2nd day of trek, December the 14th, 2010,
Toktok (2.710 m) to Namche Bazaar (3.440 m)
5 hours walking, 730 m ascent
When
you enjoy the company of a Sherpa family you have to expect having some
children around you :-) We were three ”white people” yesterday in their
lodge and after the owner made some fire in the dinning room – without
asking for fire, I could stay that night without fire - we also were
"invaded" by 2 children (I hope I do no harm about publishing their
picture). A girl about six or seven, and a little boy no older than 3
y.o., wearing a dawn jacket. Oh yes, the fact that all locals are
nowadays wearing dawn jackets looks so strange for us actually. Two
years ago I saw not a single local on the trail having a dawn jacket and
now I see babies and old people wearing it. The label is from North
Face, but there are not original pieces from North Face. These products
are manufactured actually in Nepal and they only put on it the label of a
loved brand. A manufacturer who sold mountaineering equipment in Thamel
said: ”I make the jackets and then I put the label of North Face on it
because the tourists love North Face and they buy it.”
So,
no regulations or restrictions, I have no idea about the position of
North Face company. In fact, the products are fakes and it is really
very difficult to know which one could be an original and which one is a
fake. I bought dawn slippers and gloves from ”mammuth”. I have no idea
if there are original products, for sure not, but in this case there are
no risks, so not so important for me so far I get it for a convenient
price. I only climbed over 5.500 m and I only had minus 20 degrees
Celsius, so the slippers and the gloves proved their full qualities and
kept me warm. But problems can occur in case of sleeping bags, that is a
serious issue actually, as you have no chance to protect yourself over
nights and a good, warm keeping sleeping bag can become vital for a long
trek. The boots are anyway an important issue and so on.
The
both children were …. just children :-)) The older one felt important
and protective about her little brother, as I was alone in the dinning
room for about one hour she just foolished around there, all the time
talking and talking, then she just took my pot of lemon tea and put it
in two cups, for her and for her brother. Then she came with a note book
and started to write some exercices in English, the numbers. One
moment, the little boy, who moved not so easy in his big dawn jacket,
started to cry, he was to warm and couldn’t get the jacket of by
himself, so I helped him.
Here
and in Lukla too I was astonished to see how small and in the same time
how independent the children are. A child of only 2 years old, wrapped
in a puffy dawn jacket, can manage to eat by himself and to bring the
empy plate to the mother in order to get some more or to show he is
finished, he ate all and wants a glass of water. Yesterday evening in Tok Tok I left the dinning room, where the fire offered a nice warm if you stayed close to the stove, at about 8 o’clock and crossing the road for entering the building where the rooms were I had a feeling of being quite pleasant outside, not so very cold actually. Of course pitch dark, but pleasant to stay outdoor for a couple of minutes. The Turkish-style toilet was very clean and the customary bucket of water and the cleaning brush were there, which is not quite usual in Himalaya. I got directly in my sleeping bag, having only the thin bike treasures, the T-shirts – one short arms and the second long arms - and a thick pair of socks on, which I removed after five minutes. The thick hat I’ve bought in Kathmandu (and which I love it) became a sort of second head skin (for the following days and almost for the entire duration of the trek), I have to admit this. After a while I put on the thick blue flies jumper and I’ve had a very pleasant and warm night in my sleeping bag.
But,
I have to say that even me I was very disappointed about the breakfast,
really. I am sorry to say this. The “apple pie” was actually a pancake
with probably some apple in, but it was pretty burned on one side, in
the middle was raw, not well done, so I had very little from it, it was
actually a piece of dough, which normally I cannot eat. The second
pancake with the omelette were so thin, that I was really hungry after
that breakfast, but not in the mood and money to order something new.
And it was the only place during one month where the omelette was made
from one single egg. So, from the point of view of the breakfast, the
most important meal at the beginning of a trekking day, I do not
recommend the Amadablam Lodge in Tok Tok for a stop. Or you ask at the
moment of your order how the things will be and discuss with the owner.
The family is very nice, the wife understand very little English, but
her husband speak an excellent English. But that morning he didn’t
appear.
I
could leave Tok Tok only at 9,20, too long time for getting a secure
backpack – I mean, all things have to be very stabile on it, in case you
fall or a strong wind is starting, you can lose some. A long day
awaited me, only going up, at least 6 hours of steepy climb to Namche
Bazaar. For drinking on the way I took one liter and half, some hot
lemon and water with energy tablets on it. Good idea. The camel bag has
no place inside the backpack, so I hung it out on the rucksack. The
winter camel bag is actually very usefull until you start to trek higher
that 3.800-4.000 meters. Then, it becomes only an extra luggage which
you have to carry on, empty. When you travel at least 2 persons, you can
let your camel bag home, because it will be always somebody to give
your bottle from the pocket of your backpack, without taking off your
backpack, this is the point.
The
trek started on almost flat ground. You pass by a lodge named
“Waterfall View” or so, because it is a waterfall on the left side, but
that day the water was shopping probably …. No water, no waterfall, only
the image of a possible waterfall and I imagine that during the summer
that small place can be very idyllic, it looks very nice. A short
distance beyond the waterfall there is an excellent view to the east of
the Peak of Thamserku (6.608 m alt.) and as you are steel on some green
ground, the contradictions of the strong colors of mother-nature give a
fascinating picture. These are reason why I cannot stop myself …….
After
short time, about 20 minutes, I reached the lodge in Bengkar, another
place where you can stay over night. Here it was a big group of porters,
taking a rest. One of them expressed himself very ostentatiously to me
with a “hello!!”, then he commented something and the others laughed
like true idiots behind me. I just ignored that, wishing some other
people would appear in the next seconds.
You
climb through terrible dry scenery and a lot of finest dust to Chomoa,
then the trail descends quite steeply into a big valley below Thamserku,
crosses the Kyashar Khola River and climbs out of the valley to Monjo
(2.840 m). It took me 2 hours until Monjo. From here, somewhere on the right side, a path leads to Thamserku Mountain (6.608 m).
Beyond
Monjo I reached the gate of entrance into Sagarmatha (Everest) National
Park. The big building appears there down on the trail in a very
unexpected way. The entrance station is guarded by machine-gun-toting
army personnel and your trekking permit will be checked. Here you have
to pay the National Park fee for 1.000 NRP (14 USD / 11 EUR) and your
permit will be registered very carefully in a logbook. When you leave
SNE, they look for you in their logbook after your entering date and
note there that you left the area. They note your country, gender, age,
nationality, if individual or belonging to a group. As no tourists at
that moment, I stayed not long for the formalities.
Inside
the building is also a sort of information point for the tourists, with
some statistics, pictures and a big model of the major mountains peaks.
SNP was established in 1976 to protect a 1.148 sq km area surrounding
Mount Everest (called Sagarmatha by Nepalis). Advisers from New Zealand
assisted with the park development and trained the first Nepali wardens.
Although the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
manages the area, most of the enforcement activities are carried out by a
large contingent of the Nepal Army that is based in a compound above
Namche Bazaar. The park was declared a Unesco World Heritage sie in
1979.
Park
rules prohibit trekkers from buying fuel wood from local people or
removing any wood materials from the forest. In 1998 the park
administration banned glass bottles. Nepali beer is available in cans,
but if you want a soft drink, you’ll have to rely on Chinese drinks that
have been transported over Nangpa La from Tibet. Park regulations also prohibit mountain biking, climbing any mountain without proper permission and littering.
The
Sagarmatha National Park includes the highest point of the Earth's
surface, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha). The park is also of major religious
and cultural significance in Nepal as it abounds in holy places such as
the Thyangboche and also is the homeland of the Sherpas whose way of
life is unique, compared with other high-altitude dwellers.
The
park encompasses the upper catchments of the Dudh Kosi River system,
which is fan-shaped and forms a distinct geographical unit enclosed on
all sides by high mountain ranges. The northern boundary is defined by
the main divide of the Great Himalayan Range, which follows the
international border with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. In the
south, the boundary extends almost as far as Monjo.
This
is a dramatic area of high, geologically young mountains and glaciers.
The deeply-incised valleys cut through sedimentary rocks and underlying
granites to drain southwards into the Dudh Kosi and its tributaries,
which form part of the Ganges River system. The upper catchments of
these rivers are fed by glaciers at the head of four main valleys,
Chhukhung, Khumbu, Gokyo and Nangpa La. Lakes occur in the upper
reaches, notably in the Gokyo Valley, where a number are impounded by
the lateral moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier (at 20 km the longest
glacier in the park). There are seven peaks over 7,000 m. The mountains
have a granite core flanked by metamorphosed sediments and owe their
dominating height to two consecutive phases of upthrust. The main uplift
occurred during human history, some 500,000-800,000 years ago. Evidence
indicates that the uplift is still continuing at a slower rate, but
natural erosion processes counteract this to an unknown degree.
In
the region there are six altitudinal vegetation classed, from oak
forests at the lowest elevations to lichens and mosses at the highest
elevations. The Himalayan zone provides the barrier between the
Palaearctic realm and the Indomalayan realm.
Most
of the park (69%) comprises barren land above 5,000 m, 28% is grazing
land and about 3% is forested. Six of the 11 vegetation zones in the
Nepal Himalaya are represented in the park: lower subalpine; upper
subalpine; lower alpine; upper alpine; and subnival zone. Oak used to be
the dominant species in the upper montane zone but former stands of
this species.
In
common with the rest of the Nepal Himalaya, the park has a
comparatively low number of mammalian species, apparently due to the
geologically recent origin of the Himalaya and other evolutionary
factors. The low density of mammal populations is almost certainly the
result of human activities. Larger mammals include common langur,
jackal, a small number of wolf, Himalayan black bear, red panda,
yellow-throated marten, Himalayan weasel, masked palm civet, snow
leopard, Himalayan musk deer, Indian muntjac, serow, Himalayan tahr and
goral. Sambar has also been recorded. Smaller mammals include
short-tailed mol, Tibetan water shrew, Himalayan water shrew; marmot,
woolly hare, rat and house mouse.
Inskipp
lists 152 species of bird, 36 of which are breeding species for which
Nepal may hold internationally significant populations. The park is
important for a number of species breeding at high altitudes. The park's
small lakes, especially those at Gokyo, are used as staging points for
migrants. A total of six amphibians and seven reptiles occur or probably
occur in the park.
There
are approximately 2,500 Sherpa people living within the park. The
people are primarily Tibetan Buddhists. Their activities are primarily
agricultural or trade based. Their properties have been excluded from
the park by legal definition. There is and will continue to be an
influence on the people by the park and vice versa. The Sherpas are of
great cultural interest, having originated from Salmo Gang in the
eastern Tibetan province of Kham, some 2,000 km from their present
homeland. They probably left their original home in the late 1400s or
early 1500s, to escape political and military pressures, and later
crossed the Nangpa La into Nepal in the early 1530s. They separated into
two groups, some settling in Khumbu and others proceeding to Solu. The
two clans (Minyagpa and Thimmi) remaining in Khumbu are divided into 12
subclans. Both the population and the growth of the monasteries took a
dramatic upturn soon after that time. The Sherpas belong to the
Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which was founded by the revered
Guru Rimpoche who was legendarily born of a lotus in the middle of a
lake. There are several monasteries in the park, the most important
being Tengpoche.
(Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/120)
It was sunny, warm, I was on trail and I was incredible happy. I knew
somehow I want to go closer to the Everest Mountain, but I have planed
this trip eventually for 2012 …. So being here NOW was much more
fascinating as I could percepe. 
The
trail makes a steep rocky descent to a large farm, passing by a big
rock painted in black and inscriptioned with white written mantras. It
is a shadow segment and you feel cold. I crossed the Dudh Kosi River on a
high 120 m-long Swiss-built suspension bridge and followed the west
bank. A short distance up the river is Jorsale at 2.830 m. Several sunny
lodges could be a very nice moment to have lunch and I actually met
here again the british couple, Claire and Andi. They already had eaten,
so I thought it is to late for me for a lunch (it was 12 o’clock), as I
am too slow and the climb, the long steep climb to Namche even starts.
So I skiped my lunch today, saving also some money (at least 500 NRP).
The
trail follows the river for a while, then cross again the Dudh Kosi
River, follows along the river bank and after a few ups und downs makes a
steep climb near the confluence of two rivers.
I could see very high and away in front of me the long bridge which I
supposed I have to cross. But reaching the bridge meant first a very
steep long climb and behind me was approaching a caravan of about ten
donkeys loaded with products. As usual, I gave them priority on the
trail. I do this from a inner common sense and a sort of big respect,
really! Even if there are situations when you have to rush because you
are tired or sick and wish to reach your destination, I never forgot
that it is much more important for them to go ahead as for myself. And
the donkeys …. Have such a human look, when they are tired and stop
looking in your eyes ….. uuuuffff
After
they pass by me I continued my climb, but behind me came another
caravane about 7 donkeys. I had no space to stop and to let them the
path free, so there were some moments or maybe two minutes as I was
blocked between the both caravanes, alone, on a crazy and dusty climb
through the forest.
Reaching
the bridge, I waited until all donkeys crossed it, taking some nice
pictures. At the end of the bridge is a set of steep, crooked concrete
stairs and the place can become easily very problematic. In the busy
season a local person uses a police whistle to direct “the traffic”, as
it can be dangerous.
After the bridge was absolutely clear, I crossed the Dudh Kosi River. What a dizzying height above the river!
In this area I’ve got lost of the two Holland guys. The fact is that about one hour before Rick said to me, they are going faster to Namche and if they don’t solve their financial problem, they will stay in Namche only one night, climbing further for maximum 2 days and then returning to Kathmandu. So it was a sort of “good bye!” and although I felt suddenly very lonely, I accepted the situation.
In this area I’ve got lost of the two Holland guys. The fact is that about one hour before Rick said to me, they are going faster to Namche and if they don’t solve their financial problem, they will stay in Namche only one night, climbing further for maximum 2 days and then returning to Kathmandu. So it was a sort of “good bye!” and although I felt suddenly very lonely, I accepted the situation.
From that moment I did not care
about them anymore and I stopped to worry about them. The girl was too
distant and cold, so if they are going faster, it is no problem. The
funny thing is that I left them behind me and they reached Namche only 2
hours later than me (I heared this after about one week, as we shortly
met on the trail, in Dingboche).
I
coudn't download it here, some technical problems. You can see how
strong was the wind and how steep the stairs at the end of the bridge
The
”walk” (”climb” would be more suitable) to Namche Bazar is long and
leads you from a safe altitude to one in which altitude sickness can be a
real danger, so the most important thing is to walk as slowly as possible and do not get exhausted.
I
climbed for 2 hours and 40 minutes, the British couple reached me and
we entered Namche Bazar all three together, at 2:40 p.m. I was really
exhausted and hungry. Probably because at this stage you are not
acclimatised and trained, this day stay in your memory along the entire
trek to Everest as one of the toughest and longest.
Entering Namche Bazar at 3.440 m you have to stop for the check of your trekking/climbing permit, it is the 3rd checking point for today.
After
a few minutes I felt as new and after some more steps I understood the
name of Namche Bazaar, being surprised to see so many things, people and
so much dirt. It was Tuesday, but the open air bazaar was over crowded.
It is really a strange picture, when you see it for the first time ….
The
settlement is shaped as a teardrope with the narrow part on the bottom
of the valley. Is just like a big amphitheatre. You walk through the
archwayentrance and immediately it follows a large stupa and the prayer
walls. Behind the walls, crauched like in a big human palm, there is a
large vacant lot of ground where the bazaar is actually happening.
First feeling? Honestly? So dirty! So chaotic! So colorfull! So cold! So dirty! And so cold ....
Each
Saturday there is an important weekly “haat” or market. Established in
1965, it offers a venue for lowland people to sell com, rice, eggs,
vegetables and other items not grown in Khumbu. The bazaar is an
important social event, as ell as the focus for the region’s trade.
Sherpas from all the neighbouring villages come to purchase food and
socialize and the place becomes a crowded rumpus of Sherpas, government
officials, porters, guides, Tibetan and tourists.
The
fields at the foot of N.B. have been taken over by Tibetan traders
selling Chinese goods. These colourful sheepskin-clad men bring trains
of huge Tibetan yaks laden with clothing, soft drinks and household
goods from the Tibetan town of Tingri over the 5.740 m Nangpa La into
Khumbu. They camp in N.B. and make trading excursions as far south as
Lukla. There’s nothing much to buy of interest to trekkers, but the
Tibet bazaar is certainly worth visiting. These traders return to Tibet
once they have sold their wares. You may also encounter Tibetan refugees
who have crossed Nangpa La and are headed for Dharamsala in India, the
home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibet government in exile.
Almost
everyone trekking in the Khumbu region visit N.B., as it is the gateway
to the high Himalaya and the visitors are adviced to spend here at
least 2 nights and moving around during the day, in order to get
acclimatized. Starting on the right side you reach the area of lodges,
hotels, restaurants and shops. You can find here, for higher amounts
than in Kathmandu, of course, anything you need for trekking or
climbing.
I
just followed the British couple who tried to remember about the place
they had accommodation seven years ago, when they did this trek. So we
reached a huge lodge, Khumbu Lodge. I was impressed about the main
dinning room: very big and full of warm colors, typicall design,
beautiful place. In the middle of the space, a lot of colorful pillows
which I just adore, remember about the childhood in a way, as we had at
home in a traditionally way a lot of pillows, belonging to a “Turkish
room” in the house of my grand parents before the 2nd WW. I still keep two of them in my living space, but those times based on such of precious work are over long time ago.
COSTS OF THE DAY: 1.115 NRP (16 USD / 12 EUR)
Breakfast in TokTok: 350
1 liter hot lemon: 150
Dinner in N.B.: 455
1 liter hot water: 60
1 night: 100
My advice for such of trekking trips in Himalaya:
Buy the services of a local travel agency.
If your backpack is over 12 kg, hire a porter.
Think about hiring a local guide.
