Location: Namche
Altitude: 3440m
Local Time: April 17, 2007. 20:00
Weather: Fine all day – 15 degrees.
Hi Everyone,
It’s Tim coming to you from the luxurious Namche.
Today we made it to Namche. It was a pretty full day. We left Pheriche at 7:30am and pulled into Namche at about 2pm. We had planned to have lunch at Tengboche, but we were at Tengboche by 10:30am. Much to the disappointment of our guide and porter Dame and I decided it would be a better balance to have lunch at the bottom of the hill in Phunki Thanga. This worked out well, and we pulled into Namche mid-afternoon. The leg from Pheriche to Namche is testing because it involves two decent hill climbs. The first, and the shorter, is up the hill coming into Tengboche. The second is from the Phunki Thanga all the way into Namche, an approximately 2 hour effort. Dame and I discussed how good it would be to have a sky bridge from Namche to Tengboche – this would avoid all the seemingly unnecessary ups and downs.
Lodge
We talked our guide into staying at a lodge called “Camp de Base”. Camp de Base is one of the few lodges in town with an ensuite bathroom and shower. This is an incredible treat for us. Dame and I ignored the sign that said “please leave hot water for your fellow guests” and had long hot showers when we got it in. It has been about 6 days since our last shower so we were well overdue. We also enjoyed a couple of beers over dinner, the first time in a month!
Tomorrow
Tomorrow we will head to Lukla. This will be a sharp 600m descent down Namche hill into the valley followed by a 200m climb into Lukla. We should arrive into Lukla around 2pm – too late to catch a flight to Kathmandu. Instead we will stay overnight in Lukla and catch an early flight the next day.
Your Messages
Hi Lou,
Base camp is quite big – at least 5 or 6 football fields I would think. So IMG are definitely in a different spot from AT. Dame and I will probably do one or two more updates before we leave.
Nice to hear from you.
Hi Neil,
It has been a fantastic time. I know that Paul is really looking forward to the next group arriving. It is going to be a great experience for everybody. There is really nothing to be nervous about – there are so many lodges to stay at, that it is easy to pace the trek at one that is comfortable for everyone.
Till next time,
Tim
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