Friday 27th October
We are staying in Namche for two nights to aid the acclimatisation process. There is no point rushing about. When you have come out this far you should take your time and enjoy what the Himalaya has to offer.
It is certainly true that you have wild dreams at high altitude. As a result I was awake at 5.30 a.m. this morning. After breakfast I had a look around the shops in Namche. Just about everything that you need, and much that you don’t, can be bought in Namche. The lodges have sophisticated menus, hot showers and electric lights thanks to a small hydroelectric power scheme. Abundant trekking food is available and there is a multitude of ex-expedition gear should you have forgotten something, and yet more “Tibetan antiques”.
From Namche Bazaar the path climbs past a gompa built on the western flank of the mountain to the top of the ridge. It takes you across the flank of the mountain through tall conifer forests, about 100-500m above the Bhote Kosi. This flows from Thame in the west. En route, I met two walkers from Huddersfield. Quite a few people from West Yorkshire are out here! Phurte was reached in about an hour where there is a chorten at the entrance. There were some Sherpa women hard at work. A photo was taken of one who was carrying a bundle of soluk (leaves and vegetation mixed with dung to make fertiliser).
It didn’t take long to reach Thamo. There is a chorten peacefully situated at the centre of the village. Hydroelectricity is produced here and is then supplied to the Khumbu region: Thame Cho, Namche, Khumjung, Kunde and the villages in between. The offices of the Nepal Electric Authority are based here and I had a look round. An article pinned to the wall caught my attention. It criticised Reinhold Meissner, the famous mountaineer, because he had exploited the Nepalese. From Thamo there is a walk along the ridge to the lower village of Thomde. There were mendan and chorten among the many Tibetan Buddhist religious objects to be seen on the path.
Small communities can be seen on the other side of the river. The path runs parallel to the Bhote Kosi before coming to a wooden bridge that crosses a rushing stream. Then there is a steep climb, of about 200 to 250m, to Thame. Over the hill the Thame Khola was encountered flowing down towards Trashi Laptse. Suddenly I found myself at one end of Thame, the lower village, surrounded by cedar trees. The houses of the village are spread out across the sandy land. Thame is part of a group of villages called Thame Cho. It is an area noted for its potatoes and having traditional trading links with Tibet.
By now I deserved some lunch. A leisurely hour was spent relaxing in Thame Lodge eating dal bhat. Thame is in a beautiful location. The glaciated valley opens up before you. The view of the valley with the backdrop of mountains is simply stunning.
After lunch I decided to take a short walk up to a gompa. It is built in a peaceful setting, halfway up the hill north of Thame’s lower village. From here there are good views of the mountains of the Rowaling range. The most distant is Pigphera Go Shar, and to the south are the mountains above the valley of the Bhote Kosi.
At 2 p.m. it was time to return because Namche it is at least 2-3 hours away on foot. In the forest I spotted some pheasant including the danphe, the colourful national bird of Nepal. Darkness had set in by the time I arrived in Namche, tired and hungry.
I joined the others in the dining room for dinner. Some of them had gone up to the Everest View Hotel for the day. They said it was brilliant, drinking beers while taking in the views. I made a mental note to go there at the end of my trek. For dinner I had mushroom soup, fried rice, chocolate cake, and a Kit Kat washed down with jasmine and then mint tea. Yes, I was that hungry!
Anu, the proprietor, came over and talked to Patrick and I. Apparently a deaf trekker stayed at the Lodge several years ago, but they are rare. Anu informed us that Mani Rimdu, the Sherpa festival, will be taking place at Tengboche from 8th November onwards. He recommends going to watch the dancing. It is a Sherpa celebration of Buddhism’s victory over the Bon religion. The festival only happens once a year so I will join in the fun on the way back to Namche. It also falls on a convenient date. Luckily I will not have to make any detours to fit it in.