October 5 - Leaving Namche For Points Uphill

Rising to the the call of "hot tea" at 6 AM, we begin again our upward trek. The day dawned cold and cloudy at 11,300 feet but there was no rain. The trail contoured around a hill which was a pleasant change from the very steep trails that characterize the Khumbu region of Nepal. But then we climbed 1,000 feet to a lunch spot called Mong. The tiny settlement was made possible because of the presence of an old river terrace, now perched well above thwe Dudh Kosi River. No sooner was lunch over that we descended rapidly the same 1,000 feet to our camp at Phortse Tenga. Here we found a very long mani wall. These walls are made of many flat slabs of schist that have been engraved with images of the Buddha and Tibetan scripts. They are very old and no one disturbs them. It is proper etiquette to walk around them clockwise.