Trekking to Everest Base Camp, Namche Bazaar - Phototravel independent travel. Namche Bazaar. Himalayan diary. Day four

Geography

The village is located at an altitude of 3,440 m on the side slope of a hill.

To the west of Namche Bazaar is Mount Kongde Ri with a height of 6,187 m, and to the east is Mount Thamserku with a height of 6,623 m.

Climate

The climate in Namche Bazar is cold, with rainy summers and frosty, dry winters.

Maximum and minimum temperatures

	Jan.	Feb.	March	April	May	June	July	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Max	7	6	9	12	14	15	16	16	15	12	9	7
Min	−8	−6	−3	1	4	6	8	8	6	2	3	-6

Precipitation

	Jan.	Feb.	March	April	May	June	July	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
mm	26	23	34	26	41	140	243	243	165	78	9	39
inches	1.0	.90	1.3	1.0	1.6	5.5	9.5	9.5	6.5	3.0	.35	1.5

Description

The village is very famous among tourists and climbers because it is located on the road to Everest and has an expanded system of tourist hotels, restaurants, shops where tourists can relax and prepare for the hike. There is electricity in the village, there is an airport (helicopter station) nearby, but most tourists cannot use it: due to the protest of local residents, the airport in Lukla is used for mass tourism, from which tourists must make a daily journey to Namche Bazaar (in case of very brisk walking is enough for six hours). Serving tourists in this area provides jobs and income for local residents.

Official offices, police control, post office and bank are also located in Namche Bazar. At the top are the barracks of the Nepalese army.

Namche Bazaar is the main point for traveling to Everest, the mountain and Gokyo Lake.

Above the village is the base of the Sagarmatha National Park, which offers views of Everest and other mountain peaks.

At an altitude of 3800 above Namche Bazaar is the luxurious Everest View Hotel, from the terrace of which Everest can be seen in good weather. The hotel organized trips for wealthy tourists, but many experienced acute mountain sickness from the sudden rise to such a height. The hotel is additionally equipped with a dome and oxygen supply to the rooms.

On Saturdays, a bazaar opens in the morning, which attracts residents of surrounding villages, as well as Tibetans who come with goods through the passes from Tibet with Chinese goods.

There are several Tibetan monasteries in the vicinity of Namche Bazar.

see also

Write a review about the article "Namche Bazaar"

Notes

Links

An excerpt characterizing Namche Bazaar

– Are you Count Ilya Andreevich’s son? My wife was very friendly with your mother. On Thursdays they gather at my place; “Today is Thursday, you are welcome to come to me easily,” said the governor, dismissing him.
Directly from the governor, Nikolai took the saddlebag and, taking the sergeant with him, rode twenty miles to the landowner's factory. Everything during this first time of his stay in Voronezh was fun and easy for Nikolai, and everything, as happens when a person is well disposed, everything went well and went smoothly.
The landowner to whom Nikolai came was an old bachelor cavalryman, a horse expert, a hunter, the owner of a carpet, a hundred-year-old casserole, an old Hungarian and wonderful horses.
Nikolai, in two words, bought for six thousand and seventeen stallions for selection (as he said) for the horse-drawn end of his renovation. Having had lunch and drunk a little extra Hungarian, Rostov, having kissed the landowner, with whom he had already gotten on first name terms, along the disgusting road, in the most cheerful mood, galloped back, constantly chasing the coachman, in order to be in time for the evening with the governor.
Having changed clothes, perfumed himself and doused his head with cold milk, Nikolai, although somewhat late, but with a ready-made phrase: vaut mieux tard que jamais, [better late than never] came to the governor.
It was not a ball, and it was not said that there would be dancing; but everyone knew that Katerina Petrovna would play waltzes and ecosaises on the clavichord and that they would dance, and everyone, counting on this, gathered at the ballroom.
Provincial life in 1812 was exactly the same as always, with the only difference that the city was livelier on the occasion of the arrival of many wealthy families from Moscow and that, as in everything that happened at that time in Russia, it was noticeable some kind of special sweepingness - the sea is knee-deep, the grass is dry in life, and even in the fact that that vulgar conversation that is necessary between people and which was previously conducted about the weather and about mutual acquaintances, was now conducted about Moscow, about the army and Napoleon.
The society gathered from the governor was the best society in Voronezh.
There were a lot of ladies, there were several of Nikolai’s Moscow acquaintances; but there were no men who could in any way compete with the Cavalier of St. George, the repairman hussar, and at the same time the good-natured and well-mannered Count Rostov. Among the men was one captured Italian - an officer of the French army, and Nikolai felt that the presence of this prisoner further elevated the importance of him - the Russian hero. It was like a trophy. Nikolai felt this, and it seemed to him that everyone was looking at the Italian in the same way, and Nikolai treated this officer with dignity and restraint.
As soon as Nicholas entered in his hussar uniform, spreading the smell of perfume and wine around him, he himself said and heard the words spoken to him several times: vaut mieux tard que jamais, they surrounded him; all eyes turned to him, and he immediately felt that he had entered into the position of everyone’s favorite that was due to him in the province and was always pleasant, but now, after a long deprivation, the position of everyone’s favorite intoxicated him with pleasure. Not only at stations, inns and in the landowner’s carpet were there maidservants who were flattered by his attention; but here, at the governor’s evening, there was (as it seemed to Nikolai) an inexhaustible number of young ladies and pretty girls who were impatiently waiting for Nikolai to pay attention to them. Ladies and girls flirted with him, and from the first day the old women were already busy trying to get this young rake of a hussar to marry and settle down. Among these latter was the governor’s wife herself, who accepted Rostov as a close relative and called him “Nicolas” and “you.”
Katerina Petrovna really began to play waltzes and ecosaises, and dances began, in which Nikolai even more captivated the entire provincial society with his dexterity. He surprised even everyone with his special, cheeky style of dancing. Nikolai himself was somewhat surprised by his manner of dancing that evening. He had never danced like that in Moscow and would even have considered such an overly cheeky manner of dancing indecent and mauvais genre [bad taste]; but here he felt the need to surprise them all with something unusual, something that they should have accepted as ordinary in the capitals, but still unknown to them in the provinces.

Everest, Sagarmatha, Chomolungma - this is how the inhabitants of the Earth call the highest mountain on our planet, rising among the eternal snows of the Himalayas to a height of 8848 meters. Situated on the border of Nepal and Tibet, the peak invariably attracts thousands of mountain lovers, climbers and ordinary travelers seeking to walk along the most beautiful routes of the Solo Khumbu Sherpa Valley and Sagarmatha National Park.
Every year there are fewer and fewer places on Earth that are not spoiled by civilization, and the Everest region is one of the pleasant exceptions. Along with the Annapurna Trek, the Everest Trek is one of the most beautiful, exhilarating and exciting treks not only in Nepal but in the whole world.
Just fifty years ago, the road to Everest was a truly difficult and unknown route to the very ends of the Earth. Nowadays, this fascinating path has been trodden by thousands of feet, depicted in detail on numerous maps, and now almost anyone can walk it even alone - on my way to Everest, I met both seven-year-old children and seventy-year-old grandfathers. Not all of them manage to get back on their own, but if you follow simple safety rules, your chances of survival increase significantly.

A little history of Chomolungma

It’s also not worth taking food with you - there will be no problems with food on your way. Even in the smallest village - consisting of three houses and one temple - you will find not only accommodation for the night, but also a small restaurant where a surprisingly good dinner will be prepared for you. I haven't visited many countries, but I would venture to guess that it is rare to find such good local cuisine anywhere else.
So, leave your string bags with sausage and pies at home - poor Nepal will generously feed and water you. Just don’t forget to take enough Nepalese rupees on your hike, which will be used to pay for all the joys of life. And although halfway to Everest (namely, in the village of Namche) you can find an exchange office, it is better not to tempt fate and stock up on rupees in Kathmandu in advance. The more money you take, the better, but you can aim for around 1,000 rupees per day. Depending on your appetites, this amount can be reduced or increased several times. For example, I really love different juices (apple, orange, etc.), and therefore a significant part of my budget went to these juices, which are much more expensive in the mountains than in Kathmandu.

It is worth noting that the Solo Khumbu region seemed to me more prosperous and wealthy than the Annapurna region. Apparently, the long history of expeditions to Everest has made a significant contribution to improving the standard of living of local residents. In practice, this means that all prices on the Everest trek are one and a half to two times higher than similar prices on the Annapurna treks. In addition, if on Annapurna the price of an ordinary room in a village hotel already includes the use of heating and charging electricity, as well as hot water, then on Everest this is not the case - there are no sockets or water in the rooms. You can charge batteries only for money in a separate room, as well as washing with hot water. Moreover, the prices for these simple pleasures are very steep - using charging electricity costs from 150 to 350 rupees per hour, and for a bucket of hot water they will charge you 150-200 rupees.
Thus, a trek to Everest will cost you twice as much as a trek of similar duration in the Annapurna region. Take all this into account when planning your budget.

Some prices in villages on the trek: room in a regular hotel: 100-300 rupees per day, slow internet 10-20 rupees per minute, apples 70-80 rupees per piece, bottled water 50 rupees per liter, juice 300-500 rupees per liter, bucket of hot water 250 rupees, plate of soup/salad/dumplings/spaghetti 150-250 rupees.

The main obstacle on the way to the cherished goal - Everest - will be altitude sickness, which to one degree or another will affect the majority of tourists walking this trek. At an altitude of 5,000 meters there is half as much oxygen as at sea level, but if you want to see Everest as closely as possible, you will inevitably have to climb above five thousand meters. When you undergo acclimatization, being at such an altitude will become commonplace for you, but until then unpleasant sensations are possible - constant headache, increased heart rate, chronic colds, weakness, lack of appetite and mood, reluctance to do anything or go anywhere go. With a moderate and careful upward movement, these phenomena are mild in nature and happily stop within a few days. Otherwise, it is recommended to stop your ascent and go down several hundred meters.
Every year, up to ten people die in the Everest region who did not heed the voice of reason and continued to move forward, despite their deteriorating health. Don’t repeat their mistakes, wait until acclimatization is complete, after which you can move on without any problems. If you cannot allocate at least 16-18 days for the trip, then it is better to head not to Everest, but to the Annapurna region - the nature there is no less (if not more) beautiful, and the routes are easier and more varied. The trek to Everest is more rugged and difficult, and for its successful completion, experience of easier treks is desirable.

From Kathmandu to Lukla

	Trek map to Everest

The first expeditions to Everest began their journey directly from the Kathmandu Valley, covering more than two hundred kilometers on foot to achieve their cherished goal. Today, most of this route can be covered by bus or plane. In the first case, you need to take a bus to the village of Jiri, which is located more than a hundred kilometers east of Kathmandu. Then you can walk and after 5-6 days reach the village of Lukla (2860 m). Usually, this path is taken by those who have a lot of free time and not a lot of money, usually these are European students who failed the session early. Most travelers prefer to save time and effort and immediately start their journey from Lukla, flying to it on one of the daily flights from Kathmandu.

The entire flight to Lukla will take a short 35-40 minutes, during which the plane will fly about 140 kilometers. Behind the glass, as in a magical movie, marvelous frames will flash - winding strings of roads, mountain villages scattered among green forests and hills, patchwork quilts of fields, sparkling streams at the bottom of wild gorges, and suddenly - clouds and fogs, menacingly covering everything to the horizon ...
But even there, in the distance, above any height, the snowy peaks sparkle, among which Mount Gauri Shankar, which at one time was considered the highest peak of the Himalayas, especially stands out. Looking at this picture of the world of rare beauty, unfolding below you as if in a kaleidoscope, you will for a moment feel like a living god, contemplating his creation from above.
All this is so beautiful, touching and a little sad that even the pilot of the plane, who had already seen all this many times, involuntarily thought, forgetting about his work, and, enchanted, almost flew past Lukla once again.

Landing in Lukla will be a very important moment in your journey to Everest, although you can only influence its success through fervent prayers. The village itself is located on the slope of a steep mountain, and therefore the runway here is very short - on one side it falls into an abyss, and on the other it rests against a wall. No matter how high the skill of Nepalese pilots is, sometimes they are powerless in the face of the imperfections and wretchedness of human technology. In 1975, the wife and daughter of Edmund Hillary, the first conqueror of Everest, who himself built this airport, died here. And two weeks before my arrival, a plane of the famous Nepalese airline Buddha Air crashed with German tourists on board. So, if you are very afraid of flying, then perhaps it will be safer for you to walk to Lukla.

In good weather, planes land here every five minutes, and this spectacle is a major attraction for locals, who occupy the best seats around the runway from early morning. In bad weather, flights can be delayed for several days, and this is a potential hazard on your way back from the trek. Having landed and picked up your luggage, you can continue on your way to your cherished goal.

Lukla – Phakding – Namche Bazaar

	On the road to Everest

Although Lukla is full of hotels, shops, everything bright and unusual, there is no need to linger here now, and, having bypassed the small airport, you can take your first steps along the road to the highest peak of the Earth. A peculiarity of the Solo Khumbu region is that Everest here is obscured by two other high mountains - Nuptse (7879 m) and Lhotse (8516 m), so in order to see the highest peak of the world well enough, you need to walk a relatively long distance from Lukla and climb Mount Kala Patthar (5545 m) or Gokyo Ri (5483 m), from the top of which there is a good view of Everest.
This is the formal essence of the track in this area. In addition to these peaks, many tourists try to get to the Everest base camp (5364 m), and even the trek itself is most often called the Everest base camp trek. Personally, I did not visit the Everest base camp, because I think that there is nothing to do there - Everest itself is not visible from there, and if you are not a climber, it is difficult to imagine what might interest you there.

At the exit from the airport, you will probably be surrounded by local Sherpas - porters and guides offering their help. Sherpas are the indigenous inhabitants of the Khumbu Valley, the masters of this amazingly beautiful country. But they behave modestly and respectfully, realizing that they are only guests in this abode of the Gods. How naive and simple they are compared to us, I often feel sorry for them, but how much more natural and harmonious their life is. Probably the Sherpas also pity us, slaves of a restless consciousness. Instead of fighting nature, destroying all living things, they only quietly dissolved in it, content with its countless riches. The life of the Sherpas has changed little over the past decades - the same cultivating their small vegetable gardens, building small stone houses, caring for yaks and horses, and endlessly carrying loads up and down... There are no roads in the usual sense of the word here, and it is unlikely that there will be any in foreseeable future. All roads are just well-trodden paths, which are barely enough for two travelers to separate.

Neither carts nor wheelbarrows will pass here, but the feet of thousands and thousands of Sherpas will pass, for whom carrying heavy loads is their main job throughout their lives. From early morning until late evening they patiently walk along the path - young men, old men, women, and even children. And although children are officially prohibited from carrying loads, no one pays attention to this - life forces even young girls to be harnessed. Having fastened a belt on their forehead, they shoulder a basket or bags with cargo. They carry absolutely everything they need for life - food, clothing, building materials, dishes, tools, household utensils, furniture, firewood, and even sheet iron that covers the roofs of houses.

Of course, not a single expedition to Everest can be done without the help of Sherpas - otherwise how to deliver tons of cargo and food to the base camp. Having grown up in the highlands, porters are very resilient, and are able to carry loads that are too heavy for white people. Many Sherpas accompany expeditions to altitudes of 7-8 thousand meters, and some themselves become first-class climbers - for example, the first conqueror of Everest Tenzing Norgay; Apa Sherpa, who conquered Everest 17 times; Baba Chiri Sherpa, who spent almost 24 hours at the top; Pemba Dorji Sherpa, who managed to reach the summit in 12 hours and 45 minutes. Only Sherpas win the traditional marathon (42 km), which is held here along the route “Base Camp - Namche Bazaar” (the highest marathon in the world). So, if you have taken too many “useful things” with you on the road, you can safely entrust them to one of the porters in Lukla.
Almost all of them are nice, poor and kind people who can tell you a lot of interesting things about their homeland. Of course, you can get along just fine on the road without them, but if you allow someone to accompany you, you will probably find a good friend in him.

After leaving Lukla, you will walk along the right bank of the mountain river Dudh Koshi River, every now and then crossing numerous streams running down the slopes of steep mountains along narrow bridges.
Neither Everest nor any other snowy peaks are visible from here - at best, they will appear in a couple of days. Up to an altitude of 3000-4000 meters, all the mountains are covered with dense pine and rhododendron forests, inhabited by dangerous Himalayan bears and leopards, eager to feast on well-fed white people. It would be a shame to end up at a bear's dinner without seeing Everest, so to avoid this unenviable fate, don't forget to mentally worship every shrine you meet along the way - be it a brightly decorated Buddhist monastery, a colorful prayer wheel or a roadside Mani Stone. decorated with the words of the sacred prayer Om Mani Padme Hum.
These stones, as well as colorful flags, can be seen everywhere - near roads, in temples, on the streets of villages and even on mountain tops. Often such stones are real masterpieces created by local craftsmen and stonemasons. Sometimes these craftsmen decorate huge stones several meters high with carvings and paints, but most often these are small stone slabs from which they form small pyramids... Do not forget that you only need to walk around them clockwise - otherwise you may get sick and suddenly die. If, out of ignorance or absent-mindedness, you walked around a stone or stupa counterclockwise, you must go back, walk around it correctly, and then do three more penalty laps.

In the meantime, the road runs forward, now rushing down, now forcing everyone to strain themselves on the next steep climb. Through the trees you can see the seething waters of a green river, one after another small villages with stone huts, fabulous waterfalls, yellow and green fields fenced with stones, with women and children swarming around them. The sun is shining brightly in the big blue sky, a fresh breeze flutters the bright multi-colored flags of roadside temples and fills the chest with unprecedentedly clean air... Those who are already finishing their trek and returning back to Lukla are coming towards us. Tired and exhausted, they barely find the strength to say “Namaste,” the traditional words of greeting in Nepal. But you still have everything ahead of you, you are still full of strength and illusions, and you easily overtake the porters, bent under the weight of their luggage.
The porters are helped by leisurely shaggy and horned creatures who have to meekly carry heavy bales and sacks. The yak gives a person everything he has - powerful strength, warm wool, beautiful horns, tasty milk, and, finally, his life.

From Lukla to Kala Pattara it takes about 5-7 days, and the first overnight stay can be made in the village of Phakding, or a little further, in Monjo. Since I walked slowly, on the first day I only reached Phakding (2610 m) - a fairly large village, with many hotels, guest houses, loggias, spread out on both banks of the river. Phakding is great for your first overnight stay on the trek - even at the height of the season there is always a free place here. The village has satellite internet, and a half-hour walk up the hill is an ancient Buddhist monastery dating back 500 years.
I stayed at the Namaste Lodge, which is in the very center of the village, three minutes short of the big bridge. Small room on the third floor for 100 rupees per day. As always, try to choose a room that is not next to the stairs and does not overlook the main street. The general level of all the hotels on the track is approximately the same, and will suit a not very demanding person - a stone house of two or three floors, with many small rooms, most often separated by wooden partitions. There are one or two beds in the room, sometimes a chair or a small table, but more often not. A window with a thin curtain and a dim light bulb on the wall. All this stuff is locked on a flimsy door with a padlock, the key to which fits perfectly into the next door. So, it is advisable to always carry your most valuable things (money, passport, tickets, camera) with you. As a rule, on the ground floor of the house there is a restaurant and the owners’ rooms.

In the evenings, almost all the guests gather in the restaurant - they have dinner, drink tea, warm themselves by the iron fireplace, some talk about their hikes, and others silently read a book in the corner.
At about eight o'clock, when it is already night outside, everyone scatters to their cold rooms, the owners lock the front doors, the lights go out, the dogs lie down at the doorstep, and life in the village freezes until the next morning. That October evening in Phakding, after dinner, I walked around the village for too long, admiring the unusually beautiful starry sky - and when I returned to the hotel, it turned out that the doors were closed and everyone was already asleep. I had to break the sweet sleep of the owners and knock. Then, on a quiet, cold night, inspiration struck me, and by the light of a street lamp, I took out a pen and left my message on the wall of the room for future generations of travelers.

	Larja Bridge

After two hours of walking after Mongeau, the famous Larja Bridge opens up, which everyone who goes to Everest crosses. The bridge spans the steep banks of the Dudh Koshi River, which forms a narrow gorge here up to 70 meters high. Even in our time, building a bridge in this place is a non-trivial task, and one can only guess how the Sherpas did it in the past - with the help of the merciful Buddha.
Two people can barely pass each other on a bridge, and if you see a loaded yak coming towards you, you should not hope to successfully miss it - a stubborn yak will not give way to you - it will simply push you down over the railing and humanity will never know about your beauty travel.

Even if you have safely crossed the bridge, it is still too early to sing a victory song - immediately after the bridge one of the most difficult sections on the entire track begins - the most brutal, two-three-four-five-hour (cross out unnecessary) uphill climb, which has no end and the edges. The path stretches like an endless snake along the cliff, then getting lost in the pine forest, then again emerging into the scorching sun.
This is where everyone will regret not taking a local porter with them on the road. Personally, I was particularly annoyed by the camera tripod I decided to take with me. As a result, during the four weeks of travel, I only needed it a couple of times, but it constantly reminded me of itself with its useless weight on my shoulder. At first I wanted to give it to someone (before the next village), but for some reason everyone refused, even those who did not have a tripod at all. Several times I wanted to throw it away, but my awakened innate greed still prevented me from doing so. I'll die, but I'll deliver.
Finally, after several hours of tiring ascent, when the road already seems like an endless movement in some kind of enchanted circle, blue, green and red roofs suddenly appear through the pine wilds, and you are relieved to enter a large village, the capital of Sherpland, an island of bustle and civilization among the silent Himalayas. Now you can rejoice happily.

Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar is the most famous village of the Solo Khumbu region, filled with countless hotels, shops and restaurants. Most tourists stop here for a couple of days to rest and prepare for the further journey up. In addition to hotels and shops, there are representative offices of Nepalese banks, exchange offices, its own power station, a post office, schools, offices of local airlines, several Internet cafes, a library, a police station and a military base of the Nepalese army. Soldiers armed with machine guns can often be seen on their morning jogs. On Saturdays, the local market hosts a bazaar, which attracts traders from all over the area. But even without the Saturday market, you can buy a lot of things here in open-air street shops. It’s possible, but it’s not necessary (you can guess why).

Namche Bazaar is located at an altitude of about 3500 meters, on the slope of a hill curved in the shape of a funnel, which is why from the outside the entire village resembles a large amphitheater. Above the amphitheater there is a local airport (Shyangboche airstrip), which, however, is not used for transporting tourists - at the request of local residents, all tourists fly only to Lukla, so as not to deprive the village of income on the Lukla-Namche section. Since the altitude of 3,500 meters is already quite high, most tourists spend two or three nights in Namche for acclimatization purposes. The survivors continue their way up, and the rest are sent back to Kathmandu by helicopter.

The choice of hotels in Namche is very large - from cheap rooms for 100 rupees per night, to comfortable rooms for 15-20 $, which is a very high price for Nepal. For this money you will receive not only respect in the eyes of others, more space and furniture in the room, but also hot water around the clock, as well as heating and charging electricity. In ordinary rooms, there is only lighting electricity, and hot water can be obtained for a fee (250 rupees for a bucket of hot water).
After a short walk through the stone streets of Namche, I set my sights on the massive building of the Khumbu Lodge hotel and decided to find my refuge there. Khumbu Lodge turned out to be a very large and popular hotel, with a large restaurant and many rooms to suit every taste. I chose a small room on the third floor for 200 rupees per night. Try to choose a room with windows facing the sunny side, then during the day the room will heat up well and you will sleep more pleasantly at night - at night in October-November the air temperature in Namche can drop below zero. As it turned out, US President Richard Nixon stayed next door to me in 1985, as a memorial plaque on the wall of the corridor now reminds of.
On the third floor of the Khumbu Lodge there is a large restaurant, empty during the day, but completely full in the evenings. As always, delicious Nepalese cuisine will replenish your strength after grueling heroic ascents. At the restaurant, I was constantly served by a young man named Ramesh, who told me about his difficult life - he comes from Kathmandu, where his wife and two children live.
He spends most of the year away from home in Namche, working 18 hours a day in this restaurant, without any days off. For his work, he receives 4,000 rupees a month, which is approximately 2,000 rubles. In winter and summer, at the end of the high seasons, he returns to Kathmandu for a short time, and in spring and autumn he comes to Namche again.

As already mentioned, it is worth spending a day or two in Namche Bazaar, and it is best to spend this time walking around the beautiful surroundings. It is advisable to climb at least three hundred meters above the village itself and go down for the night - this is conducive to acclimatization. Two surrounding villages, Mong La and Khumjung, are perfect for such walks. They can be visited in one day, or separately in two days. Always start your walks and hikes early in the morning, as the sky is clearest and clearest in the first half of the day - you will see everything there is to see. After lunch, everything is usually covered with fog and clouds, which often even cover the road underfoot, not to mention the mountains.

Mong La is located at an altitude of almost 4000 meters, and it takes about three hours to walk from Namche to it. Not far from Namche you will see Everest for the first time, peeking out from behind the Nuptse massif. In fact, Mong La is not even a village, but only a few loggias with a small Buddhist stupa, located on the way to the Gokyo lakes. The great Lama Sangwa Dorje was born here - it is believed that it was he who threw the seeds of Tibetan Buddhism into the fertile soil of the Solo Khumbu valley.
From Mong La there is a beautiful view of the famous Ama Dablam peak, Tengboche monastery, Taboche peak and the village of Fortse at its foot. After enjoying this wonderful picture, you can go back to Namche, but it is better to turn right on the way back to the village of Kumjung, which is located directly above Namche, at the foot of the sacred mountain Kumbi Yul La.

Many famous climbers were born in Kumjung, and nowadays many villagers take part in Everest expeditions. Kumjung greets the traveler with beautiful identical houses with green roofs - one involuntarily recalls Germany with its equally neat houses with red roofs. Like Namche, Khumjung has many hotels, restaurants, internet, telephone and other amenities of civilization. Therefore, those who love peace and quiet, and want to see more closely the traditional life of the Sherpas, stay here, and not in the noisy and bustling Namche. If I find myself in these places again, I will stop for the night in Khumjung - there are very few tourists here, there is where to walk and what to see.

The local Khumjung Gompa monastery houses a relic known as the yeti artifacts - the scalp and hand of the Bigfoot. Legend has it that in the cold winter of 1962, the monks of a neighboring monastery, freezing from cold and hunger, saw a snowman (here called yeti) descend from the mountains to the monastery. Obviously, the feeling of hunger prevailed over the feeling of fear, and through collective efforts the Bigfoot was sent to the monastery kitchen. Since then, only the scalp and hand of the yeti have been preserved, which they began to show to travelers for a fee. The relic was later moved to Kumjunga Monastery, where it remains to this day.
You can go down from Khumjung to Namche Bazaar along a separate road that will take you right to the edge of the natural amphitheater.

Just like in Lukla, it gets dark early here. Hotels and shops close, dim lights come on, the streets become empty, and everyone retreats to their rooms. After nine in the evening there is absolutely nothing to do here, and tired travelers go to the side. Some take small laptops with them on the road so that they can continue their hard training in playing solitaire even during vacation.
But, as I already mentioned, in the vast majority of hotels only lighting electricity is available, but heating, twisting and charging are not. Therefore, using a laptop here is almost impossible. Even reading a book is difficult, since the lighting electricity shines very weakly - the global crisis forces the Sherpas to save on everything they can. So, no matter how you look at it, everyone has to go to bed at nine in the evening. At night it will be much colder here than in Lukla, so don’t hesitate to ask the hotel for a second blanket if one doesn’t seem enough for you - the blankets here are thin and small, as if for children.
On a cold moonlit night, inspiration struck me again, and I wrote another message to future travelers on the wall of the room (in three languages ​​- Russian, English, Bashkir).

Having thus wandered around the outskirts of Namche for a day or two, you can move further towards Everest. The next stop on the way will be Tengboche Monastery, the red walls of which could already be seen from afar during the walk to Mong La.
The road from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche takes about five hours, and consists of two parts - easy and difficult. First, the road goes downhill, descending to a stormy and noisy river, after which, passing over a bridge, it rushes up to a height of more than six hundred meters.
In terms of its difficulty, this climb is comparable to a similar climb to Namche Bazaar. The endless wandering through the forest begins again, with a thousand circles and turns among trees, stones, loaded yaks and columns of dust. But everything in this world ends - and the climb to Tengboche also ends.

Tengboche Monastery

	Tengboche Monastery

The Buddhist monastery of Tengboche (Tengboche, Thyangboche) is located at an altitude of 3860 meters, on the edge of a green hill covered with pine trees, rhododendrons and occasionally large Himalayan birch trees. The place for the construction of the monastery was chosen very well - from the lawn in front of it there is a wonderful view of the mountains Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Everest, Nuptse and Taboche. The amazingly beautiful picture will make everyone involuntarily stay here at least for a day.

Buddhism first entered the Khumbu Valley about 400 years ago under the influence of the Tibetan Lama Sangwa Dorje. He founded the oldest monastery in Khumbu in the village of Pangboche, many other shrines, and also predicted the emergence of a monastery in Tengboche.
The first buildings of the future monastery were erected from wood in 1916-1918 under the leadership of Lama Gulu. In 1934, as a result of an earthquake, the monastery was half destroyed and rebuilt by the monks of Rongbuk Monastery. In 1989, lighting and heating electricity was supplied to the monastery, but due to inept handling of it, the monastery burned down. Under the leadership of Lama Tengboche Rinpoche, it was built again, this time from stone. The wall paintings were done by the famous Tibetan artist Tarke La. Now the multicolored, brightly painted monastery looks like a cheerful children's toy against the backdrop of the harsh, silent mountains. In 1993, the renovated monastery was re-opened and consecrated.

Several dozen monks permanently live in the monastery, some of whom understand Russian quite well. Tengboche is now the highest monastery in the Khumbu, and most famous for the fact that thousands of people a year pass by it on their way to Everest (and a little less back).

Near Gorak Shep there is Mount Kala Patthar, from the top of which there is a good view of Everest. That's where it's worth going up. For this you don’t have to spend the night in Gorak Shep; you can also climb from Lobuche. Some leave for the climb while it is still dark, hoping to see the sunrise over Everest at the top. I think there is no real need for this - due to the fact that the sun rises almost behind Everest, the dawn turns out to be inexpressive and uninteresting. It is much better to climb Kala Patthar by midday, when the whole of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse will be illuminated by bright sunshine.

At the base of these great mountains flows the famous Khumbu Glacier. At the height of the season, up to 300 people climb to Kala Patthar per day. This moment can be considered the culmination of the entire journey, after which you can go down with a clear conscience and walk back through already familiar villages - tired, happy and a little sad. Perhaps you will never return here again.

Gokyo Lakes

Apart from the Kala Patthar trek, there is another alternative route in the area - the Gokyo Lakes Trek. It is remarkable for two reasons - firstly, Everest is also clearly visible from there, and secondly, along the way you can visit the famous “Gokyo Lakes”.
The road to the Gokyo lakes starts not far from Khumjung, so you can get to the lakes from these villages. If you are returning from Kala Pattara, then you can turn to the lakes from the village of Pangboche - a separate path leads to the village of Fortse, from where you can easily access the road to Gokyo. There is a third route option, suitable for those who come from Kala Pattara - directly from the village of Dugla through the Cho La Pass (5330 m). This is a faster road to the lakes, but due to its little known nature, it is worth going along it only with a local guide.

I started my journey to the lakes from Namche Bazaar, where I descended after the first trek. You can walk from Namche to Gokyo in two days of regular walking or three days of slow walking. The first part of the path coincides with the road to Tengboche, but then the path goes up sharply, reaching the village of Mong La, which I already mentioned in the first half of the story.
Here you can once again enjoy a delightful view of the beautiful Ama Dablam and the picturesque village of Fortse at the foot of Taboche Peak. If you are walking slowly, you can make your first overnight stay here.
Immediately after Mong La, the road quickly descends, soon reaching the very bank of the river. Near the river there is a small village of Phortse Tenga, consisting of one house. Since the area here is not very picturesque, it is better not to linger here and go further to the villages of Dole or Lafarma. The narrow path to them mostly goes through the rhododendron forest, occasionally emerging into open lawns and forest edges. Somewhere to the right, below, through the trees, you can see the river.

On the left you come across beautiful waterfalls several times. Much fewer people go to the Gokyo lakes than to Kala Patthar, and for many kilometers I did not meet anyone on the way. Only in the late afternoon did I catch up with several local boys with yaks carrying cargo to Gokyo. I spent the first night in the village of Lafarma (Lhafarma, 4330 m), which is marked on the maps as Lhabarma.
The village is small - there is only one house, ruled by Ngawang Chongpa Sherpa with two young daughters. I was again the only guest, renting a room for 180 rupees. There is also a small restaurant here, the walls of which are decorated with fragments of “military glory” from the life of the owner. Ngawang Chongpa is a climber who twice conquered the eight-thousander Cho Oyu (8153), and now the walls of his house are decorated with photographs from his climbs and certificates of honor given to him for his achievements. While the eldest girl was preparing dinner for me, the younger sister, with funny pigtails sticking out in all directions, was learning English letters with her dad. Every half minute she looked at me, smiling widely with her only tooth.

Dusk came, it became dark and classes ended.
The clouds cleared for a while, and from the courtyard there was a wonderful view of the Thamserku peak, shining in the last rays of the sun. After a wonderful dinner by candlelight, I went to bed, not forgetting to leave another message on the wall - to a young, unfamiliar tribe... The next morning the little girl went down to Kumjung, where her mother lives, and where there is a school where she needs to study. And I, having collected my things, moved on.

A few hours later I safely reached the village of Gokyo, the last one on this route. Shortly before the village, to the left of the path, lakes begin to appear. First, the first one, very small, which you might not even notice. Then the second, larger one, and finally the third, largest one. The pure, turquoise color of their cold waters is so different from our Russian lakes. At the shore of the last lake is the village of Gokyo (4790 m). There are a dozen loggias here, and contrary to my expectations, there were no empty seats in them. After several circles around the village, I luckily managed to find one free room, in which I spent my only night in Gokyo.

The overall impression of this village was not the best - not only was I barely allowed in for the night, but the food here was not as tasty as in other villages, and the dogs bark too annoyingly, and the locals are not as polite and hospitable, as before. It is felt that for them Gokyo is not their home, but only a place of work where they come from other villages.

Near the village flows the huge Ngozumpa Glacier, which can be seen by climbing up the slope behind the village. The spectacle is impressive and frightening at the same time - a wide river of snow, ice and sand, slowly flowing down. Rocks and boulders sometimes fall off the steep banks of the glacier and fall down with a roar. The continuously moving mass gradually absorbs more and more pieces of earth. I wouldn’t be surprised if in five to ten years the glacier will swallow the village itself, and, along with it, the lakes. So, don’t put off your trip – the natural phenomenon of the Gokyo Lakes doesn’t have much longer to live.
and smiles of flowers.

Returning to Lukla, you must definitely find the office of your airline and express your desire to return to Kathmandu tomorrow. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that you will be able to fly. Typically, airline offices are open from approximately 2 to 5 pm, so it is advisable to return to Lukla before this time. Also, do not risk delaying your flight to Kathmandu until the last day. The weather in the mountains is unpredictable, and it is not uncommon for hundreds or thousands of tourists to be stranded in Lukla due to bad weather. Then your trip to Nepal may last indefinitely.

Summing up the journey to Everest, we can note the following. Before the trip, I heard that the Everest region is not as beautiful as the Annapurna region, but these fears were not confirmed - the treks in the Khumbu Valley turned out to be no less, and in some ways more beautiful than the Annapurna treks. The beauty of Ama Dablam alone is worth the trip.
But these routes are more difficult to complete and may be too difficult for some people. Therefore, for your first trip to Nepal, it is better to go towards Pokhara and Annapurna. In any case, Nepal continues to hold the palm for lovers of untouched nature and independent travel. Where else can you find a unique combination of grandiose nature and low prices for accommodation? It is not surprising that some do not get out of there for months. If the river of time does not swallow me, I will visit this beautiful corner of the Earth more than once - after all, in addition to Everest and Annapurna, there are many more interesting routes in Nepal. New travels will be dedicated to them. And our story today is over.

Suspension bridges

In the morning we got up frozen, but very happy. The friendly Himalayan sun has just touched the peak of the nearest six-thousander - Thamserku with its rays. We lazily emptied our sleeping bags and walked into the dining hall.

The altitude in Tok-Tok is only 2700 m, we do not experience any signs of mountain climbing or other discomforts, except perhaps a slight morning chill. The maps show a 5-hour walking distance to the almost iconic Himalayan town of Namche Bazaar, where, according to the locals, we can easily find equipment stores and bars with expensive alcohol. Neither the first nor the second interests us at all, but the word “expensive” is becoming more and more relevant to local realities. Pricing is largely influenced by the method of cargo delivery: everything we see in stores flies to Namche Bazaar helicopters or rides on the backs of Sherpas, the endurance and carrying capacity of which for me, for now, is an irrational phenomenon. Another “whale” of Himalayan pricing is the tourist focus of the region: all expeditions going towards Everest, Makalu, Cho-Yo, etc. pass through Namche Bazaar. Almost every cafe in Namche has a bunch of flags, relics and autographs. Here you can easily buy Edmund Hillary's right sock, rusty crampons from 1963, or rent the same ones, but in slightly better condition. And in Namche Bazaar in the center they bake stunning pizza, the taste of which was appreciated by Simone Morro himself, which he did not forget to mention with his flourish on a large poster with his own image.

The elevation gain from Tok Tok to Namche Bazaar is 700m, and quite sharply. And until you’ve completed this climb, it’s best not to think about pizza, rusty cats and Hillary’s socks. This path was easy for Igorekha and I, but Lena was far behind. At some point on the trail we met a Portuguese man who we helped at Kathmandu airport. It was strange to see a physically strong guy suddenly go downstairs! The reason is banal: on the second day I reached Monga (4000 m), I was covered with a miner and my head started to hurt, which suddenly realized that there was no time for the trek and I urgently needed to go down. Friends, mountains don’t like haste! Have extra days in case of weather force majeure and mandatory acclimatization! The latter is the alpha and omega of any high-altitude event. Without it, it demolishes the tower in every possible sense. Those for whom it is given with great difficulty take Diamox (sold in Kathmandu and Namche Bazaar). Due to the fact that this thing is quite aggressive, it helps many. However, I will not undertake to advise her!

On the way to Namche Bazaar there is another checkpoint. They write down the same thing as everywhere else: TIMS, sometimes your passport and... the brand of your camera. Why they needed the brand of my camera remained a mystery; the locals explained it as making it easier to identify a person in an emergency. However, they didn’t tell me how exactly the brand of my camera or phone could help, especially if it is the same as many, many others... Apparently, some kind of local sacrament.

Namche bazaar lifehack

In Namche Bazaar itself there are plenty of places to stay and eat: there are luxurious luxury rooms for 20-30 dollars, and modest lodges for 150 rupees. In the latter, sometimes there are no sockets, and recharging electronic devices costs money (about 200 rubles per hour). What saves the day is a wonderful adapter that screws into the socket and where, together with the light bulb, you can connect 2 devices. Naturally, it is better not to show this device to the owners and not to show signs that you have it. This same adapter, by the way, is a great help in areas where power outages are normal. Guest houses often have a generator, which, for example, will power only 1 of the 3 light bulbs in your room. The price of the miracle device is 20-40 rupees in electrical stores in Thamel. One drawback: it’s problematic to boil tea with it. At a minimum, Igorekha is needed, about 190 tall, who will put his head to install a mug with a boiler. And as you understand, not everyone has such an Igorekha)

My personal Namche Bazaar

Yes and Everyone will have their own Namche Bazaar... I felt at home there. The smell of Tibetan incense and an island in the ocean of clouds of the ice-bound Himalayas - these are pictures of some long-forgotten paradise that is so clearly beginning to manifest itself right here! I don't need oceans, palm trees and permanent idleness. There is no need for false prestige and comfort. I returned to where, once upon a time, death may have taken me and now with this homely feeling it makes me understand where I left and where I returned. Everything here is real: mountains, people, words, and roads. Here the movements slow down, forcing your civilized mind to swim in its own ocean, practically without jerking or trying to prove something to someone...

No similar articles

Khumbu is very popular among many tourists. This is explained by the fact that it is located on the way to the most famous peak - Everest. Namche Bazaar in Nepal is a kind of transit route on the way to conquer the highest peak on the planet.

general information

Namche Bazar is a small settlement located at an altitude of 3440 m above sea level. Along the way you can meet such as Everest, Gokyo and the mountain of the same name. The village is inhabited by a little more than 1.5 thousand people, most of whom make a living by accompanying tourists to the mountains and helping them carry luggage.

Climate Features

Namche Bazar has rainy summers and cold, dry winters. The most favorable time to visit this area is considered to be from the end of April to June and in September-October. In winter, hiking in the mountains is not prohibited, but there are very few people who want to conquer Everest at this time due to the cold weather. But in July and August, climbing the mountains is officially prohibited, since at this time the maximum amount of precipitation falls, and being in the mountains is very dangerous for life.

Interesting places

Although the village itself is small, there are places here that deserve attention:

Where to stay?

Considering the small size of the village, the choice of hotels here is very limited, but it is possible to choose accommodation options:

• Panorama Lodge and Restaurant is a cottage-restaurant located near the national park. The rooms have electric heated beds, private bathrooms with hot water, and the restaurant serves European and local cuisine;
• Hotel Namche is a cozy hotel that has everything travelers need for a relaxing holiday. The hotel has its own bar and restaurant;
• Himalayan Lodge is a small hotel that opened its doors at the beginning of 2017. The rooms have their own bathrooms and the hotel has a restaurant;
• Everest View point is the highest mountain hotel in the world, located at an altitude of 3880 m. The hotel is located just above the village of Namche Bazar.

Nutrition

After a long walk, you will definitely want to have a snack. In Namche Bazar, fortunately, the choice of cafes and food outlets is slightly wider than the choice of hotels:

• Hermann Helmers Backerei-Konditorei – German cuisine, pizza and wine bar;
• Sherpa Barista Baker,food &coffee Shop – Italian, Nepalese and international cuisine;
• Everest Bakery – German, Nepalese and Chinese cuisine;
• Namche Bakery - the best desserts in Namche Bazaar.

How to get there?

You can get to Namche Bazar in Nepal as follows: from the capital of the state, fly by plane to. From there to Namche Bazar you have to walk a difficult section of the road into the mountains. The travel time will take 8-10 hours, and experienced tourists advise dividing this trip into 2 days, as mountain sickness may occur due to the large altitude difference. If absolutely necessary, you can fly from Lukla to Namche Bazar by helicopter.

I continue my retelling of the events that happened on the trek to Everest.

Having disembarked and safely received our luggage, we went up to Dawa's lodge. But Dawa was not there - he flew to Kathmandu. We met his daughter - Miss Pasang. A sweet, short girl with glasses, she gave the impression of a normal person with whom we could resolve all our issues. We told her that we needed two porters and would like to leave our excess belongings and open tickets back to Kathmandu for her safekeeping. Tickets must be registered at the airport one day in advance in order to be on the list of those flying out of Lukla the next day. She kindly agreed to help us. We took her mobile phone and agreed to call in advance.
She spent a long time calling someone on the phone, looking for guys who would carry our backpacks. At this time, our stomachs sang with clarions - DIN! And we ordered soup, Tibetan bread and masala tea. While we were chewing, Pasang came with news, she found two of us, but they wanted 1,400 rupees a day - it’s very expensive, they started haggling, and agreed on 1,100 rupees a day for each. They gave us an advance payment of five days, at which time our future porters arrived: Milo is a toothless man of about fifty, apparently life has taken a toll on him and he has managed to lose his incisors and fangs. He gave the impression of a quiet, peaceful donkey. The second is a young guy whose name I don’t remember, because that same evening he left us on some more important business of his own.

Lunch is eaten, porters are hired, we can hit the road!
Due to the delay of the plane, we left only at one o'clock in the afternoon, so it was decided to go to Phagding (but, if, suddenly, we cover the distance from Lukla to Phagding in a couple of hours, then we can safely go to the intended Monjo...)
The trail almost always led through mountain villages, bridges over gorges,

past the monasteries

and guesthouses, past crumbling sheds and cute gingerbread houses.

The river roared somewhere at the bottom of the gorge, the haze hung over the mountains all the time, it was pleasant to walk, not hot.

Three and a half hours later we reached Phagding, the sun was already setting. It is clear that we will not get to Monjo today. We stay at a lodge that Pasang recommended to us. It looks like the owner there - her relative, an imperious Sherpa, also wears glasses. A little man, perhaps her husband, is fussing around next to her. But women rule here, he is there to help, the main one wherever they send him.
We were given a room for three on the third floor of the guest house, with a view of the mountains and a gorge, which is covered with clouds. Perhaps tomorrow morning everything will be cleared.

Let's go to the dining room for dinner. Tolik decided to try fried chicken mo:mo. Tanya and I had fried rice and potatoes with vegetables.
Everything turned out to be tasteless. Either they didn’t try, or they don’t know how...
A little later, after washing, Tolik tells us the news: good and bad. We started with a bad one - our young porter is leaving us - business, business... We are slightly dumbfounded. Then came the good news - our hostess of the guest house in Phagding gives her little son instead of the departed porter - his name is Pasan - he speaks a little English and will be happy to carry our things. We were immediately released.
As soon as it got dark we went to bed, it became cool. We were offered a hot shower, but we decided that we had not yet had time to get so dirty that we would go straight to the shower.

March 22. Morning.
The morning began with surprises, or rather the night was full of them, only Tanya and I were sleeping, and the surprises tormented Tolik. His mo:mo turned into a lump of indigestible food, and he vomited all night. He used the power of thought, imagining that the jam was not in the stomach, but in the river, and not from mo:mo, but from logs. And he, poor fellow, instead of a sweet dream, raked logs. Cleaning up... In the morning diarrhea started... He didn’t have breakfast, drank tea, got ready and went to Namche.
I was afraid that the miner had begun to torment him, but the heights were not at all suitable for this. The mo:mos were probably stale. And in general, we didn’t like the feeding at this guest house at all.
I continued to sniffle, but my throat stopped hurting; the road squeezed some of the illness out of me.

The morning turned out sunny and cloudless. The colors became brighter, the sun helped make our journey more fun.

In two hours we reached Monjo. There was a checkpoint waiting for us. We noted our permits, sat for a while, waited until everyone went to the toilet and moved on.
Gate to Sagarmatha National Park.

The path descended closer to the river. Today we have a 600 meter climb to Namche Bazaar.
It’s sad to look at Tolik, but he’s holding on okay. He was sick all day, but he was still ahead, managed to shoot videos and take photographs. Plus he kept a diary on Facebook and amused people online.
We reached the bridge, after which the steep climb to Namche begins.

A strong wind arose, which raised dust from the path, plus the constantly scurrying caravans of cows and mules up and down slightly bothered us. It's tiring to move up in such a company.
Trekkers are coming down towards us. Their views are completely different from ours, they have already seen everything, they have already experienced a lot and everyone understood something for themselves...
I looked at them and was a little jealous. And they are probably for me, because everything is just beginning for me. I have not yet experienced the first delight when you walk along a path, turn behind a rock and a crazy view opens up to you, from which you just want to sit on a pebble, sit, and stick, stick, stick...
Okay, so we’re crawling up to Namche. On the lips there is chapstick mixed with dust, on the face there is a similar mess of sunscreen and the same dust.

We stop to sit every 10 meters. We reached the place where the first view of Everest opens. Everest is so far away and not clearly visible that the first view is not at all impressive. Aunties sit on the observation deck, selling apples and tangerines. One tangerine costs 1 dollar, one apple = 5 dollars. You are absolutely crazy, aunties! In Kathmandu, you can buy a kilo of tangerines for a dollar.
But I really want tangerines. We buy one thing at a time to make it easier. Tolik continues to starve, apparently there are still remains of firewood roaming around in him: midges.

So slowly, in three hours we covered a 600-meter climb and arrived in Namche. There we checked in again at the checkpoint. We went to look for a lodge with a beautiful view of Kongde Ri, opposite Namche Bazaar.

Our porters tried to lure us to the lodge of their next relatives, but we didn’t want to at all, firstly - their lodge was on the completely different side of Namche, and the view from there was of Thamserku, and she’s not very from Namche, and secondly, we yesterday We've already had dinner with mo: midges at our relatives...
I saw a large lodge right in the middle of the village and said: We should go there! The porters sighed and trudged after us. The lodge I chose had a pleasant terrace overlooking the side I wanted, and a sunny room with its own toilet and washbasin. There was an electric heater in the dining room. And there were electrical outlets in our room. All this was very pleasing, because we had to sleep there for two nights.
Having settled down, I took the key to the shower and went to investigate - to wash myself, and at the same time find out how hot the water was and in general. The shower is hot, but the wash area was very cold. Therefore, after the shower, Tolik’s temperature rose and he became completely weak.
Yes, I completely forgot, it was my BD. Well, that’s how I spent it somehow. I like it. Nothing special, except that all day along the way there were the Himalayas covered with pine trees around me, a river was noisy with azure water, it was great to walk along the path and across bridges across the gorges, race with caravans, climb to the capital of the Sherpas, Namche Bazaar, get at the end of the day, a well-deserved rest and shower, and drink a glass or two of whiskey for your own and everyone’s health.