Through the Three Passes - An Internal Journey on the Everest Trek (Day 14)

 Day 14: 2025/4/29 Lungden (4,340m) to Namche (3,440m)

Every morning, I never know what to expect when I look out my window. Today, I opened the curtain to a clear mountain view and a cloudless sky-but it was freezing! My shoes were still damp from yesterday’s snow, so I was eager to get moving just to warm up.  

We set off shortly after 7 a.m. The mountains stood out against the blue sky, with a delicate, lace-like cloud draped over Kongde - fluffy and beautiful. Seeing such a stunning morning, I half-regretted not staying another night at Gokyo. Maybe we could have enjoyed the best views this morning at Renjo Pass. I called out to no one in particular, “I want to go back to Renjo Pass!” Jungbu and Dawa just laughed. If this is what the Himalayas chose to reveal to me, who am I to argue? Resigned, I hurried to catch up with them.

Today, Dawa led the way. Jungbu told me yesterday that he had caught a cold. I worried I might have passed it to him, but he said he got it while staying in the crowded dining room at Lobuche, because he couldn’t get a room that night. That’s how it goes for trekkers on the EBC route-people arrive in waves. Jungbu mentioned that just before my trek, over 600 people entered Namche in a single day, causing bottlenecks at Lobuche and Gorakshep. On our entry day, there were only about 200, so you never know what to expect. I heard that April and October are usually the busiest months, with stable weather and therefore more crowds.

Seven to ten in the morning is my favorite time to hike. My legs feel fresh, the air is crisp, the light is perfect, and the trails are less crowded. Today, I felt great-my knees seemed five years younger, and I felt like I could run. When I tried running across a suspension bridge, though, my left knee protested and I got winded halfway, which set off a coughing fit. After all, we were still at 4,300 meters! 

The morning weather was so beautiful that I exclaimed, “This is so beautiful!” Elsewhere, 6,000-meter peaks would be a highlight, but here, they’re so common they barely draw attention-though I think they’re just as stunning. We first headed toward Kongde, which I first glimpsed in Namche. I kept stopping to take photos. By noon, though, clouds rolled in and the mountains disappeared from view. 

As we descended, I told Jungbu, “I’m feeling stronger today-I could walk for a whole day!” He replied matter-of-factly, “Yes, we are going lower.” True enough. I can move quickly on flat or downhill sections, but uphill still tires me out.

Closer to Namche, we saw rhododendrons again-not just red, but also white, purple, and pink. Each cluster had many small flowers; I counted nine on one, twelve on another. The white ones were especially beautiful, almost like cherry blossoms to me. I also saw a variety of pine trees and smelled the fresh scent along the trail.

We reached Namche at 1:40 p.m., this time from the northwest. Although our journey isn’t over yet, we’ve completed a full circle through the three passes. Namche looked cheerful with its colorful roofs, just as I remembered from days ago, with the constant flow of trekkers-some just arriving, others, like me, finishing their trek. The air is thick with oxygen and I can shower again! Tomorrow, we’ll head down to Lukla, and from there, I’ll catch a small plane from Hillary Airport once again. Looking back, I’m surprised to find myself thinking that fourteen days have gone by quickly!

Through the Three Passes - An Internal Journey on the Everest Trek (Day 13)

 Day 13: 2025/4/28 Gokyo (4,800m) to Lungden (4,340m) via Renjo-La Pass (5,360m)

Cloudy, snowy

This morning, when I opened the curtain, everything outside was grey and white. I really didn’t know what to expect. I packed up and went to the dining room at 6:10 a.m.; both Jungbu and Dawa were already there. I asked about the plan. Jungbu said it would snow later and suggested we take the lower route, which meant skipping the third pass, Renjo-La. I was disappointed, but these days I don’t obsess over having a perfect trip. What you experience is what you experience.

While we were having breakfast-I’d ordered waffles with two eggs for the big day the night before-I saw two brave souls starting out on the trail. I pointed them out to Jungbu. Later, a group of people also set off, a colorful line against the snowy background. At that point, Jungbu said we would also take the route to the pass. I didn’t understand how he changed his mind so quickly, but I was excited because it meant I could complete all three passes! That’s the beauty of traveling solo: if I were with a group and most people wanted to take the lower route, I wouldn’t have much choice.

Photo credit to 陽光

I was told that from this pass you can see many famous peaks in one frame, including Everest, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. Alas, today there would be no external rewards of majestic, rugged mountains for me. That’s too bad, but at least today’s walk would be unique in its own way-we had to walk through snowy mountains. 

We started at 4,800 meters. I wore two merino wool base layers (one thin, one thicker), a down jacket, and a windbreaker. After half an hour, it started snowing again, but there was no wind, so it didn’t bother us. I was actually feeling hot, so I took off my windbreaker. After a while, I was hot again and swapped my down jacket for a fleece mid-layer. Today I felt like Dawa-every time I asked if he was cold, he’d often say, “Hot, hot!”  

Photo credit to 陽光

Initially, we walked along the shoulder of Gokyo Ri. After an hour and a half, we reached a steeper section. I know how to handle this now: one step at a time. Around 9 a.m., we reached 5,000 meters-just 300 more to go. Jungbu said it would take about two more hours. I adjusted my pace to a slow rhythm. Every time I get within 150–200 meters of the top, it’s like a switch flips in my head and I believe I can do it. The mountain won’t grow in front of me; every step I take is one less to the top.   

Along the way, we met a Chinese couple from mainland China. I asked where their guide was. They said they didn’t have one-they were doing this on their own, carrying pots, stoves, and all. The husband had a solar panel on his back and a big camera in front. He’s a member of the Chinese photography society. They walked at a brisk pace, so I thought they must be younger, but it turned out the husband retired at 60 four years ago, and the wife is also nearing 60. I felt a little bad, but not too much-they have hiked and traveled a lot since retiring.

We chatted at 5,300 meters. There was a group of slow Italians nearby. I said to the couple, “There’s no need to hurry; let’s enjoy the last 100 meters to the top.” At least that’s what I was feeling-who knows if I’ll ever return here? There have been many places I’d love to revisit, but so far, I always choose to go somewhere new. Besides, life is short and a lot can happen.

Soon we heard people yelling above-we had arrived at Renjo-La Pass! Once again, there was a free charging station, and once again, I didn’t bring my cable. I was doing well today. I didn’t feel tired and was having fun again. There was no view except snowy mountains and a white world, but everyone looked happy and proud. I guess I’ll have to check YouTube to see what I missed. We took photos and headed down 15 minutes later.

Photo credit to 陽光

Going down was much easier. It was clear again that while Jungbu matched my pace uphill, on the descent he set a faster pace than I preferred-maybe that’s the pace he thought I should be at. But today I felt stronger-my cold didn’t bother me much, and most of the time I could keep up, though sometimes I still lagged behind.  

The descent was 900–1,000 meters. Some people were coming up the way we went down, meaning they had to climb 1,000 meters and then descend 600. I’m so glad my tour company didn’t have me do this route clockwise-I’d be crying my way up every pass! The trail twisted and turned; we saw two or three lakes. I wonder if they look pretty on sunny days. The last part was a steep drop, from where we could see the small village where we’d stay the night. Facing the village, mostly covered by cloud, was a tall mountain that looked like a mural in the sky-too bad we couldn’t see the whole thing. The people in front of me saw a white wolf going up the slope. Later, he appeared again. He almost looked like a tiger, walking effortlessly up to the ridge. Jungbu said wolves here kill wild goats and baby yaks; a group can even kill a big yak. 

After nearly seven hours of walking, we arrived. This pass was the strongest I have felt among all three crossings. My spirit and stamina went from high to low and back to high again-I’m so happy this is how it ended. Yesterday, Gokyo Ri helped rebuild my confidence a bit; today, I had another good experience. In two more days, we’ll be back to civilization. Tomorrow, I can take a hot shower. Happiness can be so simple!

This is the view I missed that day: Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Makalu all in the same frame. Alas, I feel like I missed a million-dollar view!

Photo from Internet

The following photos were taken by a Korean friend I met at the previous tea house. She is incredibly brave-traveling and trekking in Nepal for three months, and taking on the Three Passes Trek all by herself.

Photo credit to Aerin from Korea

Photo credit to Aerin from Korea

Through the Three Passes - An Internal Journey on the Everest Trek (Day 12)

Day 12 2025/4/27 Thagnak(4680m) to Gokyo(4800m) and Gokyo Ri (5337m)

The other day, I read a quote that I’ll paraphrase here: “We come to the Himalayas to see breathtaking views, and it literally takes our breath away!” I find it so fitting!

Yesterday at dinner, I met a Korean lady who looked young-I thought she was in her 30s-but it turned out she’s only a year younger than me. This is her first trip to Nepal, and she has already completed three or four treks, including the Annapurna Circuit, ABC, and two others I didn’t catch. Now, she’s doing the Three Passes Trek clockwise, and on her own! Compared to her, I have it easy. I have a guide and a porter who take care of everything; all I need to do is walk. Once I arrive, I’m shown my room and can rest.

Meanwhile, back in the states, my daughter just finished her first ultramarathon trail race, battling rain and mud in New England’s spring. She wasn’t fast, and it took her a long time, but the most important thing is that she finished! When my family heard I had a cold, my husband suggested I borrow a “cold machine” and sent me a line: “No pain, no (elevation) gain.” It’s easy for him to say, sitting at sea level, but I’m glad no one tried to talk me out of this-they knew I was stubborn anyway.

We are just ordinary people, each facing our own challenges. I’m keenly aware of my limitations and smallness, especially when I think about those not far from here-brave men and women living in much harsher environments, pushing themselves to their limits every single day. What they accomplish is beyond anything I can imagine. I don’t believe their goal is simply to conquer the tallest mountain; rather, they are constantly testing themselves, both physically and mentally, in pursuit of a mission. We don’t all have to climb Everest-what matters is that we each face our own mountains, whatever their size. Before I came here, I was filled with self-doubt and insecurity. But I realized there was only one way to find out: to come here and do it. Now, at least I’m here-fighting, growing, and learning every day. I can honestly say I’m finding joy even in the struggle (痛並快樂著). Right now, the pain may outweigh the joy, but I’m sure that, over time, the joy will outweigh the pain.

Today, we started at 7:10 a.m. For the first half hour, we walked in the shade of the mountain, so my hands and feet were cold. Then we had to cross the Ngozumba Glacier. It looks like piles of rocks, dusty and grey, but in some places, you can see ice underneath. When the ice melts, stones roll down, so you have to watch out when walking under steep slopes. In a way, crossing the glacier is like crossing rivers-sometimes you walk along the banks, sometimes you cross over and then back.

We arrived in Gokyo at 9:30 a.m. and had an early lunch, but that wasted an hour of good  weather. By the time we started up the trail on Gokyo Ri, the weather was changing. Soon, we could see that it was snowing on the mountain across the river. The initial part of the hill was rather steep, and I counted my steps. When I reached 700, I thought I had done a lot of hard work and maybe gained half the height. When I checked my watch, I was still in the 4,800m range. What? I still had almost 500m to go? I almost wanted to cry!

Soon it started snowing on our path, and people were coming down. I thought to myself, in such weather, maybe I should stop at 5,000m and turn back. Once we reached 5,000m, I asked Jungbu what we should do. He simply said I could continue or turn back. Not seeing an easy way out, I said, “How about we go a little further to see how the weather holds?” We continued in the light snow. Somehow, things didn’t get worse. I found my slow rhythm and felt better than when I started. When we reached 5,090m, I declared I felt good and might go to the top if they were okay with it. They said “Yes.” We shared an energy bar and some chocolates. I tried to drink from my water bladder, but the tube was frozen, so we soldiered on. The sky at the top seemed a bit clearer. When we finally reached the summit, we had it all to ourselves. The weather cleared enough for us to enjoy a bit of the view, for which I am grateful.  

We stayed about 20 minutes and then headed back down. It took us two and a half hours to go up and just one hour to come down. I am so happy I climbed Gokyo Ri, because for the last few days, I had been feeling weak and tired; Gokyo Ri helped me regain some confidence. 

Once we got back, the weather worsened. It snowed again at 3:30 p.m. and even thundered while snowing. The whole area was a whiteout. The weather forecast predicts a 30% chance of snow tomorrow. Will we be able to cross our last pass, Renjo La, tomorrow?

Through the Three Passes - An Internal Journey on the Everest Trek (Day 11)

 Day 11 2025/4/26 Dzongla(4750m) to Thagnak (4680m)

This morning brought a bit of saving grace. I slept well last night-better than any night so far on this trip. I also discovered I had misplaced my sleeping medicine in my pack’s hip pocket instead of its usual spot. Since we have to pack and unpack every day, I try to keep everything in its designated place; otherwise, I’d waste time and energy searching for things. Maybe the high altitude played a trick on me, or perhaps I was just tired when I last used my sleeping pill in the middle of the night. Speaking of a muddled brain, the other day I squeezed toothpaste into my palm, thinking it was lotion-in my defense, both tubes are the same shape and stored in the same bag.

Today’s forecast predicted a low of -18°C and a high of -1°C. When I got up, it was -11°C. The wash station had run out of water, so I had to go outside and break through a thin layer of ice on the big barrel to get water for brushing my teeth.

We left shortly after 7am. With the sun at my back, I didn’t feel too cold. The trail climbed immediately, and I started to pant. The cold, dry air stung my lungs, and I had to blow my nose regularly. After a gradual ascent, we faced a steep rock pile. It wasn’t easy-everyone was panting, except maybe the porters and guides, who still looked normal. 

Once we reached the top, we could see the glacier ahead, where we put on microspikes. Unlike elsewhere (I still remember/resent that you have to pay $480 to walk on the Perito Moreno Glacier from my last trip), walking on this glacier was free. Most of the time, it felt like walking on hard ice-sometimes you could see blue ice underneath, sometimes just dirt. With the sun shining, it didn’t feel cold at all. For a while, we had the glacier to ourselves and played on it in high spirits.  

After leaving the glacier, there was another 50-meter climb to the Cho La Pass at 5,420m (though my watch only registered 5,366m). At the top, there was even a free charging station! I wish someone had told me about it. In tea houses, we have to pay to charge our devices. Usually it costs about 500Rs to charge a phone or 1000Rs to charge a battery pack.  

After some photos, we started down a steep descent. Some people do the Three Passes Trek clockwise, which is even harder. There are cables in sections to hold onto, and most people coming up let us pass so they could catch their breath. Jungbu didn’t give me many breaks on the way down-maybe he thought it was easy. Occasionally, I had to ask for a minute to blow my nose so I could breathe a little better.

 

After the steep section, we stopped for lunch, but it was cold and windy. Clouds started to form in the distance. I didn’t want to rest there, so we quickly finished lunch and continued on. Ahead was another hill! At this point, I think I’ve developed an allergy to any hill above 5,000m!

I wondered why I felt so tired. I was suffering from a cold, it was day 11, and the fatigue was setting in. We also weren’t eating enough to match our energy expenditure, and both walking and sleeping at high altitude in cold temperatures naturally burn more calories. Other than the cold, I was doing well-trying to eat when I could, though what I craved (like a hearty stew) wasn’t available. At high altitude, supplies and choices are limited. I tried spaghetti (too sweet), fried noodles (too dry), pizza (greasy), potatoes, momos (dumplings-not well made and not tasty), and the traditional Nepali dish, dal bhat (only the vegetarian version is safe to eat). The dal bhat I had last night was barely lukewarm, and I couldn’t even finish it.

Lost in these thoughts, the trail continued downhill, but there was still no sign of the village. Jungbu didn’t stop; all I could do was hope to see it around the next bend. Sure enough, after rounding the bend, I saw yaks-signs of people and a village. We finally arrived after 6 hours and 15 minutes, ahead of our 8-hour schedule.

This was my fourth time above 5,000 meters-two passes down, only one more to go!