Archive for the 'General' Category

Thursday 5^th January 2006.

Trek day 3: Monjo to Namche Bazar

In the first hour we crossed several suspension bridges. The last one, at the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Bhote Kosi, was the highest. I have had no trouble crossing all these bridges despite the swinging, both sideways and vertically. One tries not to be aware of the enormous boulders and the raging water below.

Unrelenting Climb

The steep climb up the valley sides towards Namche Bazar was unrelenting. There are hardly any breaks, very few down slopes or level paths. Two and a half hours of steady slog. In that time we climbed about 600 metres (nearly 2000 feet). Until the last twenty minutes my leg muscles were fine. They have given me so problems so far and surprisingly no residual stiffness the next day. All my training paid off, it seems. About ten minutes from the lodge my daughter Rose ordered me to stop and apply a patch to the developing blister on my heel.

Lack of Oxygen

My major problem is still the breathing. I am constantly gasping for air. The lack of oxygen at 3446 metres (11,100 feet) is really telling. Every step becomes an effort, not only physically. I am surprised at the mental effort needed to keep going. You know that you have to keep each foot moving, one after the other, until your reach the goal, the lodge for the night. Just when you think you can’t take another step, or step up another rock, you come around a bend in the track and you realise that the track continues to wend its tortuous way up yet another steep pinch.

A day’s rest for acclimatisation tomorrow will be most welcome. What worries me is that we still have another 400 metres of altitude to gain the following day. Included in this is a steep descent of 200 metres to cross a river, followed by another 600 metre climb to Tengboche where our next lodge is located.

Encouragement

Ananta our guide is very encouraging. He, or another of the guides, stayed just behind me all the time this morning. He says that today was the most important day of the trek. The fact that we all made it is a good sign. It is even more encouraging that I made the distance and the climb in three and a half hours today instead of the five hours I set myself.

On the downside however, I could hardly eat lunch. I was seriously dehydrated I think. Jade and Kane were marvellous and shared their drink with me. It was a special drink that assists with re-hydration. Although it didn’t taste all that good it was quite beneficial.

After lunch we had to wait a long time for our bags to arrive. The porters decided to stop along the way for a drink in a local pub. At the same time Ananta warned us not to drink alcohol at this altitude because it is like a poison to those who are not acclimatised.

Namche Bazar

Namche Bazar is quite a large village perched on the sides of a steep amphitheatre. The beautiful houses and lodges are very quaint with white stone walls, green or blue roofs and blue, green or orange window frames. It is the commercial centre for this part of Nepal and is important for trade between Nepal and Tibet. In days past salt from Tibet was traded for other goods. It has now the highest per capita income of any town or village in Nepal, principally due to the trekking and mountaineering business. Tourism is the backbone of this area.

Washing Day

After we had unpacked our bags and settled into our lodge rooms we arranged for some washing to be done at a local laundry, essentials like socks, undies and t-shirts. Getting things dry in our rooms would be impossible, as there is nowhere to hang things and little air circulation. Other items will have to wait until our return to Kathmandu.

Sudden Chill

It is now 3:30pm as I write this and the sun has disappeared behind a huge mountain to the west. This mountain has many small glaciers in the valleys and the white snow and ice glows in the sun. During the wet season these are probably waterfalls. As the sun went the temperature dropped several degrees immediately. The sun coming in through the dining room windows has been beautiful – until it goes. I hope that they light the fire soon.

Our lodge

Our lodge room, like the others, is small, basic but adequate. It’s better than camping outside – and probably quite a deal warmer. It seems that the rooms we have had on this trek are far superior than what some of the trekkers experienced on their trek in the Annapurna region last week. They are quite pleased with the accommodation we have had on this trek.

Cricket Scores

This afternoon, one of the group, James, found out the scores in the Third Test cricket match in Sydney between Australia and South Africa. There are several internet facilities here in Namche, but they are very expensive. It is expensive because it is a satellite connection. I have seen about 5 or 6 satellite dishes on buildings around the town.

Thursday 5^th January 2006.

Trek day 3: Monjo to Namche Bazar.

I had a reasonable night’s sleep despite fighting my sleeping bag again. It is very cosy and warm enough but I find movement in the bag to be very restrictive. Over the last ten years or so I have been spoiled by always sleeping in a queen size bed. Even when we have been camping in recent times we have used sheets and blankets rather than sleeping bags. Our most recent sleeping bag was a double anyway, so extra movement is possible.

Tough Trek

Today’s walk promised to be the toughest so far. The scheduled time was four hours but it was mostly uphill at a very demanding gradient. At breakfast I had to force myself to eat to build up necessary energy for the day’s effort. The horrible feeling of dread I felt this morning can be compared to the anxiety I sometimes feel in the dentist’s waiting room. You know that it’s going to hurt at some stage and you want it to be all over and finished.

Dudh Kosi

The track was quite level for the first half hour as it followed just above the Dudh Kosi, or Milk River. The constant white foam as the water cascades over thousands of rocks and boulders gives the water a milky colour. There were a few sections of climbing or dropping back down but the overall going was moderate. There were even some opportunities to take in the views, though this had to be done very carefully to avoid tripping or falling. My blistered feet did not give too much pain until near to Namche when I was aware of a new blister on my left heel.

Magnificent Mountains

The paths here are sometimes smooth gravel surfaces gently going up or down, rarely level. On these one can stretch out the pace and not have to worry about falling. On these occasions one can look around at the scenery, or take in the intricate details of the village houses, or marvel at the sheer magnitude of the mountains surrounding you, like some towering giant hovering overhead. Just when you think the going is really pleasant, a sharp rise will bring you back to reality.

Sometimes the rocks have been placed to make easy stepping stones or a rock-formed staircase. Most of the time one has to pick your way carefully over a jumble of loose rocks, trying to find the easiest path and always being aware of potentially twisting an ankle – or worse. This makes going downhill sometimes even more treacherous than going uphill.

Day 4: Wednesday 4^th January 2006.

Phakding to Monjo

I didn’t get much sleep during the night. I was quite warm all night and didn’t need to wear my thermals. I just couldn’t get comfortable. I can’t spread out in the sleeping bag like I am used to doing in a bed. When I try to lie on my side my hips dig into the firm bed base because the mattress is virtually useless. Lying on one’s back is not much better as the mattress gives very little protection. Added to all that was the effect of altitude. This resulted in breathlessness at times.

Before breakfast we were delivered a cup of tea and a basin of hot water for washing. For breakfast we had a choice of porridge or muesli followed by toast and eggs. Another cup of tea saw us ready for the next stage of the trek.

More Suspension Bridges

Today we walked to Monjo village crossing several more suspension bridges. We generally followed the river high up on the hill side, occasionally dipping down to cross the river. Although we only gained about 200 metres in altitude today I found the going quite demanding, especially the last 500 metres or so to the lodge. This section was quite steep. I am pleased that my legs are coping very well but I have blisters on my corns on each foot. My major concern is my breathing; every breath I seem to be gasping for air. I keep reminding myself to go slowly.

School Visit

After lunch in the lodge we visited a Buddhist monastery and school. Several of the local boys joined us in a game of cricket which is very popular here in Nepal. Several of them were very good. I didn’t join in because I was very tired and I didn’t want to risk an injury. Sitting in the lovely sun was far more attractive. I took several photos of the playground with the towering snow-capped mountains as the backdrop. Imagine doing yard duty here. The only problem was getting here, and getting about, and everything is on foot. The school buildings were very basic but nicely kept. Ananta (our guide) told us that the children walk long distances from nearby villages to attend school.