Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Day 2 of Mount Everest Base Camp Tour (Phadking to Namche Bazaar, Friday March 20, 2015)


This is unbelievable- we went to bed around 8pm (!!) yesterday and wake up after 6am. More than 10 hours of sleep! The fresh but cold air and the tons of new impressions seem to make us tired. It is quite chilly when getting up. As we don’t have any heating in our rooms and as the outside temperatures are below zero it takes some time to get out of my ‘polar sleeping bag  with silk inlet’ which indeed was a great investment (I already used it in Bolivia when climbing Huayna Potosi so I am somewhat used to it).


Phakding – at an elevation of 2600 metres and slightly below Lukla at 2800 metres – is nothing special but the owners of the Lodge are really great. We get a nice breakfast with coffee and – of course – lemon tea and soon around 7:30 we start our trek to Namche Bazaar. After some clouds yesterday afternoon the sky is clear again. The first 2 hours are wonderful: We trek through pine forests along the Dudh Kos river. Again we have to cross a large suspension bridge and we start to learn the basic rules: Yak trains go first, human porters go second- and tourists go last. This hike is a perfect start – the further we go, the more impressive the mountains are.
On our way to the entrance of teh Mount Everest National Park and Namche:


A large "Yak train" crossing one of the suspension bridges:

 
After 1,5 hours we reach Monjo  where we pass the Mount Everest National Park entrance gate. We need to show our National Park passes again, then we follow a dry river bed until we start to climb up to a spectacular high suspension bridge. From there a super tough and steep ascend starts to Namche Bazaar. This is one of the toughest ascents I know – and it is unbelievable how the local sherpas are able to carry up heavy loads including containers, bricks or even large wooden sticks until Namche. EVERYTHING that is consumed in the upper Himalayan villages needs to be carried up by horses / yaks or porters. Theseporters climb thousands of meters and spend days on the small Himalayan paths until they are able to sell their products. Their main trading hub in the Khumbu Valley is Namche Bazaar (3420m) which we reach after 2 ½ hours of steadily climbing.
The 'high suspension bridge" and the entrance gate to the Mount Everest National Park :
 

 
 
Right before reaching Nachme, we get a first glimpse of Mount Everest! This is truly a great moment – almost ‘eye in eye’ with the world’s highest moment. And let’s be clear – this is why we are here, despite of the fantastic landscape. I can’t get my eyes off of this mountain; out of a sudden Mount Everest is just around the corner…
Here he is - first and still small glimpse of Mount Everest!

After another steep ascend we reach Namche Bazaar at over 3400 metres. This place is famous for its Friday and Saturday market which attracts buyers and sellers from all over the Khumbu region. Close to the market is a "Yak parking lot" that spreads several levels!

Namche Bazaar market and "Yak Parking Lot":


 
Our lodge is quite convenient – but I am too naïve regarding the ‘hot shower’: Despite of the description there is no hot water at my place and I have the coldest shower of my entire life… Anyway; I am up again and we explore the ‘city’, including viewing some Mount Everest movies like ‘Into Thin Air’ which is shown in one of the bars. We still can’t believe it – the world’s highest mountain is just a stone throw away…

Namche offers great views to the surrounding 6000m / 7000m high mountains but today clouds roll in. Tomorrow will be our great day walking towards Tengboche on the ‘Panoramic Route’ and it would be such a pity not seeing anything. Anyway – we have an early Nepali lunch in our Lodge’s restaurant and fall asleep in our (cold) beds around 8am… No partying in Namche; at least not today…

Namche Bazaar  - view from our Lodge and German Bakery (run by a Dutch!!!!):



 

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