstructed houses and lodges using more metal and wood materials

Overall conclusions

Sherpas of the Everest region have worked very hard over the summer to rebuild lodges and repair the walking trails to be ready for the Autumn season starting in early October. Yes there are sections of the trail to Everest Base Camp with risk of rockfall however I do not believe this is significantly higher post earthquake as there always has been objective risk of travelling in the high mountains. As discussed the section of trail to new bridge below Deboche built several years ago probably has highest risk of rockfall. As we move into the post monsoon season there should be lower amounts of precipitation and as a result the risk of further landslides and rockfall should decrease.

Following our recce trek to Everest, The Mountain Co has decided to go ahead with organising our Autumn treks to the Everest region. By taking sensible precautions and being aware of these riskier sections of the trail we feel it is the right time to start trekking again in the Khumbu. Of course there is a chance of further aftershocks and earthquakes in Nepal however it is ultimately up to each person to decide their level of acceptable risk.

Updated October 7th 2015: the British government through Foreign and Commonwealth Office ("FCO") currently have no travel restrictions in the mountains of Nepal apart from Langtang and Manaslu regions badly affected by the earthquakes. We suggest you carefully read FCO travel advice to Nepal.

If you decide to trek in the Everest region this Autumn season then we suggest take an experienced trekking guide with you, not only will this enhance your safety but will also provide valuable employment. The best way to support to Nepal is to come out and visit! If you are comfortable with accepting these risks then it is a great time to come as the trails are quieter than usual and the flights to Kathmandu are great value.

Please get in contact with us if you have any questions about trekking in Everest region. If you would like to join one of our groups, please click on this link to the list of trips now guaranteed to run

Trek on!

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk