First Day in Namche

May 19



We had our first of two acclimatization days in Namche Bazaar.

Gerry and I went for a run at 5:15 am to Thamo about 4K away from town. Although it looked relatively flat on the map, we had to run through town and the up the other side past the monastery to a series of stupas or Buddhist religious monuments. It was a tough, tough climb out of town. We did more running than walking. After that it was always up or down. A couple sections were pretty nice and I felt pretty good at the altitude.

It was beautiful being on the trail early in the morning. It was a little cloudy but occasionally we caught glimpses of the high peaks through the breaks. The locals were just getting up. The whole way we saw only four people and one donkey on the trail. We crossed the Bhote Khosi (river) and then climbed a bit before we turned around and ran back.

Coming back into Namche at 6:30, things were beginning to stir. We could hear the clink, clink, clink of the stone masons beginning their work for the day. It was a constant background sound that we hear all day long. Almost all of the building are made of stone, a very abundant local commodity! All of the stones are very precisely cut by hand. It is amazing was these workers produce.

After breakfast, we took a hike up the ridge behind Namche to the Everest View Hotel and the towns of Khumjung and Khunde. Although this was supposed to be an easy stroll, the beginning was very tough -- a switchback climb straight up for 1,450 feet to a total altitude of 12,700 feet. We were huffing and puffing the whole way. There is a dirt airstrip at the top which looks even scarier than the one at Lukla.

We stopped for coffee at the hotel. Because it was still cloudy, we caught only a few glimpses of the peaks. It’s a tease of what is to come. This hotel is very plush by trekking standards but lacks the feel of the local culture. Great views, though, of the surrounding valley and peaks.

After the stop, we walked through this high plateau to Khumjung and Khunde to follow the last 4K of the marathon course back into Namche. These villages are relatively new and develop with the assistance of Edmund Hillary over the years and have a hospital and school. They were built very western style compared to the traditional Nepalese villages. The houses here were spread out each with this plot of land of an acre or so. In most villages, the houses are packed together.

It was probably a mistake to take a look at the final section of the race course. It will be very tough. At 32K, we will cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi and then climb 2,300 feet in elevation to the villages. The we have a final climb of 300 or so feet up some stone steps to the airstrip. We cross the airstrip to the edge of the ridge overlooking Namche. It looks straight down. The final 2K is straight down the switchbacks which are mostly loose rock and sand. Although it won’t be dangerous, it will kills the quads. The final 400 meters or so will be over relatively level ground.



You would think that a run from Base Camp at 17,598 feet to Namche at 11,286 feet would be all down hill. But it’s not. We will have a total of about 4,000 feet of climbing in the race. So in total, we will have 10,300 feet of decent to go along with the climbs.

After lunch, I took a shower at a nearby lodge for 400 NP ($5.70 US). It was wonderful. The first hot shower in four days. It may be the last until we get back into Namche.

I spent the afternoon wandering through town checking out the shops. I met a young couple, Rob from Hungary and Clare form England, who will be joining our group at Base Camp to run the race. They have been here five weeks already hiking and climbing in the area. They are very well acclimated and have been spending a lot of time running the trails.

After dinner, some of the group went into town to play pool. (how they got a pool table up here, I have no idea. I went to bed early (8:30), but woke up at about 11:00 to a fierce thunderstorm. The sherpas were scrambling around the tents putting up rainflys in the wind and pouring rain. It rained quite hard for a couple of hours. But slept quite soundly.