Through the Three Passes - An Internal Journey on the Everest Trek (Day 6)

 Day 6: 2025/4/21 – Acclimatization Day in Dingboche (4,350m)

The tea house we stayed at in Dingboche was quite large, with rooms on both sides of the hallway and slightly warmer than our previous stop. Each room had two single beds with memory foam mattresses. However, the walls were paper-thin-you could sometimes hear snoring or even the sound of sleeping bags being zipped in the next room.

From this point onward, most toilets are squat-style. Washing is done with cold water, though you can pay for hot water to drink or use for a sponge bath. All the guests seemed to accept these conditions rather well. Of course, it could be worse; twelve or thirteen years ago, there were far fewer tea houses, and trekkers and climbers had to camp along the way. This tea house even has washing machines, which makes sense since most people spend two nights here to acclimatize-it’s a good opportunity to do laundry. 

Yesterday, at both lunch and dinner, I noticed the same young Japanese man sitting at the next table. He was busy all afternoon, but I got to chat with him while waiting for dinner. When he first walked in, I initially thought he was a young woman because his hat and sunglasses covered a clean, elegant face. I asked which trek he was doing, and his guide replied, “Climbing Everest.” That was unexpected! I asked which mountains he had climbed before; he said he had only been climbing for a year and a half, and his last climb was Manaslu (8,156m). I was truly amazed. He was part of a Japanese climbing team; the rest were already at base camp. He couldn’t leave earlier due to work, so he rushed here while having a fever yesterday-no wonder his lips were blue when he first arrived. I also learned he is 33 years old and owns several beauty shops and a vegan bakery in Tokyo-an unconventional climber! I can’t help feeling that there are so many interesting people living fascinating lives in the world; we just don’t usually get to meet them.

Meanwhile, Mitch Hutchcraft just climbed Lobuche (6,100m) and will attempt Everest next, which seems like a big step up. Usually, people aiming for Everest start with 6,000m peaks, then 7,000m, before attempting Everest or other 8,000m peaks. But some have indeed summited Everest without following the traditional progression. My guide, Jungbu, has climbed Lobuche too, and the business owner, Karma-who is also his brother-in-law-climbed Everest twice when he was young and working as a porter. I would never have guessed, as he is a modest and unassuming guy.

My condition seems to have improved a little-it definitely hasn’t gotten worse. My nose is a bit stuffy and my throat is still sore, but I don’t think it’s getting any worse. Yesterday afternoon, I drank hot water and tea all day, trying to flush the sickness out of my system. I also took DayQuil. I heard people coughing all around the tea house; I guess I’m not the only one feeling under the weather.

For lunch, the guides usually eat with their clients, but not at dinner. They mainly take care of their clients’ needs first, then eat together, sometimes in the kitchen. Their meals are simpler and more home-style. Interestingly, they drink salt tea (also called Sherpa tea) in the morning and after we reach our resting place. Salt tea is made with salt, milk, butter, a little flour, and tea. That makes sense, as it replenishes salt lost through sweat and provides fat and calories. Ever since I found out tea houses serve salt tea-whether it’s on the menu or not-I’ve tried to copy their habits. I also drink lemon ginger tea, milk tea, and coffee-all of which are widely available.

Today we did an acclimatization hike to Nagarjun Hill, whose peak is about 5,100m. Jungbu said we didn’t have to go all the way to the top, just as far as I felt comfortable. The beginning wasn’t too hard, but then the trail became long, dusty, and steep. As usual, Jungbu set a slow pace. At first, I even asked if we were going too slowly, but he assured me it was fine. Indeed, you don’t want to overexert yourself at the start, or you’ll lose energy quickly and every step will become tough. I used to dread going uphill, but now I seem to have gotten the hang of it. It’s kind of like a marathon: the distance is fixed, some run at sub-6-minute miles, some at 12-minute miles, and some in between. You just have to run your own race; hiking is the same. Everyone should find their own sustainable pace, then you can go a long way.

The views got better and better as we climbed. After two hours and thirty minutes, we reached a flagpole at about 4,936m. Jungbu asked if I wanted to continue. I was feeling good, could see people on the summit, and the weather was favorable, so I said, “Let’s go!” About three hours after we started, we reached the top at around 5,100m. From there, we had panoramic views of some of the world’s highest peaks, including Makalu, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Lobuche, and others whose names I can’t recall.

My guide, Jungbu Sherpa, and I at the top of my first 5,000m+ peak in Nepal.

I was very happy with how it went. This is my first time reaching over 5,000m in Nepal, and it felt better than before. I’m not saying it’s easy-it never is to get to 5,000m-I still breathed hard, but my legs weren’t heavy, and I had a good rhythm. Of course, this time I was on Diamox; that may have made a difference. Nonetheless, I was happy. We took some photos and started heading down. The descent took about half the time. 

Back at the tea house, I had a bowl of Korean noodles (instant noodles), and of course, salt tea too. Taking advantage of the bright sunshine, I did some laundry.

Tomorrow, we will head to Chukung (4,740m). From there, we’ll cross our first pass-Kongma-La Pass (5,535m), the highest of the three passes on this trek. Now things are getting serious. My “final exams week” will officially begin the day after tomorrow. And honestly, I don’t know if I’m ready or not!