Last Updated on: 10th January 2025, 07:51 pm
Day 7: Namche Bazaar (3440 m) to Phortse Thanga (3660 m)
We left this morning at 08:15. The first part of the path is also the standard route to Everest Base Camp, so there were quite a number of trekkers on the path. The young porters who had their music blaring detracted from the experience. This path is mainly wide and mainly packed earth and easy walking.
The split in the path is at Sanasa (3600 m). We headed in the direction of Mong La (Mong Pass).
The small settlement of Mong is at 3970 m, so the ascent up Mong La is about 370 m. We stopped at a teahouse with great views for lunch.
After lunch we descended the other side of Mong La. We could see the Dudh Koshi River far down in the valley below.
Phortse Thanga is tiny, and it appeared to consist of about three lodges.
This was the only lodge we stayed at that did not have an attached bathroom. The bathroom facilities left a lot to be desired – there was a toilet at the end of our passage, but the basins were outside.
The toilets in all our lodges were Western style. Toilet paper (bring your own) must not be flushed but rather disposed of in the bins provided. Some of the toilets need to be flushed with a jug filled from a large barrel of water. At some of our lunch stops, the toilets were traditional squatting toilets.
Our measurements
Distance: 8.75 km
Cumulative elevation gain: 655 m
Nett elevation gain: 3660 m – 3440 m = 220 m
Day 8: Phortse Thanga (3660 m) to Dole (4040 m)
We awoke to another sunny morning and set off after 08:30.
Even though we were walking in a forested area, we had to take off our thin fleeces after 20 minutes. Ten minutes later we stopped at the Sagarmatha National Park Dole Checkpoint. Phortse Thanga is not a common overnight stop on the way to Gokyo so the path was quiet this morning. We enjoyed the peace of the forest. There were several waterfalls on the walk today. We had our first views of Cho Oyu in the north.
We got to our lodge at 11:15 and had something hot to drink while waiting for our room. We spent some time in the afternoon reading in our room as it was warmer than the dining room.
It is difficult to know the actual elevation values of certain places in the Khumbu region. On our physical map, Dole is shown at 4200 m. The Dole signpost indicates 4110 m and our Strava map indicates 4040 m.
I will assume 4040 m which seems to be the most realistic value.
Our measurements
Distance: 4.3 km
Cumulative elevation gain: 432 m
Nett elevation gain: 4040 m – 3660 m = 380 m
Day 9: Dole (4040 m)
For weather forecasts in this area we used https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Gokyo-Ri/forecasts/5340, but with elevation set at “Mid – 4500 m”.
The forecast indicated that coming up there would be two days with snow showers followed by beautiful weather.
We could have safely continued to Machhermo today in terms of elevation gains, but it did not make sense to schedule our time in Gokyo to coincide with the bad weather.
We therefore decided to spend two nights in Dole and two nights in Machhermo before continuing to Gokyo.
Day 10: Dole (4040 m) to Machhermo (4380 m)
It was very misty this morning. We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere that the mist created but paid the price of missing out on the views. (Fortunately, we saw the scenery on our way back – see Day 14).
When it started snowing lightly, I quickly pulled on my rain jacket. I was wearing my standard gloves and my hands got cold.
After lunch and a wash, we spent the afternoon in the lodge dining room. It snowed all afternoon. The stove was on but even though I was wearing my down jacket, it took me some time to warm up nicely.
Typically lodges in the Khumbu region are not well insulated. Generally, the only heating provided is from the central stove in the dining room and this is often only lit mid to late afternoon. We saw wood, dried yak dung and cardboard being used as fuel in the stoves along the way.
Our room felt particularly cold as there had been no sun to warm the room. To put things into perspective however, the water in our water bottles did not freeze overnight so the temperature in our room was above 0 deg C. I have heard of trekkers being exposed to much colder conditions, so it is wise to be prepared.
The duvets did not look warm enough, so we slept in our down sleeping bags. We had brought Nalgene water bottles as they can withstand boiling water. A tip is to use this as a hot water bottle when very cold, but was not something we needed.
Our measurements
Distance: 5.2 km
Cumulative elevation gain: 444 m
Nett elevation gain: 4380 m – 4040 m = 340 m
Day 11: Machhermo (4380 m)
The lodge had the stove burning all day.
Large numbers of hikers did not seem to be put off by the weather and tramped into the lodge for lunch and departed.
As per the forecast, it snowed again this afternoon, though not as much as the day before.
Day 12: Machhermo (4380 m) to Gokyo (4750m)
Early on, the path was muddy in places where the snow had melted. I wore my baselayer leggings today for the first and only time. It was initially cold after the snow but with the sun shining, we soon warmed up.
Shortly after ascending to the end of Ngozumpa Glacier, we came to the first of the six Gokyo lakes.
We had heard from some returning trekkers how cold they had been in their lodges in Gokyo. Before we came to Nepal, I had read about a particular lodge that was warmer and of a higher standard than most, so we booked online the day before.
This lodge had double-glazed windows, and the dining room was the warmest of all the lodges we stayed in. The shower in our bathroom had a shower tray (the only one of the trek). They also had solar geysers and as the sun had been shining, we enjoyed wonderful warm showers. We were provided with towels which gave us the opportunity to let our trekking towels dry fully.
Our measurements
Distance: 7.75 km
Cumulative elevation gain: 454 m
Nett elevation gain: 4750 m – 4380 m = 370 m
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Slow trek to Gokyo – Part 1 – Kathmandu to Namche