The Trek to 4030 mtrs - Day 4 (25th March 2010)

Had an incredibly fitful sleep. The worse night yet! Each room was like a little wooden crate. The air flowed freely through the side of the room, through the roof and also underneath. I was basically sleeping on a hard wooden plank. I ached; my hips and my back. I was so stiff in the morning, I could hardly move. I felt like I had been transported into a freezer, it was that cold. Every time I moved, my sleeping bag zip would rip open leaving me exposed to the cold elements of the mountains. To top everything off, every time someone got up to the bathroom, we would hear there feet touch the floor, their bedroom door opening and the squeaking of the floorboards as they walked past your room door and then finally the slamming of the door out to our outside squat loo.
We hoped today would be the day, the skies will clear. Jeff had said that this is the first time in all his years that he has never seen the mountains and the view. Everyone prayed last night. God please hear our prayers. He did. We woke to

the most amazing views. Although we couldn't see the distant snow capped mountains to our right, we could still see the beautiful mountains. Thank you God! We are incredibly thankful. After breakfast we decided to climb to another few hundred metres to 4,030 metres. It should give us a different view point and hopefully allow us to see the snow capped mountains. The climb would only be 1.5 hours. As soon as we left the tearooms, we really noticed the higher altitude. It was a little more difficult to catch your breathe hence the puffing and the slower recovery time. It was a hard climb, not just due to the attitude but also due to the narrow rocky path. We finally made it to the top however, the clouds had come back over again. A little disappointing but we were going to make the most of it! Scott had brought a NZ flag so we let it fly.

It was really great, a patriotic moment of loyalty and pride for each one of us. Kiwi's can do anything and I DID IT!!! High fives all around. It is a real highlight to be able to climb this high and in such a beautiful country like Nepal. I never ever thought that I would be able to achieve something like this. Thanks to all those who helped me get there - God, family, friends, Claire F, the encouragement from those at work and for giving me this amazing opportunity to do so, my hiking for hope team, James (my PT), my most incredible boyfriend Michael and lastly my trekking sticks!!! I couldn't done it without any of you. Thanks and I really mean that! The rest of the day was spent reading, relaxing, sleeping and even playing games. We even played a game of musical stones. It was hilarious! Everyone was so competitive. For those who don;t know, each person stands behind a rock. Once the music starts (well the banging of pan), someone would remove a stone. When the banging stops, the person left without a stone is out. Watch the video to come!
The late afternoon turned out to be magical. Another moment I will never forget. We got to see the majestic snow capped mountains.




The photo's cannot describe the beauty and the power of those moments. The sense of God's majesty just overwhelmed me. O Lord our God, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens. Ps 8:9. The mountains danced around in our view. They were there one moment, then gone another however, another mountain had appeared. I stayed and watched until the sun went down. I will never forget the sense of awe and the beauty that surrounded me. Thank you God for answering our prayers. That evening, there was a real sense of lightness and freedom in the air. Matt has organised a quiz night. So much fun! We were divided into 3 teams; the hot chicks, the Yakkers and the dhanyavad team. Four rounds of questions consisting of general knowledge and personal questions about the team. We even had a World Vision question which by the way, you will be pleased I got right. Well I would hope so! Who is the founding person of World Vision? WE then moved onto singing and dancing. A fantastic evening around the fire had by all; porters, guides and the hope challenge team. Headed to bed after finding an extra blanket. Hopefully tonight I will have a better sleep! Night.

The Trek to 4030 mtrs - Day 3 (23rd March 2010)

Last night we stayed at Kutumsang which is at 2,450 mtrs. It was our first experience with the Nepalise toilets. For those who don't know, the toilet is a squatting toilet at ground level so you can imagine the number of times people miss the hole. Believe you me, the train and public toilets are soaked with Urine. Yum! I am sure I will have developed great thigh muscles before returning home!!! Enough about that! Slept very close quarters with Christine. I slept okay but woke up at 5:30 am as Ashok and our porters were getting up and having breakfast below us. In fact they had the warmest place in the house; by the fire. Breakfast outdoors at 7 am. A little cold and extremely foggy. We were greeted with very watery porridge. Just to help make it a little more palatable, I decided to add chocolate powder. Hmmm. Well, I have to admit, it didn't make much difference. I decided I need to forced it down my throat as I am going to need all the energy I can get! Today we will be ascending 1650 mtrs and descent 210 metres. We have been prepared for a tough day. Our incredible porters head off as we begin to prepare for the day.

We start at 8 am. The hill gently descends to a brilliant white stupa (literally meaning 'heap')standing in the middle of a field. A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of a Buddha or saint, used by Buddhists as a place of worship. The fog continues to linger as we walk into alpine meadows which are used by herders for pasturing Yaks and other livestock. The rocky climb begins. The path is stoney and steep yet our minds are taken off the track as we walk pass oak trees and rhododendron's blooming with such beautiful colours. Pinks, whites and reds. Apparently there is 17 different colours in Nepal. They are absolutely stunning! The rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal.

The climbs are long and steep. You think you may have reached to the top yet it feels like it continues forever. Although tough with the continual climbs, the surroundings are absolutely stunning. No views due to the mist but forests with diverse flora; orchids, moss, rhododendrons, fungi and many varieties I can't identify.


The stone steps were amazing. They were petrified wood. You could see the lines and the gain from the trees in the stone. It apparently takes 100 years for this process to happen! Very cool. About 2 pm we finally reached the pass. At the top of the pass was a cute little outdoor store set up for the tourist (it is so amazing how they just appear out of nowhere!). A number of the team purchased a few items; drink bottle holders, prayer wheels, hats, belts, books etc. As I was waiting for those to purchase (ask my friends and they will tell you that I am a terrible shopper - I don't buy a thing!) I hear a little angelic voice coming around the side of the house. A gorgeous little 3 year old girl came around the corner singing and banging cymbals as loud and as fast as you could. This little girl is a Sherper. The Sherpa (Tibetan) are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years. After a bit of gentle coxing from myself, then a push from her father, she sat on my knee.
So cute!!! I think of my nieces and nephews.
Everyone was starving! Another 25 minutes to go till lunch. After a steep down climb amongst stones that had tumbled in no particular order, we made the next teahouse. Food.... good...yum..... The climb continues after lunch. The track gets narrower and the corners get tighter as we get closer to the top. Some are beginning to feel the effects of the altitude. The fogs begins to close in and soon we can only a few metres in front of us. I can really begin to feel the cold now. We are getting closer to the snow peaked mountains. We finally reach Tharepati (3640 mtrs), the highest point on the Helambu track(although not as high as Mt Cook; 3,754 mtrs), the way we started, in thick pea soup; fog.

It was disappointing as we were expecting to see incredible views. We were ushered into a very basic tea house but with a very essential piece of equipment; a fireplace! We even get a hot shower tonight for 100 rupees. Count me in! The shower consists of a bucket of warm water in which we pour over ourselves.

After much discussion and three exhausting days, a decision was made that we would have a rest day tomorrow. What this would mean however, we would need to combine both Days 4 & 5 into one day. It would be a challenge but we really wanted to have the opportunity to be able to view the mountains and take some rest. A few people were beginning to suffer with minor altitude sickness; shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and headaches. I am thankful I wasn't one of those. After a dinner of rice and dahl, lots of chats and drinks with the team, our guides and our delightful and fun porters (they sang a number of Nepalise songs) we all headed for bed to pray and dream of viewing those mountains.

The Trek to 4030 mtrs - Day 2 (22nd March 2010)

I had a fantastic sleep! I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the second day. I am surprised, my muscles feel great. No soreness. That's promising. I look outside the window hoping to view clear skies...... but no. The valley's are covered in fog. I can faintly see the outline of the ranges, oh well. Breakfast consists of porridge and fresh fruit, yum. A great way to start the day. We aim to start walking at 7:30 today as we have a long day ahead of us. To make day 3 easier (Day 3 is to be the hardest day) we have added some of day 3 to today. Instead of 4.5 hours, it will be about 9 hours today. Today's trek consists 890 mtrs ascent and 970 mtrs decent. Scott has taken charge and showing us the best exercises to loosen up the muscles. We finally head off at 7:45 am. We left Chisopani (meaning 'cold water')and walk down a steep track surrounded by scrub with a few rhododendron scattered in the mix while passing homes perched on the hillside.

The women are tendering their buffalo's and goats. They seem to be an inseparable part of the farming community. Most mornings, their cows and buffalo’s get a loving wash and are offered food before the days activities begin. The cow is seen as an animal that has power to provide the person whatever they ask for.
We walk through a beautiful little village, where the children were hanging off the building yelling out "Nasmaste", meaning hello. They run up to offer us beautiful flowers however they did want something in return. Chocolate, sweets, pens, chocolate, sweets they continue to chant. After some discussion we felt it wasn't a good idea to offer any sweets as there is no dental care and pens can be used as currency rather than for schooling. After adventuring up a little 'hill' we reached a teahouse for a break so those in the team could fix their pending blisters. Although comspeed blister plasters are great, hikers wool is absolutely amazing. It is 100% NZ pure lambs wool. I will definitely be buying some when I get back. I fully recommend it! We continued to climb the many exhausting steps (made out of stone)

for a few more hours until we finally reached out destination for lunch. What an incredible view! It felt like I was at the top of the world! We had extensive views of the mountains and the terraces. It was absolutely stunning. (photos to come)
The terraces were a green brown color(apparently during the monsoon they go a very bright green), blue when they are far away, dotted with white where there are villages catching the sun. (Photos really don’t capture the incredible beauty of the place). The browny green of the natural vegetation is interspersed with horizontal green streaks, associated with villages, where they have terraced the ground for agriculture.
After a yummy lunch of fried rice, vegetables and yummy green curry sauce we continued to climb for another half an hour and finally begun our descent through rhododendron forest until we descended upon a little village, where we were meant to stay the night. However, what stood before us however was another steep climb. Okay, Lee-Ann, it is time to suck it up and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Off we go... each step is another step closer. At about half way up the mountain, I see Vicki waiting for me. "Lee-Ann, I trust your opinion and I just want to ensure that I am not going insane. Does that look like a dog's head?" I just cracked up laughing! She was right, or maybe we were both going insane! There was a huge rock face in the side of the mountain however, when we were diagonal to the rock face, it really did like a German Shepherds head. Sad I know.
About 30 minutes later we reached our rest stop. Christian announced it was his 50th birthday shortly and wanted to celebrate with us by giving us good old home baking yummy! It was so good. I can't believe he carried this heavy box of baking up all the hills. He's the one who is mad! Okay only another 1.5 - 2 hours to go. Focus.
We continue to walk past homes and even a monastery until we finally reached the top of the hill. We still have at least 45 mins to go. It is starting to get really dark and the fog begins to move in. It is 5:30 pm now. I begin to wonder whether we will reach our destination by dark. The light becomes dim, the clouds continue to move in and the skies start to rain. The path is narrow and rocky at times. Suddenly out of the fog we see one of the porters rushing to bring us coats. We continue down the track hoping each corner will bring us the sight of our home for the night. Time seems to move so slowly. There was only six of us as the others had raced ahead. It is starting to get really cold and then we suddenly hear noises. With great relief it was the rest of the crew waiting for us at the tea house. We were ushered into a dark smokey room with wooden tables and seats and a huge fire belly blazing away. What a welcome sight that was. Apparently we have hot showers tonight. I am so excited and so exhausted! We had walked from 7:45 am till 6:15 pm that evening. Hmmm, I wonder what tomorrow will bring. It is meant to be our hardest day to come. Bed, I can hear you calling. Although a tight squeeze (no space between the beds - twin share and only enough room to close the door) I fall into bed and I am sure I am fast asleep before my head hits the pillow. End of Day 2.

The Trek to 4030 mtrs - Day 1 (21st March 2010)

The Helambu trek is a 7 day trek which gave an insight into the Nepalese culture and a taste of life without the traffic, the pollution and technology. Each night we slept in tea house and experienced the culture of the families we stayed with. Over the period of 7 days, the ascent was 4,700 mtrs, the descent was 5,510 metres with the highest point reached; 4,030 mtrs. It is very uncommon to have such a large group of trekkers so we did draw attention.

Day 1
Excitement, anticipation and nerves filled us (well me anyway) as we headed from Bhaktapur (A beautifully restored medieval town in the Kathmandu valley) to start the trek at Sundrajial. The general feeling expressed "Did I do enough training", Don't worry I will be the slow one", "I hope I have packed enough", "is my pack to heavy?" The evening before, we had to reduce our packs to between 8-10 kgs. My pack at the airport check in counter was 18.5 kgs. How was I going to cull 10 kgs? I did my best but am sure it was way over still! We arrived at the Sundrajial after about a 50 minute bus ride. We meet our porters, who are amazing - the amount they could carry blew my mind!. They strapped together two packs plus food for the trek. They were carrying up to 25 kgs. I am really in awe of them.
We started our stretches then straight into it. The trek for today was a 1,150 mtr ascent and then a decent of 150 mtrs. All I could see before me was the thousands of stone steps. Okay, I have been training, I know I can do this. This is going to be okay. Oh God, please help me. Yes, even before my first step! Okay, the first goal is to the water fall. At 10 am we started to climb, steep concrete and stone steps beside villages and a pipeline that brings the drinking water down into Kathmandu. We prayed and then took a group photo. We continued the ascent, the heat beating down, and I could hardly breath. I couldn't get enough oxygen. We had only just started (about an hour 30 mins into the trek) and I thought, God why me? Can I really do this? We finally reached our lunch time destination (fried bread, dhal and good old cola)to my huge relief. I took my day pack off and realised the reason I was struggling to breath was due to the straps that went across my chest were too tight and hence the difficulty to breath. That was another huge relief! The quote that Ashok, our Nepal guide kept quoting throughout the trip was, it is not altitude that matters but attitude. We were encouraged at lunch that if we can make it this far, then we can make it the rest of the days. Yes, that was how steep it was and certainly encourage those of us who were really struggling! We continued to climb(if I had realised that most of the journey were steps, I would have trained differently)pass beautiful litte villages (at that time I didn't notice much as I was

concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other)and sprawling up the ridge to 1800 mtrs (400 mtrs above Sundrajial). We entered a forest of pine with oak and stunning rhododendrons(what a relief to be finally out of the sun) that continued to climb to Borlong Bhanjyang (meaning 'pass') at 2,440 mtrs before dropping down to Chisapani. We arrived at 5 pm. Chisapani was meant to have superb views over the distant Himalayas and farm lands below however the views were very hazy. The haze is because the last two monsoons have failed and secondly, India is burning off their crops to prepare for the next monsoon season. Please pray that the rains will come Nepal this season! The rain is needed as it has become so dry. We finally arrived at our accommodation. The choice: shared room with lights but a common bathroom or a brand new shared room (just opened the week before) with beautiful bright pink interior walls and leopard bedspread, no lights (wires sticking out everywhere), gaps in our window frames, but an ensuite bathroom with luke warm water. We had a first taste of Mustang coffee; coffee with local wine and yak butter. It was interesting to say the least. I was shattered! It was an extremely hard day. The shock has set in but also the knowledge that I can do this. It was a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. Remember, it is not the altitude that counts, but the attitude. I was in bed fast asleep by 9 pm that night.

An Introduction to my journey so far....

I can't believe how time has flown. So much has happened. My world at times has been turned upside down and inside out. It has been heaps of fun with many new experiences and friends but really hard both mentally and physically. My world has been coloured, stretched and pulled in so many ways. I wouldn't change it for the world!

The team (22 of us from NZ, Jeff (Raw travel), Ashok (our Nepal guide), 10 Porters and 4 assistant guides) I am with are absolutely amazing people. Everyone has gel together, supported one another and had a lot of fun!

What are the comments so far.......

"This has been the best week of my life", "I can't believe how much toilet humor there is", "This has been life changing", "I wonder what it would be like to trek up to 5000 metres?" It has wet my appetite for more"