Now that you've got a general idea of the area, here is a nice map for a reference.
The Gokyo valley is well known by rescue pilots because it is very easy to out climb your acclimatization schedule and end up needing to call the $10,000 chopper to whisk you back to Kathmandu. Most days in the valley only two or three days of walking are necessary. As I was traveling alone I decided to keep it slow and ascend 350m per day - I had the time, why risk anything.
Out of Namche, my first stop was Phortse Tenga. For the first time all trek I had great views. My first glance at Ama Dablam was just breathtaking. I'm pretty sure I just stood there and looked at the magnificent white peaks for a good 15 minutes before realizing there was somewhere I should be.
The path into the valley went over a 4000m pass at a town called Mong and then all the way back down to Photse Tenga along the river at 3650m. Around the lodge there were a couple of very cute girls playing in the yard.
The next day led up to Dole (the ending e is pronounced similar to the Canadian 'eh'). Even though I started late, the 400m climb only took me a few hours and I arrived right in time for lunch. As I got in to Dole I met up with Sebastian, a Belgian pediatric nurse. He was trekking on the same itinerary as a few other francophone travelers and invited me to have lunch with them. With him were Marie, a Quebecois police officer, Hakara, the French Cambodian founder of an INGO, and Frederic and Mariele, a couple from France I had met the night before in Phortse Tenga. They were all coming from Mong, but only Marie continued on as everyone else was content to stay the night in Dole. We spent a good portion of our night planning the next few days of our journey.
As we sat in the dining room waiting for dinner a huge earthquake hit. Since buildings in the Nepal aren't exactly built for earthquakes, I got a bit concerned. The two Nepali women working in the Lodge had already hightailed it out of the house, so it was probably good if we did the same. After a few tense seconds of plywood creaking and a few sounds of rocks crumbling (but not too loud), the shaking subsided and we caught our breathes. The lodge owner finally returned to the house and asked if it was okay that dinner would be a bit late so she could call her home down in Khumjung. Yes, our veg fried potatoes are more important than the safety of your family. Eventually she got a hold of them and I was able to pass word through a Sherpa friend to my family that I was okay. All was well for us. Though we did find out that the town had significant damage.
The next day we went to Machermo where we stayed in a ... sub-par lodge. Electricity was down and the wood was wet so no evening fire. We were cold and in the dark until we woke up in the morning. The next day was a bit longer than the normal 2 hours. Up to Gokyo the trail passes two glacial lakes with Gokyo situated on the third. All along the trail are rock cairns (piles of rocks) that tell trekkers and yak herders alike that they're on the right path.
Thirty years ago Gokyo was just a three sided shepherd's and some walls, now it's a bustling town with even internet access and a few high quality lodges. With a picturesque setting it's no wonder Gokyo is becoming a more popular destination (the vast majority still head towards the lure of Everest Base Camp).
The next morning we woke up to clear skies and beautiful views of Phari Lapche across the lake. A 5am wake up allowed me to get some good longer exposure shots of our lodge, the Cho Oyu lodge, and the mountain before everyone started up and moving around.
As the sun came out, it hit the peak of Cho Oyu first and was reflected magnificently in the lake next to Gokyo, Dudh Pokhari.
After breakfast the group of six of us set out up the valley. Gokyo is set in the valley made by the receding Ngozumaba Glacier. Walking along the top of the lateral moraines was rather difficult and slow but produced some fantastic views. I carried water and food in my pack for Hakara as he scampered along the top of the moraines with Gyachung Kang in the background.
We finally made it up to the 5th lake of the valley where there is a good view of Everest. Sadly the clouds rolled in and all we could see was a nice view of the rocky glacier... time to go down. We woke up the next morning to a very cloudy sky and the plans of a morning ascent of Gokyo Ri, a very impressive viewpoint right behind Gokyo was scrapped. We hoped we would have better luck and weather later in the trip. That afternoon we made the not too difficult trek across the glacier to Thagnak, the base of Cho La which separates the Gokyo Valley from the Khumbu (Everest) Valley. We settled in and prepared for an early morning wake up for our next part of the adventure.ev
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