Page 30 - 2014 AMA Summer

2 Signal Regiment
Ex NORTHERN GOKYO KEYS
Written by Joshua Ingold
Exercise Northern Gokyo Keys was a 2 Signal Regiment level 3 High altitude trekking expedition to the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park in Nepal over the period 2 – 24 Feb
14. The expedition, one of only fourteen HQ ATG (A) sponsored expeditions this year would see a team of 14 personnel from the unit set out to reach Everest Base Camp (EBC) (5364m) whilst also conducting ascents of Kala Patthar (5550m) and then trek to the less frequently visited Gokyo lakes area with a view to ascending the peak of Gokyo Ri (5360m). Our team, led by the Regimental Ops officer Maj George Hume, included a wide range of ages, ranks and experience which was drawn from across the Regiment’s three Squadrons and included seven members from the Corps, five Queen’s Ghurka Signals, one RAMC and one AGC (SPS).
Our flight out to Nepal with Oman air via Muscat passed off without incident and the team arrived safely at a bustling Kathmandu airport late in the evening. It was discovered that security scanners were an inconvenience only necessary for locals. Braving the chaos of the arrivals area we were greeted by a gang of ‘assistants’ and after the mandatory flower garlands had been laboriously handed out we made our way to the hotel. Everyone was amazed that the task of loading our bags required the labour of seven people although they all seemed happy to have found employment. After a short ride through Kathmandu, we arrived at the Hotel Manang located down an improbable looking side street in the Thamel district of Kathmandu.
An administration day followed, where we met our head guide, Kumar. After conducting a day of last minute shopping and final admin, we took an early morning bus ride to the airport for the infamous flight into Lukla. Despite LCpl Andy William’s confusion as to whether he should present the security staff with a boarding pass or a knife, we made it onto the plane. It is true that the landing into Lukla does look a little precarious as the runway seems impossibly small and the mountains perilously close.
Whilst Capt Kirsty Davies-Walters enjoyed the view of the underside of the seat in front, the pilots expertly landed the plane and we were on our way. The first day’s trek through the Dudha Koshi valley was a fine way to warm up for the days ahead. We wound our way through the steep valley passing a number of small villages on the trail. Occasionally a re-entrant would provide a gap and we would glimpse snowy mountain summits some 3000m above us. These scenes would become familiar in the days ahead. We arrived at the optimistically named Green Field lodge in Phakding for our first nights stop and ordered our first of many Nepali set meals. Rice, dhal and potato curry was one of the great certainties of the expedition, as we would come to find out. Day two saw us leave the relative security of the valley and climb up into the National Park proper. The climb up
28 ARMY MOUNTAINEER
to Namche was tough in the heat of the day and the first real challenge that we faced, today it was 25 degrees, we were soon to experience what minus 25 degrees felt like. The climb up from the valley to Namche is 800mtrs on the map, however your heart, lungs and legs climb over 1800m during the trek up to Namche Bazaar, with the final 600mtrs in the last 4km. Despite this, Capt Henry Chandler still found the energy to descend a considerable distance to collect a misplaced walking pole - his second fineable offence of the day.
Namche Bazaar is a shock to the system in a number of ways. A veritable metropolis high up in the mountains, it is a mix of knock off gear shops and lodges, a lot of whom are called the ‘Everest View’. Like Val Thorens without the chair lifts, it is perched dangerously in a hanging valley at around 3400m. The next day was a planned acclimatisation day and involved a short but energetic walk up out of Namche to Syangboche airstrip and then onto the aptly named Everest View hotel, which differs from similarly named establishments in that it actually offers a view of Everest. The views from here were sublime. Everest was, from here somewhat distant but Ama Dablam (6856m), Thamserku (6608m) and Kongde (6186m) were all clearly visible.
Moving on to Deboche, we negotiated a steep sided valley where we witnessed the effect that a landslide has on a metal bridge, accompanied by our ever present Yak train which carried the majority of our overnight equipment we climbed our way back up out of the valley floor. So crucial were the high altitude beasts of burden to our success that they were given names and corresponding personalities. Whilst Yakie Chan was agile on all terrain, Michael Yakson was less willing to be team player.
The walk to Dingboche took us into glacial moraine for the first time. The scenery changed dramatically to a high mountain environment where snowy peaks, now seemingly within walking distance, shot into the dark blue sky all around us. That evening, some of the team climbed up a spur towards the view point at Nankar Tshang pictured below, from where we watched the sun set over Ama Dablam.
As the sun went in, our Ghurkha contingent produced down jackets that they had stowed in their day sacks. They were wise to do so, temperatures dropped to -20C that night! Descending back to our lodge, we sat around the much coveted wood (or yak dung) burning stove and drank the ubiquitous lemon and honey tea. The tea houses were themselves an excellent part of the trek. Providing an endless supply of rice and snickers bars, each one with its own unique charms to the trip. Our stay in them was perhaps made even more pleasant through the efforts of our very own local LCpl Tshring Sherpa. His tireless efforts to assimilate the rest of the expedition with local culture become one of the genuine highlights of the expedition.