5 Machermo (2d)
A 16-day Trek to Gokyo-Ri & Lakes ... starting from Salleri & return via Lukla in Everest region, Nepal
Trek Day-10 - 23rd Oct 2019 - Dole to Machermo
Trek Day-11 - 24th Oct 2019 - Machermo Rest Day
Looking back towards Dole from the trail on other side of the stream (after a bit of climb) ... could see Kantega & Thamserku, though a bit cloudy
Trek Day-10 - 23rd Oct 2019 - Dole to Machermo
Started trek from Dole at 7:30 AM and initially went down a little bit to cross the stream and then a climb up the other side to hit the trail going North. At 8:45AM we reached Lafarma village with a few houses there.
At around 9:50 AM we reached a slightly bigger village Luza. We stopped here for a cup of Lemon Tea at a local GH and some rest. At 10:30 We started for the last leg to Machermo.
Luza Village ahead sited on a open wide meadow
In another 1 hours walk we could see Machermo ahead . At 11:30AM we reached the first teahouse on this side of the stream and decided to stay there at "Tashi Delek GH", a large teahouse with many rooms all around a rectangular central grassy lawn. The weather was pretty cloudy as we arrived. After a Lunch of Dal-bhat went to rest in the room. There was intermittent wifi here; after buying a Wifi Scratch Card from the GH that was working up to Gokyo said the lodge owner.
At 11:00AM Machermo appeared ahead .... in a bowl of a widiosh valley ... There were teahouses on either side of a stream flowing down
Album of all pictures of this day's Trek: G10
Trek Day-11 - 24th Oct 2019 - Machermo Rest Day
Continuing past the Lafarma teahouses on left
Looking back towards Luza ... just after we leave at 10:30AM
Tashi Dele Lodge, Machermo ... where we stayed 2 nights.
When I got up at 6AM and went outside to the courtyard I was surprised to see an 1-2 inches of snow all over the lawn and fresh snow on the surrounding hills!. The cloudy weather of yesterday perhaps resulted in this snow fall and hugely cloudy and gloomy quiet everywhere. I was glad I had planned this as a Rest and Acclimatization Day at Machermo and so the snowfall was not unwelcome.
Morning view of teahouse and mountains ... after fresh overnight snow
At breakfast, I tried to reconnect wifi and found it was not working. So Bicharey and I decided to go the ridge-top towards Dole and see if we can get the Cell Network from there. It was plodding climb back and there was lots of snow on top of the ridge; maybe 2-3 feet of it. And it was cold too and my fingers were getting frozen (forgot to take gloves). My Ncell net was not connecting. But Bichary had a Sky phone that was working. So I called my wife in Mumbai on that and had a brief chat with her.
Back wall of our Teahouse at Machermo ... from where the Wifi worked best ...
with direct line-of-sight to the WifI Receiver-Router placed high on a nearby hill
[11:18, 10/23/2019] K Srinivasan: Reached Macherma at 11:30am. Stay here at Tashidele Lodge.
[09:46, 10/24/2019] K Srinivasan: All safe ... Snow here so waiting at Machermo till Saturday to go to Gokyo'
[11:31, 10/24/2019] K Srinivasan: Hi WiFi now working ... I am at Machermo. There was snow last night. So no wifi
[13:54, 10/24/2019] Sadanand kamath Sk im: Next is Gokyo. Like trekking from Vasant Vihar to Yahoor Hills - only in terms of distance😄😜
[14:11, 10/24/2019] K Srinivasan: Yes tomorrow or day after when weather clears up.
[16:31, 10/24/2019] K Srinivasan: Machermo today morning after last night snow fall
On top of the ridge towards Dole from where we got Cell Network at 9:30AM
Came back down to teahouse by 10AM and found the Wifi was working now. Exchanged some messages with my old trekking-mate Sadanand Kamat (SK) on WhatsApp. A brief cut-paste of that :
[16:32, 10/24/2019] K Srinivasan: View from Machermo ridge towards Gokyo ... Today afternoon
[16:58, 10/24/2019] Sadanand kamath Sk im: Nice snaps.
Going by the second picture, I guess you may have the similar sky tomorrow.
[17:20, 10/24/2019] K Srinivasan: Hope so
By afternoon 1:00 PM the snow started melting everywhere and so we crossed the Machermo stream and climbed to the ridge towards the Gokyo-side to get some exercise and views North from the Gazebo that stood there.
Gazebo & Chorten on Machermo Ridge (N) ... looking towards Gokyo
Album of all pictures of this day's Trek: G11
View of the snow bound Machermo Ridge (S)
View of ChoOyo range looking North ... from Machermo Ridge (N)
Daywise Itinerary (Actual):
Gokyo Trek October-2019
12OCT Day-1 Flight Mumbai (01:00) Kathmandu (05:00) Trek/guide arrangements
13OCT Day-2 Share Jeep Kathmandu (04:30) to Salleri (16:00)
14OCT Day-3 Share Jeep to Ringmo & Trek Start (10:00) to Nunthala (14:00)
15OCT Day-4 Trek Nunthala (07:00) to Khari-Khola (13:30)
16OCT Day-5 Trek Khari-Khola (07:15) to Tham-Danda (11:50)
17OCT Day-6 Trek Tham-Danda (07:30) to Pakhepani (11:30)
18OCT Day-7 Trek Pakhepani (07:40) to Chepplung (12:40)
19OCT Day-8 Trek Chepplung (07:35) to Monjo (14:00)
20OCT Day-9 Trek Monjo (08:00) to Namche (12:10)
21OCT Day-10 Trek Namche (07:40) to Mong-La (12:00)
22OCT Day-11 Trek Mong-La (07:30) to Dole (12:30)
23OCT Day-11 Trek Dole (07:30) to Macherma (11:30)
24OCT Day-12 Macherma Rest Weather Snowy Trek to both side Ridges
25OCT Day-13 Trek Macherma (07:30) to Gokyo (12:00)
26OCT Day-14 Trek Gokyo (10:15) to Gokyo-Ri (13:45) back to Gokyo (16:00)
27OCT Day-15 Trek Gokyo (08:00) to Machermo (12:00)
28OCT Day-15 Trek Machermo (07:45) to Mong-La (15:00)
29OCT Day-16 Trek Mong-La (07:45) to Namche (11:00)
30OCT Day-17 Trek Namche (08:00) Benkar Lunch 2Hrs to Phakding (15:00)
31OCT Day-18 Trek Phakding (08:15) to Lukla (12:45)
01NOV Day-19 Flight Lukla (08:30) KTM (09:05)
02NOV Day-20 Flight Kathmandu to Mumbai via Delhi