Everest Trek Day: 08
After seven days in the wilderness (well rural wilderness) we have arrived in Namche Bazar, 3400m up, a land of flushing toilets and other worldly delights.
The journey from Kathmandu began with a bus ride, the crazy kind of bus ride with people sitting on the roof and standing in the aisle as we rounded perilous mountain bends. We were thankful for our seats, for it were a long ten hours to Jiri where the trail began. On day two the hike began. We strapped on our packs and begun to climb up into the mountains. Over the next seven days we trekked through challenging terrain, up and over what would be called mountains in Australia but these are mealy the 'middle hills,' the prelude to the real mountains beyond. A typical day may have included a thousand meter ascent after breakfast followed by a six hundred meter descent after lunch. It was tough, but so very enjoyable.
The scenery was breathtaking, ranging through terraced rice fields to dense mossy forests with high snow capped mountains ever rising high above us. Cold, ice blue rivers crashed far below, crossed by wobbly steel suspension bridges. Thankfully they are all well maintained.
It is spring here and baby animals abound, watching us strange humped (our backpacks) creatures with doleful eyes. Delicate wildflowers are blooming, as are the rhododendrons. One day I saw a mongoose and on another a rainbow coloured ground bird. Then there was the encounter with the giant python on the trail, it must have been over 3m long with a diameter of at least 15cm. It sent me running in a panic back to Emme.
Each morning the weather would start out clear, the sun peaking over the mountains to warm the valleys. We would set out at 7am into the fine morning, but at midday, as we ate Dahl bhat or fried noodles the clouds would roll up the valley. In the afternoon there would be a storm, turning the trail into a slippery mix of mud and donkey dung. We were caught once in hail, once in snow. It is true that the weather has been abnormal, in one village we stayed in their entire crop was wiped out by a massive hailstorm the day before. As there is only one growing season a year there will be no food in that village. Our lodge owner showed us pictures of his kids building snowmen from it, in forty years he has never seen it happen.
Our days have been long, normally ending at two or four in the afternoon. Each night we slept in basic lodges owned by local families. The rooms are cheap, the toilets holes in the ground and the food usually pretty good. After a long day trekking I am ravenous. Each night, and sometimes at lunch and along the trail we would meet up with the friends we met along the way from jiri, a man from Gosford, a woman from Spain and a couple from England. Together we shared an experience missed out on by most who simply fly in.
In fact only 5% of Trekkers now chose to walk in from Jiri. This is a great shame as they miss out on so many beautiful and varied landscapes. All the more for us to savour alone, our trail shared only with the odd caravan of donkeys.
Today we joined the 'trekkers highway' from Lukla. Suddenly 'mountain resorts' were springing up and we were passed by group tours of old folk trailed by porters carrying their unimaginably heavy loads. We're not going to complain however, we checked into a nice hotel and plan to spend a day relaxing and acclimatising. It even has a flushing, sit down toilet!
Next stop: Everest!
After seven days in the wilderness (well rural wilderness) we have arrived in Namche Bazar, 3400m up, a land of flushing toilets and other worldly delights.
The journey from Kathmandu began with a bus ride, the crazy kind of bus ride with people sitting on the roof and standing in the aisle as we rounded perilous mountain bends. We were thankful for our seats, for it were a long ten hours to Jiri where the trail began. On day two the hike began. We strapped on our packs and begun to climb up into the mountains. Over the next seven days we trekked through challenging terrain, up and over what would be called mountains in Australia but these are mealy the 'middle hills,' the prelude to the real mountains beyond. A typical day may have included a thousand meter ascent after breakfast followed by a six hundred meter descent after lunch. It was tough, but so very enjoyable.
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| Beginning the Trek: Fresh and Clean |
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| A short time later.... |
The scenery was breathtaking, ranging through terraced rice fields to dense mossy forests with high snow capped mountains ever rising high above us. Cold, ice blue rivers crashed far below, crossed by wobbly steel suspension bridges. Thankfully they are all well maintained.
Each morning the weather would start out clear, the sun peaking over the mountains to warm the valleys. We would set out at 7am into the fine morning, but at midday, as we ate Dahl bhat or fried noodles the clouds would roll up the valley. In the afternoon there would be a storm, turning the trail into a slippery mix of mud and donkey dung. We were caught once in hail, once in snow. It is true that the weather has been abnormal, in one village we stayed in their entire crop was wiped out by a massive hailstorm the day before. As there is only one growing season a year there will be no food in that village. Our lodge owner showed us pictures of his kids building snowmen from it, in forty years he has never seen it happen.
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| The landscape |
In fact only 5% of Trekkers now chose to walk in from Jiri. This is a great shame as they miss out on so many beautiful and varied landscapes. All the more for us to savour alone, our trail shared only with the odd caravan of donkeys.
Today we joined the 'trekkers highway' from Lukla. Suddenly 'mountain resorts' were springing up and we were passed by group tours of old folk trailed by porters carrying their unimaginably heavy loads. We're not going to complain however, we checked into a nice hotel and plan to spend a day relaxing and acclimatising. It even has a flushing, sit down toilet!
Next stop: Everest!
I'm following the trail via google maps - I wish I had this technology 20 yrs ago. The sat pics are fabulous. Are you going past Gorek Shep to Base Camp? Looks like Gorek Shep has gone up market! Enjoy the ravines, glaciers, mountains and Dhal Baht. Truly awesome.
ReplyDeleteSounds truly magical. The changing landscape must be so beautiful. What an experience.
ReplyDelete