{"id":44628,"date":"2024-04-03T12:08:09","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T18:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=44628"},"modified":"2024-04-08T11:00:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T17:00:47","slug":"everest-2024-the-namche-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/03\/everest-2024-the-namche-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2024: The Namche Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parallel universes are happening right now on Everest\u2014trekking to base camp, building base camp, and putting in the climbing route.<\/p>\n

On the Nepal side, many climbers and trekkers are well into their six- to eight-day journey, taking in the sights and changing their lives as they experience the grace and beauty of the Khumbu. Meanwhile, Sherpas are building tent platforms at Everest Base Camp and preparing their team’s base camp for the next few months. But for our Nepal climbers, most of the action is still thousands of feet lower as they trek through the Khumbu.<\/p>\n

Mountain Prep On Schedule<\/h3>\n

The Icefall Doctors are working hard on the mountain to put the route into Camp 2 in the Western Cwm. They are already past the Football Field at the Khumbu Icefall. They report the route through the Icefall is “good,” but they always say that each year. Let’s wait for the first experienced Sherpa or guide to go through for a report. I expect the route to Camp 2 next week at the latest. Most climbers won’t arrive at EBC until April 15, and many teams will be acclimatizing on Lobuche East, nearly 20,000 feet, to eliminate one trip through the Icefall.<\/p>\n

Nothing big is happening yet on the Tibet side. Usually, climbers arrive at Base Camp on that side after April 15th<\/sup>, so it’s time to be patient. Again, no commercial team is climbing Everest from either side quite yet. Look for the first teams to enter the Icefall after April 10th. \u00a0And those climbing<\/p>\n

The volunteer Doctors who will staff\u00a0Everest ER<\/a> on the Nepal side have set up their “ER Tent” and are already treating patients for minor problems like upper respiratory infections, cuts and sprains. The more serious problem will begin once people reach a serious altitude, i.e., above 20,000 feet, but altitude can hit anyone anytime. This organization provides a great service to the locals, including porters, Sherpas, and foreign climbers, who are asked to pay a nominal fee of $125 for the season\u2014quite the bargain for a qualified and quality service.<\/p>\n

The Nepal Ministry of Tourism has issued eighty-six Everest permits across seven teams. It’s very early, and much more will come.<\/p>\n

The other 8000ers<\/h3>\n

On Annapurna<\/strong>, Seven Summits Treks<\/a> are responsible for putting in the fixed lines report all is well and their summit plans:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
The Sherpa team and the members are working hard to reach the summit of Mt. Annapurna I. This season, we have 15 climbing members for Annapurna I. Recently, we\u2019ve completed the rotation up to Camp 2, and the fixing team is planning to proceed tomorrow to fix the remaining section from Camp II towards the summit. If everything goes according to plan, we are aiming for the summit push in the third week of April.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
On Dhaulagiri<\/strong>, Pioneer Adventures reports that the base camp is established, and the fixed lines have reached camp 2.<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
DHAULAGIRI SPRING 2024 EXPEDITION UPDATE: BASE CAMP ESTABLISHED, CAMP II REACHED, AND ROTATIONS UNDERWAY!<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
BASE CAMP & CAMP II SETUP:<\/div>\n
We have established our Base Camp amidst the awe-inspiring landscape. From there, our teams pressed on, reaching Camp II, a crucial milestone in our ascent. With both Base Camp and Camp II now securely set up, we’re ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
FIXED LINES:<\/div>\n
Fixed lines have been laid up to Camp II, paving the way for smoother progress. But we’re not stopping there. Soon, these lines will extend all the way up to Camp III and Camp IV, providing vital support as we push towards the summit. Every step forward brings us closer to our ultimate goal.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
ROTATIONS:<\/div>\n
Our climbers have begun their rotations, ascending and descending in strategic intervals to acclimatize and familiarize themselves with the terrain. These rotations are essential for building strength, resilience, ensuring we’re prepared for the challenges ahead.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

But for now, it is all about the trek.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the Khumbu<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you step off the plane in Lukla, you begin day one of many, when you simply stop in your tracks and stare. The trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC) has begun in earnest.<\/p>\n

After a simple breakfast at one of the local lodges, you put on your day pack, which holds an extra jacket, hat, and gloves plus water and a snack that you won’t eat. The trail is wide and worn\u2014really just simple dirt.<\/p>\n

As you leave Lukla, you are greeted by a series of stupas, chortens, and mani stones, all hand-built some decades, perhaps centuries, ago. According to Buddhist doctrine, you should always go around them on the left side, the clockwise direction in which the earth and the universe revolve.<\/p>\n

The inscription carved into the rocks is “Om mani padme hum,” which is explained by H.H. Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama<\/a>, \u00a0as “… the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[…]”<\/p>\n

Downhill<\/strong><\/p>\n

The trail drops gently downhill. Hmm, you think. Does this mean I have to go uphill at some point, especially on the way back? It’s a curious thought for someone going to climb Mt. Everest! But soon, the trail picks back up and winds through narrow terrain, with the Dhudi Kosi River to your left and the ever-higher peaks of the Himalayan on your right. Your destination is the small village of Phakding, about 8km\/5 miles away.<\/p>\n

You get into a comfortable pace, knowing you are now around 9,000 feet\/2,743 meters. The conversation starts strong but stalls as everyone gets into their own thoughts. Today is not about making good time but getting into the rhythm of the Khumbu. Soon, a porter with your duffle bags passes you. Actually, he has three duffle bags on his back\u2014a double load, so he’ll make double the money today.<\/p>\n

This view will amaze you every time you see it. How young the porters are, their Chinese canvas shoes, how their body seems small and fragile, yet the load is so big and the web that drapes around their forehead, a tumpline, that helps carry the load. You promise yourself that you will seek out your porter and give him a tip.<\/p>\n

The constant roar of the rushing river keeps you company. Today, the sun is out and it feels hot. Now you wish you had followed the lead of the guides who are wearing shorts. Who knew?<\/p>\n

After about three hours, you arrive on the trek for your first night at a small Phakding lodge. Sitting on the outdoor concrete patio for a moment, you feel like you are back home with the plastic chairs and picnic tables, but then the loud clanging of bells disturb the moment as several Dzos pass by loaded with more duffles and, of course, some hay for themselves.<\/p>\n

Mo Mo’s in Phakding<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first-night dinner is a Khumbu standard: Mo Mo’s. You go to bed that night feeling a bit tired; the jet lag is still taking a toll, but you are on the trek and taking it all in. Tomorrow is the Namche Hill!<\/p>\n

You wake up at 7, and you feel more human today. Breakfast is a fried egg and toast plus coffee. It tastes good. It’s April 3, and the air is still cold, perhaps around freezing this morning, so you put on your down jacket, gloves, and cap as you step onto the trail. Today is a big day. You enter Sagarmatha National Park, home of Mount Everest, and sleep tonight in Namche Bazaar.<\/p>\n

This next section of the trail is outside the park, so many villages are along the way. One of the most meaningful times is when the children of the Khumbu walk to school or just hang out. They smile so easily, laugh hard and seem happy just playing with sticks. Yet you know their parents want the same thing all parents do: a better life for their children. So they go to school to learn to read and write. Some attend boarding school in Kathmandu if their parents can afford it. And this is why they have tea houses, trekking guides, and even work as mountain guides on Everest.<\/p>\n

The trail is steadily up now because you are going from Phakding at 2,610-meters\/8,562-feet to 3440-meters\/11,286-feet in Namche. The trek should take about six hours, but you know what’s ahead. The trail to Monjo and entering the Sagarmatha National Park is a sensory delight. The kids, colorful buildings, the clanging of bells, prayer flags – yes, this is what you were told you would experience, and it’s alive, right before your eyes.<\/p>\n