Nepal – Day 3 – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Well I didn’t write yesterday, so this day 3 entry is actually being written on day 4. I am trying to determine what to write about, yesterday was a day of the good, the bad and the ugly. I guess I need to be open and start at the beginning and progress.

The day started good and we had a great trek through some amazing areas, with threatening, but really just overcast weather. It was actually sprinkling some when we started and we all pulled rain gear out to start. I must admit, I have had a Marmot rain jacket that I have carried in my day pack for over 4 years and with all my hiking in Colorado, I have never had to use it. Yesterday was its maiden voyage to get wet. The rain gear didn’t last long and the weather cooperated. We trekked about 2 hours and stopped for tea midmorning then on the trail again. After about 7 miles, we stopped for lunch. The trail up to that point was a lot of ups and downs. In this area of Nepal, there are very few flat areas.

After lunch, we passed into the national preservation area, it seemed like that was a neat milestone. After crossing a couple of more suspension bridges, we came to the hardest part of the day, the final trek up and up to Nmache Bazaar, our next home for a few days. I need to digress and say we crossed 5 suspension bridges, each a little longer and a little higher. The final bridge was called the Hillary bridge, named after the first person to summit Mt. Everest with a Nepalese Sherpa. That bridge was high and long, it by itself is a little bit of an experience. If one was afraid of heights, that is definitely not the bridge to walk across.

Back to the final climb to Namche, things started well, but very soon, I bonked. That is the only way to describe what happened. My blood sugar got down in the 60’s, once that happened I was the proverbial toast…. I have had that happen once before on a hike and that time, about 20 minutes after I refueled, I got my energy back. Yesterday, that did not happen, it took me about 2 1/2 hours to climb what should have taken an hour or so. I was accompanied up by Schree our Nepal guide, he was so kind and patient. The rest of the group went ahead and got settled in, they all made it in good shape. When we turned the final corner to Nmache, I felt elated. Up to that time, my body was allowing me to go 20 to 50 meters at a time, before I would have to stop, rest and regroup. Once in Namche, I think I thought I was “there” and my body just wanted to stop and rest. Problem was, we still had a ways to go before we got to the teahouse on the other side of the town and it was still all uphill, I think I went that last section through town 10 meters at a time, even when we got to the teahouse, I had to rest once more just to gain enough energy to walk up the steps to the teahouse. I had made it, but had one more bad thing to go through, once in the teahouse, I majorly hurled (If you don’t know why that is, ask someone, let’s just say it is not pretty). I was unable to make it back outside, but I tried to keep it on the stone floor. Everyone at the teahouse was so kind, the house mother, who I assume had to clean up the mess, later came over to me and kindly asked how I felt and wished me well. I know this is too much info, but it is a part of the life I am experiencing now.

After a lukewarm (touch of warm water that did not offset the cold air) shower, I got about a 45 minute nap, then went down to dinner. When I walked in the dining room, our group had saved me a chair next to the pot bellied stove to warm up next to and that heat was welcome. After a good dinner, it was off to bed and for some much needed rest. Physically I truly don’t know what the next few days hold, I just know I was tested today and I think I just barely passed. I told my guide about half way up we would make it up by dinner and we did with time to spare, not much but we are in Nmache Bazaar, Nepal.

I will try to add some much needed details on the beauty and kindness of this area in tomorrow’s post.

Joshua 1:9

10.5 miles – 3,877 feet climbed

continue to day 4