18th October 2016 –
Day 2 Everest Base Camp Expedition - Monjo to Namche Bazaare
I didn’t have the best nights sleep, probably because I went to
sleep so early last night. During the night I woke at 00:30 and was
restless until around 02:00 when I finally went back to sleep. It
was very hot during the night, perhaps my Robens Caucasus 900
Sleeping Bag is a good as they say it is.
The alarm woke me at 06:30 and I was straight up with the enthusiasm
bursting from me for the day ahead. After a quick freshen up and
packing away my kit bag I was downstairs and raring to go by 07:10
The rest of crew were all down for breakfast by 07:30 and I enjoyed
porridge with apple and toast and honey, the perfect set up for a
morning of tough walking on the EBC trail.
We began the trek to Namche Bazzaar at 08:15. The weather was once
again in our favour with the sun beating down and the walk today
whilst challenging, was a steady pace and pretty easy going.
It wasn’t long before we hit the famous twin bridges spanning the
Dubh Koshi. The lower bridge has been de-commissioned and only the
top one is allowed to be crossed now and you are really are pretty
high up with stunning views all around. You have to be careful on
these as you could come face to face with cows carrying loads up and
down the trail, but there is plenty of space for everyone to pass
safely.
Once over the bridge you are faced with Namche Hill, a long and
steep ascent to the first view point of Mt. Everest. The view point
is around ¾ of the way up and offered us the stunning first views on
Mt. Everest poking through the trees. This is a great place to stop,
recharge your batteries and reflect on the majesty of the Himalayas.
After another 20 minutes or so of trekking we made the check point
for Namche Bazaar, don’t be fooled into thinking you are there,
because there is still a short 15 – 20 minute burst before reaching
the town of Namche Bazaar itself.
We stayed at the Namche Bazaar Guesthouse & Restaurant and after
dropping off the bagsm and letting the feet rest outside of the
walking boots, we settled down to lunch, which was meat momo’s, a
new favourite of mine and one to be prepared and eaten back home.
The afternoon was spent relaxing and exploring Namche Bazaar, taking
in the culture, the shops, the cafes, and of course sampling the
Everest Beer, which spread into the evening and gave me the chance
to meet some new friends and share stories on the Himalayas and
climbing. It was here we met the formidable Hazel Grace who spends
around half of each year here working within the communities
supporting them, offering clothing, money, assistance, etc. A
wonderful charity for a very deserving bunch of people. You can find
out more and support Hazel’s charity,
Supporting Nepal’s Children, from here
