hiked from phakding, where we spent last night, to namche bazaar (11,200′). the morning was a pleasant up and down hike that took us through river valleys and on suspension bridges. our first test was the second part of the hike…a sustained several thousand foot steep climb into namche.

we still can’t help being awed by the views. days have been in the 60’s, clear in the morning, with some clouds coming in the afternoon.

the tea house (surprisingly) has lots of amenities including hot showers, wifi, and great views. it has a fine french name too…camp de base. one member of the group has been fighting violent food poisoning and two others have mild altitude sickness. tomorrow is an acclimatization day which we’ve learned does not mean that we rest. it means that we hike higher, and then come back to namche. ‘climb high, sleep low’