Most Inspirational Moment
On day three of the trek we were up at 5:15 and drinking an early morning cup of black tea, we were pleased to see clear skies after the previous nights thick mist. The whole group walked to a low knoll near the camp site to watch the sunrise and see the view of the high Himalaya. As the sun rose the horizon lit up. To the north Kanchenjunga rose high above the cloud, as the sun hit the mountain it lit up and glowed. To the west in the far distance there were three mountains that looked close together, the first of these to catch the sun was Everest closely followed by Makalu and then Lhotse. We were standing at a height of approximately 3500 meters, a reasonable height if you were in the Alps, I was stunned by the thought that these summits were 5 kilometers higher than us; awesome a sunrise I will never forget.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide/group leader Sonam was fantastic, nothing was to much trouble, his organisational skills were excellent and he made everything work like clockwork. He had a great sense of humour and I shall always remember his infectious laugh that brought a smile to everyone’s face. He showed huge respect to the local people and customs and was an excellent ambassador for his country and your company
If I were to rate him on a scale of 1 to 10 I would have to say, in the words of the bass player in the film Spinal Tap, he goes up to 11. A great guy and an excellent guide/leader
Advice for Potential Travellers
My main bit of advice to potential travelers would be, don’t be put off by the long days travelling. The end result is definitely worth it.
Be prepared for any weather conditions you can think of because chances are you will get it.
There were a few changes to our itinerary that Exodus informed us of before we left. One of these was the 1100 meter climb to reach the top of the ridge. Don't be put off, take it easy drink plenty of water and enjoy the journey.
Suggestions
A huge thank you to all the support team, the pony boys who moved the gear every day on the trek, the cook’s team for managing the camp and ensuring a regular supply of tea. Special thanks to the cook who produced fantastic food throughout the trek and the genius who produced roast potatoes at 3500 meters; to Dipesh our local trek guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the local area and was great fun to be with.
Last but by no means least I must say thanks to our fellow trekkers, a great bunch of people and great fun to be with. Hope to trek with them again sometime in the future it was a great trip.