Another advantage of hiking to Kunjung was the fact that we could start a little later and enjoy a slow morning. We had saved time by not returning to Namche Bazaar, effectively reducing the day’s hike by a quarter. Despite the early night, sleep was much needed, and we certainly took advantage of that extra hour in bed. As we woke, we were surprised to see that the weather had turned, and it was now snowing outside. We generally think that snow is better than rain when hiking; when it snows, the flakes tend to fall off your jackets and waterproof gear, whereas rain just gets you thoroughly wet!
After another hearty breakfast (the food continues to be amazing despite all the warnings we’d heard, and the hygiene seemed to be of a pretty high standard too – though, then again, we have “slummed it” many times before, so perhaps our expectations are low!), we dressed in our full waterproofs and prepared to hike in the snow. However, just twenty minutes into the hike, as we were leaving the village, the sun surprisingly came out, and the sky cleared to reveal the magnificent mountains. This unexpected turn forced us to stop early and change out of our waterproofs and warm weather gear. As we were changing, Ben spotted a beautiful bird perched on top of a tree, looking at us. It turned out to be a rare sighting of a Himalayan Monal, also known as the Impeyan Pheasant, the national bird of Nepal. Our excited guides, Aryan and Sushan, told us this was an incredibly rare sighting and a “once-a-year occurrence”!
The hike before lunch was mostly downhill. At times, the trail became very busy, with large groups moving both up and down the mountain, as well as big herds of mules and yaks. We are all for sharing the mountain with others; it is often part of the fun to meet people from all over the world who share the same passions. What is sometimes disappointing to see, however, is that some tourists don’t show respect for the rules or for others on the trail. More than one group on the trail today had portable speakers blasting loud music. Not only is this unsociable for other users, but it is also against the National Park rules, as loud music can disturb wildlife. Our guides asked other guides why they were letting it happen, with them responding that their guests had ignored requests to turn the music off. Not willing to get involved in a confrontation, we moved on ahead of these groups, as they were pretty slow anyway. Unfortunately, there is a small minority on every mountain who are selfish and don’t respect the rules, other people, or the culture of an area. We have seen this on almost every hike we have been on, and it’s sad to see. It tends to be a small number who ruin it for everyone. There is no consistent pattern to nationality, but often these individuals are early 20s and male (though not always). I was once in that bracket, and I 100% showed more respect, although I am sure there were times I did not get it right. But if I was told I was getting it wrong, I know I would not have ignored the pleas of locals and guides.
The hike then dropped down a steep decline, which was a bit “sketchy” due to wet tree roots, so we took our time, making sure we did not slip. This decline ended at the bottom of the valley by the river, where there is a small village and a few restaurants. We stopped for a very good lunch in a great spot, perfect for people-watching as they passed by, either heading towards or returning from EBC.
But when you go down on a hike, that means you must go up! After lunch, we faced a challenging 800-meter uphill slog, which, at altitude, made it a difficult task. It was fortunate that, at this time, the clouds had built up again, making it cooler and not too hot. Despite this, we were still sweating buckets. We managed to complete the uphill section in an impressive three hours, with both Will and Ben absolutely “nailing it.” We couldn’t have done it much faster, as we were often held up by large, slower groups on the narrow paths. Our guides were super impressed with our pace. It’s certainly not a race out here, and slow and steady is definitely the way to go, but it was a good feeling to be at the higher end of the pace, especially when you consider poor William sometimes had to climb steps that were almost up to his hip!
We eventually made it to the Tengboche Buddhist Monastery, a truly magnificent and expansive place. The views are meant to be amazing from this point, looking across the mountain range towards Everest. However, the clouds had now fully closed in and dropped, putting us in a fog with no view. From this point, we had a short downhill walk through the forest and past a new hotel being built that, when finished, will have hot tubs and a swimming pool. I reckon the EBC trail has changed a lot in the past 30 years, but I wonder what it will be like in another 30 years from now?
On the trail downhill, we had an unexpected encounter with Kristin Harila, the fastest person to complete all 14 peaks (in just four months!). She was incredibly friendly and took a real interest in our little project and the boys. She even offered to show us around Northern Norway when we’re next there (we might just take her up on that offer!), seeming like a truly genuine and down-to-earth person. It’s something we’ve noticed about all the famous climbers we’ve met on this trip: they are all so humble, down-to-earth, and far from arrogant. They just all seem like truly good people who are happy to be in the mountains and sharing them with you.
We arrived at our tea house, the Rivendell Lodge in Debuche, which can be described more like a hotel than a tea house; it was very posh in many ways, with heated blankets again, thankfully, as like before, there is no heating in the bedrooms. The guides told us to enjoy this last little bit of luxury, as from tomorrow, the accommodation was going to get quite basic!
After a hot shower (our first in a few days!), we chilled, drinking tea and playing UNO with the team before enjoying another delicious dinner. By this point, we are firmly in the rhythm of the mountains, and it was early to bed once again for an early 5:30 AM wake-up call to head further up the mountain.
Family Russell-Smith Travel 