1 Thamdanda by Road

Day-1 - Kathmandu to Salleri by Road (26th April 2022):

On 26th April 2022, I got up early in my Dolphin Lodge Thamel to catch the Share Jeep to Salleri. Bicharey (my porter-guide) came on time at 3:30am and we went down to the corner of the main road where we were told the Share Jeep will pick us up at 4am. But after waiting for more than hour  we were told by our ride driver (on phone) to go and wait at the Counter at the starting Taxi-stand ... and so we took a taxi to that place.

To cut a long story short , we caught our Share Maxx there and finally left from at 5:45am. As usual, we did not get the front seats that we had asked for and were squeezed tight into the last back row for a bumpy 10 hour ride!  We stopped on the way twice .... once for breakfast and again for Lunch and finally reached Salleri at 4:00pm. 

At Salleri we learnt that we could now go all the way to Tham-Danda by Share jeep next morning at 7:30am . So we stayed at a basic Teahouse, right next to the taxi stand counter, from where that Share Maxx would start next day. In fact there were 3-4 other Passengers also going to Tham-Danda staying at that Hotel and so we knew we may not have to wait long (in the morning) for our Share-ride to fill up. 

Day-2 Salleri to Tham-danda by road and trek to Puiyan (27th April 2022): 

We started on time at 7:30am (on 27th April 2022) after breakfast with 7 pax & driver. I imagined that the route would be via Ringmo, Nunthala etc. the old trek route I had done last Nov-2019. But it turned out to be a totally new route and we went East & South from Salleri to cross a ridge and then via a long scenic route via a place called Andheri Khola! 

It was an awesome and long ride and we ended up reaching directly at Khari Khola from the South. I had captured parts of this (new for me) route on GPS. From Khari-Khola the jeep went up to Bupsa  (by a road higher than the usual trek route) and then climbed winding up around Bupsa and to a taxi-stand some 100M below the Tham-danda teahouses. where the road ended.

We reached at the last point by 2:30pm and had tea at the taxi stand teahouse where several Jeeps were waiting. We decided to trek up to the real Tham-danda teahouses. But once we were there at 3:00pm we decided to carry on to Puiyan and soon reached Puiyan teahouses by 5:15pm 

We stayed  at a nice looking Dreamland Hotel & Restaurant at Puiyan (looking some what like the Bee-house GH of an earlier trip). Beer and Dal-Bhat dinner  and fast-asleep by 8pm.

Day-3 Trek from Puiyan to Surkhe .. via Pakhepani (28th April 2022)

We left our Puiyan Teahouse at 7:15am after breakfast and walked along that side of the Valley  for a while and towards  the end passed that Old Teahouse (name forgotten) next  to the Health Center below it. Continuing  around many contours turns  every time expecting that lovely Teahouse  (name again forgotten) at Pakhepani. But it was further than my memory and finally when we did reach (at 10:30am) it was there ... with the nice front garden and Lukla runway view; but with a new name  and was not open to for stay. But Bicharey managed to get 2 glasses of 'Chiso pani' Orange juice from the caretaker staff and spent some time sitting on the low garden stone wall, looking at the planes landing and taking off from the Lukla Airport Runway.  We then went down hill  from Pakhepani to Surkhe and saw this nice looking teahouse Everest Trail Lodge - Yak & Yeti Cafe  Home, just before the small bridge crossing Surkhe Khola.  It was very nice teahouse inside and with a good lady owner  "Sauni" taking care of our needs there. 

Day-4 Trek from Surkhe to Ghat .. via Cheplung (29th April 2022)

We left  Surkhe teahouse at 7:00am and crossed the Surkhe Khola and continue climbing up the valley past several  villages  ....  Kyongma, Chaurikharka, Cheplung ... We stopped at Chepplung GH at 10:45am (opp. our previous visit stay at Norbung TH) and stopped for Dal-Bhat lunch there. Got good Wi-Fi there. After lunch continued on to Ghat and stopped at the nice  teahouse there  for the day .. Everest GH.  

The teahouse sauni Lady  turned out to be a perfectionist gardener maintaining her front yard garden whole day. Besides inside her GH she has maintained her rooms with great cleanliness and super good furniture!  Awesome place to stay. Her husband she said worked in Lukla ... just 2 -3 hours fast walk away for him. In teh evening had a glass of local "rakshi" and Sherpa Stew and went to sleep early by 7:30pm.

Day-5 Trek from Ghat to Monjo .. via Phakding, Benkar  (30th April 2022)

We left Everest Lodge at Ghat by 7am. And we reached Benkar after 4 hours walk. We stopped at Waterfall view Lodge for Lemon water drink. Was surprised to see this lodge broken into two parts now with a new teahouse being built in one half and the other as before when I stayed here once with my friends Manjunath and Prem. We reached Monjo at 11:30am and stayed at the same Lodge as in my Gokyo trek in 2019 i.e. Kumbaila Lodge. In the evening we went to the Sagarmatha Entry Gateway Permit Office  to buy my Permit (for Indians, NRs 1500/-)  for tomorrow's entry and went back to Teahouse for dinner. At the Lodge there was a young boy, a toddler named "Chotu" running around the front-yard. He was owner's 1st wife's (who had died of Covid) kid and  now the owner's 2nd wife was bringing him up.

Day-6 Trek from Monjo to Namche Bazaar  (1st May 2022)

We left at &:30am crossed entry check post of Sagarmatha Park in 5 mins and descended the steep steps and crossed S. Bridge to reach Jorsalle. We continues further along the Dudh Kosi river, sometimes at River-bed level sometimes climbing steps to reach the Two Hillary bridge's viewpoint. Took some pics and climbed the steep steps to cross the Upper Bridge and then the long steep trail climb to Namche Bazaar. We reached Namche at Noon. Went straight to my old Lodge "Mountain  Madness: but found its name had changed with new owners and way too costly for my budget. So went down a bit and found "Khumbu Lodge " to stay. Was a huge Lodge with lots of Rooms 

Day-7 Trek Rest and Acclimitization day at Namche Bazaar  (2nd May 2022)

Today in the morning spent time walking above Namche to where the steep climb to Khumjung starts. Got an overlook view of  Namche in the valley bowl. Rest of day spent in the Lodge  just relaxing. and updating Cash balance and expenses as on date.