Chase The Rainbow: Images of Nepal. Trekking Jiri to Everest.

Wilco collecting our trekking (TIMS) permits in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu to Jiri.

The classic Asian bus journey that went from 6 hours to 14 hours after getting held up in a strike at Khandichour; along with a psychotic bus driver it was a trip to remember!

The traffic piled up very quickly.

Dave pulling his grumpy face.

Wilco & Dave inquiring about the situation.

It turned out to be a pretty nice place to be stranded.

Wilco getting all amorous; and we only been away a few days!

The road block causing all the problems.

This young dude kept us topped up with tea all afternoon!

...except learning how to spell Impossible!

Jiri to Deurali. Day 1.

Sunrise in Jiri on Day 1. 1935m.

You see a lot of these in Asia.

First steps on a long trail. Dave, Wilco & Neil about to leave from Jiri.

The first climb out of the town set the standard for the rest of trek. Steep.

We had a long way to go.

The first 5 or 6 days were all spent on small, difficult, trails.

The top of another long climb and close to the first of many passes.

The way to Shivalaya.

Descending was just as tough as the climbing.

Dave and Wilco having a minute.

Suspension bridges are a constant feature on the trails in Nepal.

The beautiful valley at Shivalaya. 1800m.

Lunch in Shivalaya with our Danish friends.

The long, long, climb up to the Deurali Pass.

"Can we have a rest please?"

Deurali to Sete. Day 2.

Start of Day 2. The days may have been unbearably hot but the nights & mornings were very cold.

Tough trails every step of the way.

A Mule train passing through Kenja, our lunch spot. 1640m.

Resting on the hard climb up to Sete.

Sunset at Sete. 2575m

Sete to Junbesi. Day 3.

Another day, another bitterly cold morning, another cup of black tea.

We gained a lot of altitude en route to the Lamjura La (Pass).

The toilet facilities were fabulous everywhere!

First taste of being above the snow-line.

I gave up on my dream of becoming a porter after trying to lift this lot!

Resting after a very hard morning, the Lamjura Pass sits between the two peaks behind us.

The Lamjura La; our highest point up to then. 3530m.

And we thought we had it tough.

Looking down on Junbesi. Our welcome stopping point for the night. 2700m.

We wondered if this was a house of ill repute? I didn't fancy an STD!

Neil, Wilco & Dave exploring Junbesi.

Rubbish taxidermy in The Apple Garden Lodge..

Attacked by a stuffed Red Panda!

The water from here was ice cold.

Junbesi to Trakshindo. Day 4.

Stunning view on Day 4.

It was beautiful around every corner.

Our first real view of the High-Himalaya at Phurtyang, 2980m. Breath-taking.

You've just got pose in front of that view!

Dave was starting to lose weight which disturbed Wilco considerably.

A shopkeeper at Ringmo. 2700m.

This reminded me of the temples at Angkor in Cambodia.

Our newest fans at Trakshindo La. 3071m.

Trakshindo La. Gateway to The Solu-Khumbu Region. The change in the landscape was dramatic.

Potatoes laying out to dry in the sunshine.

Wilco lighting candles at the Trakshindo Monastery.

The resident monk invited us to take tea with him. We were honoured to.

Dave snoozing in the sunshine. He hates cats! We laughed.

We spent the evening chatting with the family who owned the lodge.

Dinner being cooked over the wood-stove.

Wilco happily blogging away.

Trakshindo to Bupsa. Day 5.

Sunrise at Trakshindo on Day 5.

The impressive pyramid of Kusum Kangguru.

We had to descend over 1600 vertical metres on this day.

A curious boy in Nuntala. 2350m.

Dave fashioned a new belt from twine to save Wilco from having to look at his bum-crack!

The way to Kharikhola and Sardines for lunch.

Dave taking his afternoon snooze at Bupsa, 2350m. We soon put a stop to that!

A wedding in full swing at our lodge in Bupsa.

Excreminate! More of the lovely facilities en route. This was a posh one.

Bupsa to Chourikharka. Day 6.

Life goes on, all around us. Day 6.

Electricity might be sporadic but they all have Sky TV!

One of my highlights of the trip. We were all blown away for a few minutes.

The stunning view from Puiyan. 2780m.

DON'T JUMP! These would be Sausage Rolls by the time they got to the bottom!

A strange cow enjoying the view over a massive vertical drop.

As we climbed higher up the valleys the transport changed from Mule trains to Cattle trains (Dzokio's).

Wilco was obviously starting to miss his girlfriend as he cosied up to Dave.

Home for a night. They opened up specially for us.

Chourikharka to Jorsale. Day 7.

A sign of things to come. A mighty storm was brewing. Day 7.

Negotiating landslip damage. Another sign of things to come.

The first day we had to don the waterproofs. It had been hot & sunny all the way to this point.

The gateway to Everest. Entrance to The Sagarmatha National Park at Monju.

We had to bed down for the night in Jorsale (2740m) due to the storm. The path to Namche was closed.

A few of the roof panels laying around the morning after the worst storm in living memory!

Jorsale to Namche. Day 8.

We looked forward to a short day (around 3 hours) and the welcoming comforts of Namche.

The first of many tree's blocking our path.

The bridge spanning the Dudh Kosi River and the start of the long climb to Namche.

More collateral damage. There was a path underneath this lot somewhere!

Wilco's goody-bag was always a treat.

This old woman was determined to beat me up to Namche. I thought she was going to have a heart attack at any minute!

A snow covered Namche Bazar. No electricity. No internet. No hot water! Bloody storm!

He was a cheeky young scamp; even though I couldn't understand a word he was saying.

Namche sits in possibly the worlds most spectacular location.

We all wondered why there was a dead animal hanging from a bedroom window?!!!

Relaxing in Namche with our new friends Yola & Ela.

Feeling horny!

Acclimatisation in Namche. Day 9.

Our first view of Everest on our acclimatisation day in Namche.

Jumping for joy.

With no roads until Jiri even the military use horses.

Initially we thought these were Eagles. Lammergeier Vultures circle on the thermals.

These only fly up the valley for one reason. Another trekker rescued from the perils of AMS. (Acute Mountain Sickness)

Ice crystals forming on the summit of Mount Everest.

We enjoyed our first full day of rest, in the sunshine, at Namche.

Dave sunbathing away.

Getting some welcome mountain air around our tired feet.

Wilco though it was a good idea to put Vaseline on his face after sunbathing all day. So did we! Hahaha.

Namche to Tengboche. Day 10.

A view from the ridge outside Namche with Ama Dablam on the right.

We saw a lot of these and wondered what they were. Solar powered water boilers!

Entrance to the mystical Tengboche Monastery.

The views from Tengboche were fabulous.

Tengboche. 3860m.

The high altitude Yak; surprisingly docile.

Everest and Lhotse obscured by the increasing cloud.

The beautiful Ama Dablam. One of the worlds great peaks.

The historic Tengboche Monastery.

Acclimatisation in Tengboche. Day 11.

Now at real altitude and the Yak trains are ever present.

Neil, Wilco and Dave. Enjoying tea on our acclimatisation walk to Pangboche. 4000m.

Laundry in Pangboche.

An old footbridge beneath a modern suspension bridge.

Dave an I decided to climb a nearby ridge.

Inside the monastery.

Footprints worn in to rock from a meditating monk.

The plaque that marks the rock above.

A stunning view of Everest & Lhotse during a break in the cloud.

Tengboche to Dingboche. Day 12.

This little fellow guided Dave & I up to a nearby summit.

The view from the summit of our early morning scramble.

Tengboche far below from our summit scramble.

Dave and I on the scramble. It was very cold in the wind.

Our little guide resting after his exertions.

Underway once more heading out of Debuche.

All the way along we had seen some amazing cloud formations. This was another.

Dingboche nestled in the valley ahead. 4350m.

Approaching Dingboche from the ridge.

A view of Himalaya from above Dingboche.

Dingboche to Lobuche. Day 13.

Wilco on the bridge at Thukla. 4600m.

The Yak Lodge. A welcome spot for tea.

Ready to climb up the rocky pass above Thukla.

Wilco scrambling up.

At the pass, 4840m. It's a poignant spot with memorials to fallen climbers, including Scott Fisher and many others.

Taking a break for chocolate biscuits on the Lobuche glacier.

Approaching Lobuche. 4940m.

A view of the Khumbu Glacier from the ridge above Lobuche.

Lobuche from the ridge.

Wilco photographing the dramatic peaks.

Lobuche to Gorak Shep. Day 14.
We spent two very cold days and nights at Gorak Shep hoping for a break in the weather. It never came. And the temperature hardly ever lifted above -13c. At base camp it was -30c in the wind!

Climbing out of Lobuche.

Approaching Gorak Shep; an hospitable oasis in an inhospitable environment.

Our lodge for a couple of nights. 5180m.

With our Dutch friends; Peter-Bas & Krystal.

The lodge manager stoking the stove with dried Yak poo! No trees up here!

The hauntingly beautiful Khumbu Glacier.

Dave & Wilco at the bottom of a very steep scree slope. We had just slid down it on our bums!

The viewpoint for trekkers at Base Camp.

Finally...

... A lifelong ambition achieved. Base Camp with great friends.

Wilco had carried this shirt from Zwolle FC all the way up!

The Khumbu Glacier is more beautiful than you can possibly imagine when you see it first hand.

Gorak Shep to Namche in 9 1/2 hours!

Back at the pass above Thukla. It had snowed since we were there a few days previously.

Completely wasted at The Footrest Lodge and enjoying our well deserved Yak Steak! Dave had two!

Namche to Lukla.

The path that was blocked with trees a few days earlier.

The end of the road, the entrance to Lukla.

We stayed in The Paradise Lodge in Lukla for one night. We booked our flight at the lodge with the wonderful Madam Dawa Sherpa, who arranged everything for us and made certain that we were on the first flight out to Kathmandu the following morning. A great example of the hospitality and help we received all along the way from the wonderful Nepalese people.