Trekking towards Phakding, Nepal

Monday 9th January 2006.

Trek Day 7 Namche to Phakding

We left at 9am and came down steeply the 600 metres to the suspension bridge over the river in the valley below. It was a slow, steady descent but we had to be careful not to slip on the rocks, gravel or loose dirt. While not as exhausting as climbing it was still very demanding, needing great concentration.

Step Carefully

At one point there was a small stream trickling over the path. This seemed to be almost permanently frozen. I stepped very carefully but still slipped. One of the guides behind me caught me on my way down so no damage was done. My legs were a little shaky for the next ten minutes or so.

Easier Walking

For the rest of the day the walking was much easier than higher up in the mountains. There were some challenging stretches with steep short climbs. There were also long, fairly level stretches too. I was pleased on these sections to stretch out my stride a little. The further we went the more I felt tired. Towards the end of the day’s walk it became just a matter of one step after another. It was just one more lesson in perseverance. At these lower altitudes, however, the breathing is much easier, but I still got breathless at any little climb that was needed.

Lunch at Monjo

We walked for two and a half hours down to Monjo for lunch. This section had taken us an hour longer on the way up. After an hour’s rest over a very welcome meal we continued on for another two hours, reaching Phakding by 2:30pm. The whole day’s walk had taken four and a half hours. On the way up it had taken six and a half hours over two days. We’ve now trekked for 29 hours over 7 days. One day of about three hours left to go. My poor abused feet can’t wait for some respite.

 

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