Day 1 and 2. Flying through London and Delhi to Kathmandu. In the afternoon we take a nap.
|
|
Day 3. Kathmandu
Visit the Swayambunath. (The Monkey Temple)
|
|
|
Day 4. Kathmandu
By taxi to Pashupatinath. An important place where Hindus burn their corpses.
From Pashupatinath we walk to Bodnath. Here you find an enormous stupa. We attent a service at a monastery.
video
|
|
|
Day 5. Kathmandu - Dunche
By bus we travel from Kathmandu to Dunche. A bus ride of 170 km which take eight hours. Halfway the road was blocked by a bus with a puncture.
Our driver lends his backup tire. A little later, a bulldozer on the road. The engine will not run and must be purged.
A dozen people meddling with it. At some places there is a bamboo "barrier" along the road.
It gives not much confidence. We see a crashed bus beside the road.
|
|
|
Day 6. Dunche - Thulo Syabru
The first trekking day. We meet our porter Tok. A nice boy who unfortunately does not speak much English.
|
|
|
Day 7. Thulo Syabru - Lama hotel
We start with a strong descent towards the Langtang River.
Then we climb to Lama Hotel. Evening dinner is cooked on a kitchen fire.
|
|
|
Day 8. Lama hotel - Langtang
We climb to the village of Langtang. Occasionally we see snowy peaks of the Himalayas.
Like other days we have lunch outside.
|
|
|
Day 9. Langtang - Kyanjing Gompa
We are above 3000 meters. This is the domain of yaks. Thier milk is used fot making cheese. The wool provides many colorful knitted socks and hats.
|
|
|
Day 10. Explore around Kyanjing Gompa
In the morning we climb the Kyanjing Ri. (4330 m)
Helen drops out and has a lazy day. I am the first on top. Our porter is proud of me and I am embraced.
Because we are in a national park, you may not be collected wood. Yak-dung is dried to burn the stove.
We are at 3900 meters. It freezes at night a few degrees. Some group members consistently complain about the cold and ask for extra blankets. |
We are happy with our down sleeping bags garantied to minus 5 degrees celtius.
|
|
Day 11. Kyanjing Gompa - Lama hotel
In the morning there is half an inch of snow.
What we have climbed in two days, we descent in one day. A long day. Helen suffers from her left knee.
|
|
|
Day 12. Lama hotel - Thulo Syabru
The number of solar panels and satellite dishes are rising. Do not trust too much for the solar-powered shower.
Usually, the warm water runs out after two showers.
|
|
|
Dag 13. Thulo Syabru - Shin Gompa
The next days we have to climb 2500 meters. It is not too bad. Descending later on gives more problems.
|
|
|
Day 14. Shin Gompa - Lauri Binayak
Daily stages are short now because we go constantly up. There is significantly less oxygen in the air. At lunch we arrive to the lodge.
|
|
|
Day 15. Lauri Binayak - Gosainkund
Overnight at 4400 meters. At night I am panting in bed caused by lack of oxygen. Furthermore, I am plagued by a cold that takes a lot of energy.
|
|
|
Day 16. Gosainkund - Ghopte
We climb to the highest pass of this trek. The Laurabina Pass. (4610 m) I'm glad we're going down. Tonight some more oxygen into the lungs and relax.
|
|
|
Day 17. Ghopte - Kutumsang
All the meters we have climbed in recent days, we now descend. We are not good at descending and stumble behind the group.
|
|
|
Day 18. Kutumsang - Chisopani
Helen gets more pain in her knee. She lives on pain killers. We are descended to the level of agriculture.
|
|
|
Day 19. Chisopani - Kathmandu
The last paces down. It is more crowded on the path. Electricity and satellite dishes are increasing. Cellphones come alive. Back to civilization.
|
|
|
Day 20. Kathmandu
We have all seen in and around Kathmandu. To fill the days we go on repeating to Patan.
It's still nice weather. On a terrace we enjoy a drink and recover from the tiring days in the mountains.
|
|
|
Day 21. Kathmandu
A local bus brings us to Bhaktapur. One hour on the bus for 25 rupees. (25 euro cents) A taxi costs about 1000 rupees. So it's worth the effort.
|
|
|
Dag 22. Kathmandu
Packing, drinking beer on a terrace, etc.
|
|
|
Day 23/24. Kathmandu - Schiphol
Due to bad weather in Delhi, we miss the connecting flight from London to Schiphol.
We get a hotel room at Holiday Inn in London and come home one day behind scedule.
The second time this year. In spring ashclouds from Iceland kept us 5 days in Quatar.
Never complain about delays to us.
|
|
Final note
Three years ago we did the Annapurna trek.
While the Annapurna trek goes higher, we find the Annapurnatrek easier than Langtang.
During the Annapurna trek you climb easily to 5400 meters. Every day a little bit up.
The Langtang/Helambu trek is different.
For example, you start with a few hundred meters down. Then some climbing and descending.
At the end of the day you have climbed and descended a lot.
We did not realized this before. The trip was therefore more difficult than we expected. But......we have accomplished and did not want to miss.
|
|