23rd March

1810hrs, Namche Bazaar

Walk-time: 3hrs 10min

Ascent/Descent: 3440m (Namche Bazaar) – 3820m (Khumjung) – 3440m (Namche Bazaar)

I’m trying to adhere to prayer walls as much as I can. Inscribed with the Tibetan Buddhist chant “Om Mani Padme Hum” it is custom to pass them on your right-hand side. I haven’t managed all of them – some you don’t realise what they are until you’re passing them – but thus far it’s been more often than not. Certainly I try to make the first of the day, in the hope it will bring good luck to our walk.

Today’s short, sharp walk was mainly influenced due to illness and fatigue within the group – with a 24hr bug, AMS and plain exhaustion plaguing the group Jeff decided to mark time in Namche Bazaar and hope for a recovery by the next day. With this announcement also came the briefing for the day – an acclimatisation walk to the peak of Khumjung for Green Squadron and any Red Team who wish to join in. With twelve of our number up for our jolly jaunt up a 3,800m peak.

According to Alistair I was “off like an antelope,” although it didn’t feel like it. I found a reasonable pace, settled in to it, and just kept plodding up the mountain. It wasn’t as arduous a climb as the one to Namche Bazaar but it was no Sunday afternoon stroll! In and of myself I felt pretty good – no unusual burn or pains in my legs, a slight tightness of my chest that I only really noticed on ascent, but other than panting a little harder than usual I felt pretty good. Despite the two previous days of walking (and given Day Two of Snowdon hurt) my feet are rather happy – although now I’ve mentioned it I’ll undoubtedly be looking it, and feel it tomorrow!

Summit of Khumjung

Summiting in sunny but windy weather – windy enough to make it feel like an English autumn day – we managed yet another view of Everest and surrounding peaks. Although cloud made it a touch less clear we still had some good shots and another short video (which I am attempting to do every day). After maybe 15min of tourism we made our descent back to camp, a short but very steep affair. Reaching the edge of the cliff and looking down the mountain to camp was enough to make me wonder what the heck I’d gotten into, and just how could I get away with scooting off to find another route!

Looking down on Namche Bazaar

Today’s song was apparently ‘3am’ by Matchbox 20, as for most of my ascent it was the song on my mind. But with one of our Sherpa guides playing ‘Vengaboys’ from his phone it made up for his earlier play of Justin Bieber – and given I’d yet to actually hear one of his songs, I did genuinely think it was a female pop singer who’d yet to make it into the LCR playlist!

I am missing Amanda, when my mind is not on getting up the next damn rise. With no way to vent or elate to, and no-one to tuck me up in my sleeping bag, this walk does have a different sense of loneliness from time to time.

And then the path takes another sharp uphill, and my mind returns to simply getting up this next damn rise.

-Chris