A Valuable Lesson Learned
Monday 9th January 2006.
Trek Day 7 Namche to Phakding
I have learned a very valuable lesson while on this trek. I have learned about perseverance big time! I have had to perform physically far beyond what I thought I was capable. To get to our destination I had to keep going no matter how far, no matter how much I hurt, no matter how tired I felt. It did not matter how much I felt incapable to going on, no-one was going to carry me!
 Application
I couldn’t help but think of applying this to my writing. No-one is going to write the stories for me. Not too many people ever come up to me with a brilliant idea and say “I think you should write this story.†(Corinne does – bless her!) I must come up with the ideas. I must put in the hard work. I am the one who must put in the long hours at the computer. I must persevere. Success only comes with hard work and extreme perseverance. I’ve taken it far too easy up to now. I’ve given up far too easily when the going gets tough. I’ve given up far too easily when I’ve pretended I’ve be too tired or not in the mood or feeling a bit off colour.
 The Perseverance Principle
This not only applies to my writing but the principle can also apply to many other pursuits. If it’s worth doing it’s worth giving every ounce of strength. Seeing tasks through to completion is also part of this persistence, not counting the cost, not stopping when the walk is hard, painful and tiredness wracks the body. The apostle Paul encouraged this attitude when he wrote:
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.†(Philippians 3:13-14)
Life in a Cold Climate
Monday 9th January 2006.
Trek Day 7 Namche to Phakding
I have been delighted with so many children saying “hello†or “namaste†as we go past. Rose even heard one child say “thankyou†in Japanese. I guess there are so many Japanese trekkers that they pick up such words very readily.
Heating in a Cold Climate
Heating is a problem in this region. Even in the better lodges like we’ve been using they only light the fire late in the afternoon. Right now as I sit in the dining room at Phakding I feel very cold despite thermal underwear and my very warm Polartek jacket. There are windows all around but the sun went down behind the nearest mountain an hour ago. It is now 4:45pm.
Icicles
The outside air must be about 5 degrees. Just up the hill from out lodge is a leaking pipe spraying water into the air. The spray is falling on to several trees just below and then freezes. It looks quite picturesque with icicles dangling from the trees like bizarre Christmas tree decorations. This is indicative of the air temperature outside. (Postscript: I took several lovely photos of these icicles during breakfast next morning.) Many sections of the path we used today have rivulets of water trickling over them; they appear to be permanently frozen. Several creeks we crossed also had ice around the rocks.
Snapshots of Life in Nepal
Monday 9th January 2006.
Trek Day 7 Namche to Phakding
Because there was quite a deal of level or easier going today, I was able to take in more of the atmosphere and culture of the area. The hardship of living in such a climate is astounding. How do they cope with the cold, with thin walls, no insulation and poor heating? The temperatures would rarely go above 8 – 12 degrees. Everything is done by hand; there are few tools in this area and those they do have are basic hand operated with no power tools. I did hear a power saw and saw an angle grinder in Namche, but then the people there are better off financially. The power supply is also more reliable.
Washing Clothes
Washing clothes is a major issue here. Things take so long to dry in the thin atmosphere. They seem to have few clothes lines. The only one I have seen on the trek was at the back of the lodge in Monjo. They just hang things over the numerous stone fences or drape them on the roof of their house. This afternoon I saw a four year old throw a dozen or so socks up on the roof. He then scampered up on the roof on a four inch wide plank to spread out the socks on the roof.
Life in your face
Numerous times I have seen people washing themselves, especially their hair, right outside their front door. Now this also happens to be the main “street†through the village. There is no privacy for many people. Their front door opens straight on to the path used by by hundreds of porters and trekkers daily. Rarely is the street more than three metres wide. While walking along I often felt that I was intruding on their private lives. Life is in your face wherever you go.
Trekking towards Phakding, Nepal
Monday 9th January 2006.
Trek Day 7 Namche to Phakding
We left at 9am and came down steeply the 600 metres to the suspension bridge over the river in the valley below. It was a slow, steady descent but we had to be careful not to slip on the rocks, gravel or loose dirt. While not as exhausting as climbing it was still very demanding, needing great concentration.
Step Carefully
At one point there was a small stream trickling over the path. This seemed to be almost permanently frozen. I stepped very carefully but still slipped. One of the guides behind me caught me on my way down so no damage was done. My legs were a little shaky for the next ten minutes or so.
Easier Walking
For the rest of the day the walking was much easier than higher up in the mountains. There were some challenging stretches with steep short climbs. There were also long, fairly level stretches too. I was pleased on these sections to stretch out my stride a little. The further we went the more I felt tired. Towards the end of the day’s walk it became just a matter of one step after another. It was just one more lesson in perseverance. At these lower altitudes, however, the breathing is much easier, but I still got breathless at any little climb that was needed.
Lunch at Monjo
We walked for two and a half hours down to Monjo for lunch. This section had taken us an hour longer on the way up. After an hour’s rest over a very welcome meal we continued on for another two hours, reaching Phakding by 2:30pm. The whole day’s walk had taken four and a half hours. On the way up it had taken six and a half hours over two days. We’ve now trekked for 29 hours over 7 days. One day of about three hours left to go. My poor abused feet can’t wait for some respite.
Trekking down from Namche Bazar
Monday 9th January 2006.
 Trek Day 7 Namche to Phakding, Nepal
 Wedding Anniversary
Today is January 9th and it is our 35th Wedding Anniversary. I am nearly half a world away from Corinne. From memory, this is the first time we have been apart for our anniversary. She has been much in my thoughts today. I spent a lot of time while walking today planning something special for her birthday and a belated anniversary celebration.
 Prayer Flags
As I walked along today I spent a lot of time in prayer for family and friends. There are many prayer flags spread all over the villages and nearby hillsides here in Nepal. We have no such reminders in Australia; perhaps we should be far more expressive of our faith in a visible way.
 Dusty Himalayas
I had a good night’s sleep until about 4am when I started coughing. This might be a result of all of the dust in this part of the mountains. The dirt on the tracks is powdery dry and even gentle walking raises clouds of dust. Yak trains cause quite a dust storm as they pass. Today I used a hanky to cover my mouth and nose. Rose slept in another room and one room removed from me. Consequently, she had a really good night’s sleep without my snoring. She is feeling much better for it today.
 Long Walk
Today we faced a long walk, from Namche down to Phakding. On the way up we did this stretch in two days. On the way down, however, we didn’t need to acclimatise. It also gets us at least two hours closer to Lukla meaning tomorrow will be a relatively short walk.
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