Day 1 - 2 | Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar
The following are journal entries of mine from our time trekking to Mt. Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes. Check back soon for the remaining entries from our two weeks in the mountains!
April 26 - Kathmandu, Nepal
We returned from our four-day trip to the Annapurna Conservation Area a few days ago and are still sore in the legs. A good chunk of uphill and knee-busting downhill had our leg muscles shocked from little activity recently. Kimberly has a stomach bug from the poor food [sanitation] we've had the past couple of days and I have a bit of a flutter as well from the anxiousness, eagerness, and excitement for what lays ahead. After a grocery run and some last minute shopping, we complete one final run through of our gear, FaceTime our family, and head to bed.
Day One - Kathmandu, Nepal to Monjo, Nepal
At 6:15am, we left our two large duffel bags full of non-trekking gear with the hotel and took a taxi to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu Airport.
A airplane prepares for takeoff at Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA).
Upon arriving at the airport, my primary eagerness was to learn how much we were carrying in our bags. We hadn't had access to a scale and I was curious how much weight we'll be huffing up these mountains. At official weigh in, Kimberly’s bag was 9.6kg, mine was 11.6kg, and the two small dry bags that we’ve brought as our “carry-ons” (holding our food, cameras, and money) weighed 5.5kg. Some quick math told me we have about 60lbs in total and I’m okay with this. I know that this is heavy overall for two weeks in the mountains, particularly at altitude, but I also know that we have scrutinized our gear multiple times and the weight will drop as soon as we start to eat our snacks.
Nameless boarding passes, a short wait, and a quick bus ride later and we were on the tarmac looking at our humble prop plane. Given stories and videos shared on the Internet, we were surprised when we boarded the plane towards the back of the line and were left nearly the “best seats” (front and left) by the other passengers. The plane was an open cockpit and carried roughly a dozen and a half trekkers on a 45-minute journey to Lukla.
Hovering just above the dense air pollution of the Kathmandu Valley, we identified the massive and majestic Himalayan peaks in the distance, thanks to our gifted left-side view. The engines and propellers had a consistent hum and every once in a while, the lightweight plane would drop suddenly causing your stomach to partner with your throat and about half the plane to gasp. After 30-minutes, the co-pilot handed the controls back to the pilot for the famous landing at Tenzing-Hillary Airport. By the time we looked out the cockpit window and began to think the runway didn’t seem long enough, the plane touched down with a jolting thud and started to come to an abrupt stop before avoiding the mountain face and village at the end of the runway. We had safely arrived.
Leaving the town of Lukla and starting our two week trek in the Himalayas. To the right, you'll see a very traditional load carried by a porter. The light blue strap dangling near the basket is the only strap used by the porter over their forehead to carry the full load.
After departing the plane and kindly avoiding the local guides and porters offering their services, we found a nearby teashop where we ordered some hot drinks, watched the airport in action, and got our bearings straight.
Spinning a Mani wheel for blessings and good fortune.
Kimberly crosses a suspension bridge behind a handful of yaks and porters.
Once on the trail, we quickly started to experience things that online research had prepared us for: 1) When you approach a wall of carved stones in the middle of the trail, that’s a “Mani wall” and should be passed to the left. 2) When you see a colorful drum with bright paintings and mantras--Mani wheel---spin it clockwise. And lastly, 3) When faced with a yak, horse, or creature bigger than you, stand on the hillside of the trail, not the cliff side.
Along the way, we slowly passed porters carrying large loads up the mountain. Kids no older than twelve were carrying massive loads of toilet paper and lighter weight provisions while grown men were carrying cases upon cases of drinks and canned goods. Some loads were well over 100lbs.
Coming the other direction on the trail were small and large groups of people heading back to Lukla; most looked exhausted and as if they hadn’t showered for more than a week. We assumed they had been in the mountains for as long as we planned to be and wondered if the look they were wearing was guaranteed for us in the future.
Our first day was fairly straightforward. Three hours of [net] downhill hiking from Lukla to a village named Phakding where we’d have lunch and if we were feeling strong, would continue on for another three hours to the village of Monjo.
We arrived in Phakding in good time and found a lodge for lunch. I order the "dal bhat" and Kimberly ordered a soup and sandwich. Dal (lentils) Bhat (rice) is a staple in Nepal and will be our main dish while here in the Himalayas. All dal bhat is served with a side of vegetable or meat curry. An important fact on the mountain, however, is that most lodges are powered by solar electricity. This means that there is limited refrigeration which in turn means that any meat above the village of Lukla was slowly carried up on a porter’s back. As a result, it will to be a ‘vegetarian only’ diet for us for the next two weeks. As a bonus though, there are refills on dal bhat so you never leave hungry.
The trail to the village of Monjo was rolling and uneventful; equal parts up and down with the occasional porter or herd of yaks to avoid. About an hour after lunch, it started to rain. Luckily, we were near the village of Bengkar, so we decided to wait out the storm in a quiet and colorful teahouse. Some journaling, a quick power nap, and a $3.50 soda passed the time until the rain subsided.
When we arrived in Monjo, a lot of the unknown and anxiety of the first day quickly went away. We were three hours “ahead” of our proposed itinerary and we felt strong and healthy. Walking through Monjo, we used our new method for finding a good place to stay--a method honed by our experience hiking in Annapurna: 1) Smoke is coming from the kitchen chimney and 2) other trekkers are warming themselves by the central wood stove. Simple but effective.
Day Two - Monjo to Namche Bazaar
After a great night’s rest, we shared a bowl of porridge and two boiled eggs for breakfast. During our meal, we met two older gentlemen hiking together, one of whom was from South Africa, so we had a lengthy chat about his country and our time enjoyed there.
In no rush, we packed up our bags and set off for our three-hour hike to our next overnight village, Namche Bazaar. As we followed the trail, we ran along a river before coming to a fork in the road. At the fork, the left trail went low and followed the river and the right headed seemingly parallel but uphill. I consulted our Maps.Me offline app and discover both in fact run parallel and end at the same place. Kimberly wanted the uphill option because there was a faint, spray-painted arrow on a rock nearby directing her that way. I argued for the along-the-river route for it’s scenery and seemingly more flat approach. As we take the lower, we start to run into heavy traffic coming in the opposite direction and Kimberly pointed out that her arrow back at the fork might have been for traffic control. I point out the dozen or so porters also going our direction. The argument is dropped as we realize conserving breath as the air thins is more important.
Outside our first teahouse/lodge in Monjo. Start of Day Two.
We join back with the singular trail and were immediately greeted with a notorious suspension bridge crossing. Spanning hundreds of feet across two ridgelines and equally as high above the icy glacier river below, the cable bridge with pieced together chain-linked fencing sways and bounces with every step. Hundreds of prayer flags attached to the bridge give you an odd sense of security but the rush of adrenaline as you inevitably look down overrules all emotion.
Crossing the large (and very high) suspension bridge near Namche Bazaar
All trekkers must have two pieces of paper for access on the trails. First is a TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) Card which acts as a digital record of your itinerary. If you were to go missing in the park, the police could narrow down your location based on your last TIMS checkpoint. The second required document is a Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park permit. The majority of the park permit fee goes directly to the villages for improvements to trails, water management, and other needs.
Our first real physical challenge of our trek shortly followed as we were forced into a 1,200ft climb with just over a mile remaining. The climb and trail itself is easy but we’re now above 10,000ft and breathing becomes slightly labored--especially with full packs. Upon arriving in Namche Bazaar, our TIMS (Trekker’s Information Management System) Cards and Sagarmatha National Park permits were checked for the third time and we were welcomed into the unofficial capital of the Himalayas.