Days 2: Namche Bazaar

12 April 2007
Namche Bazaar, 3440metres, 1845hours.

I did the first part of the trek a bit slowly because of the innumerable steps up and downhill, but I am pleased to have done the final slog up the steep hill in just over 3 hours. This means I took a modest 5 hours 45 minutes to get from Phakding to Namche Bazaar, more than 3 hours down from last time.

Phakding-Jorsale: 2 hours 30 minutes
Jorsale-Namche: 3 hours 15 minutes

Jorsale, the last houses before Namche, is just beyond the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park, the Everest region, where you have to show/buy your permit. As a citizen of SAARC I only had to pay 100 Nepalese Rupees, whereas other foreigners are charged 1,000 Rupees.

The last 30 minutes were exhausting. I tripped at some point, but nothing too serious. When I got to Namche I was so tired that I could barely walk up the easy steps to Buddha Lodge, where I’d stayed on the previous trek.

Still got stiff legs but am otherwise fine. As is becoming the norm on this trek I had a short nap before going out to look over the edge at the mist. The day started great with brilliant sunshine, blue skies and mountain views, but after noon clouds gathered. You could still see snow peaks through breaks in the clouds and, in Namche, breaks in the mist.

Namche Bazaar has only two thirds of the oxygen at sea level and it is here that most people feel the effects of altitude first. To acclimatise to the elevation gain, you have to spend two nights here.

I have to confess swtichbacking up to Namche I did wonder if I’d do this again. Unlike the previous year, I had no answer.