what treks to do in Nepal in August when u have less than 10 days

[smigs]

Hiya,

A friend and I are very excited to be travelling to Nepal for the first time this summer. We understand that this is Monsoon season. We are both very fit, I have been climbing for 20 years.

We only have at most 10 days to trek (this does not include spending time in Kathmandu or Pokhara, we have about 2 weeks total, in and out). I think I can say that we both would like to do something challenging if possible. Are there any day scrambles that one could do as well for a break from hiking?

I have read through this forum and have some ideas but I just thought I would post anyway. Great forum btw.

Thanks.

[Petrus]

It is still monsoon time so you need to get behind the Himalayas. If you are fit and have no altitude problems you could actually do the now short AC in 10 days fairly easy. You can get form Bhubhule (bus terminus at the moment) to Jomsom in 8 days or so. Then 1 day (fly, or jeep which is more expensive) or 2 days (jeep + bus) to Pokhara. If you can get a flight it is possible to reach Kathmandu the same day.

By taking the high trail from Pisang via Ghyary and Ngawal you actually save one day, if you sleep in Ghyaru, 100m higher than Manang, and skip the extra acclimatization day in Manang. It is also possible to hike straight from Manang to Thorong Phedi, this is what everybody did before the lodges between Manang and Thorong Phedi were built.

8 days means slightly longer hiking days than what most do at the start, not a real problem for fit people.

[smigs]

Thanks for your help Petrus. I have read that EBC during the monsoon is not advisable, do you think its possible to do ebc within our time frame in august?

If we fly (assuming we can get a flight that is) to lukla? From looking at some itineraries it seems we are above 5000m for a few days where AC we are just popping up above 5000m for Thorung La pass. So perhaps rushing ebc is not possible and too dangerous I don't know. I think I might be "biting off more than I can chew" asking about EBC but I thought I would ask anyway.

I would love to see Everest and doing scrambling up Gokyo Ri sounds fun and sounds like the views would be good but I guess with the monsoon we may not have great views anyway.

Sorry for the rambling but what about EBC as an option? Its possible that we could add on a few extra days to make this option possible say 12-13 total days trekking.

[Petrus]

I would not recommend EBC for 2 reasons you already know: too little time for acclimatization and the high possibility of delayed flights both going in and out. And more rain, no views.

AC is also a bit tight on this schedule but doable if there are no acclimatization problems. The difference compared to EBC is the short time spent at high altitude, if you start to get unwell att the pass you can get down quite fast to heathy altitude again. Not so at EBC area.

[smigs]

Thanks again Petrus!

Just wish I could do it all!! :)
Thanks

[Escher]

It's possible to go up to Gokyo and back in ten days (from Lukla) in good conditions and if you are a reasonable acclimatiser. If it snows high up, you could be slowed down or even snowed in. If visibility is poor then nothing will fly out or into Lukla so you run a big risk of having to spend considerably more time there than you have. You can walk out from Lukla but that will take a few days and you will be slap bang in the middle of the moonsoon, leeches, landslides and the bus might be much slower if the road gets blocked.

I've done Gokyo and back in 10 myself but that is about the minimum time (I acclimatise fast), you will have no contingency at all. If anything trips you up you run the risk of missing everything or missing your flight home. Gokyo is sensational but you do need views to make the most of it. I always say to people have spare days up there so you can wait out murky weather and wait until it clears. The likelihood that you will see anything is pretty remote. By the way it's a walk up Gokyo Ri, no scrambling required and EBC is in the next valley over. There is a reasonable scramble further up the valley up the Nameless Fangs with a small summit at about 5800m. That can be included in a ten day schedule but only if absolutely everything goes perfectly and you acclimatise fast (no snow, no illness, properly acclimatised, fly in on the day you want, fly out the day you want etc). To be frank I think you should go for Petrus' recommendation of the shortened AC as there is too much to go wrong trying to get to Gokyo and back in a such a short period of time.

There are a few interesting scrambles in the Khumbu (to the second viewpoint on Kala Pattar which is just a spur up to Pumori, Chukkung Tse, Nameless Fangs, up the ridge to the left of Ama Dablam BC) but you need more time and better weather and to be acclimatised to 5000+. Pokalde is also mainly a scramble but it is a permitted trekking peak and I wouldn't suggest you climb it without the right permits! ;-)

I don't know if you have been to that altitude before or how you acclimatise. I wouldn't suggest rushing any of the guide book stages if you haven't or don't know how well you do cope. Some people do and get in trouble, get ill and have to come down pretty rapidly especially up to Gokyo as the stages are short as the height gains are quick so it is tempting to push on. There are rescues due to AMS all the time in the Khumbu (daily in season) so its pretty easy to over do it. That said, for well prepared and good acclimatisers who know how their body copes it is possible to go quicker but that has to be your own decision. However your main problem is getting into and out of Lukla. All flights are grounded when the cloud is down which is very likely in August so you could get stuck for a week or more.

[Escher]

Or the short version is "what Petrus said!" I was typing all that before he replied!