September 6th- Everest Base Camp Trek: Day 4

Into the Clouds

We started the day with a slight sense of dread. Raju described our trek to Tengboche and it sounded eerily familiar: an easy start over level ground, a quick descent into town for lunch, through a checkpoint and then steep climbing for two hours. Putting on our bravest face and a layer of sunscreen, we headed for the door and off we went.

The trail we followed skirted the mountain upon which Namche sits, and the going was fairly easy. However, whereas our previous days had started with clear skies, we set off into a thick fog that blocked what would have been a tremendous view of the mountainside (including Everest).

Our pathway into the darkness.

It didn't take long for us to notice that it was not a fog that surrounded us, but rather that we were walking amongst the clouds. 

Though they blocked our view of the skies, we nevertheless had a breathtaking view of the valley below. There was not much to report on this leg of the trek, and with our view mostly blocked, we put our cameras away, heads down, and powered through till lunch. As we approached Phunke Tenga, the only view we had was of the winding, climbing path Raju told us we would follow after lunch.

Peaking through the clouds is the winding, steep path we would be taking
later on.

It came earlier than we expected, but our appetite had been worked up nonetheless. It was 10:45 when we stopped, and we left shortly before noon. We crossed another suspension bridge (Matt's conquering his fear of heights, one bridge at a time) and then stood face to face with the all too familiar stone steps that would lead us back up the mountain. We headed up, carb-loaded with pasta.

However, the going wasn't as tough as we had feared. Our pace was steady, and we took short breaks every 20 minutes or so, but overall we felt good about our progress. We ran into a few familiar faces along the way, and were proud to see we were keeping ahead of some tea house acquaintances that had sent the majority of their belongings ahead with a sherpa. Before long, Raju told us we had only 15 minutes to go. Though we can't really know for sure, it seemed like no more than 10 before we arrived in Tengboche. Call us crazy, but we might be getting good at this!

Far from the (relatively) bustling hive of Namche Bazaar, Tengboche consists of about 4 tea houses, a bakery, a store, and a monastery overlooking it all. It was not yet 2:00 when we got to our room. We got settled and drew the curtains to see that the grey clouds that had accompanied us from Namche had parted, and we stared into the face of Everest once again. Though the moment was fleeting, and the clouds soon gathered again, we managed to snap some pictures.

Now THAT'S a view!

At 3:30, Raju collected us and took us to the monastery. As we approached, we heard the faint chanting of Monks. Though we just missed their ceremony, we took a look around the prayer room. The walls and ceiling were colourfully painted with various symbols and depictions of Buddhist mythology. At the center of it all was a statue of a seated Buddha, at least 2 1/2 m tall and painted in gold, flanked by four other smaller statues and surrounded by all sorts of sculpted icons. Our curiosity piqued, we both vowed to read into the monastery's history at the first opportunity. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed inside, but we can assure you the sight was quite beautiful.

The monastery from the outside. Built in 1916, destroyed and rebuilt
in 1934 and again in 1989. This area has been sacred to Buddhists for the past
350 years.

After another dinner of Dhal Bhat (Dhal Bhat power 24 hour!), Matt took to his favourite evening activity: heading over to another table and catching up with our fellow trekkers. This evening he chatted with Paula, a girl from Calgary who had shared our flight in from Lukla and whom we had run into several times since, and Reuben, an unfamiliar face but an interesting character none the less.

Reuben hails from Montana and is 78 years old. He had started out trekking in the Mustang region, a remote and arid area that is geographically and culturally quite different from the rest of Nepal. He had also spent 45 days with his guide trying to track down a snow leopard (there are 4 known snow leopards in the national park), but unfortunately all he saw were its tracks in the snow skirting his tent one morning. He too is now on the road to Everest base camp.

Dhal Bat: the staple dish in Nepal. Bottomless rice, lentil soup, vegetable
curry, vegetables, poppadoms and pickles await anyone who orders it. 

Tomorrow we head off for Pheriche, as apparently none of the guest houses in Dingboche are open for business. We anticipate a mild hike, and with a bit of luck, clear weather will afford us a superb view.

Altitude: 3860m
Altitude gained: 420m
Hours trekked: 5-6