(Twiddling my thumbs on the phone notepad at the Revendale lodge watching noisy rich teenagers create a ruckus)
Road from our Khumbu resort towards Tengboche started the same way as Everest View. For a moment, when i thought with a sickening feeling in the pit of my tummy that we'd have to go the same steep way as the previous days Everest View Hotel path and that too WITH a bag-was a total FML moment. Stood at this fork to catch my breath thinking, NOT the left way( which leads to Everest View)...was a relief when someone pointed out the other way. Well true didn't know then whether the route would be steeper or otherwise. but when i KNOW the route is steep- squeamishness is inevitable!!. We had beautiful views of Ama Dablam and glimpses of Everest ( I somehow am falling in love with the beautiful Ama Dablam)
( The peak on the right is Ama Dablam and Mt. Everest peeks out on the right)
And of course parting views of the valley and a bird's eye view of Namche Bazar
It was uphill for a while then a more or less straight almost- ridge walk with a beautiful dip into the Dudh Kosi on the right and uncountable valleys if you turned around.On the path leaving Namche Bazaar you will be asked to make a donation for the upkeep of the path – I didn't' sidestep this request but most believe that they're already paying enough for the use of the path, both with my National Park Entrance Fee, TIMS permit. Then came a steep walk down. With every step, we kept thinking- - every step downhill now means a step uphill on the way back home..gulp. well after the downhill run and crossing the Dudhkosi and passing through another checkpost and so many villages and watching these indigenous turbine generators cum prayer bells , we started the arduous trek up , up and up!This uphill just didn't end and somehow seemed to be busy with a lot of people on this part of the route. Not too far from Tengboche, and i felt light rain on my bare arms. Horrorstruck, i loooked at my trekmate, who frowned his typical frown and said..thats not rain...looks more like hail...did he say HAIL...like HAIL! but then the hail was really snow falling. My first real snowfall in my life. was beautiful and yet progressively colder. By the time i reached the monastery( bang on time for the noon prayer), i was frozen -i ran into the warmth of the monastery, took out my fleece jacket and tried to zip it- my hands fumbled so much and were literally numb- took me what seemed like 10's of minutes before i could zip myself up. Also added an extra layer of wind and rain proof shell. We walked into the bakery but then decided against eating there as it was snowing insistently and we wanted to lodge at Debuche and not Tengboche. Thankfully, Debuche was a walk down- so finally appreciated the snow without having to huff and puff. We were the only ones on the trail except a couple of porters in the middle. We saw a few yaks lolling in the forests as did we spot a musk deer!
We just barged into the first lodge we came across- Revendale. Seemed decent at first. But then came the noise. The lodge was apparently the choice of a boisterous children's expedition , presumably from the UK. There was barely any water in the taps too. We immediately had hot chocolate.We watched as people pitched tents in the white courtyard shivering at the thought of people sleeping OUT THERE! We were laughing about something as we lay in our sleeping bags.Also talking about how the rock around the place seemed to made of limestones. Was probably a river bed at some point of time. After a while i felt uneasy as i i couldn't take a full breath. boy, that freaked me out. I honestly don't know what caused that, but i felt less constricted after i had zipped down my inner thermal( i had zipped up till my throat)and just let air circulate.But i also took quarter of a diamox for better measure coz come what may i did NOT want to walk back down and up again the next day! I felt better after dinner. Finally started the dal-bhat diet. I did feel a little skeptical of the next day. People usually go to Dingboche- but thats WAY too HIGH! we decided on Pheriche. Still that was a 400 metres jump....
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