Day 3 The Big Day

In a nutshell – one very high bridge and one big mountain.

Most treks do Phakding to Namche Bazaar on day two. Before we left Australia, the Trainer  decided to add a day to our itinerary and walk to Namche Bazaar on Day 3 instead.We had time and it would be easier on our legs and lungs. I was happy for him to do all the research and planning and trusted his judgement. From my minimal research and a friend’s first hand experience I knew the infamous climb to Namche Bazaar was a hard one. The friend had trekked with  group and had been one of the earliest to arrive. He sat in a cafe and watched others from his group walk into the town. One very tough character from their group finally arrived, absolutely exhausted. He came up to my friend with tears in his eyes, hugged him and said that it had been the hardest day of his life. So when we set out from the tea house in Monjo I was mentally prepared and planned to take it slowly.

Just outside of Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park the checkpoint where Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card details are recorded. TIMS cards no longer exist as such (2018) however there is a permit and a process for registering trekkers.

The Sagarmantha National Park entrance outside Monjo

I realised I wasn’t quite up to the local speed when an older Nepali woman with a load of 40 kilos of cabbages on her back passed me.

The bridge to Jorsale festooned with prayer flags

A rest before the climb to the higher bridge at the Dudh Kosi Gorge and famous bridge.

Almost off the high bridge across the Dudh Kosi Gorge

Fruit sellers at the resting place on the climb to Namche Bazaar. there are toilets here and ….

your first view of Everest – one of rewards for the strenuous day’s climb

The trail around the mountain

The infamous climb to Namche Bazaar almost finished.