Day 3: 2025/4/18 Namche Bazaar (3,440m) to Khumjung (3,790m)
Temperature: 32–44°F, cloudy, sunset at 6 pm.
Maybe because of jet lag or the altitude, I couldn’t sleep well last night and woke up at 1:30 a.m. feeling groggy. I had taken a not-so-hot shower the evening before, and it took a while for my hair to dry. The room was cold, so I had to sit inside my sleeping bag wearing my down jacket. I don’t think I’m sick, just cold, though I was a bit worried about catching something. Now I regret my decision a little, but with hot showers being rare on this trek, I couldn’t resist. In any case, it’s too late to worry about it now.
It rained for a long time overnight. In the morning, we briefly enjoyed a clear view of the mountains before the clouds quickly rolled in and covered them.
Most people stay in Namche for two nights to help their bodies acclimatize. Usually, on the second day, trekkers do an acclimatization hike to a high viewpoint for a glimpse of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. My itinerary is a variation-instead of returning to Namche, we were supposed to continue to Kyangjuma at about 3,600 meters, only 160 meters higher than Namche, or so I thought. Somehow, things turned out differently.
We left at 8:45 a.m., climbing slowly and mingling with other hikers. It was cloudy but not too cold. After a while, we looked back and saw Namche below, nestled in the valley with its colorful roofs. Looking toward Lukla, I could see mountain ranges in varying shades of blue. Ahead, the landscape changed from green vegetation to bare rock, with snowy peaks and patches of fresh snow.
At higher elevations, slow walking is key to controlling your breathing and heart rate. My guide, Jungbu, is a great pacer-step by step, never rushing. The guides here don’t use trekking poles and maintain even steps. I walked behind Jungbu, sometimes lost in thought, but mostly focused on my next step. Walking is good therapy; you can talk to yourself, think about many things, or nothing at all.
Midway, we stopped at Sagarmatha Next, a center focused on innovation in waste management and recycling. With two high seasons each year bringing over 40,000 visitors and local guides to the Khumbu Valley, the waste generated is staggering. Managing this waste is critical, given the region’s limited infrastructure and the logistical challenges of transporting refuse out of the valley. Sagarmatha Next, in partnership with local organization SPCC, was established to develop creative, sustainable solutions. A short video explains the project and raises awareness about waste control. There are art pieces made from trash on display, and visitors can participate in “Carry Me Back,” a crowdsourced waste removal system where everyone can help carry waste out of the region.
We continued after our visit. The second ascent left me breathing hard. I tried to check my heart rate, but my watch read 84-maybe it was just following my step tempo. We were still below 3,800 meters. I wondered how I’d feel above 4,000 meters, knowing that 4,000 and above is another challenge, and 5,000 meters is something I have yet to experience. There’s no use worrying now; my strategy remains the same: walk slowly and take one day at a time.
We finally reached the Everest viewpoint, but thick clouds obscured everything. Descending toward what I assumed was Kyangjuma, we arrived before lunch and enjoyed a surprisingly tasty veggie curry. Jungbu drank what I thought was milk tea, but I later learned it was salt tea-a traditional Sherpa brew with salt, milk, butter, a bit of flour, and tea. Curious, I tried it and found it subtly flavored with tea.
After lunch, I wandered the quiet village street. Earlier, Jungbu had told me all the roofs in this village are green, unlike the colorful roofs in Namche, which is why it’s also called “Green Valley.” It was so quiet it felt almost lonely, with just a few shops selling locally made yak scarves, hats, and gloves, and only a handful of trekkers passing by. As the wind picked up and the air turned chilly, I headed back.
Later, when I reviewed my itinerary, I realized we weren’t actually in Kyangjuma at 3,600 meters as I had thought, but in Khumjung at 3,790 meters. When I asked Jungbu about it, he said it’s just down the road and the difference isn’t significant, though I’m still not sure what he meant. In any case, we’re already here, and there’s nothing I can do about it now.
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