Well well well, another posting. Thank god! I bet you were worried, heh. Chelsea and I tried to do a video post from the top of Namche Bazar, but I have been unable to find a WiFi connection in the last 3 days to upload it.
We’ve moved from Namche to Kyangjuma (mistake in an earlier post) on Day 5 and stayed with Tashi and Lhakpa.
On the way we passed by a semi-abandoned airfield at Shumjung, which usage was stopped for passenger planes due to the high volume of crashes. We stopped for lunch at the Everest View Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in all of Nepal ($300USD/night), where every suite has an epic view of the mountain range surrounding and including Mt Everest. In the early afternoon we headed down to Khumjung for a visit at the Hillary School. Sir Edmund Hillary summited Everest in 1953, and along with his mountaineering greatness, he was a humanitarian above all else. He left behind a legacy of hospitals and schools and was instrumental in educating the Sherpa people. He brought healthcare, schools, and the chimney (before Hillary the life expectancy of a Sherpa was 45 due to respiratory infections from the lack of ventilation from their in-home campfires. With the implementation of the chimney, this number grew to 65+). Chelsea, who is now referred to as Hunny by everyone on the trek, and I purchased a painting from the head teacher at the Hillary School. In his spare time he paints the landscapes around the Himalayas and sells them from his art gallery located on school grounds. All proceeds go directly to helping fund the edication of the local Sherpa children.
Day 6 and we’re on a roll. We got up early to a wonderful view of my now favorite mountain, Ama Dablam. We had a very hard day ahead of us, so it was breakfast at 7, and on the trail by 8.
Down 100ft, up 1000ft, arriving in Tengboche around 11am. Tengboche holds the largest monastery in all of Nepal, and I believe it is the highest monastery in the world. We said a few prayers, took a few photos, and we were on our way to Pengboche where we would spend the night. After a long day of up, down, Sherpa flat, we ate dinner, played a few hands of Rummy, and headed straight to bed. That evening it snowed… just what we needed!
at 6:50am on Day 7 we opened our door to find a 2″ blanket of snow covering the entire valley. Our original plans were to hit the basecamp of Ama Dablam, but a change of plans had us heading to Pheriche instead. A 3 days acclimation at the Himalayan Lodge will be great for our mind, body, and souls.
Day 8, our first ‘rest day’ included a 1700ft climb directly uphill for a view of Dingboche. We should have been able to see Island Peak, and Makalu, however the weather was not behaving. Infact, while we were at the top of the hill we climbed, it started snow!
Anyway, we’re staying in a nice tea house which is the equal to a Hilton in the part of the world we are located. Showers cost about $6, and the rooms are ice cold pretty much 24/7, but it’s clean and the dinning room has a fire from 4pm-9pm. What more can you ask for?
Expect another update in 2-3 days from Gorek Shep, before our departure to Basecamp of Everest, or when we have returned.