Slightly skeptical about the flight?
Lukla from the air. Check out the airstrip in the centre.
Yes there is a brick wall and then a mountain at the end of it. The breaks went on almost before we touched down. All hearts in throats!!!
Our flight landing, courtesy of one of our group on the flight before.
The runway though the edge of town. Uphill to help you stop and downhill to help you take off.
Our group sorting out gear for the first day of our walk, just outside the airport. Sherpas, porters and kitchen staff looking on. Crazy foreigners!
Mani prayer wall. Porters carrying in theory 45kg. There was no way that was the actual load of any of the porters we saw. See the wooden walking pole, come basket rest. These are very ingenious people.
Ghopkyo carrying loads up to a Stupa. That is not easy terrain!
Waterfall along the route.
Phakding. Our first night's camp. Our's are the orange tents. The building at the edge of the field among the trees was our luxury toilet, with a seat!
Day 2 of walking. Still happy and full of energy.
Phakding in the distance. Beautiful forests and smells.
Another prayer wheel and prayer flag
Local children playing.
Still happy :)
Prayer flags. Greens growing in someone's field.
One of the more hairy suspension bridges!
On the way to Namche Bazaar, which is at the top of the brown hill. Ashley has no idea how long that climb was about to be at that moment.
On arrival at Namche Bazaar. We thought at this point that we were done for the day. We were wrong. There was still another 20 minute climb, up!
Closer to our camp site above Namche Bazaar.
Day 3. Namche Bazaar the next morning. The colours of all the buildings with the mountains around were amazing.
Our campsite at Namche Bazaar. We had to be careful at night with coming out of the tent. Our toilet tents were at the end, in green.
Our rest day consisted of a 300m climb!
So that's UP out of Namche Bazaar.
Not that UP, it was our first proper view of Everest. Definitely worth it. Note the plume of snow blowing off the top as Everest tears a hole in the atmosphere.
See it was really worth it. Everest to the left of Ash and Ama Dablam to the right of Nicola.
Everest, behind the Nuptse ridge, with Lhotse (fourth highest peak in the world) to the right.
The group that decided we wanted to climb on our rest day.
Down in Namche Bazaar looking up at our campsite on the left, way up there.
Mani Prayer wall with Ghopkyo just next to our camp.
Day 4, valleys as far as the eye can see.
The view the other way! Everest on the left in case you're not used to it yet.
Pray flags around a Stupa.
You can't not want your photo here.
Colourful prayer flags always make for an arty picture.
Another amazing porter!
Imja Khola
We'd crossed the river down there!
Tengboche. Outside the monastery.
Inside the monastery.
It was a huge Buddha.
Butter lamps.
Coming out from the monastery. You can still see how busy the place is with trekkers and as such porters.
This bakery was heaven. Apple cake and cinnamon roll. Couldn't believe how many baked goods there were.
Our little group who out voted our leader and enjoyed our treats at the bakery,
Down a hill to our campsite at Deboche. Ash happily telling those who didn't stop at the bakery how good it was. Everest behind the clouds.
The view from the camp site once clouds had cleared.
Day 5. Ama Dablam behind another stupa.
We were starting to see the end of the tree line now. Ash with Ama Dablam in the distance.
Proof that the tree line had all but disappeared. Ama Dablam.
Mani Prayer wall with snow plume off Lhotse and Everest just visible to the left.
On our way to Dingboche.
I'm glad we went over the bridge before they did.
Day 6. Our camp site at Dingboche. We were so glad to have the tea house in the background to eat in, instead of our mess tent. It was so much warmer.
Another rest day and yes another hike, UP! Climb high, sleep low.
Lhotse to the left. We could no longer see Everest any more.
Ash enjoying the sun and rest.
Nicola enjoying the same sun and rest.
Looking up the valley from Dingboche towards Island Peak.
Ama Dablam
Looking down valley away from Dingboche, away from Everest.
Day 7 - Dingboche to Lobuche. Plenty of dust.
This was such an unexpected site. There had been nothing for ages and all of a sudden a house.
Glacial lake. Getting closer to the Khumbu glacier.
Bottom of the Khumbu glacier. Can you see the ice on the rocks. Didn't dare feel how cold the water was.
Crossing the Khumbu glacier. The terrain around became very familiar and not good for ankles!
Ama Dablam behind Ash.
Memorials to dead climbers at the Thukla Pass.
Memorials. Ama Dablam to the left.
There were memorials all around this area with some of the mountains in view, where some are still lying. It was very moving.
Looking up the Khumbu Valley. Pumori to the left.
Lobuche - the barren land. A very cold, rocky and windy night !
Day 8. Khumbu glacier covered in morraine. The ice poking through in places. Khumbu ice fall in the distance.
Ash in one piece still.
National bird of Nepal. We were amazed anything lived this high (5140m).
Khumbu ice fall, starting behind the rock in the centre and going up to the right between the mountains. Everest just visible in the far top right.
Ash not quite in one piece. Really feeling the altitude and exhaustion.
The ice fall!
At base camp! We made it.
Different angle of us at base camp.
Sun setting on Pumori as we make our way down from base camp.
Dinner at Gorak Shep after our successful base camp day. We were all exhausted!
Day 9 - Gorak Shep to Pangboche (25km). The decrease in altitude already making a difference.
Farm house on way to Pheriche.
This land was very boggy! Nicola's ankle didn't survive the terrain. Walking from here got a whole lot tougher with a sprain!
Peering to read the names of all those who have died on Everest over the years on the memorial at Pheriche. There were already names for 2008.
Sun setting on Ama Dablam.
Day 10 - Pangboche to Namche Bazaar. Monastery at Tengboche again.
Looking a little worse for wear.
One of the older wooden bridges, which quite often get washed away in the monsoon.
The beautiful Ama Dablam.
The darkest pine cones I've ever seen.
The view on our last morning in Lukla before heading back to civilisation.
The cloud that delayed our flight out of Lukla and actually made our flight the last one out at 8am.
The funniest baggage claim ever. You are driven from the plane to the outside gate of the airport where your bags are deposited. Our head sherpa Raj to the left.
River in Kathmandu which is important to Hindus and where they cremate their relatives when they die.
Everest flight.
Everest in the distance at the back
The terraced farmed land away from Kathmandu.
Entrance to Buddhist temple above Kathmandu.
Top of stupa.
Prayer wheels, worn smooth by all the turns.
Loads of prayer flags!
