Great Himalaya Trail, Seduwa to Makalu | alison young • blissful hiker

GREAT HIMALAYA TRAIL

Section 1, Seduwa to Makalu (and back)

We are very, very lucky that after six rainy days (plus a few more for good measure) we climb over Shipton La and receive Makalu, the world’s fifth highest peak, in perfect sunshine.

Luck is on our side

Praise all the gods and goddesses, the sun comes out. It’s one of those clear days that make you forget what you’ve just endured. Beautiful, fresh, easy going. I got my own room last night at Hotel Buddha and I needed it badly, cuddling in with a book and resting.

Our walk is easy on a main route where kids in school uniforms fly past. No wonder Nepali people have no trouble on these paths. They’ve been moving across them all their lives — and carrying a basket full of school books, groceries, everything on a tumpline since they could walk.

Everyone is happy it’s sunny, but annoyed we’re taking such a short day to Tashigon. The truth is, after Tashigon is a relentless set of stairs climbing 6,000 feet! I can hardly believe it myself.

It seems like it would be natural to find a stopping place somewhere in the middle of that 6,000 feet, but there’s only a tiny rest area on the way to Khongma.

But I try not to think about that now on this easy day. Our stop is another terrace looking out to mountains through a scrim of marigolds. Chickens wander the premises and poke heir heads into my tent.

But the next day comes and I know it’s going to kill me. Stairs must be better than a dirt path, but they are merciless. I am way behind everyone and crying most of the way unable to catch my breath and coughing at every break.

Finally, I decide to hell with it and turn on my phone and play Lizzo. “Dance party!” yells Bihm as the beat pushes me right up that ridge and another and yet another.

Shiva View Lodge appears and our tents are set on narrow terraces. At first the mist is down, but then it clears to reveal a full moon rising. The bitchy broad as well as my roommate from back on the rainy days and me climb up to get a better view as the sun sets over a cloud inversion. It’s glorious.

Back in the dining room, we play Uno with the porters and laugh the night away knowing tomorrow just might even be a little harder but feeling like we’re going to go for it.

It is definitely a different day beginning with steep stairs to a viewpoint where we catch our first glimpses of Makalu since way back before Cyclone Montha hit. Behind is the very narrow and steep ridge we’ll follow up and around, down and up and finally steeply up to Shipton La itself.

I struggle with the climb as I watch everyone else speed ahead. It’s not the most fun being in there back, even if I’m not too far behind. But it is truly a wonder to behold. All these stairs built by hand leading up and over narrow catwalk ridges.

Shipton La is just shy of 14,000 feet, but I am beginning to really feel it again maybe because the antibiotics did nothing and my cough is still a hacking horribleness. I have only enough time to shoot a quick selfie video, then head back down out of the wind, past a cool lake, so still it reflects all the surrounding mountains in its surface, and right back up again.

We don’t linger at Debotay, where we will camp when we return. It’s warm and sunny now but there is still a long way to go, measured in hours (three at least) down nearly 4,000 steps all the way to the Barun River, then back up along a landslip.

The steps are fine, just tiring as they bring us back through moss-covered rhododendron forests and an earthy smell. The bark peels back in pink strips and leaves crunch underfoot.

As we navigate the landslip, it begins to rain again Really? Haven’t we had enough already! It’s tricky footing, undulating up and over washouts for at a least mile or two. My tent is already set as we arrive at Pemanthang sitting in a small pool of water.

I’m not sure I can take any more of this. There aren’t even enough chairs in the wee little guest house, and I squat on a stool feeling very sorry for myself.

Pro tips:

I found the cold intense. It’s mostly dry, but if you have damp it will chill to the bone. Bring very warm layers and don’t expect the fire to be lit except in the evening.
Nepal trekking requires a flexible attitude to manage the delays and setbacks, but also to know when it’s time to push and forgo a day off to get going while the getting’s good.
Don’t forget a towel for (usually cold) showers and maybe a pair of crocs or flip flops.

The next day is rough.

It’s actually a lovely walk to Yangle Kharka, another place we’ll camp on our return. It’s bigger in a wide valley. A huge brand new concrete stupa sits smack dab in the middle of the valley. Curious bright orange lichen grows on boulders that we need to pick our way around as we follow the valley to its end.

And then we go up. And up and up into another wild valley of steep rocks and massive waterfalls all with a fresh coat of snow. At first, the views are still available and it’s eerily lovely. But soon, we can’t see anything but the stairs in front of us, the washouts and narrow bridges, the cold and damp climb up and up to more cold and damp.

The gal that was bitchy to me only a few days ago changes her tune and walks with me up these steps. I don’t know if Ben asked her to or if she really wants to, but I must admit, I really need her help. She encourages me along, telling me all the things — one step at a time, you’ve got this, you’re stronger than you think. She was a coach at one time and it shows.

But the struggle is real and at one point, she resorts to singing to me in her admittedly poor singing voice, “The ants going marching one by one. Hurrah! Hurrah!” I laugh and keep plodding along, and eventually this ant makes it to the Langamale Kharka and a warm fire.

It’s misty and cold, but at some point, one of the group leaves to use the loo and returns to tell us he can see the moon. I’m sure he’s pulling our leg, but yes, indeed, the skies are clearing and the stars twinkle in the frigid 15,000-foot air.

I’ll share a freezing cold room again with a married couple, wearing the clothes I’ll wear tomorrow and sleeping in my sleeping bag under every available blanket.

Those stars that came out last night fade to a crystal clear, sunny day. It’s cold, but the sun warms us fast and we eat early and head up to our final destination — Makalu basecamp. It will be a very long day indeed as we hike up 1,500 feet then back down 5,000.

But it’s not hard walking at all, more gentle grade next to a river and up a long valley. Ben walks with me today and I feel much better, coughing less and moving along well. Fewer tears too.

Another black dog finds us and follows playfully to the first small guest house at Sersong where we have a snack and drink plenty of water, then up and over a ridge and down to a row of buildings at the base camp. I can hardly believe I’m here. I did it! I kept moving ahead in spite of pain and coughing and doubt.

We linger in the sunshine eating snacks and I have my cancer thriver picture taken before we turn around and walk the long way home. Lunch awaits us at Langmale Kharka, then it’s down and down on the steps where I thought I couldn’t move one more inch.

The sky is clearer so we can see the beautiful monster crags we missed on the way up. I arrive just as it goes dark, and because we had to change our plans, there’s no place for us to eat in the dining room and each of us is served our dinners to eat alone in our tents. No celebration.

But the beautiful weather continues as we follow the path again through mossy forests and along the washout, then up and up thousands of steps back into the alpine area where we camp in deep mist. The rain we had on our way up was snow here and leaves a slippery winter wonderland up and over Shipton La.

We have a leisurely cooked lunch back at Khongma, before descending to Tashigon where we left our extra weight. Two of the guys buy a case of beer and I taste my first Ghorka Strong of the trip, well earned by all of us. There are lots of laughs, high-fives, teasing before we tuck in and prepare for the final bit to Seduwa.

It’s early enough when we arrive the next day that we can wash our clothes, wash ourselves and even take a all-girls dip in a pool of water along a rock outcropping before a river’s plunge over a waterfall.

From here, it’s only a short walk to jeeps that drive us out to Tumlingtar and our flight back to Kathmandu, a clear view to the Himalayas right at eye level.