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Day 13 Namche Bazar to Mong La |
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Ama Damblam from Mong La
Leave the bars and Internet cafes of Namche Bazar
The broad yak path is as wide as a road
Take the left fork to Gokyo
Mong La stupa is a welcome sight |
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Today's trek reaches 4,000 metres for the first time at the mysterious and ancient village of Mong La.
Thamserku from above Namche On the eastern side of Namche's amphitheatre, on the same side that you entered Namche, is a broad yak path leading upwards. Walk up this path, dodging the yaks. The path forks by a large boulder (30 minutes). Take the right hand path, which leads you towards the Gokyo and Khumbu valleys. Pass the Khumbu water bottling plant, the presence of which makes it rather difficult to advise trekkers not to buy bottled water. There are also numerous lodges. Round a corner, and the Tengboche Monastery comes into view across the valley in the distance. There is a great view up the valley at this point (1 hour 25 minutes). At Kjangjuma village [27° 49.36N 86° 44.01E 3,568 metres] (1 hour 40 minutes) there are three lodges:
Watch carefully as you walk on, for there is a critical Y junction just 10 minutes beyond this village (1 hour 50 minutes). It is marked by a sign carved into a small boulder. The left hand, uphill path goes towards Gokyo. The right hand downhill path leads to Khumbu. Take the left hand path towards Gokyo. This wonderful path leads through conifer and rhododendron forest. Just after the junction there is a new rock carving. Walk uphill following sign posts. Not far above here, the tree line is reached (2 hours 20 minutes). There are great views into the Dudh Kosi Valley. Below on the right is a large western style military building that looks inexplicably like Southfork Ranch in the TV series 'Dallas'. Maybe they are filming a new series.
Mong La, as seen on the approach Continue contouring along the hillside until you reach the col at Mong. Here there are four lodges in a spectacular position:
The little village of Mong is still very traditional despite being on the main route to Gokyo. There are homes with slate roofs, an old stupa, and magnificent views of Ama Dablam. If you are feeling the altitude, you may consider continuing to Phortse Tenga, 2 hours further on, which is 500 metres lower.
Mong La is in an amazing situation Mong La is the birth place, over 300 years ago, of the legendary Lama Sanga Dorje whose father Lama Bundachenzen was said to have been visited here many times by the god of the Khumbu valley, Khumbu Yala, until his wife disturbed one of their get-togethers. The whole family appears to have been blessed with miraculous powers. During a contest of magical powers with his brothers, Lama Sanga Dorje won the competition when he hung his coat on a ray of light piercing the gloom in a gompa. Lama Sanga Dorje was even reputed to be able to fly. So you never know, Ed Hillary might not have been the first to reach the summit of Everest… The lama lived for a while in a hermitage above the present day site of Tengboche. Presumably as a child he had become used to grand views such as the one at Mong. The lama eventually left Tengboche to found the gompa at Pangboche. He died at Rongbuk, to the north of Everest, where his mortal remains evaporated into a rainbow. From that time on, abbots of Rongbuk were reincarnations of Lama Sanga Dorje. |
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© Ian Johnson 2003 |
