Day 8 " Wobbly Wheels" Labouche 4920 metres

It was the moment of truth day as we ascended the Thukla steps on a beautiful morning taking in the many memorials to fallen climbers at the pass summit point!

The views here looking back down the valley are astounding with snow capped mountains most at 6000+ metres providing an amazing backdrop.

What seemed like a short time after reaching the pass we arrived in Labouche with Monika's altitude symptoms worryingly increasing to include nausea and a mild headache.

 Having learnt our lesson from 2104 we decided to pull the plug at Labouche giving Monika the remainder of the day to acclimatise, while I went off rambling along a nearby ridge line with great views of the Khumbu Glacier.

We heard an amazing/ worrying story from up the line that of the 32 members of the large Indian group that we were at one stage following only 22 remained. 10 having to be choppered out as emergency evacuation cases - at 6000 USD a pop enough to send insurance company broke!

Day 7 " Altitude Bights" Thukla 4620 metres

With my road to recovery and at least on the way it was Monika's turn to suffer today as we climbed the Pherice Valley.

Doing so well up to date Monika became lead footed with symptoms of nausea returning as we gained 400 metres in altitude. Arriving in Thukla in time for lunch and with ample opportunity to view the Thukla "WALL" a steep 45 minute climb to the memorial stones that guard Thukla pass at 4800 metres.

Despite the sun our rooms were ice like situated right next door to the tea house " public toilets" with its wonderful array of stereophonic sound effects!

Now only 2 days away from Base Camp it gave us a chance to reflect on our journeys to this same point in 2014 and with Monika's first symptoms, a worrying sense of "Deja Vu"