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Day 12 Thakding to Namche Bazar |
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Gompa window in Namche
What's this cowboy doing on a roof in Monjo?
Cross a very dodgy bridge
A bridge high over the Imja Khola gorge is the entrance to Namche
Cross the high bridge and then climb steeply
It's not a yeti - but a musk deer on the path to Namche
The stupa at the entrance to Namche
The stupa is set in the few remaining potato fields
Khumbui Yul Lha 5,761 metres - just visible from Namche
Gompa painting of Padma Sambhava
Painted mantras
Carved mantra
Rock carving
A grid in the path - Namche is fortunate to have a decent sewage treatment system, if only Lukla had the same.
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Today's trek continues north upriver and uphill to finally reach Namche Bazar.
The view south from Namche - the peak on the right is Kwangde Leave Thakding and follow the path cut across the hillside - careful here. Pass the Riverside Lodge and then cross the suspension bridge to turn left past the Phakding Star Lodge. The whole area smells appallingly badly, however, novice trekkers starting their treks at Lukla appear to learn how to use the toilet by the time they get to Namche Bazar. There are plenty of toilets along the way. Tourists wouldn't relieve themselves on the sidewalk in New York, so let's hope trekkers will use the toilets in Nepal. Cross the wooden bridge (30 minutes) and pass the Khumbu Tea Shop. Cross the bridge and pass some teashops. Cross another bridge with waterfall on the left. It's a good place for a shower, but no skinny-dipping please (45 minutes). Thamserku comes into view on the right. Reach the Berikar Guest House [27° 45.66N 86° 42.97E ] (50 minutes). The path passes through pine forest, however, the scent of pine is overwhelmed by less pleasant smells, created by the back passages of huge numbers of apparently incontinent trekkers. In national parks in the US a 'blue bag' system is used to prevent this problem, and it really should be introduced into this part of Nepal. Pass a pretty waterfall. Cross a suspension bridge to the other side of the Dudh Kosi. Enter the village of Chamua along a path lined with cherry trees, which give a magnificent display in season. Pass a remarkable, though disused Japanese lodge (1 hour 15 minutes). Pass a huge cave on the right, under a boulder. There are numerous lodges around here. Cross a bridge by a mill. Enter the village of Monjo, where there are still more quite grand lodges. [27° 46.00N 86° 42.49E 2,812 metres] (1 hour 25 minutes). Pass the very impressive Everest Summit Lodges - which look rather like a Best Western. At the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park (1 hour 40 minutes) you can pay your 1,000 Rupee entrance fee and walk downhill to the suspension bridge over the Dudh Kosi. (2 hours). Follow the riverbank, and then cross a magnificently dodgy wooden decked bridge, and then walk up the moraine on the right hand side of the river. Cross the high suspension bridge over the Dudh Kosi that is effectively the entrance gateway to the Namche region. Plod slowly up the excellent zigzag path through the pine forest. You may see a musk deer - you'll know one if you see one, they look like giant mutant rabbits. They really are the strangest creatures. Round a corner by a tea shop, and get your first view of Namche (4 hours 20 minutes). Keep plodding onwards and upwards, and you'll soon be rewarded by the entrance to Namche (4 hours 40 minutes). There are a vast range of hotels here - take your pick. The upmarket Hotel Norling uses only electric power for heating, cooking and lighting. Choose your own hotel.
The entrance to Namche
Namche Bazar Namche has a range of services for trekkers including a 2 hour laundry using actual washing machines. The same shop, International Mountaineering Equipment, also sells mountaineering and trekking clothing from the US. There are several other gear shops, food shops, bakeries, a bar with a pool table, a health post, several internet cafes. You can even buy French red wine to go with your steak and chips. There's a museum, army post and even a gompa. The pace of development is fast, probably faster than justified, given the decline in visitors. The second industry after trekking and mountaineering is hotel construction and rock chipping. Nearly every hotel has a construction site next to it. The few remaining potato fields are giving way to high-rise hotels.
The potato fields of Namche Namche is the largest village in Khumbu. Not so long ago Khumjung was the largest and it's worth a trip up the hill to compare it now. In 1950 HW Tilman reported that there were 30 houses in Namche. By 1957 there were 73, and by 2002 there appeared to be around 200 buildings. Namche has always been different to the other villages in Khumbu. Before the arrival of mountaineering in 1950, Namche was a trading village. The trade route to Tibet passes through Thami and over the Nangpa La. The Sherpas enjoyed a monopoly and traded salt, wool carpets and dogs from Tibet, and from the south came raw iron, grain, potatoes, paper and cloth. This trade dried up following the invasion of Tibet by China in 1959. Fortunately the mountaineering in the region opened up new economic opportunities for the Sherpas.
Acclimatisation Rest Day You are now at 3,500 metres and your trek will be taking you to over 5,500 metres. You need to start taking rest days to ensure sufficient acclimatisation. Rather than sitting around eating steak and chips, playing pool and drinking beer, the best course of action is to do a day trek. There are two main options. A trip to Khumjung and Khunde or a trip to Thami monastery.
Khumjung and Khunde Walk up the hill towards the Everest View Hotel, past the airport and the radar station. Follow the broad path up, and then down to Khumjung, past mani walls and the 'Hillary School'. The total ascent is around 400 metres. The origin of the founding of the Hillary School lies in a conversation Sir Edmund Hillary had with his Sherpa Sirdar on the 1960 Yeti Expedition. The story is told in Sir Ed's book 'View from the summit'. Although the Sherpas were becoming fine mountaineers, Urkien told Hillary that the Sherpas' children "had eyes but they cannot see". They needed education. Hillary resolved to build a school at Khumjung, then the largest village in Khumbu. The original building was a prefabricated aluminium building donated by the Indian Aluminium Company based in Calcutta. It was flown to Mingmo airfield below Ama Dablam in a Pilatus Porter Aircraft. Mingmo is no longer used for aircraft landings. The school was opened under Headmaster Tem Dorje by the Head Lama of Khumjung with 40 barefoot pupils. This school is the reason behind the excellent English spoken by Sherpas, even in their 50s. The Khumjung School was very popular and was soon followed by schools at Pangboche and Thami. By 1999 Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust had built 11 schools, 2 bridges, one hospital and the Lukla Airfield. Khumjung village, lying below the peak of Khumbui Yul Lha, is spread out among the carefully walled potato fields. It has not been subject to the same degree of change as Namche. The Khumjung Gompa remains largely unchanged. One of its sacred relics includes a yeti scalp. There are lodges for trekkers. You can return the same way or via Khunde to the west.
Thami Monastery Thami monastery lies 7 kilometres to the northwest of Namche and 400 metres higher at an elevation of around 3,800 metres. The path leaves Namche to the west in the vicinity of the gompa. It is a long way for a round trip, and you may consider staying the night there. Thami Gompa is one of the three ancient gompas of the region, the others being Pangboche and Korak. Thami Gompa performs a Mani Rimdu festival in May each year.
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© Ian Johnson 2003 |
