My husband is very fond of Google Earth and his favourite pass time is roaming around the World in Google Earth.Two years ago he asked me about Gokyo and Everest Base trek but according to my both knees condition I refused to go. Few months ago one fine day Goutam's friend Shirish from Pune asked him to accompany in their Everest base trek. By that time I was aware that there are some Tea houses on the way of both the treks. I came to know only hitch is the food cost on the trail. If we have to carry some of our breakfast and lunch, the load will be more .In most budgeted manner we can't afford to take porter for 20 days. since cost of porter per day is rs 1000 to 1200 Nepali .For 20 days it will come around 20k to 24k . With the time during my Trans-Himalaya in 1997 in a team and now(2005) physical fitness is not the same.So I started practicing with rucksack for 10 to 15 km walk and other knee Exercises. one of my sportsperson and sis in laws Gopa DuttaRoy showed me some exercise to strengthen thy and cough muscles. I was gaining confidence since we had done Chadar Trek on our own(without agency) in 2014 .Chadar refers to the blanket or sheet as the Zanskar river transforms itself into a white blanket of ice during winter.
Goutam told me after doing research in internet that the minimum flight cost of per person(person belongs from SAARC country other than Nepali people) for one side (Kathmandu Lukla) will be Rs 5500/- ,so total cost of flight for two person ( to and fro) is 5500x2x2= 22000/- Indian Rupees. One ancient trek route is there by reaching Jiri (now upto Shivalaya) from Kathmandu by bus and then start trek for Everest base(7 to 8 days to reach Namche Bazar) . In the month of April/ May Kathmandu become over crowded.The place is costly in this season due to mountaineers(for expedition to Mount Everest or other peaks in Nepal Himalaya) and trekkers(for Everest base or Gokyo trek or other trek) from all over the World.,Moreover people from several agencies to accompany and assist them .If for bad weather Kathmandu Lukla flight (for one or several days).got canceled, priority given to foreigners other than SAARC country (
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...) .So we need a route to bypassing Kathmandu and by road connection to start our EBC and Gokyo trek which will be cost effective and enjoyable .Let see if we can bypass Kathmandu from Gokyo and EBC trek ! Its like an imagination for a person's mobility without heart.
Several searching from Google Earth Goutam came to a conclusion that Jaynagar(India) is the nearest railway station to Mount Everest base from Nepal side ,even compare to railway station of Nepal Janakpur. There is a road from Jaynagar Railway Station (India) to Madar (Nepal) which is 6 to 7 km and Madar to Ramnagar Mirchaya approx 35km. There is Sagarmatha Highway towards north from Mirchaya . From Mirchaya there is road upto Salleri via Katari,Ghurmi and Okhaldunga.There is a small airport in Phaplu and flight is there from Kathmandu.Again this is a question of budget and we cant bypass Kathmandu. Those flights also not regular also.
We were not aware of detail regarding availability of bus and share vehicles and frequency of availability. What we could manage to search from internet a video where some trekkers on their way back from Everest Base avail a jeep ride for Kathmandu from Phaplu after several days cancellation of Lukla Kathmandu Flight.Reading their experience I was afraid but contd practicing more to keep fit .
Our team:
Myself, my husband Goutam and another friend Mr. Sajal Bhattacharya.
We had planned our rations chattu, lots of dry fruits, dry light fried rice flex with peanuts , tea, coffee, noodles etc .We had three half used Butane gas with us.We started our journey from Delhi on 4th April and reach Darbhanga (Bihar) on 5th April. Darbhanga is my birthplace and maternal uncle's home. Jaynagar is nearer to Darbhanga. After several repacking weight of rucksacks were as follows Goutam's 24kg (his own weight is 52kg) , mine is 15kg and Sajalda's is 10 to 11kg.
Total ration was approx 20 kg which was distributed among three of us (approx 6.5kg per person).
goutam was carrying 12v Solar cell ,one heavy duty 7.5 volt battery, Panasonic FZ 50 camera with extra batteries and charger, utensils and other essential things .
I had Canon 550D with three lens(one lens with Goutam) , my brother's Samrat's Sony's P&S camera, charger and spare batteries for both the cameras.my smart phone Redmi 1S and other essential things,
Goutam went to Jaynagar to collect information on 6th April .if train is on right time Darbhanga to Jaynagar is two and half hours journey only.we had one known person at Jaynagar who helped there us lot . After reaching there Goutam came to know that there is a road strike in Nepal for three days from 7th to 9th April. what to do again we purchased another set of return ticket for 3rd May. On 7th we visit famous Darbhanga Kali temples and surroundings of Darbhanga Raj with my maternal uncle Dr A.N. Kargupta. "
Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Royal Family of Darbhanga, were a family of Zamindars and rulers of territories that are now part of Mithila and Darbhanga district, Bihar, India. Their seat was at the city of Darbhanga. The estate of Darbhanga Raj was estimated to cover an area of 2,410 square miles (6,200 km2), incorporating 4,495 villages within 18 circles in Bihar and Bengal and employing over 7,500 officers to manage the estate. The Raj Darbhanga trace their origin to maithil Brahmin at the beginning of the sixteenth century."
Good Luck for us:-
On 8th morning my Brother in law Sujoy called Goutam and inform protester in Nepal called off strike. we just finished quick lunch and headed towards Jaynagar by train. Train was late so we reached there at late evening. the friend from Jaynagar accompanied us with vehicle upto Ramnagar Mirchaya and helped us to get Nepali Rupees in exchange of Indian Rupees. Goutam had estimated
cost for total treks rs 25k (Indian Ruppes)per person . Indian 100 rupees equals to 160 Nepali rupees.so for 25k IR its 40k IR.He also gave us his Nepali SIM to use during our trek at Nepal.
we crossed border and reached to Mirchaya at late evening and thanks our friend from Jaynagar. we took a room at Ramnagar Mirchaya chowk ,very basic rs 400 Nepali and took plain dinner near by according to Indian and Nepali Language " Dal bhat Torkari" rs 90 per person . Now onward every expenses is in Nepali(they accept other currency too).
In this trek route lodging at Tea house is very cheap Rs 100 to 150/- . per person but food is very costly ranging from Rs 300/- to Rs 700/- per person for simple Dal, bhat, tarkari.. .One cup of tea costs Rs 30 to Rs 70/- . We normally used our butane gas for tea and coffee , in bad weather we used to take one flask hot water in rs 100 to 150/- to make black tea or coffee.
On 9th May early morning we started for Katari by share jeep and reached Katari at 6AM. This road is not so good . I Katari there was a proper Bus Stand and we got a bus for Okhaldunga at 6:30AM. Road upto Ghurmi is not good but after that road is good and maintained .Bus stoped at Udaypur first and we had a nice tea in Rs 10/- only. We reach Okhaldunga at 11:45am via Ghurmi, Harakpur .At Ghurmi new bridge for vehicle on Sunkoshi river had been completed. The Road for bus/jeep from Kathmandu to Salleri joins at Ghurmi. Before reaching Okhaldunga we noticed a diversion for Haleshi. At Haleshi there is a famous Shiva Temple .
Diversion for Haleshi
Kathmandu Jiri route one day by road journey and 7 to 8 days trek for Namche bazar
In our route one to one and half day by road journey and 6 days trek beyond Namche Bazar(upto Kumjum). By road we are coming starlight from outside of Nepal but who are reaching to Kathmandu, they have to have extra days to reach Kathmandu.For Indian trekkers our route is more cost effective .
I will add more photographs and detail of the trek when I have time.
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