Archive for the 'General' Category

Saturday 7^th January 2006.

Trek day 5: Namche Bazar to Tengboche

As we neared Tengboche we heard a loud rumble.

Avalanche!

A huge avalanche of snow and ice, perhaps 400 metres wide, thundered down the valley opposite us. We were in no danger whatsoever. We stopped in awe and wonderment, excited by this spectacular display of the powerful forces of nature unleashed in a split second. Despite this we all had the presence of mind to take some excellent photos.

Snow and Dust

The snow start billowing up several hundreds of metres, whipped up by the wind. Soon we were walking in dust around our feet from the path and with snow flakes swirling around our heads from the avalanche. Bizarre! It only lasted a few minutes. Ten minutes later we heard another, smaller avalanche. Amazing! I never even thought about the possibility of an avalanche, and here, we had seen two in the space of ten minutes.

Test of Endurance

In the morning I knew that this walk would take about six hours, the average time for most trekkers. I set a goal of doing it in seven hours. I managed to do it in five and half hours, so I felt a good sense of achievement. Despite that, I acknowledge that I was way beyond what I thought was my level of endurance physically. I was way beyond what I thought I could achieve. On arrival I felt very distressed. Ananta (our guide) gave me some medication, a diuretic tablet, as well as plenty of hot liquids. The hot lemon is very refreshing. After about two hours I had recovered except for some discomfort due to stomach cramps.

I DID IT

The view around here simply awesome with 6000 metre+ peaks all around. The view of Mt Everest shows only the top of the peak. Despite the relatively poor view of Everest, it seems incredible that we are only about 20km from it. We are still at least five days walk from Base Camp. It seems impossible that I have reached this far, and so close to the “Top of the World.” The dreams and aspirations of so many years have, in part, been realised today. I think, on reflection, my distress was in reality total relief that I had made it.

I did it.

I achieved the highest point on this particular trek. The enormity of what I have achieved has not yet fully sunk in. It may take weeks.

Buddhist Monastry

At 4pm the rest of the trekking group went to the nearby monastery to watch the afternoon prayers. This is a Buddhist monastery which is the predominant religion in this region. I found it interesting that so many make a long pilgrimage to this place. Many coming from India for example, would have to travel for two to three weeks, much of it on foot. A sign in the dining room of our lodge is thought provoking: “Prayer is the pillar of religion and the key to paradise.”

Pilgrimage

I was not on a religious pilgrimage as such. Rather, it turned out to be something of a journey of personal discovery. I discovered that I was capable of achieving something way beyond what I had ever imagined. I discovered the true meaning of perseverance. And I also discovered that travel agents’ brochures not only look glossy, their descriptions are also very “glossy”, that is, they gloss over the hard bits.

Saturday 7^th January 2006.

Trek day 5: Namche Bazar to Tengboche

We have arrived at Tengboche. At 3875 metres (12800 feet) it is the highest point on our trek. We were woken at 7am and were ready to leave at 8:40am the immediate climb out of Namche is hard, slow going for the first thirty minutes. This was the fourth time we had done this little stretch in 26 hours. It hurt.

Step carefully

After passing the Sagarmartha National Park Headquarters we continued along the contoured path around the next mountain. This was generally level going with a few gentle rises and falls – that is, gentle by Nepal standards. After about two and a half hours we dropped steeply down some 400 metres into the valley. I often found that going downhill can be as demanding as climbing. One has to step very carefully. One is always one false step away from falling, twisting an ankle or worse. You try not to think about the “what ifs” and tread cautiously every step of the way.

Lack of Appetite

Near the suspension bridge over the river we stopped for lunch at a small restaurant attached to a lodge. I really appreciated the hot vegetable soup we were served. The main course was a different matter and I only nibbled at the food. Lack of appetite at altitude is quite common. Many of the others in the trekking group had the same problem. The hot lemon drink went down very well, however. Keeping hydrated is also very important at high altitudes.

Unrelenting Climb

After lunch we crossed the raging river over a very rickety wooden suspension bridge. From that point the track went straight up to Tengboche. Two and a half hours of unrelenting climbing with no down slopes and only a few metres here and there of what might be called level going. This was by far our greatest challenge on the trek. It was a monumental challenge for this old body of mine.

Mental Challenge

Not only was it a physical challenge, it was also a huge mental challenge. It was just a matter of one foot in front of the other all the way. That makes it sound easy; putting that one foot in front of the other quickly became to hardest physical and mental thing I have ever done. The breathing became more laboured, gasping for every smidgeon of oxygen my lungs could gather. The leg muscles screamed for me to stop after every step. Interestingly, even after this steep climb I had no residual muscle stiffness the next day. That part of my training worked.

Friday 6^th January 2006   Trek Day 4

Sobering scene

This morning one of our Sherpas left us to walk five days to Everest Base Camp. He was going to replace another guide who had died due to altitude sickness. Shortly after we had arrived yesterday we actually saw the body being carried down the valley. I guess he was to be cremated further on down the valley, maybe even in Kathmandu. It was a sobering scene. One cannot be too careful about taking things slowly; altitude sickness comes swiftly and unexpectedly. Even the locals are susceptable. Acclimatization is the key.

Sleeping In a Cold Climate

Last night I slept quite well despite the cold. Thermal underwear and a good sleeping bag are essential in this area, even in the lodges. The walls of the rooms are so thin that they can get very cold at 5am. The slight tummy upset I had last night lasted until about 11pm. I feel much better now and I seem to be coping with the altitude. Having said that, climbing even a few stairs to get to one’s room brings on a deep gasping for air. Thankfully I am able to get a reasonable amount of sleep. I have only had a few short sessions of dizziness. Our guides are very understanding and have taken very good care of us all so far.