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Power assisted walking

On my recent trip to Nepal, particularly on the Mera Peak trip and the long nights in the tent, my iPhone was my top gadget.    I used it to read books, (using the Kindle app), listened to a huge variety of podcasts, audiobooks and music,  to watch films and of course to write my blog. My iPhone told me how high I had got on Mera Peak and once I got within range I was able to SMS home to tell everyone I was OK.   I still used a separate camera for taking pictures but suspect that if I practised a bit more I would get equivalent or perhaps better results with the iPhone particularly if I could work out how to use some of the amazing editing apps which are now available.

South Downs Way

Every year around May, a bunch of us get together and go for a walk and in various configurations; have been doing this for last 18 years.  Essentially it's a good opportunity to moan on about the state of things, catch up with each other and drink large quantities of beer.  Key requirements are good countryside, good pubs and good accommodation.

Generally speaking all the trips take place in the UK (we went to Belgium once when the UK countryside was closed down with foot and mouth) and after years of getting soaked in the north and west there has been a shift in sentiment towards the south-east.  I live in Brighton, love walking on the South Downs and pushed the idea of the South Downs Way (SDW).  Because it was my idea and because I had always managed to avoid doing it in the past, this year the task of planning the walk fell on my shoulders.

Mera Peak - March/April 2012

Doing Annapurna Circuit and the Mera Peak expedition back to back, it’s hard not to compare the two treks. Employing any rational criteria Annapurna Circuit would come out on top.   The scenery, both in terms of its scale and variety, is better on the Annapurna Circuit.   You're closer to really big mountains, they come earlier in the trip and stay with you day after day.  The landscape also changes from deep river - cut valleys to wide flat bottomed gorges, and from the wetter Indian -facing mountains to the dry Tibetan style terrain in Lower Mustang.  The scenery on the Mera Peak trek is wonderful, really interesting, but you're a long way into it before you have anything that compares with what you get by day three of the Annapurna Circuit.

It's my trip to Mera Peak though and not Annapurna which has left the stronger impression.  I'm struggling a bit to understand why but even at my age, perhaps particularly at my age, I think it's the word "adventure" that nails it.  Mera was an adventure and for some reason Annapurna just didn't score on what apparently remains a much more important criteria.

Mera Peak - Finishing

One of the special things about trekking in Nepal is the sense of community you have with other trekkers.  Because we had come down a day ahead of schedule we had an extra day in Lukla, a Lukla which was filling up with trekkers whose flights had been cancelled by the bad weather.  So we had an extra day to get stressed about our own flight but also an extra day to exchange stories with other walkers in town, most of whom had come down from Everest Base camp. So it was talking and not walking while we waited.

The weather was bad, there were only a couple of flights all day, and if asked to do a risk assessment on the next day's weather and chances of a flight out then it wouldn't be good.  If you miss your slot than you go to the bottom of the list and have to wait for everyone else before your turn comes around.  It could hardly be more stressful.

Mera Peak Day 16 Lukla

Last night Nigel suggested that we walk all the way to Lukla next day rather than stop for another night at Chutanga in tents. This meant another two hours walking, and it was good that the suggestion came from Nigel as he has found the going tougher than everyone else. The proposal didn't get unanimous support, always a challenge to change a plan, but we agreed to talk about it in the morning.

Last morning tea

Mera Peak Day 15 Thuli Kharka

Despite being on the homeward leg today showed that the Mera Peak trip is definitely not over.

To get from Koto to Lukla and the flight to Kathmandu we have to cross the Zatrwa La Pass over the Charpate Himal.  It's a 4,600 metre pass and is covered with the same snow which gave us the storm we experienced at High Camp last Friday.  It's a three day trip.  On the first day out of Kote we climb up to Thuli Kharka and spend another night camping high, at 4,300 at Thuli Kharka.  On the next day we cross the pass and head down to Chutanga for the last night in tents before a short walk the next day into Lukla.

Snowy start at Kote

The weather has been the classic combination of morning sunshine and afternoon cloud.  To be honest I can do without the sun, my face is badly sunburnt and my lips in particular are in a terrible mess.

Mera Peak Day 14 Kote

Today was a short day, late start and a three hour walk back down to Kote where we stayed 8 days ago.  We are now on the final run and conversation is very much turning to home. 

Almost perversely however, and given what we have been through over the last three days, we have a final big climb up nearly 1600 metres, to over 4,600 metres, camping on either side of the pass, before dropping down to Lukla on Wednesday and a flight back to Kathmandu, weather permitting, on Thursday. We are not quite out of the woods yet.