Trip report for Lunana Snowman (Bhutan) led by Roland Hunter in September/ October 2011

Photo: Druk Air (Royal Bhutan Airlines)

The Mountain Company's 2011 Snowman group had fourteen members with people coming from UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, India, Portugal, Ukraine and Ireland. It is common with our groups to have different nationalities signed up although this was our most international group yet. It is great to have a mix of clients especially on a long trek like Lunana Snowman and this certainly makes for interesting conversations along the way.

I flew by Druk Air (Royal Bhutan Airlines) into Paro on September 22nd to help with the organisation and preparations for the trek before the arrival of the group. It was good to see our Bhutanese crew again especially Dawa (Sirdar) who I had trekked with on our 2008 Snowman trek. Dawa knows the remote Lunana region extremely well having completed Snowman many times including two treks back to back a few years back.

The group arrived to Kathmandu on September 23rd and then flew by Druk Air into Paro on 24th, it was good to finally meet the group after being in touch for so long with everyone on email. After lunch of "Ema Datse" (Bhutanese national dish of cheese and chilies sauce with red rice) we drove to our hotel near Paro. In the afternoon we visited Paro dzong although unfortunately could not go to National Museum as this had been damaged by the recent earthquake.

Photo: Taktsang (Tiger's Nest monastery)

On 25th we hiked up to Taktsang monastery (also called Tiger's Nest) this is the famous cultural icon of Bhutan. Guru Rinpoche flew to this location from Tibet on the back of a tigress and the gompa was consecrated to tame the Tiger demon. The trail to Taktsang starts outside Paro and climbs about 900m to reach the monastery located at an altitude of 3,120m. Everyone enjoyed the walk and it was good to stretch the legs after travelling for so long.

Today the weather was cloudy with some rain and we were hoping the weather would clear for flights to land at Paro airport later in the day. This is because one member was still waiting for his trek bag to arrive after being held up in London. In Nepal my partners Tulsi and Prashant did a great job collecting the missing bag on arrival to Kathmandu and then later in the afternoon, when the visibility had improved at Paro airport, the Druk Air flight landed at Paro . Now everyone was ready and looking forward to starting the trek!

Photo: Mount Jitchu Drake

Selecting the right time of year is essential for improving ones chances of successfully completing the Snowman trek. The crux of this trek is getting in and out Lunana before the winter snows close the high passes (Karchung La and Gophu La both over 5,000m) guard the entry and exit of this remote valley. There is a narrow weather window between the end of monsoon and onset of the snows that will block the passes. As this is a long trek at 28 days there is a tradeoff by starting at end of September where it is quite likely the first few days will be rainy however this means we should be out of Lunana before the onset of winter snows.

I was well aware that when I completed my first Lunana Snowman trek in September/ October 2008 that our group was fortunate with the weather and conditions. Since then I have read numerous read accounts of groups who a attempted this trek in other years where there was far more snow making crossing of the passes more challenging and in some cases impossible for pack animals to continue due to the depth of snow.

On 2008 Snowman we experienced rain for the first day of the trek at the tail end of the monsoon and then very fortunate to get clear weather for the next 27 days! Again in 2011 we experienced a very similar weather pattern with one day of rain at the start of the trek and then settled and stable weather for rest of the time. There was some light snowfall overnight towards the end of the trek at Mischugang and Worithang however this snow soon melted after the sun came out in the morning.

Photo: campsite at Lingshi

In terms of itinerary we organise the complete Snowman trek from Paro to Bumthang. There are very few other trekking operators that run the complete Snowman trek as most groups take the shorter exit route from Lunana down the Nikka Chuu valley. In fact we had two people in our group who had already done this shorter version of Snowman and came back again to Bhutan to do it properly! It was very interesting to hear their views on the differences between the two Snowman treks, they both confirmed that the longer Snowman to Bumthang is far better and includes the best days of the entire trek such as Tshorim Lake, Gophu La, Phorang La & Saga La, Dur Tsachu hot springs and the Djule La pass.

There is also an increasing number of trekking companies that are shortening the Snowman by walking from Punakha to Laya then attempting to cross Karchung La pass into Lunana. This itinerary reduces the number of days and therefore cost of the trek however this is risky as there is simply not enough time to acclimatise to the high altitude before crossing Karchung La into Lunana. We met several groups following this itinerary where members had to turn back with altitude sickness and also several others who were rescued by helicopter later on in the trek due to combination of exhaustion and altitude sickness (also by pushing hard like this people are more susceptible to getting sick from chest infections etc).

Photo: on summit of Karchung La (5,240m)

In terms of logistics the crux for organising the Lunana Snowman trek is to arrange the animal transport in advance and work with reliable contractors. We had four changeovers of pack animals: first from Paro to Chomolhari BC; then to Laya; then to Thanza and finally at Dur Tsachu to Minchugang. It is also important to consider whether to use yaks or horses, in fact these days more groups are relying on horse transport mainly because they are faster than yaks. However yaks are stronger and are able to cross high passes even if there is some snow that would make the trail impassable for horses. We decided to use horses on three sections of the trek and use yaks for the section from Thanza to Dur Tsachu where there are several high passes to cross.

Many groups hope to find yaks on arrival to Thanza in Lunana however this is a risky strategy as the yak herders from Lunana are not reliable and often groups wait up to a week to find animal transport. The main reason is because the Lunaps make serious money picking Cordyceps Sinesis ("caterpillar fungus") over the summer, these are sold to the Chinese as herbal medicine and is worth more than per kg than gold! As a result the yak herders are not very interested in working with trekking groups to make money and also at the same time do not like to take their yaks out of Lunana valley in case earlier snows block their return journey.

Dawa had arranged to use yaks on the section from Thanza to Dur Tsachu however had made an agreement with a yak herder living near Dur Tsachu. This meant that the yaks were heading on homeward direction with our group. The contractor was same one we used in 2008 and is reliable although I was still relieved to see the yaks arrive a day early on our rest day on Thanza!

I was very surprised to meet another group who were hoping to find yak transport and local Lunap guide on arrival to Thanza however not unsurprisingly they were unable to find either yaks or guides so were forced to continue onto Bumthang with their Laya horsemen. The problem for this group was that none of their crew including their horsemen had ever walked on the trail from Thanza to Bumthang so they had no idea where to go! The trail is not very obvious in places so it is essential to check before departure that your guides, cooks and yak/ horseman have previously walked this way before.

Photo: cordyceps sinesis ("caterpillar fungus")

On October 27th day we arrived to Minchugang at the road head and after celebrating everyone's achievement of completing one of the most challenging treks in Himalaya we thanked our Bhutanese crew for their help during this long trek and handed out their tips. Our bus was waiting for us so we drove onto Bumthang and checked in at the lovely Swiss Guesthouse, everyone enjoyed staying here with their friendly hospitality, good food and beer (Red Panda weissen beer on tap)- for more information on Swiss Guesthouse

Photo: Lunana

Lunana Snowman is one of the most challenging treks in Himalaya due to the logistics involved, it is also one of the most beautiful trek visiting a remote area rarely seen by other trekking groups especially if you follow the longer exit from Lunana to Bumthang. Of course Lunana Snowman is a long trek and expensive to join however it is a very special place to visit summarised well by Mark one of the members of our 2011 Lunana Snowman trek- see his comments below:

"The Lunana Snowman trek in Bhutan was for me a dream fulfilled that transcended the magical. Yes - it was long and challenging but now indelibly etched on my mind as the most beautiful place I have been privileged to visit. The highlights were....Karchung La....the rest day in Thanza......Tshorim Lakes....Saga la (surprisingly for me)....simply stunning... and inevitably the Swiss Guest House! Superb leadership by Roland; a master logistician and outdoorsman.....an absolute gentleman." Mark Simmonds 2011 Lunana Snowman trek

On a personal level I felt incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to walk the Lunana Snowman trek for the second time and also was proud of the groups' achievement with all fourteen members of the team completing the trek. There are few other trekking companies who have successfully organised the complete Snowman on more than two occasions.

Of course none of this would be possible without our wonderful Bhutanese crew who worked very hard and looked after us well throughout this long trek. Kahdinche (Bhutanese thanks) to Dawa (Sirdar), Tashi (guide), Tsering (guide), Tenzing (cook) and helpers Karma, Pema, Dogguy and Nima. Many thanks also to Kinley Tshering and Wangmo based in the office in Thimphu for all their help organising the logistics of this trek.

Lunana Snowman trek is now part of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT"), this is a trek crossing the Himalaya from Arunchal Pradesh in India through Bhutan to Nepal, India and Pakistan. 

Yesterday I uploaded to TMC blog a selection of photos from 2011 Snowman trek please click here to view these photos. I also wrote a brief report on 2011 Snowman trek shortly after return so I suggest you also read this report.

If you are considering joining the Lunana Snowman trek in the future then I suggest you read a book by Kevin Grange called Beneath Blossom Rain: Discovering Bhutan on the Toughest Trek in the World and also well worth reading Bhutan: A Trekker's Guide (Cicerone Guide) by Bart Jordan. This is the best guidebook currently available for trekking in Bhutan and covers most of the Snowman trek.

The Mountain Company is planning to organise our Lunana Snowman trek in September/ October 2012 (dates:September 21st to October 26th 2012), please get in touch soon if you are interested in joining this group.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Trip report for Mera Peak (Nepal) led by Roland Hunter in November 2011

Photo: summit day on Mera Peak

Our Mera Peak Expedition arrived back to Kathmandu as planned on November 18th, we were very lucky to fly out of Lukla on schedule as there was a backlog of over 1,000 people waiting for flights as a result of several days of cloudy weather causing cancellations. In fact we were also lucky to fly into Lukla at the start of the expedition on October 31st, our plane landed at 5.25pm and there were no more flights for four more days. Our pilot must have wished he had stayed in Kathmandu as he was also stuck in Lukla for this period! Take a look at the article on BBC website about the delays in November at Lukla (Tenzing- Hilary airport)

I have led groups to Mera Peak during the month of November since 2007 and usually the weather at this time of year is stable with sunny days however this year the pattern was rather different. We experienced cloud and rain until we reached Kote and then it cleared up with several sunny days while at Tagnag and Khare. On November 12th we trekked to the camp at Mera La and as predicted by our weather forecast there was some cloud in the valleys however we were luckily enough to be above the cloud and basking in the sun at this altitude. As we walked to High Camp on November 13th cloud built up by midday although then dropped off again later in the afternoon to reveal the superb view from High Camp of the surrounding mountains.

At 3am on November 14th our group left High Camp on their summit attempts, it was a clear & starry night and pretty cold especially as there were strong gusts of wind. Although by the time the team arrived at the summit there was little wind and superb views in all directions including five 8,000m peaks: Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga. Nine of our group reached the summit of Mera Peak some climbing Central summit and others climbing to the South summit, so congratulations and well done to everyone!

Unfortunately the day after the summit walking back to Kote we descended into the cloud and there was snow overnight as well as for most of the next day. These conditions made our walk to Thuli Kharka (camp before Zatra La) quite challenging while the group arrived in late afternoon some of our porters arrived in the dark after a long day for them.

On November 17th we crossed Zatra Og and Zatra La passes for our return trek to Lukla. The conditions on descent were pretty good as recent snow was soft with no ice however we decided to fix rope to aid our porters and for group to use as extra security. The snowline was much lower than usual and most people kept their crampons until shortly before Chutanga where we had lunch. Here we met another group heading into Mera Peak and heard more about the number of people waiting for flights to Kathmandu due to the bad weather and in fact this group were fortunate to arrive at Lukla by flying Twin Otter to Lamidanda and then by helicopter to Lukla.

On arrival to Lukla I checked the weather forecast in an internet cafe and unfortunately it did not look too promising for the rest of the week however on the next morning we were woken in our tents by the sound of the large Russian MI17 taking off and on looking out of the tent we could see the weather was clear with blue skies. Our flight to Kathmandu with Tara Airlines took off at 11.30am and three hours later (!) we landed at Kathmandu- usually the flight takes 35 minutes although as Kathmandu airport was busy we circled for a while then we had to divert to Biratnagar for refuelling.

Overall our Mera Peak group was very lucky this year, in spite of the worst weather I had experienced on this trek since 2007 we managed to fly into/ out of Lukla on schedule and also had good conditions on our summit day. In fact only the next day a large group of forty people from Leeds Metropolitan University (undertaking acclimatisation research) went for the summit and only six members of their team reached the top- by reading their dispatches it sounds like they hit bad weather with snow and strong winds.

My view is that November is probably the best month to climb Mera Peak. I have been leading groups at this time for last five years and the vast majority of these days on trek we experienced sunny and stable weather. It is worth pointing out that one can get snow and bad weather at anytime of year however on balance November seems to better than other months. Interestingly in the past we have organised groups to Mera Peak in October and April and both of these trips also hit bad weather on their summit days. There are other factors in choosing the best time of year to climb Mera Peak for example in October it is much busier and can be hard to find enough space for all of the tents at High Camp. By December the days are getting shorter and it is much colder so I would certainly not want to be climbing Mera Peak at that time of year.

The other notable comment to make from this year's expedition to Mera Peak was the number of porters that died while we were there from other groups attempting the mountain. It was very sad to hear of three porters dying near Tagnag and my understanding from speaking to owner of Mera Guest House was that the cause of all of these deaths was severe altitude sickness. It seems that in at least one of these deaths the porter was sent down alone while the rest of the group carried on to cross Amphu Laptsa (of course you should send a sick porter down with another porter).

From meeting other groups along the way on Mera Peak it is clear that most of them are ascending way too fast and not spending enough to acclimatise to high altitude. Of course what most people in these groups did not consider is the effect of rapid ascent on their trek crew, it may well be fine for members of the group who are probably anyway taking diamox and also not carrying much weight however it certainly is not fair on the porters carrying heavy loads.

Our approach at The Mountain Company has always been to design our itineraries to allow for adequate time for natural acclimatisation, for example our Mera Peak itinerary from arrival to Kathmandu is 22 days which is 2 or 3 days longer than several other UK based operators. By having these extra days means you have a far higher chance of summitting Mera Peak and also more likely to enjoy it at the same time! We also include one contingency day in our Mera Peak itinerary so provides a buffer in case of any delays along the way.

As always I would like to thanks our Nepalese trek crew who did a great job this year under challenging conditions. Danyibad to Lhakpa Rita Sherpa (Sirdar) and to our Sherpas: Nima Tendi Sherpa, Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa, Sonam Sherpa and Lhakpa Gyaljen Sherpa. Of course thanks to Saila Tamang our cook who along with the rest of the kitchen crew provided tasty food throughout the expedition.

The Mountain Company is planning to organise two Mera Peak Expeditions in 2012, the first one is in Spring from April 15th to May 6th followed by our Autumn departure from November 4th to 25th. Please get in touch soon if you would like to join one of these groups.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Our September/ October 2011 Lunana Snowman group successfully complete this trek across northern Bhutan

Photo: Mount Jitchu Drake

Photo: loading yaks at Worithang camp

I arrived back to Kathmandu yesterday with our 2011 Lunana Snowman group after being lucky enough to lead this trek for the second time, my first Snowman was in September 2008- click here to read 2008 Snowman trip report.

Our itinerary is the complete Snowman trek starting in Paro and finishing in Bumthang taking twenty eight days and crossing fourteen mountain passes over 4,500m. There is no doubt in my mind this is one of the most beautiful and remote treks in the world.

Overall the trek went very well we were lucky with the weather enjoying settled sunny conditions for most of the time and very little snow on the passes, I will post some of the photos onto TMC blog later on. I will also write a detailed trip report when I get back to Kathmandu after my Mera Peak Expedition starting in a few days time.

Photo: Punakha dzong

Congratulations and well done to all fourteen members of our group who successfully completed this challenging trek across northern Bhutan. Of course none of this would be possible without our wonderful Bhutanese crew who worked very hard and looked after us well throughout this long trek. Kahdinche (Bhutanese thanks) to Dawa (Sirdar), Tashi (guide), Tsering (guide), Tenzing (cook) and helpers Karma, Pema, Dogguy and Nima. Many thanks also to Kinley Tshering and Wangmo based in the office in Thimphu for all their help organising the logistics of this trek.

The Mountain Company is planning to organise Lunana Snowman trek in Bhutan in September/ October 2012 please get in touch soon if you would like to join this group.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Trip report for K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La led by Roland Hunter in August 2011

Photo: rockfall at Urdukas camp

This year’s K2 trek started on an inauspicious note when I found out the evening before flying to Pakistan there had been a landslide on the train line from London to Gatwick…landslides are not common in London however I gather this incident was caused by a burst water pipe. I only found out about this by chance while reading BBC website so then arranged a minicab to airport- if I had not read this on evening before I would have probably missed my flight!

The Mountain Company's K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La group met up in Islamabad on August 6th and next morning as planned we went to the airport for the flight to Skardu in northern Pakistan. We were informed by airline around midday this flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Skardu valley. After reviewing the weather forecasts for next few days the chances of flying looked low so we decided start driving on early morning 8th along the infamous Karakoram Highway (KKH), we decided to take the road over Babusar Pass (4,200m) rather than following KKH through Besham in Kohistan region.

The drive went well and after spending a night in Chilas at Shangri La hotel we continued onto Skardu and along the way we only encountered two small landslides on KKH resulting in a slight delay. This was the first time that I had driven over the Babusar Pass I can highly recommend this road as not only is it shorter than going through Besham it also passes through a beautiful valley. There is less risk of landslides blocking this road and also this Babusar valley has better security than Kohistan along KKH.

On morning of August 9th we took jeeps from Skardu to Askole, this village is the starting point for K2 Base Camp trek. For our first five days on the trek we experienced cloudy conditions and most days we got some rain by late afternoon or evening. Based on my previous six treks to K2 this amount of precipitation was unusual. My concern at this stage was the amount of fresh snow falling on the Gondogoro La pass increasing the risk of avalanche on Concordia side and also rockfall/ mudslides on Hushe side. In fact there had already been one incident earlier in the summer when one porter had been killed and also a number of others injured as a result of a rock slide near Gondogoro La pass.

On August 16th we had a rest day at Urdukas camp at an altitude of 4,130m, Urdukas is known as a good campsite located off the glacier so much warmer for the crew and also has fixed facilities such as toilets and washbasins provided by an NGO called Mountain Glacier Pakistan. Urdukas is a fine place for a rest day as at 4,100m it is helpful for acclimatising before continuing onto Concordia. On our rest day all of the Mountain Co groups are given mountaineering training with demonstration and practice sessions for the techniques required for crossing the Gondogoro La pass.

At 2pm while I was instructing one of our team members I was shocked to feel the ground shaking and then heard the dreaded rumbling noise of rockfall, immediately I ran over to the top of the hill overlooking camp to see how much rock had fallen. My worst fears had come true as it was apparent that the large rock above Urdukas had fallen and then crashed down through camp to the glacier below destroying everything in its path. There was much confusion over the next hour as we attempted to check all of our trek crew however luckily we knew early on that all of our trekking group were fine.

Sadly it became apparent that three of our porters had been killed in this rockfall and one porter had sustained a shoulder injury and there were also three other porters from another group that had been injured. In fact there were eight porters camped directly under the rock and when this fell luckily for them the rock bounced over their heads and continued down the slope. Fortunately in our group we had a veterinary doctor and a nurse, they performed a superb job turning our mess tent into a field hospital and immediately started to provide medical assistance. At this point I was in touch via satellite phone with our Pakistan ground operator in Islamabad to explain the situation and request an immediate helicopter evacuation. From our initial assessment it became apparent that two injured porters from the other group needed to be flown to hospital as soon as possible.

As I explained the situation to our local agent they immediately started to set in motion the organisation of a helicopter rescue by contacting all of their connections. As a result of their impressive efforts Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan approved a humanitarian mission by helicopter to evacuate the bodies and injured porters. The next day at 11am a Russian helicopter (MI 17) landed at Urdukas and in fact this was only possible due to the work from members of our group who set to work extending the helipad to enable a large helicopter to land. And even after all of their work there was barely sufficient room for landing and at the time I was worried the helicopter might abort and fly back to Skardu! I gather this was the first time in history of the Baltoro that a helicopter had been used for the emergency evacuation of porters (rather than foreigners), so many thanks to Pakistan Army and all involved for arranging this.

After the helicopter had taken off flying back to Skardu we had a meeting with our porters to figure out plans for the rest of the trek. Initially all of the porters made the decision to return to their villages and of course while the group was disappointed we accepted bearing in mind what happened and of course understanding their shock after this sad event. Following the porters’ initial decision however after an hour or so it became clear some porters were keen to proceed with trek. After protracted discussions a deal was struck where we would stay at Concordia for two nights although the porters made it clear that they did not want to cross the Gondogoro La pass. In the end half or our porters decided to leave to return to their villages and we continued on with the trek with the remaining porters.

As the group trekked to Concordia on August 19th the weather started to clear and we were lucky to get fine views of Gasherbrun IV at head of the valley. On the next day during our walk to K2 Base Camp and Gilkey memorial the views of K2, Broad Peak and other surrounding mountains were superb. The weather stayed fine for the rest of the walk down the Baltoro so we were lucky to get fine views of Masherbrum, Mustagh Tower, Broad Peak, Gasherbrums, the rock spires of Trango, Cathedral, Lobsang etc.

The porter tragedy at Urdukas was an incredibly sad day for everyone however at least we know that we did everything possible in the situation by providing medical assistance and arranging helicopter evacuation back to Skardu. Everyone in our group pitched in any way they could to help out so I would like to thank everyone very much for their efforts.

The camping terraces at Urdukas campsite were first cut out by Duke of Abruzzi and Vittorio Sella's 1909 expedition to K2 over 100 years ago and since then this place has been used by every trekking and expedition group visiting the Baltoro on their way to Concordia. Therefore we were simply incredibly unlucky for this sad event to have happened while we were camping at Urdukas.

As anyone who has spent time in the mountains knows there is always a degree of objective risk associated with travelling in these areas especially Karakoram range where rock is loose and mountains steep so the resulting risk of rockfall and landslides is relatively high. Of course for the Balti people of Braldu and Hushe valleys this risk is even experienced in their villages and was brought home last year when a number lost their lives due to flash flooding in Skardu and Talis village.

Several members of our K2 group and also The Mountain Company have donated funds to the family of dead porters, this contribution will help until their insurance claim is processed and their money received in 5 to 6 months time. If anyone reading this blog feels like they would like to help contribute to these families then please get in touch with us and we can help arrange this for you.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Our treks guaranteed to run in Nepal for Autumn (Fall) 2011

Photo: walking on glacier to High Camp on Mera Peak

The Mountain Company has a number of treks guaranteed to run for Autumn (Fall) in Nepal, if you are interested in joining one of these departures then please get in touch with us soon.

There are still international flights to Kathmandu at reasonable prices for most of October and November however it is likely this will change soon as we get closer to the peak trekking season in the Himalaya.

The following treks are now guaranteed to run and there is currently availability if you are interested in joining one of these groups:

Dhaulagiri Circuit

October 9th to 28th 2011

Langtang and Laurebina La

October 20th to November 5th 2011

Mera Peak Expedition

October 30th to November 20th 2011

Kanchenjunga Circuit

November 2nd to 27th 2011

Annapurna Sanctuary

November 5th to 20th 2011

Everest Base Camp

November 6th to 24th 2011

Everest Luxury Lodges

November 19th to December 4th

Everest Base Camp

November 29th to December 17th 2011

Please get in touch at anytime if you have any questions or would like any further information about any of our treks.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Trip report for Dhaulagiri Circuit in April 2011 led by Lee Farmer

Photo: Mount Dhaulagiri see from French Pass

In April this year The Mountain Company organised our fourth trek around Dhaulagiri Circuit. I led our first Dhaulagiri Circuit group in May 2008 then Gary Pfisterer was the leader in October 2009 and I led another group in October 2010. I have copied the links below to previous trip reports written on this blog:

Dhaulagiri Circuit trek in May 2008 led by Roland Hunter

Dhaulagiri Circuit trek in October 20010 led by Roland Hunter

In April we had nine people in our Dhaulagiri Circuit group and this trip was led by Lee Farmer and their Nepalese Sirdar was Jhire Rai. Lee is an Everest summitter and also a qualified International Mountain Leader.

Everyone arrived to Kathmandu on April 24th then flew to Pokhara on 25th to start the walk that afternoon after meeting the crew and having lunch in Beni. At this time of year the first few days are always hot and humid however of course the temperatures cool off at higher altitudes. We have chosen the best time in the Spring season for this trek, by starting in the last week of April means that the group will cross Dhampus pass on May 7th and French pass on May 9th. From our experience this is the optimal time to increase chances of crossing these high passes as weather is usually settled and temperatures warmer compared to March and April.

As it turned out this group experienced good weather and conditions for both days crossing French and Dhampus passes. As is usual in Spring the trail over Dhampus pass is icier and more slippery than in October, Lee decided that the group should put on crampons below Dhampus Pass and kept them on for all of the snow traverse to above Yak Kharka. In fact there was even one section of fixed rope on descent of Dhampus pass placed by a Czech team climbing on Dhampus Peak who kindly allowed our group to use for extra safety and security. This contrasts to when I led this trek in October last year when we put on crampons at top of Dhampus pass however most people took them off again shortly afterwards as were not really required for extra security on the traverse. It is essential that everyone in the group (and also crew and porters) bring crampons then make the decision whether to put them on while on trek.

We have received good feedback from the group about this trek, as explained in our Trip Dossier this is a tough and challenging trek however it is an achievable objective for fit hill walkers. One of the reasons we send a western leader for Dhaulagiri Circuit is to provide training and instruction on basic mountaineering skills as most people booked onto this trek have never used crampons and ice axe beforehand.

Lee gave an "Ecole De Glace" training session at Dhaulagiri Base Camp where he showed the group how to fix crampons to their boots properly and then demonstrated techniques for walking with crampons such as duck walking, front pointing and hybrid style. Then Lee discussed the use of an ice axe by demonstrating self belay and self arrest. After this demonstration everyone had a chance to practice these techniques. From discussion the group after this session everyone felt confident they had the right skills to safely cross the high passes on the Dhaulagiri Circuit.

This was the first time that Lee had completed the Dhaulagiri Circuit trek and his comments on the trek were as follows:

"I thoroughly enjoyed this trek- high and wild. It was a great immersion into a more remote part of Nepal. It was good working with the team I had and all worked very hard. Tulsi and Prashant in Kathmandu were excellent and very organised and the sherpa team of cooks and porters were very good and I particularly liked working with the Sirdar Jhire Rai."

As ever I would like to thank the trek crew for their work on this trek as we would not be able to visit this amazing area of Nepal without them! Of course thanks also to the leaders Lee Farmer and Jhire Rai.

The Mountain Company is organising Dhaulagiri Circuit trek in October 2011 and also April 2012 please get in touch if you would like to join one of these departures. Our October 2011 trek is now guaranteed to run and there is currently availability, this trip will be led by Dom Rudd. Our April 2012 Dhaulagiri Circuit trek will be led by regular Mountain Co leader Alan Ward.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

DIL Trust UK successfully reach Everest Base Camp in April 2011

Photo: Everest summit

Congratulations to the team from Development in Learning ("DIL") Trust UK who successfully trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal with The Mountain Company in April this year. In spite of poor weather and conditions up high the group carried on with admirable determination to reached Base Camp on April 26th.

DIL Trust UK seeks to establish or adopt, and operate primary and secondary schools for less privileged children, primarily girls, in the under-developed and rural regions of Pakistan. Their Everest Base Camp trek was a fundraiser for this good cause in Pakistan.

Thanks to Georgina Hobbs and Nepalese Sirdar Buddhi Rai for their help in making this trek such a success and of course thanks also to the porters who carried the group's gear for everyday of the trek.

If you are interested in trekking to Everest Base Camp to raise funds for a charity of your choice then please take a look at our Open Everest Challenge led by Alan Ward with dates November 29th to December 17th 2011. This trek is now guaranteed to run and there is currently availability please get in touch soon if you would like to join this group.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Part Two: Trip report for The Great Himalaya Trail (“GHT”) trek from Makalu to Everest completed in May 2011

Photo: rapel/ abseil down West Col (approx 250m)

Continued....after everyone had crossed Sherpani Pass we walked over West Barun glacier to the top of West Col passing the site of Baruntse Advanced Base Camp. This camp could be used if group was too slow in crossing both passes in one day however at over 6,000m it is too high and no doubt people would suffer from altitude sickness. It is much better to get over West Col and descend to Upper Baruntse Base Camp at 5,700m.

The rapel down West Col is about 250m long and follows a steep line on ice and through some rocks (see photo above). The issue is the time taken for porters to lower their loads down to the base of West Col, this is a slow process especially as there is risk of rock fall for the crew helping at the bottom of the pass. Unfortunately during the lowering one of our loads broken open and six tents fell into a crevasse at the bottom of the pass however that night we had enough shelter with most of the group sharing their tents with three people rather than the more spacious two per tent!

After the long day crossing the passes we decided to have a rest day at Upper Baruntse Base Camp while our climbing Sherpas went up to help bring down the last loads from top of West Col (non essential items like extra food etc) and also to look in the crevasse for our tents. In the end they were successful in recovering two tents however four of my Mountain Hardwear Trango 3.1s were lost (these were new tents costing a total of US$3,000, ouch!). Luckily our Sirdar knew a Baruntse expedition leaving Base Camp that day and they kindly lent us two more Trango 3.1s so we had enough tents for rest of the trek.

After our rest day we walked to Amphu Laptsa High Camp, the trail descends to Baruntse Lower Base Camp and then follows rocky moraine into the upper Hongu Valley past the higher of the Panch Pokhari Lakes. Shortly after arriving to camp I set off with our climbing Sherpas to take a look at the pass and fix ropes in advance of our crossing tomorrow. From camp we followed a rocky trail to the glacier where there was an ice step of 10m to access the glacier then an easy trail to the top of the pass. The view from Amphu Laptsa is superb with Baruntse and Chamlang and also looking back to West Col it was possible to see the route we had followed.

This was my first time crossing the Amphu Laptsa, I had heard from others how dangerous this pass is especially for porters so I wanted to fix as much as possible for safety and security. In fact the conditions were very snowy this year so we had to fix an extra 300m of rope lower down on descent where usually one walks out on a rocky trail.

The next morning the group left camp at 4.30am with dawn appearing as we walked up the rocky trail, it was a beautiful sight to see Chamlang and Baruntse tinged with the morning glow. The group made steady progress up to the top of the pass and the started the rapels on the otherside, it was certainly a relief to get off the ropes and start on the trail down to our camp near Imja lake.

There was no doubt the next day the group was tired however there was a strong sense of accomplishment as we had successfully crossed the three passes into the Khumbu and now there was an easy trail to follow to Lukla. Most people took their time walking down to Dingboche while reflecting on the last few weeks and enjoying the mountain scenery of the upper Imja valley with views of Lhotse Shar, Island Peak, Cho Polu, Peak 38 and further down the valley Cholatse and Taboche.

Of course none of this trip would not have been possible without our amazing Nepalese crew. Many thanks to our porters from Kharikhola (and a few also from Kathmandu), our climbing sherpas Chhongba Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa, our walking sherpas Dawa Sherpa, Lhakpa Chirring Sherpa and Ang Babu Sherpa. Thanks also to our cook Gombu Sherpa and of course our Sirdar Pema Tshiri Sherpa who kept the show on the road.

I would like also to thank Robin Boustead for his help and assistance in the organisation of this trek.

You might be interested to see some of the photos of this trek please click on link below to see Part Two with photos from Sherpani Pass to Khumbu:

Part Two: photos of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") from Makalu Base Camo to Everest crossing Sherpani Pass, West Col and Aphu Laptsa

If you have not already read Part One of my Trip Report I have copied the link below:

Part One: Trip report for The Great Himalaya Trail (“GHT”) trek from Makalu to Everest completed in May 2011

The Mountain Company is planning to organise our Makalu to Everest trek again in Spring 2012 so please get in touch soon if you would like to join this group.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Part One: Trip report for The Great Himalaya Trail (“GHT”) trek from Makalu to Everest completed in April/ May 2011

Photo: Mount Makalu as seen from Base Camp

The trek from the Makalu region to Everest is known as the most difficult section of The Great Himalaya Trail (“GHT”). Completing this section of GHT has been an ambition of mine since I summited Mount Makalu in Spring 2009, I was hoping after this climb to walk out over Sherpani pass, West Col and Amphu Laptsa passes however as it turned out we summited late in the season so had to return on the easier and faster trail to Tumlingtar.

Please click on the links below to see the story of my summit day on Makalu and photos from Makalu expediton 2009:

Our summit day on Makalu May 2009

Part one: Makalu expedition photos

Part two: Makalu expedition photos

Part three: Makalu expedition photos

Part four: Makalu expedition photos

Following my expedition in 2009 I got to know the Makalu area well and also had trekked to Everest Base Camp many times with groups however had not been over the three passes that link these two treks. The first pass is Sherpani at 6,200m followed by West Col at 6,150m then the last pass is Amphu Laptsa to enter Everest region.

For our Spring 2011 we had twelve people booked onto our Makalu to Everest trek with most of them having already been on a trek with The Mountain Company on a previous occasion. Our Makalu to Everest trip was a reconnaissance trek and we clearly explained to everyone that we would only cross the passes if we encountered good weather and conditions, if unable to make the traverse to the Khumbu then we would have to retrace the trail back to Tumlingtar.

Selecting the right time of year is very important for this trek in order to maximise the chance of successful crossing the passes. While I was on expedition to Makalu in 2009 we heard of several groups in March and early April who were not successful and were forced to return to Tumlingtar as attempted this trek too early in the season. Therefore when planning our Makalu to Everest trek we carefully selected the dates and in the end decided to fly to Tumlingtar on April 24th and back from Lukla on May 19th. As one gets into late April the weather is much warmer and our plan was to cross Sherpani and West Col on May 10th, there is usually stable weather around this time when teams on Everest and Makalu are also making their summit bids.

The other factor that has prevented groups crossing these passes is the amount of time spent acclimatising to the high altitude and therefore during the planning stage we incorporated into our itinerary plenty of time before crossing Sherpani and West Col. As our Spring 2011 trek was billed as a recce the itinerary was flexible and in the end we decided to have three nights at Makalu Base Camp, two nights at Sherpani Low Camp and one night at Sherpani High Camp. Not only is spending this amount of time important for the groups’ acclimatisation but also for the porters and crew who are of course carrying much more weight than us!

The group flew into Tumlingtar as planned on April 24th and we were very lucky as we heard that flights were cancelled for the next four days due to weather, that would have been a bad start to the trip having drive for 24 hours in a bus and of course losing valuable days from the trek. The landing at Tumlingtar is on a wide grassy plateau so easy and not too scary compared to the hairy Lukla airstrip, in fact they are in process of adding a hard surface of tarmac to Tumlingtar so will be even smoother next year.

After meeting our kitchen crew in Tumlingtar we had lunch then took Landrovers along the jeep track through the market town of Khandbari and onto Chichila where we camped for the first night. That evening there was heavy rain and in fact throughout this trek we experienced far more rain compared to 2009 (after returning to Kathmandu we heard that this year all expeditions throughout Nepal had been experiencing more precipitation than usual). However by the morning the clouds had cleared and we were rewarded with a superb view of the Himalayas including our first view of Makalu and Chamlang.

For our first day trekking we were mainly walking along the jeep track to the village of Num however on the second day walking to Sedua we were off the road and following a local trail through the fields and forest down to the bridge over Arun river. Our permits were checked in Sedua and then next day continued to the last village at Tashigaon. We had some keen birdwatchers in the group and it was fascinating to see some of the birds pointed out such as common mynah, crested bunting, streaked laughing thrush, green backed tit however the two birds that really stand out were the stunningly colourful verditer flycatcher and firetailed sun bird (seen near Khongma campsite)

From Tashigaon we walked through the lush cloud forest to Khongma where we stayed for two nights to acclimatise before crossing Shipton La. This campsite at 3,600m was at the snowline and both afternoons we had hail and snow. On our acclimatising day most of the group joined a morning walk along the Khongma ridge, by “climbing high sleeping low” this helps the acclimatisation process. After the first mani wall along the ridge there was snow on the trail however we continued to the second mani wall at just over 4,000m.

On the next day the crossing of Shipton La went well although we had no views along the way as it was a cloudy day (very common to get poor visibility on crossing Shipton La...). There is one steeper section on the climb up to Shipton La before the lake called Kalo Pokhari however it was not too icey so group and porters managed this without fixed ropes. It is worth pointing out that the maps are very inaccurate for this section of the walk, for example Nepa Maps shows three passes after the lake when there is only one (Keke La). After crossing the passes we camped at Debotay where there is one small hut, this place is not marked on the maps however there is more space and better water source than Mumbuk further down the trail.

From Debotay we descended into the Barun Valley passing through a landslide area then through several yak meadows (kharkas) to our camp at Yangle Kharka. The next day we continued to Langmale Kharka passing through the last section of forest made up of rhododendron and pine trees before climbing above the tree line. As there is a 750m ascent from Yangle Kharka we decided to spend two nights in Langmale Kharka for acclimatisation before continuing onto Makalu Base Camp.

We were very lucky with the weather on our day trekking to Makalu Base Camp, the views of Peak 6 & 7, Chamlang, Honku Chuli and of course Makalu were sensational. Personally it was an enjoyable day bringing back lots of memories from my Makalu expedition two years ago and it was good to take time walking along the trail to absorb this amazing scenery.

In the end we decided to stay three nights at Makalu Base Camp to help with acclimatisation, on the first day we gave some mountaineering instruction to the group for ascending and descending fixed ropes and other useful tips for crossing the passes. On the second day the group went for a walk on the slopes to east of Makalu Base Camp where they reached an altitude of 5,300m with good views of Lhotse and Everest.

After three nights at Makalu Base Camp everyone in the group was sufficiently acclimatised to ascend to Sherpani Low Camp at 5,200m where we also spent two nights. This trail starts from Makalu Base Camp and stays to left (west) side of Barun Valley and does not descend onto the glacier as one does for the approach to Makalu Advanced Base Camp. The trail follows the ablation valley and lateral moraine then becomes rocky as traverses past several side valleys however the trail is reasonably well marked by cairns. The view of Makalu changes throughout the walk on this day as the West ridge becomes more prominent and also North West ridge appears and then at the end of the valley Lhotse and Everest soon becomes visible.

The trail to Sherpani High Camp is also on rocks involving lots of boulder hopping followed by a loose scree slope as one turns the corner to enter the valley leading to Sherpani High Camp (a good idea to wear helmet here as there is some risk of rockfall in this section of the trail). Sherpani High Camp is located an altitude of 5,700m just before the glacier, from here the trail to Sherpani Pass starts on moraine to the right and then after passing the icefall descends onto the glacier and follows this to the base of Sherpani Pass.

After arrival to Sherpani High Camp myself and the climbing Sherpas went to have a look at Sherpani Pass and to fix ropes before the group's crossing tomorrow. Following the glacier to the base of the pass we then fixed ropes to the top, the route starts on a snowy gulley traverses left on a rock step then follows easier ground to the summit of the pass. The view is superb from the pass with the flat West Barun glacier and West Col visible and also Baruntse, Chamlang and Honku Chuli. There is a 50m or so rapel/ abseil from Sherpani Pass to the other side descending onto West Barun Glacier.

Our plan for the next day was to cross both Sherpani Pass and West Col to get to Upper Baruntse Base Camp (5,700m), of course this would be a long day however the other option of camping between the passes at over 6,000m did not sound like a good idea as altitude sickness would be very likely at this height. We left Sherpani High Camp at 1.15am and made good progress to Sherpani Pass with dawn appearing as the group started the climb to the pass. Luckily at this point our porters were ahead of us and after a waiting for an hour or so all of the porters had lowered their loads and started their walk across the glacier to West Col.

As this Trip Report is longer than usual I have decide to write in two parts, hopefully this level of detail will be helpful for others planning to do this trek and of course this trek is likely to get more traffic in the future as Makalu to Everest is the crux section of GHT. I will write Part Two of this Trip Report shortly covering this trek from West Col, Amphu Laptsa to Khumbu region.

At this point you might be interested to see some of the photos of this trek please click on link below to see Part One with photos from Tumlingtar to Sherpani Pass:

Part One: photos of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") from Makalu Base Camo to Everest crossing Sherpani Pass, West Col and Aphu Laptsa

The Mountain Company is planning to organise our Makalu to Everest trek again in Spring 2012 so please get in touch soon if you would like to join this group.

Part Two: Trip Report for The Great Himalaya ("GHT") trek from Makalu to Everest completed in May 2011

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Part Two: photos of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") from Makalu Base Camp to Everest crossing Sherpani Pass, West Col and Amphu Laptsa passes

Photo: view of West Col from top of Sherpani Pass

Photo: Baruntse seen from Sherpani Pass

Photo: Chamlang and Honku Chuli seen from Sherpani Pass

Photo: rapel/ abseil from top of West Col

Photo: abseil/ rapel from West Col (approx 240m)

Photo: Upper Baruntse Base Camp

Photo: Baruntse seen from Upper Baruntse Base Camp

Photo: descending to lower Baruntse Base Camp

Photo: moraine ridges on trail to Amphu Laptsa High Camp

Photo: one of the Panch Pokhari lakes

Photo: morning climb up Amphu Laptsa

Photo: scree slope on Amphu Laptsa

Photo: Amphu Laptsa glacier

Photo: view of Hongu valley from half way up Amphu Laptsa

Photo: seracs on Amphu Laptsa

Photo: view of West Col from Amphu Laptsa

Photo: top of Amphu Laptsa Baruntse behind

Photo: descending Amphu Laptsa

Photo: view from Amphu Laptsa to upper Imja glacier

Photo: abseil/ rapel down Amphu Laptsa

Photo: camp near Imja lake

Photo: Imja lake and Cholatse & Taboche

Photo: Lhotse and Island Peak

Photo: Cho Polu

Photo: trail to Chukkung

Photo: Chukkung Ri

Photo: Dingboche (4,400m)

Photo: Kangtega and Thamserku

Photo: Upper Pangboche village

Photo: chorten near Pangboche and view of Everest

Photo: Tengboche monastery