With Jan, Anita's husband, (see 2002 - autumn trek report) I have planned to have another try at reaching the Everest Base Camp in Nepal. For me it will be the third try.
In 1997, I was in this area with colleague runners from the DSM team Cross-du-Mont Blanc, Leny, Simon, Otto and Huub. In that year I had to give up just before Lobuche because of (altitude) sickness. In 2000, I had another go, this time with Jan. On that occasion I was in very good shape but Jan was struck with altitude sickness in Lobuche and we had to turn back. During that trip we learned that trekking is more enjoyable when one takes things more leisurely.

That is why we prepared an itinerary for this trip that includes an extended acclimatization period at around 4000 meters. However, we also included some extra challenges, namely three high passes. These are the Kongma La between Chukung and Lobuche, the Cho La between Lobuche and Gokyo and the Renjo La between Gokyo and Thame.

Otto for some reason cannot fly out on the same date as Jan and I. In fact he'll start a week later but will catch up with us in Dingboche. From then on he'll have to adapt to our slower tempo even though he can obviously go faster especially since he is never troubled by altitude sickness. For Jan and me this is an opportunity for some relaxed altitude adaptation up to 4200m. The organization of our trek is in the hands of Kame Sherpa and the trekking agency MultiAdventure. MultiAdventure provides the altitude guide and the necessary equipment. Kame hires the cook, cook's assistant and porters.

A week before we are set to leave for Nepal fate strikes - Jan must undergo an emergency operation and while that goes well, he is forced to cancel his trip because he has to remain at home for a period of rehabilitation. However, Jan's wife Anita ceases the opportunity to take his place. Two years ago she was on a trek to the Annapurna Base Camp but had to turn back because of avalanche danger. She likes to repeat that trek. To accommodate the new plan, I manage to delay my departure a couple of weeks and arrive in Kathmandu only a couple of days before Anita gets there and before Otto's return from the Everest area. As a result, we can do the Annapurna trek together.

As our Everest trek follows a fairly unusual route you may be interested in a more detailed itinerary, see route details. Like me, you may come to the conclusion that for certain stages, we should really have reserved more time. Avoiding unnecessary effort raises the chances of success.

The stages and the day excursions have been chosen in such a way that a good adaptation to the altitude is assured for most people. In Dingboche and in Chukung we worked at the acclimatization up to 5000m. Chukung, at 4750m, is ideally situated for this purpose. From there there is an easy walk in the direction of the Base Camp for the climbing of Island Peak and you can also go to a higher altitude in a rewarding trip to the Chukung Ri. I went no further than the saddle at 5360m. From there one has a fantastic view towards the massif of the Ama Dablam, the Nuptse, Lhotse, Lhotse Sar, Island Peak, Makalu and the beautiful summit of the Pumori.

In my opinion it is strange that the glacier trip from Gorak Shep to the Everest Base Camp has received so little acclaim in the literature. I have made several glacier trips in the Alps which were far less impressive than this one.

You start in Gorak Shep going up slowly and then to the top of the the side moraine of the Khumbu glacier. Then you descend steeply to the glacier where the scenery becomes spectacular indeed. There are beautiful views of crevasses and all manner of other ice structures. It is very strenuous, but it is also fantastic.

At Gorak Shep the Tibetan Snowcocks are a special attraction. Each morning they come from the side moraine of the Khumbu glacier, march through our camp and then climb the slope of Kala Pattar.

The track around the 5000m level is not all that steep but still surprisinly exhausting.
Some examples:
- after a stage of six hours with an ascend of over 700 meters, in the camp below Kongma La, I note in my diary "why do people do this to themselves. I do not believe that I walked a heavier stage in my life",

- on the way from Lobuche to Gorak Shep, a half hour before reaching Gorak Shep I grab for my emergency stock of sugar tablets, because I feel a distinct lack of energy,
- at the lakes behind Gokyo I do not come out of my tent the first evening and fail to to take any pictures of the sun set. A pity, because Otto took some splendid photographs from a nearby hillock.

For the good order, Otto caught up with me already in Deboche. He was one day faster than planned. The group is now complete, for Otto and me there are working six Nepali: guide Dorje, Kame, cook Sonam and cook helpers/porters Saila, Garma and Gombu.
Without these people I never could have done this trekking.

It has been very well planned - the day, after I brought Otto to the airport, I can go there again to meet Anita.
We will go to the Annapurna Base Camp.

Annapurna Sanctuary

In the autumn of 2003 the maoïsts have already a strong dominant position in the Annapurna area. Before Anita and I left from Kathmandu, we had already got the message that we probably had to donate NRs 1000 per non-Nepali member to the maoïsts. We were advised to pay without muttering otherwise the price could go up.
When we left Pokhara for Nayapul we had first to pay NRs 1200 to the club of trekking agents. That was because we had not involved a regular trekking office. One came to that amount by asking NRs 100 per day for each Nepali in the party. That was the legal form of extortion. In Nayapul a contribution had to be made in the fund of the rafters association. This time it is something of between 100 and 200 roepies for the whole group.

We walk the following circuit starting in Nayapul: Ulleri - Banthanti - Sinuwa - Deurali - Machapuchre BC - Annapurna BC back to Bamboo - New Bridge - Phedi. We did this in 8 days. If you are not well-trained I would advise to add a day or two.

According to my altitude meter we ascended each day an average of 950 meter (the first 4 days, each day 1102 to 1278 meter).

Anita needed a long break when we saw this little mother of seven day old twins, in Chomrong, on our way back. Anita gives her all the baby clothes she brought from home.
(In 2005 I passed Chomrong again and I managed to see the family again. One of the twins had died).

Pokhara is a good place to relax. There are always interesting things to see on the lake or at the bank of Pewa lake.