23 Aug 2019 Outdoor Himalayan
Blog-Glancing at a piece of heaven in the Himalayas Gokyo Ri Trek. As a traveler willing to take an extra step into the mystifying laces of nature, I did this amazing trek to Gokyo valley and the top of Gokyo Ri last November. After planning and surfing through tons of websites, I asked for some useful tips for outdoor Himalayan treks in Nepal. Impressed by their generous devotion to helping me even before the booking, I trusted Outdoor Himalayan for the trek. The decision was the best note to start this fantastic trek as I recall the role these guys did throughout the duration. As my first time in Nepal, a little nervousness was present in the vast sea of excitement for this fantastic journey.
After landing in Kathmandu, my visa process and customs went smooth thanks to all the tips provided beforehand by the team. After reaching the hotel, the tour guide for the trek, Rupak assured I had all the required equipment and also guided to the nearby store for getting them. I knew that tomorrow was going to be epic and went to bed early.
Day two started early wand we packed the bags and drove to the airport.
First Glance of the Himalayas from Lukla Flight
I knew that flight in the Himalayas was going to be special. Well, the flight of Lukla from Kathmandu lived up to every part of the expectation. A small plane took off and left the urban world in no time heading deep into the high hills. As we got nearer to Lukla, the views just got breathtaking, showcasing the diverse landscape of Nepal. The landing was nerve-wracking, and I was terrified at first sight. There was all kind of emotions going on this flight. One of the most adventurous flights of my life leads to the beautiful settlement of Lukla.
After a short drink break, we began the trek, and the landscape was unbelievably beautiful. I stopped in every short distance to click photos. Rupak reminded us the best of the views is still to come, and those words helped our team to our next destination for today, Phakding.
Day three started with a warm tea and breakfast. The trail was between settlements and trees which we shared with incoming Yak traffic. We have an excellent trekking duration, so there was no need to hurry. I was overwhelmed with the first view of Mt. Everest, which made the walk to Namche so much relaxing. Namche bazaar was beautiful and lively, and we rested for the day after reaching there in the late afternoon.
Anything and Everything Available at the Sherpa Capital, Namche Bazaar
Day four was the first acclimatization and rest day of our Gokyo Ri Trek. I got up early with my camera and just explored the village viewing sunrise before breakfast. Rupak had planned a whole day of exploration in Namche and nearby village of Khunde and Khumjung. Back to Namche, I witnessed the commercial significance of this bazaar to the people of these areas. Although having roadway connected, locals use porters and yaks to carry supplements from Lukla and Tibet. There were Pubs too spend some relaxing time and some great restaurants as well. The Sherpa people here were happy and welcoming here. Namche was the best place to acclimatize, according to Rupak, and It was one of my favorite locations throughout the trek.
We were at an elevation of almost 3500 meters and had to go a bit up in the next couple days. Rupak came in action with some amazing tips to cancel out the possibilities of altitude sickness.
Nullifying the Altitude with Magical Landscape and Natural Delights in the lap of the Everest
As we started the fifth day, we had some gradual uphill climbs to Dole and the next day to Macchermo. In the paper, these days were supposed to be a bit challenging, but the views kept reminding us to live to moment and just keep pushing towards Gokyo. Midway to Dole, our trail separated from the one leading to Everest Base camp. A bit less traveled and relaxed, we reached Dole village on day 5. The Ama Dablam mountain gave us some wonderful moments followed by many different others, which Rupak described throughout the trail. The views were so pristine that I didn’t notice the trail changing from small forests to glaciers to Macchermo.
The breakfast at Macchermo was the best of the whole trek. The view was great here too, and we quickly started our trek to Gokyo valley. Besides the beautiful glaciers, we reached the first lake of many in the valley and rested for a while at Gokyo village. Losing some baggage and packing all my cameras, we started the trek to Gokyo Ri.
Gokyo Ri, A leap to Embrace the Spectacular views of the Himalayas
The trek wasn’t easy to the top, but the trail was distinctly visible. With some Yaks grazing in the way. I was pushing for the last part, and the moment at the top was worth every step. After catching my breath for a moment, I spent a while just gazing at the surreal beauty of the Himalayas and the lakes and valleys below. I knew this was not heaven, but if there is one, it will be just like here. Rupak introduced us to the mountains visible from the top and pointed out four of the eight-thousanders here (Everest, Lhotse, Cho you and Makalu). I made a short video from the top, and the views are extraordinary in it too. After some fantastic moments here, we hiked down to Gokyo and enjoyed the well-deserved rest.
Our trek started from day nine, and the return trip was more fun than expected too. More relaxed trekking days followed up to Namche Bazaar once again and from there to Lukla.
Picturesque and fantastic, so much more to enjoy in the trek back too
The adventure continued during the return trip to Lukla. We visited some other places and Gompas in this section of the trek. Every day here was blessed with a great sunrise view of the Himalayas. I tried some local foods in the settlements between. The weather was nicer in this section too, giving us a full extent of the views touching the horizon.
Great time back in Kathmandu: – Treating myself, after this majestic trek
Glancing at the Everest and the Himalayas for the last time, we took off from Lukla to Kathmandu. I had separated a day for exploring Kathmandu. The outdoor Himalayan team provided me all the facilities to do so too. Wandering in the streets of Thamel I bought some souvenirs and relaxed in the Pubs here. Looking back to the journey in between some of the highest peaks in the world, experiencing wonderful people, soaking the best views one can imagine of, that moment right there I was just so happy to choose Gokyo Ri for my travel vacation in Nepal. And none of these would have been achievable without the tireless help and support of Outdoor Himalayan Team and my guide Rupak. I will revisit this beautiful nation, and with Outdoor Himalayan I am sure I won’t miss a bit of what Nepal has to offer.