EVEREST TREK : DAY 11

Day 11. Tengboche to Dingboche.

Wednesday 20 March.

We were woken by gongs and horns at 5:45 am, presumably to call the monks to their early morning prayers. It had been a bitterly cold night but we were both snug again with a duvet to have over out sleeping bags. I also managed to get an extra mattress so had a very comfortable sleep. The only problem was getting up to the loo during the night, which was outside and further down the corridor.

We left at 7:45 am after a nice breakfast, the fire was on in the dining room and this warmed us up before the start of our day in the hills. The sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue but it was still cold until the sun rose above the high Himalayan ridges, we had our fleeces, gloves and beanies on, but soon we were both warm and down to just our t-shirts. 

The path dropped at first to a small settlement of lodges and a Buddhist nunnery at Deboche then began a steady easy climb before crossing the Imja Khola by a suspension bridge, we had now left the Dudh Kosi valley which was the route from Namche to Gokyo, another favourite Everest viewing point. At the start there was a large party of Japanese with their leaders carrying big flags. We left them behind but soon caught another tour, this one from the UK, walking on behalf of Cancer Research. Someone comment later that they were surprised at how many of them had a smoke when they stopped for a break. We walked with them at an easy pace until they stopped for a (smoke) break at the bridge crossing. We continued on a now steep climb, the route being marked at intervals by large chompas.

Views of Ama Dablam

At the start we had Everest and Lhotse in front of us showing the way and along side the ever present Ama Dablam. When we reached Pangboche we and our tea break and a Bounty bar on a sun deck with  the now expected outstanding mountain vistas. From Pangboche the route follow the river's course up the valley. It was enjoyable and the gradient easy with only an occasional steep section, especially the final short ascent to the plateau where the village of Somare sat. The Japanese party passed while we were having our break but they stopped at a lodge further on and we were in front of them again, we didn't see the Cancer research group.

At the break we met Paul from Vancouver that I had spoken to yesterday on the trail. He was with Josh and Jessica from Australia. They were walking for a charity in Nepal and each had donated $1000. We walked with them for the first easy part of the final section to Dingboche. It was marked on the map as flat trail, it actually was and took us over another Alpine Desert region with only some bushes of heather for vegetation. They pushed on after the path crossed a bridge over the junction of the Imja Khola with a smaller river, where the trail now began the big climb of the day. 

With Paul, Josh and Jessica

We still followed the course of the Imja Khola but climbed steadily, it took about 30 minutes before we reached a crest and could see Dingboche on plateau above the river. It was downhill to the village and a large chompa on the hill above marked the entrance. Unfortunately the lodge that Brin had selected for us was at the top end of the village, I suppose it will save us a walk when we leave.

The lodge was the Hotel Sherpaland and there were some familiar faces there from the last few nights. Our room had a toilet incorporated  but no shower. We haven't had a shower for a few days, it has been too cold. We must be starting to smell but so is everyone else. For lunch we both had a bowl of vegetable soup. 

A check point in the Everest Ultra Marathon

A large tour group arrived and we decided stay in the dining room for the rest of the day and not lose our seats. We read and played at cards, it was quite comfortable with the sun that was still shining brightly keeping the place warm. When it cooled down later they put on the fire, the usual pot belled stove in the middle of the room. It was warm and comfortable again after it spread its heat out. We order dinner earlier tonight worried about the tour getting priority, we think they were from Poland but they didn't mix at all. For dinner we had the Dahl baht with an extra portion of vegetable curry, it was very good. After dinner we chatted for about an hour with the Dutch guy we met at Namche about different walks and treks around the world. He was the guy who was returning after spending a year in New Zealand, his name was Jorn. This was his acclimatisation day and he heads for Lobuche tomorrow.

The seats in the dining room weren't very comfortable and we went to bed at 7:30 pm. It was more relaxing in bed in our sleeping bags with a thick duvet as well. We didn't get to sleep for another 2 hours when the noise of the others going to bed settled down. We both slept quite well.

Himalayan panorama