The Laban Rata Resthouse was my destination for day one.
As you can see from the shadows in the photo below, I got there early in the afternoon. I think the large gravel expanse I'm standing on to take this photo was a helipad.
While water is pumped up, everything else is carried up by porters. I imagine a helicopter was used to ferry materials for the construction of the rest house such as the cable drum – that was not carried up by man or woman power!
I've not been able to find out when the hut was built but I don't think it had been there very many years by 1989, though I might be wrong.
I had just rocked up a the park HQ and booked and paid for my meals and bed the day before but now I read you need to buy some form of package deal and you can't start the climb up the mountain without showing you have overnight accommodation reserved.
At the Laban Rata Resthouse I was able to buy a hot meal and I recall I slept in a bunk bed in a dorm. I also secured a hot breakfast in the morning. As a mountain hut with all supplies ported up by people, I was quite impressed with both the food and the accommodations. But there's no hot water for showers, just icy cold water. Ice cold showers aren't really my thing, never have been.
The climb had taken about five or six hours so in the afternoon I just vegged, taking in the views, chatting with other trekkers. I was a little concerned with the cloud moving in from the north west but it drifted away as the afternoon wore on.
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