24th March

1800hrs, Deboche

Walk-time: 8.5hrs

Ascent/Descent: 3440m (Namche Bazaar) – 3250m (Phungi Thenge) – 3880m (Tengboche) – 3820m (Deboche)

Shopping in Namche Bazaar was an experience, and the place really does live up to its name of “Bazaar.”

Two streets of just shops full of tourism paraphernalia, every variation of the same things again and again. And at the end of each street there’s more going up and down the mountainside – and more still if you drop lower!

It took a while to find something for Amanda, eventually settling on a leather bag that I haggled down by a modest 150R. I can haggle reasonably well, but I don’t normally see a need – my Stetson was 450R and I was happy to pay that – but I was starting to run low on funds by the time I finally found one that I thought was right. With bag, hat, food all bought I finally started off for camp – only to notice low, grey clouds flocking in from all sides. Although I’d like to say I raced up the mountainside back to my tent in order to lock it down – but instead I made my slow climb up.

Arriving while there was still visibility I found that Danny had already put my socks off the line and in my tent, and even though cloud engulfed the camp and it was a touch bitter, no rain fell in the end – a blessing, as at the temperatures we were facing it would be snow. Given our tents were already covered in ice crystals at night…

A local dog has curled up at my feet. I wish I could give it a rub and some biccies.

Wildlife here in Nepal is interesting. We have the yak-cow crossbreeds at lower altitudes, which with better temperament than their full-blooded brothers are the main work-horses below Namche Bazaar. Generally their horns are recurved (the tips facing behind them) and a touch less hairier. Yaks are far hairier, with forward-facing horns and a little more stubborn. As well as hard workers they are a source of yak milk and steak, and are so adapted to altitude that they apparently suffer lower down.

Earlier today I saw a kestrel-like bird of prey fluttering on the breeze and diving for prey, and a moment later a big bird of prey – perhaps a Nepalese vulture – flew overhead. I got a few snaps but my camera is fairly poor at those distances. I also got to see the Daphne – Nepal’s national bird – on the way off Khumjung – just a momentary glance, but still awesome. I would love to see a red panda or a snow leopard (from afar!) but somehow I doubt it.

-Chris

A dedication on a stupa en route

1910hrs

Dog is still at my feet.

Today was a hard day – we departed an hour later than Jeff intended and made good time from Namche Bazaar, traversing the valley before dropping down to Phungi Thenge for lunch (or ‘funky town’ as I called it). It was again a little frustrating that we would make no actual ascent until well into the day, but instead dropping some 200m to the valley floor. This meant a slog of 650m up to the monastery, a consistent, steep up the whole way.

Raj really came into his own today. Sitting right up at the front of the group he set a pace that initially felt slow, but with the stiff climb ahead of us a slow yet determined pace was the best way forward. As inevitable and unstoppable as a glacier he paced us up the hill, and after an hour and 300m we rested only to find the rest was almost superfluous – we were all breathing fine, legs warm but happy, and before long we were on the road . We made that 650m ascent in just under two hours – amazing. Viva Raj!

Tengboche monastery was a nice respite, spending a few quiet minutes in the sanctuary before a wander in search of food (unsuccessful) and a quick descent to our campsite.

We’ve been spoilt in this trip, we really have. I always imagined tents on the mountainside and meals in mess-tins, squatting over holes in the ground, shivering in our tents from sundown to sunrise. Instead there’s full three-course meals in the evening in a warm hut (well, three course; bowl of garlic soup, plate of potato, couple of veg and something small and filling, and a slice of fruit for dessert), more tea than even Amanda could hope to drink, tents in campsites, toilet tents with stools to avoid the squatting…brilliant.

-Chris

The monastery