Leo Power Everest Marathon Dispatch
May 21, 2011 – Pangboche, Nepal, 3958m/13,151ft
Namaste,
As my Grandfather Shea used to say after a hard day's work "I'm all in!"
We had a good, hard 9 hours of trekking today, mostly in bright sunshine and warm to cool temperature, and now we're at Highland Sherpa Resort in Pangboche which is owned by Ang Temba and his wife Yangzing.
Approaching Pangboche, the formidable
Ama Dablam in the distance
Temba also works as a guide for Wally Berg of Berg Adventures and also has a third interest as he is currently away working on part two of a National Geographic documentary film about rock caves in the Upper Mustang area in northern Nepal. Apparently people have lived in these caves for 3,000 years including practitioners of the ancient Bon religion which was displaced by Himalayan Buddhism about 500 years ago. Part one is out on a National Geographic DVD and I watched it tonight on a laptop before dinner, very interesting. The caves were later used as Buddhist caves and there are hundreds of caves yet to be explored.
Temba and Yangzing have a daughter, Dizen Sherpa (22) who is away studying dentistry in a Kathmandu university and a son Tshring Sherpa (20) who is studying business at another university in Kathmandu. A very industrious and close family, wonderful to see.
Earlier this morning we left my guide Nuru's home in Khunde and trekked to nearby Khumjung, a prosperous looking village and the largest village in the Khumbu with a population of approximately 1,500. I bought my daughter Krizia a yak wool Sherpa scarf and a pair of Sherpa mittens.
The first school built by Sir Edmund Hillary was built in the middle of the village in 1961 and as we visited the school, there were preparations underway to celebrate sometime next week the 50th anniversary of the school's opening. The school provides primary and secondary education for 350 children from many villages and there are hostel facilities on school property for children who travel long distances. A bust of Hillary and an accompanying plaque is featured prominently in the school courtyard.
We continued on and visited the Tengboche Monastery and I had a photo taken with a young monk.
The iconic Tengboche Monastery was rebuilt and reopened with help from supporters worldwide in 1992 after the devastating fire of 1989.
Today was also interesting because my normally "au courant" (a helpful term I picked up in my global travels in St. Bride's on the Cape Shore, Newfoundland) guides seemed to be caught by surprise when they saw a two-person hang glider soaring high above us. Apparently these two people had made the summit of Everest earlier today and the duo pushed off the summit in the hand glider and landed in Syangboche, a world record for such an altitude feat.
Tonight's dinner was also a first for me: Yak steak and french fries! The steak had decent flavour but very sinewy! Looking forward to a succulent Keg striploin steak when I return home!
The other thing I miss is watching the NHL playoffs!
Good night from wonderful Nepal.
– Leo Power