If your trip will include Hikes, be sure to browse through all the Hikes articles below. We at The Cheap Route have already done a lot of first hand research about Hikes, we've been there done that when it comes to Hikes, continue reading to gain first hand insight. Our goal is to to provide the hard to find information and photos about Hikes.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
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Looking back up towards Everest from the memorial area above Dughla
The Himalayas, which in Sanskrit means “abode of snow,” is a mountain system in Asia that rises sharply from the Gangetic Plain, in many parts over 8000 meters high. It forms a broad, continuous arc for nearly 2,600 kilometers along the northern fringes of the Indian subcontinent and the south of the Tibetan Plateau (Qing Zang Gaoyuan). It extends from the bend of the Indus River in the northwest to the Brahmaputra River in the east, averaging 320 to 400 kilometers in width.
Monday, November 14, 2011
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A view of Everest and the surrounding Himalayas
There are a lot of videos out there both climber made and commercial of Everest, Everest Base Camp, and the entire Himalaya Region. I spent a lot of time searching online and these were the highlights I came up with. Sadly there has been a lot of tragedy on the mountain over the years, so some of the videos are quite sad, but there is also some amazing scenery, interesting facts, and heart warming stories portrayed in these videos. If you know of other good Everest videos please post links in the comments and I'll add them to the collection.
Friday, November 4, 2011
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Prayer flags draped across Everest Basecamp with Phantom Alley in view
Climbing to Everest Base Camp does not have to be very expensive. In order to determine how much you should expect to pay, you'll first need to decide what type of trek you want to take, and how much time you have available. Another important factor in determining how much your trip will cost is the number of people in your group. With more people, you can share porters and a guide, cutting costs for each person.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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The last photo of our group as we arrive back in Lukla having completed the trek
The ATM was down in Namche so it took us a little while to get going in the morning, and we needed to pay the remainder of our tab with Boo. It's been surprisingly difficult to get cash since I've gotten to Nepal, but we got it all sorted. We finally got moving around 9:15 AM, and it was bright and sunny. We even got one more peek of Everest. Yesterday I tried to eat a normal meal, and my battered stomach didn't like that at all. I started to feel sick about an hour and a half into the hike, and I had to slow our pace way down.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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Crossing a river which flooded and overtook the trail during the monsoon rains of day 10
When we woke up it was still raining heavily. There's nothing to do in Pangboche so the idea of staying there sounded worse than walking in the rain. Once we got confirmation from Boo that we could move our flight back up, it was worth pushing through to get to Namche today. Out into the rain we went, shortly before 11 AM. The rain meant that small streams were now gushing rivers, and there were massive waterfalls everywhere. Rivers were overflowing to the point that rocks that you used to be able to walk across were completely underwater. Jit was picking up rocks and carrying them across the rivers to make paths for us. It was crazy.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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Panoramic views from the top of Kala Patthar
We woke up at 4:30 AM to try to get a glimpse of Everest at sunrise and set out at 5 AM in the dark. Dan led the pack up the hill, and he and I waited every few minutes to see the rest of the group's headlamps come into view while it was still dark. Once it got lighter we realized no one else was planning to go too far so we headed up with Jit. As the sun started to come up we saw incredible views of mountains in all directions. Massive peaks that shot up into the sky all around us. We even managed to get a few quick sightings of the pyramid peak of Everest before the clouds moved in right at sunrise and covered everything.
Monday, October 24, 2011
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Colorful tents at the new Everest Base Camp
My stomach hurt all night, but I’m feeling ok this morning. Sam was sick again last night, but he feels up for the climb. Andrew seems better and wants to climb as well. Mike still hadn’t fully recovered but was in good shape to go up. I’m glad we don’t have to send anyone down to Pheriche. The rain we walked in yesterday turned to snow during the night. The landscape looks pretty with the dusting of white, but also very, very cold.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
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Yak along the river on the Everest trail, just outside Dughla
I slept well last night for the first time in quite a few days. I woke up at 6:30 AM, well before breakfast. Andrew was not too happy with me for being up so early, but it was an incredibly beautiful morning and I wanted to take it all in. This morning had the clearest skies we'd seen yet, and the mountains are simply stunning. Sam isn't doing so well. He was sick all night and didn't sleep much. He says he's feeling ok to climb. Andrew isn't feeling great either. He was accidentally taking malaria pills instead of the altitude pills.
Friday, October 21, 2011
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The clouds just barely above the river near Dingboche
Today was our second rest day. Feeling a little homesick today. After our short acclimatization hike of roughly 2 hours, I got a little girly and did anything I could to feel less gross and cleaner, other than bucket shower again because I was worried about getting too cold. I brushed and re-braided my hair, brushed and flossed my teeth, washed my face, put on lotion, and even tweezed my eyebrows. It helped a little. I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomachache again. Altitude sickness is no fun at all. We have "eastern" toilets in our room (no actual toilet seat), and they smell nasty. At least they're inside. 2 or 3 more nights before we get to head back down. The altitude is also making me forget and lose things. Yesterday I thought I lost the GPS and finally found it in my daypack. Today I couldn't find the map notating the photos we took in Namche. I was convinced I dropped it somewhere, but I had given it to Sam. I have no recollection of this.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
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Stopping for a breather with great views of Ama Dablam in the background
I woke up feeling pretty good. We took hot showers from a bucket. I didn't think it was as amazing as the boys claimed. For most of the morning we had clear skies and sun. Finally! From Pangboche we could see the peak of Ama Dablam, which we were told is supposed to look like a mother and baby, and Lhotse, which is nearly as high as Everest. If the clouds had ever fully broken we could have seen Everest, but not today. We left around 8:45 AM and hiked for about 2 1/2 hours and were done for the day. Gradual uphill the whole way but not too bad.
