Should you feel like ‘googling’ Namche Bazaar take care as all is not always as it seems. I clicked on one link which proudly proclaimed: “You can use Namche Bazaar as your base camp and acclimatise before heading into town or you can settle down and relax with friends and family in comfort”. Strange I thought. The site went on to say: “Beside being in the foothills of the Himalayas, Namche Bazaar is located next to the Tesco metro in West Didsbury, Manchester”. Hmm – well that’s good to know. What the West Didsbury Namche Bazaar did get entirely right is that the real Namche (as it is normally known) “is popular with trekkers in the Khumbu region, especially for altitude acclimatisation, and is the gateway to the high Himalaya”.
Located at 3440m (11,286 ft) I shall enter Namche village at the end of day 2, as is the case with most trekkers. Apparently the second day is one of the most challenging of the entire trek as you gain more than 800m (2600 ft) in altitude. The issue not necessarily the physical effort of climbing this height but the relatively rapid gain in altitude; the received wisdom being that the ideal daily max is 300m. That same wisdom runs that after ‘climbing high’ one should ‘sleep low’. Well we won’t be doing that. This results in the need to take it easy for the next day or so while our bodies become accustomed to the altitude and is the perfect excuse to explore.
Traditionally Namche was a trading post, with locals bartering yak cheese and butter for agricultural goods grown at lower altitudes. However, after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's successful climb of Everest in 1953, the dynamics of the village changed forever as climbers and trekkers followed in their wake. At first the groups came in a trickle, but in the 60s and 70s this turned into a torrent, and being located at a confluence of trekking trails, Namche was best served to meet their needs. In addition, as Namche is the first place on the Khumbu trek that is above altitude sickness threshold, most travellers prefer to spend at least two nights here in order to acclimatize. Still, despite the village's popularity with trekkers, geography has contained its growth and it remains a small settlement. Nestled into the crescent-shaped slopes of the Khumbu Valley, Namche is both delightful and hard work at the same time. The narrow streets and alleys are lined with gear shops and quaint teahouses, but you'll have to climb more steps than you'd care to count in order to visit them. Namche has some of the most comfortable and inviting teahouses in the entire region (once you’ve worn yourself out getting to them) and there may even be a warm shower, at a price.
With a population of about 1500 people, Namche is the capital of the Sherpa people and largest settlement in area. As a result it has facilities not commonly found elsewhere, such as a bank, a police checkpoint, and a karaoke bar. On a more positive note however there are several internet cafes although it remains to be seen what connection speeds are available.
With its several gear shops Namche is a gear lovers paradise. Whether it's boots, sleeping bags, or warmer clothes everything you could possibly need is here - often at excellent prices – and some of it might even be real. More often though it will be cheap knockoffs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality. On Cho Oyu I used a ‘knock-off’ soft-shell jacket and trainers and they were just fine for the duration of the trip. Indeed the ‘Columbia’ trainers are still fine but the jacket was coming to pieces by the end and didn’t make it home. It still did a turn though.
While we will ‘rest’ in Namche that won’t mean doing nothing. The first day will probably be spent mooching around the village checking out the museums and other hidden gems, but I expect on the second day we will head out of the village into the surrounding area. By climbing a little higher we will get our first view of the distant but unmistakable Mt Everest, and one of the most beautiful mountains in the world: Ama Dablam.
I suspect however that no matter how hospitable Namche proves to be, and no matter how fast (I live in hope) the internet connection to my blog is, by the time the sun rises on day 5 of the trek I will be raring to move on. No too fast though – there is a way to go yet and there is nothing to be gained by going too fast other than a sore head.
Located at 3440m (11,286 ft) I shall enter Namche village at the end of day 2, as is the case with most trekkers. Apparently the second day is one of the most challenging of the entire trek as you gain more than 800m (2600 ft) in altitude. The issue not necessarily the physical effort of climbing this height but the relatively rapid gain in altitude; the received wisdom being that the ideal daily max is 300m. That same wisdom runs that after ‘climbing high’ one should ‘sleep low’. Well we won’t be doing that. This results in the need to take it easy for the next day or so while our bodies become accustomed to the altitude and is the perfect excuse to explore.
Traditionally Namche was a trading post, with locals bartering yak cheese and butter for agricultural goods grown at lower altitudes. However, after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's successful climb of Everest in 1953, the dynamics of the village changed forever as climbers and trekkers followed in their wake. At first the groups came in a trickle, but in the 60s and 70s this turned into a torrent, and being located at a confluence of trekking trails, Namche was best served to meet their needs. In addition, as Namche is the first place on the Khumbu trek that is above altitude sickness threshold, most travellers prefer to spend at least two nights here in order to acclimatize. Still, despite the village's popularity with trekkers, geography has contained its growth and it remains a small settlement. Nestled into the crescent-shaped slopes of the Khumbu Valley, Namche is both delightful and hard work at the same time. The narrow streets and alleys are lined with gear shops and quaint teahouses, but you'll have to climb more steps than you'd care to count in order to visit them. Namche has some of the most comfortable and inviting teahouses in the entire region (once you’ve worn yourself out getting to them) and there may even be a warm shower, at a price.
With a population of about 1500 people, Namche is the capital of the Sherpa people and largest settlement in area. As a result it has facilities not commonly found elsewhere, such as a bank, a police checkpoint, and a karaoke bar. On a more positive note however there are several internet cafes although it remains to be seen what connection speeds are available.
With its several gear shops Namche is a gear lovers paradise. Whether it's boots, sleeping bags, or warmer clothes everything you could possibly need is here - often at excellent prices – and some of it might even be real. More often though it will be cheap knockoffs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality. On Cho Oyu I used a ‘knock-off’ soft-shell jacket and trainers and they were just fine for the duration of the trip. Indeed the ‘Columbia’ trainers are still fine but the jacket was coming to pieces by the end and didn’t make it home. It still did a turn though.
While we will ‘rest’ in Namche that won’t mean doing nothing. The first day will probably be spent mooching around the village checking out the museums and other hidden gems, but I expect on the second day we will head out of the village into the surrounding area. By climbing a little higher we will get our first view of the distant but unmistakable Mt Everest, and one of the most beautiful mountains in the world: Ama Dablam.
I suspect however that no matter how hospitable Namche proves to be, and no matter how fast (I live in hope) the internet connection to my blog is, by the time the sun rises on day 5 of the trek I will be raring to move on. No too fast though – there is a way to go yet and there is nothing to be gained by going too fast other than a sore head.