Glimpses from a month in the Himalayas

No matter how much I talk about it, how many words I choose to write down, it will never be enough to convey everything that I have experienced amongst the snow-covered mountain tops in the Himalayas. There are so many things to process. So many experiences, views, lessons learned. This was my first trip to Nepal - and it was so different from anything else I have ever experienced before.

November 8th. I pack my bags and travel from Stockholm to Kathmandu to meet up with my boyfriend Jost, who has already been in Nepal for two months. Our plan is to spend about a month together and explore the Rolwaling valley. Rolwaling is a valley west of the Khumbu Valley/Everest Region, very remote, pretty badly marked (other than a couple of stone men here and there) and almost no other tourists. What’s more, it’s the end of the high season, which naturally also contributes to the low amount of people. Just the way we like it. On this three-man expedition it’s just me, Jost, our sherpa Nima and three heavy backpacks filled with mountaineering equipment, food and shelter for the next couple of weeks.

November 10th. After a 10 hour long and bumpy bus ride from Kathmandu, we arrive in the village of Chhetchhet in Rolwaling, the start of our hike. None of us have ever been in the Rolwaling before and thus we have no idea of what awaits us - only that we will be hiking every day as well as crossing the Tashi Labsta pass (5 700 m) to the Khumbu valley. In addition, we’ll be doing a couple of detours and climbing the Pachermo Peak 6187 m on the way. A couple of nights in a tent, and the rest in tea lodges - like small huts along the way where we can sleep and eat tons of dhal bhat in the evenings. Dhal bhat is a dish with rice, lentil stew and sautéed vegetables. And free refill!

I quickly enter a sort of rhythm. Wake up, have breakfast, hike (or climb, run), have dinner, sleep. And then the same thing next day. We walk several hours a day, with our heavy backpacks and every day on a higher altitude than the day before, between 1500 m and 5700 m. I shower once in two weeks. There is no WiFi and I don’t use my phone during this whole time. Completely disconnected from Instagram, Facebook and the rest of the world. It feels odd, but I love it. I embrace the simple life one-hundred percent.

Tea lodge in Beding, Rolwaling. Having too many cups of Lemon ginger honey tea and waiting for dinner

A different kind of tent spot - near the Tashi Labsta pass

November 17th. The day before my birthday. We have spent several nights in the village of Na 4 200 m, the last piece of civilisation before the Tashi Labsta pass. We need to acclimatise ourselves on higher altitudes to be ready to climb the 6000er Pachermo Peak in a couple of days. Jost and I have been playing with the thought of attempting the summit of a nearby mountain without name which looks interesting. Probably unclimbed, since the area is quite unknown amongst tourists. Between two glaciers the mountain reaches into the skies like a spire. It’s lower than the other mountains in the area (around 5 800 m - just under the limit for having to get a climbing permit) but the more technical. We had originally planned to climb the easier summit of Yalung Ri on this day - but why choose something simple when you can choose something that challenges you?

Toward the summit of Peanutbutter Mountain

For some reason we start calling this mountain the Peanutbutter Mountain - after the massive amounts of peanut butter we consume down in Na, the village where we are staying. On this day we’re out for eighteen hours. And we turn around just 30 meters from the summit. The time is already against us, it’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon and the sun has started to make its way down behind the horizon. It’s a long way back down. But the story of the Peanutbutter Mountain is a story I will tell you another time.

November 22nd. Time: 03.00. We wake up in our tent on the Tashi Labsta pass 5 700 m. The night has been cold and our sleeping bags are covered with a thin layer of ice. Outside the dark blue sky is full of stars and there is no wind. Complete silence. Perfect weather. We make some coffee and have Ramen noodles for breakfast in the tent. We fill up our water bottles with hot water, go to the toilet and make ourselves ready. Everything tends to take longer when you’re staying in a tent, so we don’t start out climb until 5 am. It’s just me and Jost, Nima will wait for us by our tent during the day. The way up is technically easy but very steep. At around 10 am we reach the summit. We take a couple of photos, enjoy the views - deep blue sky, gazing sun and a first-row view over the Himalayan range. This is the first time I stand above 6000 m and I have never felt as alive as I do in this moment.

Jost and I on the Pachermo Peak 6 187 m - happiness!

November 25th (to November 30th). For a period of about two weeks we have crossed the Tashi Labsta, hiked for several days over a stony glacier without markings. We have gotten lost and been forced to emergency biouvac at a mountain slope. Almost been hit by rockfall. And I have slipped and fallen a hundred times. Most parts of my body are hurting (I will never underestimate hiking again!) and it’s going to feel great to leave all of our heavy luggage in Namche Bazaar for a couple of days. Ahead of us we’ve got one week of exploring the Khumbu Valley with light packs and running shoes.

Long run from Tengboche to Gokyo (30 km) with the Ama Damblam as our backdrop

Every day we run for about 3 to 6 hours, from Namche to Gokyo (a village at 4 700 m) and across the Renjo La pass 5 700 m back to Namche. It feels so good to fly across the trails like a bird. And I can sense that I’ve finally really started getting used to the altitude. It’s no piece of cake running at above 4000 m of altitude - that I can tell you.

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Gokyo 4700 m
27/11 - Day ??

The days are merging into each other.
I have lost my sense of time.
Running from Dragnag - Gokyo today. Sprained my ankle on the way.
The landscape is rough, grey and cold. Saw some snowflakes in the air this morning.
Have had food. Cookies. Been drawing. Built inukshuks.
Living in the now. Empty mind.
We’ll stay here for two nights. Rest days.
Just 10 days left now. Mixed feelings.
From one world to another.

Do I need to mention that I have already started planning my next expedition in the Himalayas? And I can tell you already that it involves a mountain above 8000 m.

Thank you Nepal for this beautiful time - until we meet again.