Trekking Day 6: Acclimatizing at Dingboche

25 March 2015

Today is a rest day... that means hiking up a hill in the morning and enjoying the amazing scenery from Dingboche the rest of the day.

One of my favorite scenery: Mt. Taboche and Mt Cholatse and the Tsola River

7:00. Since today was a rest day, we woke up a little late. Okay, so 7AM isn’t really late but considering that I had been waking up around 6:30 for the last few days, 7AM was a treat. 

Acclimatization day is an easy walk along this hill

  

8:30. We hiked up a hill in Dingboche as part of our acclimatization. Victor carried a drawstring backpack containing our water, extra jacket and cameras while I just carried my smartphone in my pocket. Nevertheless, I was just slightly faster than I was when I had a 10-kg load on my back. Since Madan and Victor were walking a few meters ahead of me and I had no iPod to entertain myself, my mind drifted to physics and calculus (What the hell, right?)... We didn’t go all the way up the hill but it was impossible not to enjoy the magnificent views of the mountains surrounding us—Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Taboche, Mt. Cholatse...

Victor and Madan waiting for me to catch up

11:00 After our exercise, we arrived back at the tea house and we had momo and pizza for lunch. The available water was yellow. We tried passing the water through Victor’s Platypus filter and adding iodine tablets but the water was still yellow and neither of us wanted to drink yellow-colored water (even though this is technically already potable). So, after lunch, we bought a few liters of bottled water for 120Rs ($1.20) each. It was a small price to pay to avoid the risk of dealing with another upset stomach.

13:00. I had a slight chest pain and I feared that I would catch a cold. So, I spent most of the afternoon sleeping in the hopes of feeling better the next day. I had wanted to do a longer hike today but it was a good thing that Madan made us do a short hike instead.

18:30. I didn't write much on my journal that day aside from the fact that I had French onion soup for dinner. But I was able to capture photos of the breathtaking views our eyes feasted on.

Mt. Ama Dablam as seen from the hills at Dingboche

Trekking Day 5: Pangboche to Dingboche

24 March 2015

4 hours of walking (my pace). More spectacular views along the way.

06:55. It was cold and I was cozy under the thick blanket (which probably hadn’t been washed for weeks). I was too lazy to get out of bed so I dismissed my alarm and enjoyed a couple more snooze. I was in a good mood that morning. Victor and I had garlic soup and apple pancake for breakfast. I forgot who ordered which but we shared the food.

08:30. The view was clear when we left Pangboche—we finally saw the surrounding mountains that was covered by fog and clouds the day before. There was a part of the trail where we were walking on the mountain side with snow-capped mountains across us. Then in another par the trail, we were walking between two mountains and it just felt astounding. I live in a tropical country and this kind of scenery new to me. I had a glimpse of the Alps when I was in Eurailing in Europe, but I had never been this close to snowy mountains. The trail was gradual but as usual, I still had difficulty breathing.  It was easier than the last two but I was hungry, my stomach was still grumbling and I was constantly thirsty.

Trail from Pangboche to Dingboche

12:45. After over 4 hours of hiking, we finally made to Dingboche. I ordered dal bhat with curry for lunch and it was delicious. It was cloudy but the teahouse still offered a good view. After lunch, Victor spent most of the afternoon sleeping. I was feeling energetic that and I don’t know why he was exhausted that afternoon since he seemed stronger and a hell lot quicker when we were walking that morning. So, alone I hiked the hills behind our teahouse. I tried waking up Victor around 4PM but he only woke up to order dinner then went back to rest. I ordered my dinner and went out to hike up alone again. I wanted to go higher but I didn’t know what time it was going to get dark and I didn’t have anything besides my camera.

 

Atop a hill in Dingboche

18:50. I had Rara noodles with garlic for dinner.   We were now at 4,358 meters above sea level and I was following Naba’s advice to have garlic soup to help me acclimatize. Victor later said that every time he walks fast, he gets a light headache. He would then slow down and the headache would disappear. I think that if I walked “fast”, I’d still be too slow to catch altitude sickness. I think I acclimatized well. However, I felt cold that night. My chest was wheezing even though I wasn’t doing anything. This was not rare for me, but inhaling cold air seems to have been a factor. 

 

One of my first night shots

Victor and I took some night photos just right outside tea house. He taught me how to use my new camera (which I was using like a point and shoot—I had never used the camera before this trip). However, it was cold and my nose was running. While Victor patiently took his time lapse videos, I only took a few shots and retreated to our room. The room didn’t really offer warmth but I had a roll of tissue there and I could snuggle under the comforter. That night, I slept with my fleece jacket.

 

Mt. Ama Dablam from Dingboche

Trekking Day 4: Kyanjuma to Pangboche

23 March 2015

On Day 4, we headed towards the lovely Tyangboche for lunch then continued up to Pangboche at 3,930 meters above sea level.

Tyangboche

06:20. When we woke up, the fog had settled and the view of the mountains from our window was clear and beautiful. We usually take our orders for breakfast the night before and on Day 4, I had apple pie for breakfast.

08.00. The trek started with an easy downhill walk.  But after a while, the trail started to shift up. It wasn't as steep as the trail from Namche Bazaar to Syangboche but I was still breathless. I think Victor had already gotten used to my endless panting.  

Madan and Ram, waiting for me while I catch my breath

11:45. After almost 4 hours, we finally arrived in Tyangboche. I didn't feel the cold while we were hiking, but I felt it as soon as we took a rest.  I already had my fleece jacket on the topmost layer of my bag and I wore it over my thermal base layer and shirt.  The view in Tyangboche was amazing. It was possible to see Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse but it was cloudy that day. There was also a colorful monastery but it was still closed. Madan assured us that we would have our chance to visit the monastery on our way back. Victor and I shared lunch. We had potato momos and spaghetti with vegetables.

Tyangboche Monastery

13:20. I put back my fleece jacket inside my bag and we resumed our trek to Pangboche. The trail was slippery from melted snow, ice and mud. Victor wanted to bet on who gets to slip first—loser pays for WiFi. But I’m clumsy and was wise enough not to take on the bet. At the end of the slippery trail downhill, it was level for a while and then we started going uphill. The slope was gradual but about 30 minutes to Pangboche, I felt my chest wheezing a little bit. The first time I experienced this back in Mt. Picode Loro, I got pretty worried. But now, I already know that I just needed to take a break, relax and control it.

Slippery trail

15:30. After 2 hours of hiking, we finally reached Pangboche. I was puffing all the way up but when we arrived and I've caught my breath, I realized that I wasn't tired at all. Victor and I went around the small village of Pangboche but it was too foggy to see any view. We didn't have a thermometer but according to Google, the temperature in the village was between -8° to 2° Celsius.

Narrow path

18.30. For dinner, I had tomato egg drop (soup with tomato sauce and scrambled egg) while Victor had macaroni and cheese (pasta topped with grated cheese). I had an upset stomach that night and spent 4 times in the toilet. It was a good thing that we were practically the only people in the tea house, since the restroom was common. I suspect my diarrhea was from of the apple pie I ate for breakfast. Lesson learned: Only eat freshly cooked food.