Into the heart of the Khumbu: Namche Bazaar

This is day 9 of my 24 day trek through the Khumbu region of Nepal -> View all posts for this trek

It was a cool but pleasant morning in Phakding as I started out for another day of trekking in the Khumbu region of Nepal. A little bit of fog was hanging around the valley but it was lifting as I crossed the long suspension bridge in the village and began walking along the other side, continuing to follow the Dudh Kosi River as I had been doing for the past couple of days. The trail was fairly easy going with only the odd small up and down, meandering through a pleasant scene of pine forest with the milky blue waters of the river below. The skies cleared up enough to provide me with some wonderful views of the icy peak of Thamserku towering above the valley.

View of Thamserku on the way to Benkar

View of the Dudh Kosi to Benkar, with Thamserku above.

Eventually I reached the picturesque little village of Benkar where a small waterfall tumbles down in the centre, before crossing the river again further along on another suspension bridge. I was sharing the trail with trekkers, locals, porters and mule and dzopkyo trains, and so I often had to wait to let someone past. The trail continued through forest on the other side of the river with views towards Khumbila, before dropping down to cross a stream and then steeply climbing up to the village of Monjo, where I had to check in with my trekking permit and purchase an entrance ticket for Sargamartha National Park. I was now officially entering Everest territory.

A teahouse in Benkar

A stupa in Benkar with a view of Thamserku above.

View to Khumbila – the sacred Sherpa mountain which sits above Namche Bazaar. You can see Monjo up ahead.

Walking through Monjo

A Dzopkyo (half yak half cow) carrying a load in Monjo

One of the heavy loads that porters carry between Lukla and Namche (and beyond). Those are cartons of beer. Some of them carry over 100kgs. More weight = more money.

From Monjo, the trail dropped back down to the river again before crossing another suspension bridge to enter Jorsale. This is the last village before the climb up to Namche and so I stopped here for an early lunch of vege fried noodles and a cup of dudh chia (milk tea) while sitting out in the sun and overlooking the Dudh Kosi.

Looking up the valley to Khumbila from Monjo

Jorsale

A porter walking through Jorsale

After a short rest, I continued on up the valley and crossed the Dudh Kosi once again, this time trekking right along next to the river on a stony and sandy trail, the steep forested valley side rising high up above me. Ahead, I could see the valley turning into a real gorge, and eventually I reached the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Bhote Kosi. From here, it is all climbing to reach Namche.

The climb to Namche heads up the hill at the end of the valley in this photo.

Looking towards the confluence of the Dudh Kosi (which continues up the gorge on the right) and the Bhote Kosi. You can see the two bridges spanning the gorge – the old on the bottom and the new one above it. The climb to Namche heads straight up the spur between the rivers.

A short and steep climb up the eastern side of the valley brought me to the point where I crossed the Dudh Kosi for the last time for the day, walking over a long suspension bridge which spans the gorge at a dramatic but dizzying height above the rushing river below. The bridge swayed and bounced as I crossed and prayer flags fluttered in the strong wind which passed up the valley. The scenery was simply spectacular and it was hard to know where to look, but I decided to focus on staying upright on the bridge and making it to the other side.

A porter on the climb to Namche

Crossing the bridge above the Dudh Kosi Canyon to climb up to Namche on the other side.

It was a long, constant climb along a dusty zigzagging path through pine forest to reach Namche Bazaar. I took it slow as I was now climbing well up above 3000 metres again, and it took me about two hours to reach the national park checkpoint on the outskirts of town. From there, it was a short walk along a mostly flat trail to enter Namche Bazaar (3420m), the largest village of the Khumbu region, where locals from the region congregate for the weekly market and other events,  and it is also the true gateway to Everest, Gokyo and most other mountains and treks in the area.

A porter (and my Dad) taking a breather on the climb to Namche

Porters carrying building supplies up to Namche Bazaar. Hard work.

Trekking into Namche Bazaar

The village is built up the slope of the valley, and so I still had some climbing to do to reach my guesthouse for the night – the aptly named Everest Hotel. After a cup of tea and some much needed sock washing, I headed out to explore the village as the cloud began ascending up out of the valley below. There were mountain views around but they were mostly hidden in the clouds. I had the feeling that I would wake up to some stunning mountain scenery the next morning.

Exploring the streets of Namche Bazaar

Walking through the village, I noticed that it hasn’t changed much since my previous visit. Dirt and stone paved streets zigzag amongst colourful two and three story stone and timber buildings. Trekking gear shops and souvenir stalls abound. As do tea houses, cafes and just about every other shop or establishment you can think of. It is a lively and picturesque town and very accommodating to trekkers. It is a meeting place, where all treks in the Everest region meet and trekkers come together to share their stories. I eventually found my way to the famous Namche Bakery, where I treated myself to a cinnamon scroll and a real espresso coffee. Such luxuries.