At the beginning of May, a small two-week weather window opens when dozens of climbers finally have the opportunity to storm Everest. Some of them will definitely die - the Mountain always takes the annual sacrifice, the payment for the encroachment on its authority.
Just a few months after my Everest trip, 16 people died on the Khumbu Glacier.
A few days ago, after a powerful earthquake in Nepal and subsequent avalanches, at least 19 people were killed by avalanches at Everest Base Camp.
2015 was the first year in 50 years that not a single person reached the summit.
But for now the story is not about Everest itself, but about the road to it. And the famous Sherpa village of Namche Bazaar.
1.
Today was going to be a difficult day.
Simple, even because the legendary grueling climb to Namche Bazaar awaited me. According to reviews from predecessors, this is generally the most difficult section of the route on the way to Everest.
I had to gain 600 meters of altitude, which, given my not very good condition (see the previous chapter about the cold), seemed an extremely difficult task. But the Russians don't give up.
Moving out of Mongeau, the Trail went through a pine forest with sharp ascents and descents along the eastern bank of the Dud-Koshi mountain stream. The eastern shore, overgrown with tall pine trees, is always a shady place. The morning soil had not yet dried out, so it was difficult on the ascents - the clay moved underfoot, and in order not to slide down, I had to gallop along the roots of the trees like a mountain goat.
Having reached the key point - a long suspension bridge over Dud-Kushi with beautiful views - I was already sweating to the skin and sweat was flowing from me in streams.
2.
I was incredibly thirsty, but it was undesirable to drink.
Further beyond the bridge began an endless 500-meter climb to Namche to an altitude of 3447 meters. Drinking water meant increasing blood flow to the stomach, taking it away from the muscles, which would lead to a decrease in endurance and physical performance. In addition, drinking a liter of water is partially absorbed into the blood and increases the load on the heart due to the increased volume of circulating blood. There are a number of other unpleasant phenomena - for example, drinking a liter of water can cause hyponatremia (a sharp decrease in sodium in the blood caused by excessive sweating) and acute renal failure (and the kidneys in the mountains are not working at 100% anyway).
In short, it was impossible to drink a lot, just as it was impossible for a starving person to immediately absorb food for many days. While I was passing oncoming yaks across the bridge, I took out a thermos and took just a couple sips of tea. It was not possible to quench my thirst, but the severity subsided a little.
3.
After waiting for the yaks to pass, I crossed the suspension bridge and, like a tractor bucket, drilled into the rise.
4.
The climb to Namche really turned out to be the most difficult route of the entire Everest trek for me. Neither the climb to the Tengboche Monastery (~450 meters) nor even the crossing of the snow-covered Cho-La Pass (5350 meters) seemed to me as difficult as this grueling and monotonous climb.
5.
You go up the path, and joyful tourists are running towards you, returning “from there” and it’s easy for them, because they are going down. For you, the climb turns into something like a game of “believe it or not.”
A typical situation is in front of you about 30 meters of a very steep climb, sometimes reaching 50 or even 60 degrees. Then the Path turns somewhere and its continuation is not visible. You walk these 30 meters, hoping that around the bend there will finally be a horizontal platform or even 5-10 meters of horizontal road - to take a little break - but you reach the turn and see with regret that the Path turns sharply, but again goes somewhere into height.
Making short stops, I climbed, climbed and climbed, and after about five turns I saw a small (and the only one on the entire climb) horizontal platform on which several people were hanging out. Having reached this site, I took off my backpack with great relief and saw in the distance what I got involved in this adventure for.
Through the branches of pine trees, in the bright blue sky, far, far away on the very horizon, towered the grandiose eight-thousandth snow wall of Lhotse, from behind which Everest himself peeked out.
6.
Photography, as always, does not convey the fabulous majesty of the mountains (and, as we know, only mountains can be better than mountains), so I will try to convey the impressions in words. Imagine the Ostankino Tower, which you see in the distance. The Ostankino Tower is only 500 meters high. And Lhotse is the fourth eight-thousander in the world. The height of the Lhotse wall is 8000 meters. These are as many as 15 Ostankino towers, stacked on top of each other! By the way, it is very difficult to imagine such a height. The mind is able to comprehend the height of about 5 towers. And here there are as many as 15. Well, okay, we are looking from a height of 3000 meters, which means we see a 5-kilometer rock and snow giant towering above us, the enormity of which you only need to see.
The spectacle was a spectacle, but it was necessary to move on. Again, rise after rise, turn after turn. It seemed like there would be no end to this path. After an hour and a half of ascent, when at every turn it seemed that Namche Bazaar was about to appear, the path went up again and again. The only motivation was not to let yourself be overtaken by those following you.
At one point I reached the border booth, where they once again checked the TIMS (track permit document). I was glad that there, for purely symbolic money, you could buy a certificate certifying the fact of climbing Kala Patthar (5545 meters). Having completed the formalities and gathering all my will into a fist, I moved further up the climb. And when the strength was completely running out, Namche Bazaar suddenly appeared.
It's amazing how motivation gives you new strength. As if I didn’t have 500 meters of height behind me, I entered the city of the Sherpas with enthusiasm.
Here he is - the legendary Namche. The city that I read about in the books of all the legendary Everest climbers. The last stronghold of civilization in the Khumbu region and the famous capital of the Sherpas.
Well, hello, Namche!
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Yak manure is collected and dried. Dung is used here instead of firewood 
17.
18. Sherpa Woman 
19. Life in the mountains is hard work 
20.
21. Relax in Nepali 
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27. Yak 
28. Behind me is the Lhotse wall and a small piece of the summit of Everest behind it 
29. Lhotse and Everest (in the background left of center) close-up 
30. Tourists are driven away as best they can. 
31. "Gold" ore 
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
Lost among the majestic mountain expanses is a small village - Namche Bazar. Built on terraces, this resort is located on the way to the greatest peak in the world - Everest, which is why it attracts travelers and thrill-seekers.
How to get there
To get to Namche Bazar, tourists use the small local airfield at, which is connected to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. From Lukla they walk, the distance can be covered in 8-10 hours. Since there is a possibility of developing altitude sickness due to a sharp change in altitude, it is better to stretch the entire journey over two days.
If there is an urgent need, helicopters can fly up to Namche Bazar.
Where to stay
The luxurious and comfortable Everest View point hotel, which offers stunning views of the Himalayas, is located at an altitude of 3880 meters, just above Namche Bazaar. This Japanese hotel is noted in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest mountain in the world.
In addition, you can stay in the village in one of the many guesthouses.
Weather
The best time to visit Namche Bazaar is from April to June and the autumn months of September and October, when the weather is warm and favorable. Daytime temperatures reach +12..+16 degrees. At night the thermometer drops to +4..+6 degrees.
From November to February it is cold and dry. July and August are a time of heavy rainfall; during this period it is dangerous to be in the mountains.
Entertainment and attractions of Namche Bazaar
The path from Lukla to Namche Bazar lies through the expanses of the Sagarmatha National Park. Its center provides information about the park's wildlife and interesting photographs. From here, travelers discover amazingly beautiful landscapes.
Those interested can visit the Sherpa Museum located in the village. Namche Bazaar has its own small but neat Buddhist temple.
Near the village are the monasteries of Tengboche and Pangboche. Tengboche is the main Sherpa temple, maintaining a close relationship with the Tibetan monastery of Rongbuk, located on the opposite slope of Everest. Here you can spend the night, chat with the monks and watch the interesting rituals they perform.
Tengboche Monastery is located higher and is more ancient than the first one.
The locals, the Sherpas, are very friendly and welcoming. Until recently, they were not very familiar with civilization. But then thriving tourism became their main source of income. Distinguished by their good health and endurance, local residents take part in expeditions to the highest points of the mountains, and also work as porters and guides.
Amazing mountain landscapes, clean air, an atmosphere of tranquility - this is what lovers of conquering unexplored peaks from all over the world come here for.
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.
| 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 |
| 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.
Route map April 2. The red line is our path. Large red circles indicate overnight stays in Chheplung and Namche Bazaar. The little red circle is the lunch spot in Jorsal.
Breakfast:
Fried eggs – 220
Masala (2 mugs) – 180
2 chapatis with honey – 300
In the morning we encountered the flavor of Nepalese service. As usual, in the evening we ordered breakfast for 6:30. The main course was planned to include fried eggs, the menu promising two eggs in each serving. A pleasant surprise in the morning was the original form of preparation: the eggs were first boiled soft-boiled, peeled, and then fried - the taste was unusual. An unpleasant surprise was that only one portion of eggs was brought to the table. I had to go to the kitchen and find out where the second one was. The dialogue turned out to be long, because... She couldn’t understand why I wasn’t happy - I demand two of something, so there are two eggs per serving. He showed me his entry in the order book, which indicated two servings and the amount for two, but she continued to be dumb. I had to show miracles of restraint, because the desire to express in Russian what I thought about her was great. Finally, enlightenment descended, and she understood why I was dissatisfied. There was no additional reaction; I had to continue my almost monologue. He asked if it was possible to get a second helping and, if so, how long after. The answer was: “Yes. Twenty minutes". We decided to wait, because... It was depressing to go without food. But at that moment a friend came to the hostess, with whom they began to chat cheerfully. Realizing that the matter would not be limited to twenty minutes, we decided to snack on some chocolate on the way, without delaying our exit. At least some compensation was that they didn’t give us a room - for the first time on the route.
From Chheplung the trail gradually descended to the Dudh Koshi Nadi River, but the latter naturally rose when going upstream. Our meeting was inevitable. But before that, we walked across a suspension bridge, the supports of which were unusually far from the edge - it was clear that the banks of the stream were very unstable, not so long ago a mudflow had passed over it, and all this increased the feeling of the unreliability of the structure.
Then the trail for some time ran along the pipe of a mini hydroelectric power station, built with funds from the British Gurkhas.
And then we reached the village of Phading. This is where it started... Phakding is the main place for tourists to spend the night after arriving in Lukla. And a whole lot of them flew there. Various groups gathered everywhere, the number of tourists often reaching two dozen, and they were accompanied by numerous porters and guides. There were also enough Sherpas with local cargo - they carried food and drinks to the shops and lodges located above, as well as numerous building materials - boards, plywood, doors, glass, etc. All this was supplemented by caravans of donkeys and yaks that began to replace them - before the trail from Lukla there were no yaks, and after, beyond Namche, donkeys were no longer encountered. The lines of tourists moved generally slower than us, so for the first half of that day we mostly ran, overtaking first one “caterpillar” and then another.
It’s time to dwell on what we really didn’t like about the hike and discouraged us from coming to the Himalayas again long before the earthquake, which worsened the impression of the Nepalese living below. Firstly, the Sherpas themselves caused strong negativity. So, starting from Namche, in the highlands we spent the night in twelve different places. Six of them left generally bad memories - I will write about this in the course of further parts of the report. Sherpas on the trail are a different story. One of their favorite pastimes during a stop is coughing. While driving, it’s not much better. Many people turn on music on their phone speakers and walk along, listening to Indian tunes. Not a single person was seen wearing headphones - “if I’m listening, then let everyone listen.” This looked especially strong when the guide accompanying the tourists listened to the music - they pay him money, but he also fills his brains with his melodies. In the absence of a telephone, young Sherpas loved to hum while descending lightly, some of whom significantly began to sing louder as they ran past those ascending towards them. By the way, we didn’t get the feeling that since the Nepalese are constantly smiling, it follows that they are friendly. They smile through life, simply rejoicing at the fact of it, and not at all at meeting you. The second serious point that constantly caused us negativity - we were never able to look at it with detachment - was the number of foreigners whose things were carried by the Sherpas. Moreover, if in the case of some pensioners or a group with children, this could still be justified, then when the overfed youngsters, two meters tall, walk with city backpacks, and they are accompanied by a small frail Sherpa carrying two heavy bags connected to each other, then This caused us nothing but disgust. And the Sherpas carrying local loads weighing over 100 kg also illustrated great global injustice. Katya and I discussed why we didn’t like the Sherpas in general, but not only did we not have any gloating that they were carrying heavy loads, but on the contrary, we sympathized with them. We came to the conclusion that the deep sense of injustice that awoke in us at the sight of this whole picture significantly exceeded personal hostility. They also recalled with irritation reports where narrow-minded people were touched by the Sherpas’ ability to carry heavy loads - it did not take much observation to notice the complete absence of old people - human joints are not adapted to such loads. We also didn’t like the fact that many foreigners smothered themselves in the morning, as if they were pouring a bottle on themselves, completely blocking out all the natural odors in the area. Katya suggested: “Yes, they are afraid that they will smell bad.” We laughed, because on a hike this should not be your main fear. Another thing is that many tourists there did not have a sense of the seriousness of the event in the sense of personal preparation for it, which ultimately led to walking in sneakers through a snowdrift and other similar entertainment. By the way, it was clearly noticeable that the tourists who met on the Jiri-Lukla section were noticeably nicer, more athletic and more independent. At this point, the five minutes of hatred can be considered over and the description of the day can continue.
Erosion of the slope at the mouth of the Chhuzem Khola.
Due to the large number of people, suspension bridges now had to be crossed in a line, often missing the oncoming people. It was important not to get there at the same time as the caravan coming towards us. On the first of five bridges that day over the Dudh Koshi Nadi, one of the porters decided to have fun by running across the bridge of snakes, which greatly rocked it. We just didn’t like it, but a group of Germans behind us screamed in horror, I think, greatly amusing the Sherpas. Immediately after the bridge we ran into the tail of the yak caravans, which we could not overtake for about ten minutes due to the narrowed path. Then there was another caravan, where the driver carried a bale of grass on his back. So while the path was narrow, he walked at the tail of the caravan, and when it widened, he stood next to the trailing yak. That is, it was impossible to overtake them either there or there. Soon I got tired of this and at the next extension I simply moved the bale of grass, and with it the Sherpa, to the side, behind the yak, after which we squeezed between the packs and the slope, continuing our race. It is clear that such a speed was not conducive to admiring the beauty, but there was something to see - that day we crossed more than one stream with waterfalls.
Lavism. For a long time they could not understand what it was, until in Ferich they saw a poster advertising this movement. Apparently, this is some kind of sect based on Buddhism.
Yakov caravan.
From that day on, compatriots began to meet, mostly walking independently in groups of two to five people. That day we came across groups from Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny and Khabarovsk.
Another "sakura".
After the second crossing of Dudh Koshi Nadi, a series of checkpoints began - on this day, documents were checked three times, not counting the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park, where visiting permits were sold. Considering that the previous four days the number of checkpoints was zero, we were amused by such a density of inspectors. What was even funnier was that there was only one checkpoint beyond Namche. The first time I checked TIMS was in Chkhumova, shortly after the bridge. We then stood in a short line in front of the entrance gate to Sagarmatha National Park to buy permits to enter the park. Their cost has increased significantly in recent years: if in 2011 they charged 1,000 rupees (10 dollars), now it is already 3,000, and from March 15 of this year, in addition to the cost, they came up with some kind of thirteen percent tax, increasing the fee to 3,390 rupees per person. At least they put a free toilet at the gate - and thank you for that.
After the gate, the trail descended steeply to the river, where, behind the third bridge of the day over Dudh Koshi Nadi, we settled down for lunch in the town of Yorsale - soon the villages ended, and there would be nowhere to eat before the end of the climb to Namche. Before lunch, among those going downstairs, a girl was seen walking in a dress. We marveled. On the one hand, it’s not so hot for a short dress, on the other hand, the dress is somehow not camping clothing at all. At lunch, we were already amazed at the prices on the menu: it’s one thing to read about their growth with altitude, and another to see such a gap compared to the morning ones. We decided that from this day on we will not order tea for dinner, we will boil it on the burner. And, if possible, for breakfast.
Dinner:
Vegetable momos – 350 (from now on, “vegetable” no longer means the presence of only green grass, so momos were filled with a mixture of carrots, potatoes and something else)
Garlic soup – 280
Dalbat – 500
Lemon tea (1 l) - 500
At dinner we watched a real performance put on for us by the yaks. Two yaks got away from a small caravan (no more than ten animals) at the turn in front of the steps. The driver walking ahead did not notice this and walked briskly forward.
One of the yaks ended up standing near the wall of the house, while the second, after some time, continued on its way. But peculiar. Having climbed a short staircase, he should have turned right, but he went straight into a narrow passage that abutted the steep steps leading to the lodge. Having rested against the stairs, the yak thought, stood for a few minutes and began to climb - the fact is that yaks do not know how/absolutely do not like to walk in reverse. At the top, the yak found himself on the landing at the door of the lodge, where he soon tried to enter. An angry Sherpa quickly jumped out from there and drove the yak back down the steps, after which the yak tried to go along the main path, but in the opposite direction, but soon stopped. The chaser for the missing man showed up only half an hour later. The yaks in general gave us the impression of animals in a state of surprise and fear: “Who’s there?!” Donkeys were more phlegmatic.
Having had lunch and setting off, a minute later we were stopped at the next checkpoint, where our data was entered into the usual barn book. Then - the fourth bridge, and one of the most unusual on the route, but a standard section of the trail for us: for several hundred meters the path passed in the floodplain of the river with a smooth climb. The path wound between the stones, but when they saw a bridge ahead of them. Hillary seemed to come to her senses and climbed up the slope. This bridge is the highest of all the days of the journey. There are actually two bridges there, and even the older one looks creepy, but the new one hangs over the river at a height of about fifty meters.
Immediately after the bridge, the climb to Namche began, which they like to scare trekkers with. I agree that for those arriving in Lukla, the steep four-hundred-meter climb, and even up to an absolute altitude of 3,400 meters, is a serious test. To us, coming from Jiri, it didn’t seem like something out of the ordinary - we overtook many groups without any excessive effort. And we already had preliminary acclimatization - after all, on the third day of the journey we passed through a pass higher than three and a half. On the way there is a place from where you can see Everest. Those. in good weather it is visible, but since it was already past noon, according to the old Nepalese tradition, clouds began to creep in.
At the end of the steep climb there is another checkpoint. This time it is more progressive - our data is recorded not in a notebook, but in a computer, which, however, does not speed up the process much. We see the first poster from the “Altitude Can Kill” series, describing the main symptoms of altitude sickness and the necessary actions if they occur.
Beyond the checkpoint, the ascent continued in a gentler manner, first the houses standing on the outskirts stretched out, and after skirting the ridge, the famous horseshoe of Namche Bazaar stretched out in front of us. It was very exciting to see it, which we had seen so many times on satellite images, in person.
Namche, of course, was significantly larger than all the settlements we had passed through before. And it all revolves around the tourism industry. In addition to dozens of lodges, there are also expensive hotels - we saw rooms for 50 dollars. Bars, pastry shops, pharmacies, supermarkets and a large number of shops selling tourist equipment, most of which are self-made “branded” ones, but there are a few expensive shops with real brands.
We stayed high up from all the noise at the Himalayan Sherpa Lodge. We just listed it as one of our favorites.
Room. Under the window you can see a switch, duplicating the one located on the wall at the entrance. The light bulb, like everywhere else before, is luminescent. In Nepal, especially in mountain villages, this is not an idiot of the government, but an urgent need.
There was a funny notice in the toilet: “Use me right, keep me clean, and I will never tell what I saw. Himalayan Sherpa"If you don't remember that the name of the lodge is Himalayan Sherpa, then the announcement looks extremely strange...
Himalayan Sherpa Lodge.
After checking in, the first thing we did was take a shower (300 rupees per person). Here, for the first time since Kathmandu, the water was actually hot, not warm. Hooray! We washed ourselves, washed our clothes, hanging them to dry at the entrance outside - fortunately there were enough clothespins there - and went shopping.
First of all, we bought Katya a down jacket to replace the one she had forgotten in Irkutsk. Knowing that you can bargain here, I managed to reduce the price from 6000 to 4440. Moreover, the saleswoman had already said that 4500 was the final price (I had already risen from four to 4400), to which I found an approach, saying that 4440 was a very good price, three fours, and she agreed. In another store we bought a gas cylinder for 700 rupees - they sold it so cheap because it was the last one. Let's go to another store because... I needed another cylinder. There they charged 1200. After bidding, the price dropped to 1000, but I tried to reduce it to 900. I said: “But in another store they sold it to us for 700.” They answered me with slight sarcasm: “So why didn’t they take the second one there, for 700?” He said that there was the last one, but I insist that they didn’t sell it at a loss and therefore, since they paid for the last 700, they didn’t pay for the last 900 - an excellent price. The saleswoman smiled and agreed.
In general, against the backdrop of low prices for clothes and other things, prices for everything imported are very high. So, a roll of adhesive plaster cost us 650 rupees - more than three hundred rubles. I also bought fleece gloves to replace the old holey ones that were thrown away, which, however, were never useful before Namche, and woolen socks made from yak wool - one pair of mine was torn. We never needed the socks - we took them home new.
In a supermarket in Namche, we finally found out what “Ruslan. 100% pure” is - inscriptions that we came across many times on the way to Jiri.
In the evening we went to the local gompa, which we liked for its tranquility and atmosphere. At the entrance, the monk shows that there is a low door at the door, which is not out of place - the second time I ran in too quickly and knocked hard. Near the gompa there are huge drums, each rotation of which causes the sound of a bell.
The cloud slides into Namche.
For dinner we ate yak steak, which turned out to be incredibly tasty, not least due to some kind of meat sauce. We also ordered chocolate pudding, which we waited and waited for, then I went to the kitchen - it turned out that they had forgotten about it. We think it’s starting again. But then they brought it so quickly and it was so delicious that we were completely delighted.
For the first time since the beginning of the journey, food was served at a decent level. Even the cutlery was taken out wrapped in cloth napkins.
Dinner:
Yak steak with steamed vegetables (2 servings) – 1200
Chocolate pudding – 300
Lemon tea (1 cup) – 60
Jasmine tea (1 mug) – 60
In Namche, by the way, the prices in the restaurant were lower than in Yorsal, where we had lunch that day.
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