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The first part of
today's walk is a gradual ascent up the river, then a few sharp up and
downs to
get past the narrows, and then a steady ascent of 1000 feet up to
Namche.
Dave said at the
organizing
meeting that this
might be the most challenging day for most of us. That's
great -- only 1000 feet of
climbing.
Should be a piece of
cake.
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| Trail Through Fields and
Villages |
| Originally we were scheduled to hike considerably farther the first day, another couple of hours. I am glad we stopped when we did. I was getting tired and impatient. We will make it up today, and get to Namche all the same. |
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| Waterfall |
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We passed through the park entrance, then continued along to the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and the Bhote Koshi. The bridge there is perched way above the raging river, and the bridge is surrounded by impossibly steep and narrow stairs. Quite exciting. | |
| Namche Straight Ahead |
| The climb up to
Namche is not nearly as strenuous as I had expected. We
stop and rest every 100m elevation gain, so we don't really
get that
tired.
About half way up there
is a spot
where we can see Mt Everest.
It looks
very close.
It is easy to make out
the
south summit and the Hillary step. There
are vendors on the trail selling oranges at the Everest view.
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| First View of Everest |
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We continue to plod
up the trail -- the first section that is not studded by villages. Before
long we enter the outskirts of
Namche.
The campsite is all the
way on
the far side of Namche (it ALWAYS is as far away as possible) but we
don't know
that yet.
We still have to climb
another
half hour, through Namche and beyond, to get to our overnight spot. The trail always goes through the middle of town. What
a relief to be in camp.
After a few minutes rest, I set out to explore the adjacent area. Just next to us is an army base, situated on a little hilltop with a 360 degree view of all the surrounding peaks. As long as we stay on approved territory, the army guards do not bother us. The light on the surrounding mountains at sunset is spectacular. |
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| Sunset at Namche |
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