Namche Bazaar ... a swirling pattern of Sherpa homes and hotels
I had reached Namche Bazaar on 4th Oct-07 i.e. on 10th day of trek from Jiri. The 11th day was Rest-day at Namche. I started on the 2nd Leg from Namche to EBC & Kalapathar on 6th Oct 2007 and returned to Namche on 13th Oct 2007. This page descibes the Namche to EBC & Kalapathar and then back to Kathmandu via Lukla i.e. Day 12 to Day21. [To see the Jiri-Namche trek, click here: Jiri-to-Namche ]
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Day-12 6th Oct-07: Namche (3420M) to Tengboche (3870M): We started out from Namche-Inn GH at 7AM. A steep climb up a stony trail to Chorkung (7:30AM), where the trail to Tengboche starts. The trail skirts along the ridge with minor ups and downs and joins the trail from Kumjung near Sanasa.
From the Namche-Tenboche trail (much before reaching Sanasa), you can see Phortse on the plateau ahead (pic center) and Tengboche is on top hill- ridge (on right edge of pic). We have long way to go still, climb all the way down to Phunki Thanga (on the river) cross a bridge and then climb all the way up to Tengboche.
After Sanasa, we gradually descend and cross Dudh Kosi river on this nice & solid wooden bridge, before reaching Phungi Thanga
After reaching Tengboche ... looking back towards Namche.... one can see the trail path stretching all the way from Khumjung to here.
The entrance archway of the Tengboche Monastry (3870M)
We reached Tengboche top at 1:30PM after a rather steep & tiring 2.5 Hr climb up from Phungi-Thanga. We tried for rroom at Tashi Delek & few GHs near the Monastry..... but all were full except the costliest rooms at NR 600. Just as we were thinking we may have to go on to Debuche, we managed a room in Trekkers Lodge, behind the Monastry. It was a bit congested with many bunk beds ... but quite OK and rooms at NR 200/- The Trekkers Lodge had an advantage: from its front door, you could see Everest directly (if the clouds suddenly clear up, as in pic below):
From Trekkers Lodge front yard, I got my first ever view of Everest when the clouds (magically) cleared up a wee bit at 2:20PM
Day-13 7th Oct-07: Tengboche (3870M) to Dingboche (4360M)
Morning sky today was pretty clear of clouds and there was biggish crowd of tourists gathered on the meadow in front of the Monastry, to see the Himlayan vistas. Some pictures taken from 5:30AM to 6:30Am below:
Top-L: Everest & Ama Dablam Top-R: Kantega & Thamserku Bottom-L: Ama Dablam Bottom-R: Everest Range
We started the trek at 7:00AM after breakfast and initially the trail was going down steepish towards Debuche which we passed at 7:25AM. This stretch of the trek from Tengboche to Debuche was through some pretty nice shady forest trails, full of Birches, Conifers and Rhodendrons (pics of Debuche and this nice foresty trail see on Day-19 on Return trip). We continued on till we crossed the Steel Bridge over Imja Khola at 8:00AM. The trail now continued along the ridge on true right side all the way to Pangboche; while Ama Dablam's thumb like visage dominated the trail most of the time, till we were well past Pangboche.
Me looking at the Temaserku Peak ... with Ama Dablam behind me
Another close-up view of Ama Dablam ..... from Pangboche
After the bridge and a steep climb up the ridge, from Khumbu Khola and then a climb for 40 mins we top the ridge & we see Dingboche at 12:50PM
We reach Dinboche pretty tired. Bhavnath takes me straight to a GH that he knows well. It's a big and nice looking "Family GH" that has pretty big double rooms, well furnished. I decide to stay here 2 nights in order to get an extra day to acclimatize at this altitude of Dingboche (4360M).
Day-14 8th Oct-07: Rest Day at Dingboche (4360M)
As advised by my Lonely Planet Trekkers Guide book, I decided to take an extra day rest here to acclimitize for altitude. Though, I have not felt any discomfort whatsoever so far. My trek starting all the way from Jiri, too must be helping me. But I did see two cases of foreigners affected by it as they reached Dingboche. One was a Chinese guy who decided to wait it out here, but ultiamately felt worse and had to abort the trek from Dingboche. The other guy a German (?) was feeling bad enough to descend with his guide to Pangboche yesterday itself ... but he reappeared here today, feeling quite OK and did finally reach Kalapathar/EBC too.
I didnt do anything special today (though some trekkers went on a side-trip up the Chukung Valley). I just rested most of the day in my room, with a Soduku Puzzle book. In the morning, I went around the pretty sizable Dinboche village and took some pictures of the surrounding snow peaks that from the huge empty fields behind my GH room. Those are below:
Looking towards Chukung Valley ... from the trail above Family GH
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