Day 2: 2025/4/17 Phakding (2,610m) to Namche Bazaar (3,440m)
Sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon
Today was our first full day of hiking. We left at 7:30 a.m. The morning weather was nice with a clear sky. Walking along the “white/milk” river, we crossed five suspension bridges-it was easy to lose count!
With an 800-meter elevation gain, this trek is no walk in the park, but you could literally say it’s a walk through villages, at least for the first half. Tea houses line the trail, and people and animals travel in both directions, making this part of the trek quite lively-there’s nothing wild about it.
After two and a half hours of walking, we reached a checkpoint and officially entered Sagarmatha National Park.
The highlight of the day was the famous Hillary Bridge, named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest. At 60 meters long and 135 meters above the Dudh Koshi River, it’s the tallest suspension bridge in Nepal. It’s a vital link to Everest Base Camp, and every trekker and climber crosses it. Beneath it lies the old Hillary Bridge, where Everest Bungee operates. Today, there were no daring/crazy young people jumping. I saw a sign advertising the bungee jump that made me chuckle: “Fear is fake, just do it.” I’m not sure if that would help!
The afternoon turned cloudy, and I was disappointed not to spot Mt. Everest at the first viewpoint. After more climbing, we finally arrived at today’s destination-Namche Bazaar. Nicknamed the Sherpa capital of Nepal, it’s a bustling trading center and the hub of the Khumbu region.
It’s recommended that trekkers stay two nights in Namche Bazaar, and most itineraries include a day hike on the second day. Instead of returning to Namche, we’ll continue on the trail, staying at Kayngjuma village, about 150 meters higher than Namche.
Namche is a lively place that sells everything a trekker might need, still at reasonable prices. Along the way, water flows down from higher up, and women can be seen doing laundry. The flowing water also turns prayer wheels. My tea house for tonight offers a paid hot shower, which I couldn’t resist-hot showers may be hard to come by after this!
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