Day 12 - Two Way Split - Machermo 4200 metres

Repacked and with plan B now in place we descended steeply down from Phortse to the river to split our group - Monika and our Porter climbing back to Namche by way of Mongla for some well earned R&R while Birbal and I set about ascending the Goyko valley to Machermo en route to the Goyko Lakes.

Off the Everest "highway" the Goyko valley provides for a stunning contrast - steep brooding mountains, stark terrain and amazingly very few fellow trekkers !

Unfortunately though it all came at a cost - after 2 days of descent it was back to constant gut crunching climbing ascending nearly 600 metres in altitude over the course of the day to the small outpost of Machermo now being enveloped in an afternoon mist that suggested that more snow was once again on the way !

Like most tea houses the lack of insulation forces you to gather around the dining room where if lucky a dung fuelled fire and the body heat of fellow trekkers is just enough to prevent you from turning into a human ice block !

Roll on Goyko !