Namche to Lukla
Slept well.
Left Namche with bittersweet emotions and the realisation that this was the last day of trekking
We tackled the steep downhill section we had climbed 11 days before, arriving at the lookout for our final view of Mt Everest. And we were not disappointed. The snow-capped mountain peaks contrasted against the cerulean skies were stunning.
We were retracing the path of our first and second days on the trek.
It was a different perspective to see the views from the opposite direction.
The track was very busy with numerous trekkers, Sherpas portering and yak trains.
It was like a busy Sunday morning on the Waterfall Gully track.
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| Last glimpse of Mt Everest |
I started off strongly and for the first two hours, I felt OK.
But then my pace slowed again....I felt like I was running on empty.
As I plodded, I was going over it in my mind, trying to work it out ...
I came up with a few theories. Maybe my energy levels waned because I wasn't drinking or snacking enough. It is true we didn't stop frequently for breaks and I when I did take on water and snacks, I would be OK for an hour, but then the fatigue would kick in again.
Maybe we shouldn't have combined the extra trekking days into the itinerary, after all we had condensed 15 days into 13.
I wondered whether the adrenaline high I had been experiencing was wearing off, the buzz had definitely gone.
Maybe it was the altitude. Altitude changes your attitude. I was cognisant that my thoughts and emotions were amplified.
Perhaps it was a combination of all of the above, conspiring against me.
I was down on my self because I had imagined myself walking down this track, striding out, grinning with a smile beaming from ear to ear, high-fiving trekkers on their way up the track, just starting on their adventure.
Jack and Ram knew I was struggling and were very patient.
It was a just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.
I tried to remain as positive as I could.
I immersed myself in the moment, the here and now, absorbing the scenery -
the lush forest, the river, the gardens, the waterfalls,
focusing on the experience.
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| Heading down the Khumbu Valley |
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| Multi-tasking - drying off the laundry |
It was sheer relief as we approached the archway which signalled the "official" end of the trek.
I was exhausted but exhilarated!!!
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| We did it! |
What an accomplishment!
Over the previous 14 days, I had crossed high passes and bagged peaks,
with my head in the clouds and my heart in the mountains.
And written another amazing chapter in the story of my life!
My final thoughts.....
Life is the sum of magical moments and you should make the most of each and every one of them, every day!
But I'll leave the final words to poet Robert Burns who could have been waxing lyrically about the Himalayas instead of the Scottish Highlands when he wrote...
Farewell to the mountains, high-cover'd with snow,
Farewell to the straths and green vallies below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here.....
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