Day 7: Kyangjuma to Pangboche
Starting Point: (27.7830, 86.7220)
End Point: (27.8587, 86.7895)
Total Miles: ~7 miles (5–6 hours)
Today was another difficult day - lots of distance, lots of elevation gain. It was just one of those days where you grind it out and try to enjoy the views along the way!
From Kyangjuma, we departed early and made our descent to the valley below. It was a beautiful walk through alpine forests and there were just stunning views of the mountains around every turn.
It took about an hour to descend to the river and that was our first checkpoint for the national park for today.
We then crossed a suspension bridge and began our grueling uphill climb to 3950m!
As we ascended, there were stunning views and even though the climb was difficult, the path was easy to navigate and I quickly found myself falling into a rhythm.
After a 3 hour climb, we landed in Tengboche where we were able to visit the Buddhist monastery. That is one of the things I have really fallen in love with here - there is a deep spiritual energy and it exists all around you, the prayer flags fluttering in the wind, the mani stones as you walk along the paths, the chortans as you enter a new village, the prayer wheels that ring out as you walk by and spin them with your hand.
It has unlocked something in me that I will carry with me back home.
After the monastery it was another climb to camp - another 2 hours or so. I definitely hit a wall at this point. As I previously shared, I have been dealing with a respiratory issue since before I arrived and as the air gets thinner and colder, it feels like an elephant is stomping on my chest with each breath. I am doing what I can to manage but right now - the goal of arriving at base camp is keeping me going.
I know plans could change, and I’m not going to do anything dumb, but if need be - I have a plan in place if things go sideways.
Anyway - long story short, I huffed and puffed my way uphill and made it to camp and i’m going to do my best to recover.
Tomorrow - it’s on to Dingboche where I will spend two nights.
Bonus image… my guide put Tiger Balm in steaming water to help me clear up my lungs. It worked because I’ve been coughing up lung butter for the last half hour!
