Day 4: Christmas in the Sherpa capital

Start: Monjo

End: Namche

Finishing altitude: 3440m

I awoke before sunrise and scurried across the campsite to the toilet, feeling the effects of consuming 3-4 litres of water daily to ward off altitude sickness. The Himalayan dawn was refreshing cold, beautifully still and peaceful. The icy wind grazed the ground in the distance, dragging flurries of fine snow with it. My attempt to return back to sleep was futile and in no time, I heard the familiar voices of Hom and Sunam; “Morning! Black tea Amy?” I was ready to begin the day anyway, eager to climb higher and see what the next section of this adventure had to offer. I emerged from my tent and positioned myself strategically near the fire while I waited for breakfast. The remainder of my group, slowly dragged themselves across the campsite to the warm haven of the fire. After a few sleepy conversations, Dan entered cheerfully wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. We were so removed from the date and time, that it took a while to process before we agreed that in fact it was Christmas day and we wished him a Merry Christmas in return.

Following breakfast, we retraced yesterday afternoon’s steps towards the Sagarmatha National Park gates. After our guides showed our permits and gained permission to enter the park, we began to descend a series of steep steps, following the river course to the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Bhote Kosi. After crossing another high suspension bridge, the trail began a steep ascent that would persist for over 2 hours. A continuous, relentless series of steep steps through forests of pine to reach the Hillary bridge – the highest suspension bridge on the whole route. We waited for donkeys to cross and then stepped out onto the bridge, suspended high above the raging river below. I made sure to not look down and focus on the mountain views, as Bikash had instructed us on the first day. It was an exhilarating experience, I stared in awe at the mountains protruding above the forest as I felt the adrenaline raise my heart rate.

After countless steps, Namche came into view. Namche is known as the “Sherpa capital” of Nepal, a prosperous village sprawled across a horse-shoe shaped valley, positioned opposite the peak of Kongde Ri. The village is filled with Tibetan traders, outdoor gear shops and teahouses. There was no room for a campsite here, so we would stay in a teahouse slightly above Namche. We all agreed that we would visit the shops on our return and focus on rest and acclimitisation for the remainder of the day. We arrived at the teahouse for lunch and with our appetites soaring following the strenuous climb, we opted for seconds and even thirds of some dishes. With our plates piled high with rice, potatoes and pasta, we chatted about the initial effects of the increasing altitude. We had progressed above 3000m today and we all had developed mild headaches, which we addressed by sipping electrolytes and taking paracetamol. Bikash reassured us that this is a normal reaction and to keep thinking “happy thoughts”.

Everyone rested in the afternoon, opting for naps or sitting by the fire eating snacks. I visited a nearby Everest Museum and gallery, which was fascinating. This is potentially the only theme of museum that can effectively engage me and it filled my afternoon nicely, browsing old newspaper articles and photographs of Western climbers and Sherpas on their summit attempts. Before dinner, Bikash took us on a short acclimitisation walk to see the statue of Tenzing Norgay – the first Nepalese man to summit Everest, accompanied by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953. The statue was situated in front of the perfect backdrop of high mountain peaks. This was our first opportunity to see Mount Everest (8849m), but it evaded our view as the summit was carpeted in dense cloud. I could however see Lhotse (8516m), as the wind pushed the clouds away and the sky began to grow a deep pink colour as the sun began to set.

We returned to the teahouse for dinner and Bikash gave his daily briefing, outlining what we should expect the next day. Following this, Hom and Sunam entered the dining room carrying something large towards the table and grinning. They placed a large chocolate cake directly in front of me that read, “Merry Christmas 2022” in orange icing and they handed me a large knife, signalling for me to cut the cake. We were all taken aback by this gesture and I gratefully accepted the responsibility of cutting the cake for everyone. We had a lovely evening and although we didn’t manage to catch a glimpse of Everest, it gave us something to look forward to in the coming days.