This is part of a series of posts about traveling to Kathmandu and trekking to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar in the summer of 2014.
Day 2 -3: Namche Bazaar
Our second day started with a difficult hike from Phakding to Namche Bazaar. Looking back, this was one of the most challenging parts of the entire trek, due to the rapid elevation gain in a short amount of time. Imagine climbing stairs made out of stone up 800 m for about 2 hours with only a couple of breaks in between to cross long suspension bridges. Fun times.
Finally, we made it to Namche Bazaar at 3400 m (11,155 ft) - what a joy! This village is the known as the "Sherpa Central" and proved to be most civilization we saw during the whole trek (note: "Sherpa" is the name of the ethnicity of those who are indigenous in this region of the Himalayas. The term is also used to describe the natives who work on mountaineering trips). Nestled on the side of a mountain, Namche Bazaar boasts a colorful display of hotels ranging from $2 to $200 per night, shops, a medical center, helipad, and school. Usually the town is powered by hydro power from the river supplied by Everest glaciers, however because we arrived in the off-season, the main power grid was down due to maintenance. We did not have light in our rooms, however we were able to get limited wifi and a hot shower (all for a cost, or course!).
Day 2 -3: Namche Bazaar
Our second day started with a difficult hike from Phakding to Namche Bazaar. Looking back, this was one of the most challenging parts of the entire trek, due to the rapid elevation gain in a short amount of time. Imagine climbing stairs made out of stone up 800 m for about 2 hours with only a couple of breaks in between to cross long suspension bridges. Fun times.
Finally, we made it to Namche Bazaar at 3400 m (11,155 ft) - what a joy! This village is the known as the "Sherpa Central" and proved to be most civilization we saw during the whole trek (note: "Sherpa" is the name of the ethnicity of those who are indigenous in this region of the Himalayas. The term is also used to describe the natives who work on mountaineering trips). Nestled on the side of a mountain, Namche Bazaar boasts a colorful display of hotels ranging from $2 to $200 per night, shops, a medical center, helipad, and school. Usually the town is powered by hydro power from the river supplied by Everest glaciers, however because we arrived in the off-season, the main power grid was down due to maintenance. We did not have light in our rooms, however we were able to get limited wifi and a hot shower (all for a cost, or course!).
Day 3 was the first rest day for Ben and me. Rest days are
essential in the EBC trek due to the high elevations - not including days to
acclimate could lead to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). We spent the day
enjoying the views and going on a short hike to Hotel Everest View and a
neighboring village named Kumjung.
 |
| Hotel Everest View is a very fancy hotel owned by a German man. One night can range up to $300! |
 |
| This is the entrance to the Khumjung Secondary School, founded by Sir Edmund Hilary (the first western climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest) |
 |
Although we did not actually see Everest due to the clouds,
we got a great view of Lhotse, a peak towering over 8000m.
|
Day 4: Tengboche
Time flies, time to go to Tengboche! By this point in our trek, we had established
a sleep schedule following the sunset and sunrise of 9pm to 5:30am. No alarm necessary! We made our way down about 300 m through a rhododendron forest, but then
faced another steep elevation gain of 600m before reaching Tengboche. This climb was difficult as well due to the
fact that we were right in the middle of a cloud for most of the trek – I’ve
ever felt that kind of chill before.
 |
| Stone artwork on the trail |
 |
| A memorial for all trekkers and climbers |
Tengboche is famous for a large monastery within the small village (one of the 7 buildings in the village). The outside was plain, only showing off an
ornately decorated gate and a large prayer wheel on either side. However upon entering the main sanctuary,
the scenery completely changed; colorful paintings covered every bit of wall
space, gongs were placed by the rows at which the monks sit for the daily
worship, and a 50 foot idol of Buddha sat at the head of the sanctuary. We were
able stand and listen to some monks chant for a while, feeling the sounds
resonating in our bodies.
 |
| An example of the artwork inside the sanctuary |
 |
| Buddha! |
Next stop on the trek: Dingboche!
No comments:
Post a Comment