Only boots find the sublime! - Pheriche to Namche

Today I went for a walk.....

Pheriche - Namche

Slept well - might have been the lower altitude, or maybe exhaustion.
We left Pheriche at 7am, with a long day ahead of us to get to Namche.
Even though there was an overall descent of 800 metres from Pheriche to Namche, it was no gradual descent. It was actually quite undulating.

We were on the "walk out", which means that the goal of the trip or trek has been achieved and the end was near.
The mountains had captured my heart and my imagination.
But they had also taken a toll.
I was fatigued, much more than I expected. My glass half-full outlook was going to be be stretched.
The good thing was that I recognised it, acknowledged it and made a conscious decision to make the last 2 days as enjoyable as I could.
I was determined to savour every moment and the experience.
For most of the day, the mountain vistas distracted me.....

We started off at a reasonable pace.
After crossing Pheriche pass, we encountered numerous yak trains.
This slowed down our journey as we respectfully gave right of way to these beasts.

Leaving Pheriche

Looking back to Pheriche Pass

Give way to the yak train!

As we headed down the valley, we could spy in the distance, the villages we would be passing through on our way to our lunch stop - Somare, then Pangboche, and finally Tengboche.
My pace slowed as I tired.
At the 2 and a half hour mark, on the outskirts of Pangboche, I stopped.
I took on some food and fluids, rested and then pushed on.

Looking back at Pangboche

Over the next hour and a half, my energy levels gradually waned again.
We stopped for another break at Tengboche.

Between us and our lunch stop, was a very steep descent to the river.
It was close to an hour of knee jarring, quad burning action.
The track was in full sun in some parts, making for some hot and sweaty work.
Thankfully for the last 20 minutes, there was forest canopy to shade and cool us off.
A very welcome 1 hour lunch stop by the river refreshed us, in readiness to tackle the last 2 hours.

Tengboche is just over there!

Tengboche Monastery

Ready to descend to lunch stop

Namche is just over there.
Just follow the faint track contouring around the hill in the middle distance.
Still another 4 hours away.  

Riverside lunch stop

We had to climb back out of the river valley, with two short but very steep pinches before reaching the "Nepali flats" that would lead us back into Namche.
The weather turned quickly, as it can in the mountains.
The wind picked up and the clouds rolled in from the south engulfing the mountains.
Not having any landmarks for navigation and no views to distract me, I became weary and the plod became a slog.

We arrived on the outskirts of Namche just before 3pm.
It was earlier than we expected, thinking we still had another hour on the track.
What a relief!!!
Walking through the streets of Namche to our hotel, we passed the bar.
Out the front, the owner recognised us and greeted us with hearty congratulations.

And suddenly I realised that a hot shower was only a short walk away.....
There are very few photos of me on the trek without either my headband, my bandanna or my hat on, and for a very good reason!
Only those who have been on multi-day wilderness hikes know the true value and meaning of something as simple as hot running water and a bar of soap!
I freely admit that I stood under that shower rose for quite some time. Oh, what a feeling!!!

Then it was off to the bar for a few celebratory drinks after our enforced dry spell!!!
Only one more day to Lukla.....