Monday, April 20, 2009

Tea in Phakding

The team is trekking! We got off to a slow start this morning in Kathmandu due to weather delaying flights into Lukla. In fact the last plane with the second half of the team was the last flight in for the day as the clouds closed in on the surrounding peaks. After lunch and tea in Lukla, we packed our bags and made for the trail with only a couple pieces of luggage missing. Hopefully the weather in Lukla tomorrow will cooperate so the missing luggage can get delivered to us in Namche tomorrow. Despite the minor setbacks that no grand adventure is without, our team made great time on the trail; trekking in a light mist past large mani stones, prayer wheels, and before a sky of prayer flags strung between the trees. Due to the weather and our delayed start, our team crossed a long suspension bridge to a teahouse where we will be spending the night. After a shared Nepali dinner and a few cups of tea, we're all calling it a night to rest up for the challenging climb into Namche tomorrow!

12 comments:

  1. Awesome - Glad to hear all is well in Phakding! SPOT GPS tracker is working great. You can easily make out the Lukla airport in the satellite view. Good luck on the tough hike to Namche!
    - Adam

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  2. Chris - Can you share the elevations with us at each of your destinations? I don't see them listed on the trek map. Maybe they are listed somewhere else? Curious how high you are each day (and I've had some people ask). Thanks, and good luck! Suz.

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  3. How is the health of the group? Better than last years I hope. Have a great time, wish I was there!! -Jason

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  4. Chris, did you fly from Delhi to Khathmando? I know you fly from Kath to Lukla but wondered about the first part of the trip. Mom

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  5. I knew I should have checked the spelling of Kathmandu. Mom

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  6. Good luck on the trek into Namche, I hope your delays did not make this trek longer!! Has anyone had trouble with the altitude?

    DB
    NYC

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  7. Suz, in case the team doesn't have an altitude-reading GPS, you can check altitude by clicking on the "terrain" button on the upper right corner of the map. Then zoom in to see the topo lines. Multiply the number shown in meters by 3.3 to get the altitude in feet. Hope that helps! - Adam

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  8. I am so excited for everyone! I hope that everyone is feeling strong and healthy. I wish everyone a safe and peaceful journey. Please send my love to Charles, Erik, and Abiola. I think about you everyday.

    Many Blessings, Much Love, & Hugs from Philly!
    Melissa :)

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  9. hello everybody and especially the frenchies !
    nice to follow your trek, may the force be with you !

    francois

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  10. Thanks for pointing me to the terrain map, Adam! (And for keeping me from looking up the conversion!!) Suzanne

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  11. Hey everyone - fun to hear the comments! In regards to the elevation, in general here are the altitudes in feet.
    Lukla - 9339
    Phakding - 8500
    Namche - 11220
    Tengboche - 12620
    Dingboche - 14160
    Loboche - 16170
    Gorak Shep - 16950
    On top of Kala Pattar - 18300
    Climb on!

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  12. Our flight was indeed from Delhi to Kathmandu. We flew to Delhi straight from NYC. Once in Kathmandu we had a 40 minute jump to Lukla in a Twin Otter.

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