Nepal day 10: Dingboche - Lobuche

Submitted by maria on Mon, 18/12/2023 - 11:46

Today's stage takes us from Dingboche (4,318m) to Lobuche (4,934m) with acclimatisation on the Khumbu Glacier.

Island Peak

Itinerario: Dingboche (4.318 metros) - Dughla - Thukla Pass - Lobuche (4.934 metros)

Distancia: 8 kms

Duración 6 horas

Ruta lineal

Desnivel: 650 metros

Tips for good acclimatisation. Good acclimatisation is achieved by drinking plenty of water, walking slowly without getting tired, not climbing more than 500 metres per stage above 3,400 metres and always sleeping below the maximum altitude you have reached that day.

Always remember to take enough water with you, as it takes at least half an hour for the pill to take effect. Sun cream with full protection is essential. Batteries run down in the cold, so put them inside your sleeping bag.

Map

After breakfast we start the stage. We leave Dingboche towards the pass where the first stupa we stopped at yesterday was located.

To get to the main road we take a shortcut over a stone wall and that simple effort takes a lot of energy, as the altitude is noticeable.

Sonam asks me if we are taking medication for altitude sickness and I say no, unless it is strictly necessary we are not going to take it as it has many side effects. He tells us that many people start taking it in Kathmandu and that he is proud that we don't need it.

Ama Dablam

From the pass today we have better views of Ama Dablam.

Ama Dablam

After this pass we descend a few metres and walk through a wide valley accompanied by a strong wind. We see the first herds of yaks grazing.

Yak

Ama Dablam

To our left, half in the clouds, are the Taboche (6,495 metres) and the Cholatse (6,440 metres), at the foot of which is a beautiful lake.

Periche

We walk towards the bottom of the valley, through fairly arid and flat terrain. Along the riverbank we see the village of Periche, where we will sleep on our return.

The path is quite easy, we are overtaken by a man with his horse, he almost carries more weight than the horse itself.

Dughla

We continue until we see the small village of Dughla, the clouds prevent us from enjoying the view of Lobuche (6,090 metres).

Sherpa Stew

To get to Dughla we have to descend a ravine, bathed by the strong meltwater, which we have to cross over a rather precarious bridge.

We leave the road to Periche to the left to cross the ravine. It is an area of landslides and there is no need to take too much time.

In Dughla we stop for lunch at Thukla Kala Pathar lodge, sherpa stew (brutal) and noodle soup with ginger tea. We have to recharge our batteries to face the tough climb up to the Memorial to the dead of the mountain at Thukla Pass.

Thukla Pass

Dughla is a very small village made up of several lodges where you can enjoy a well-deserved rest.

Sergio and Maria continue to Lobuche to have lunch there. We meet the American women again and one of them tells us that she has been taking Diamox since Kathmandu because of her constant headaches, even in her normal life she suffers from severe headaches.

After this short break the hard ascent begins, vistari vistari (slowly).

Thukla Pass

We arrive at 4,800 metres, where there is a Memorial in memory of all those who died in the Himalayas. It is worth stopping here, not only for the spectacular views, but also for reflection. Dozens of small stupas and milestones with memorial plaques honour these people of all nationalities. This place is also known as Thukla Pass Scott Fischer's Memorial, in honour of the first American to reach the summit of Lhotse.

Thukla Pass

We continue towards Lobuche on a fairly steep path. It is quite cloudy and cold.

Memorial

Two kilometres later we reach Lobuche. We stay at Himalaya Eco Resort on the other side of the river. Our lodge is big and cosy. We have a cup of tea and rest for a while, as we still have today's acclimatisation to do.

An hour later we climb with Sonam up a small hill from where we have a beautiful view of the Khumbu glacier. It is only 200 metres but it is high enough to acclimatise properly. It is quite cold, the fatigue and the altitude are noticeable.