3 April – Khumjung

Low overnight was 43F. Altitude 3780 metres (12400 ft)

Today is an acclimatization day, which means we sleep in the same place. Several of the expedition members who plan to summit took a climb up to 4000 metres. Several of us trekkers were not so audacious, however. We amused ourselves hiking around the town, up to the Sir Edmund Hillary Memorial Chorten, and to the Everest View Hotel for lunch. During the course of the day, Julia was charged by a yak. Details in due course, but first behold this picture of one of the pointy mountains that overlook Khumjung.

Pointy mountain is pointy

Reviewing the photos I took while walking about Khumjung, I find it difficult to choose one from the other to present here. You can point your camera in any direction, press the shutter button, and capture something breathtaking, interesting, beautiful, or all of those.

Like this simple stupa with Ama Dablam in the background

We hiked on up to the Hillary memorial. One of our guides was with us, and pointed out that we could see the trail we would be trekking tomorrow and Phortse, the town at which we would be staying.

Roughly the same altitude as Khumjung, but we descend
into the valley before climbing up again…

The memorial itself is rather impressive.

If you are looking at Phortse and turn around, you will see this

Also at the Hillary memorial are, it turns out, special activities in which one may engage. A baby yak was tethered to some rocks right in front of the memorial. I am at a loss to explain why. The opportunity this presented was, however, not lost on Julia, who wasted no time before offering affection to the diminutive yakling.

Non-sanctioned yak-touching

As it turns out, the touching of baby yaks is closely monitored by non-baby yaks. Long before we saw the yak that was running up the hill at an impressive clip, we heard the clanging of bell around its neck. Fortuitous to be sure.

Elder-approved baby yak interaction

Upon returning to our lodge in the late afternoon, we found the dining room full of audio-video gear.  There are two film crews travelling with us to base camp. This gear belongs to a group that is making a feature film depicting what an Everest summit climbing season is like, entirely from the Sherpa point of view.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing the final cut.