Everest Base Camp Trek Dispatch
October 16, 2012 – Recap from Thame to Khunde and Khumjung
On the morning of October 15th we left Thame bright and early under a perfectly clear blue sky for our trek to the primary Sherpa residential villages of Khunde and Khumjung.
Right out of Thame our view of Kwangde Peak was amazing.
Our first stop for the day was at the Khumbu Bijuli small hydro power plant below Thame. This plant provides the electricity for Thame, Namche, Khunde and Khumjung. It is a model project originally funded by Austrians but now run entirely by Sherpas. The lights we have in our lodges, the electricity for our internet and for clean cooking and water heating in Sherpa homes is provided by this plant.
Later we trekked back through the village of Thamo and took our lunch near at Phurte, near a stupa that we had visited the day before on our way out to Thame. After lunch we began the long but beautiful ascent towards the airstrip at Syangboche. The clouds had moved in and the terrain seemed magical, with yaks moving along the trail.
Just above the Syangboche the trail split and our group went in two directions for the afternoon. Half of us continued left to Khunde to tour the Khunde Hospital, which has been funded primarily by the Canadian Himalayan Foundation for many years. This group also had the privilege of meeting Ang Temba’s father and Mingma’s wife and 2-year old daughter. Ang Temba’s father has not seen his son in over five months. Temba has been working in Mustang and visiting the United States. It was a warm and touching reunion.
The rest of us continued to the right along a trial that led us directly to Khumjung. Just as we entered Khumjung, we spied the original Hillary School, founded in 1961. The dusty playground indicated a well-used facility. School is out now for the Dashain holidays, but we were lucky to visit with some children playing near the school anyway. Later in the evening, the team was reunited at our lodge, and Temba’s mother stopped by for a visit. It is great to be in the home of so many of our Sherpas and to be staying in such a beautiful place.
The Khumbu Bijuli Company
These generators provide the Sherpas with electricity.
The tools are well organized.
Appropriately, an image of His Holiness, the Dali Lama hangs in the generator room.
Outside on the building walls is a painting of Guru Rinpoche.
And a painting depicting Sherpa life
We paused for a group photo before we left for our trek on to Khunde and Khumjung.
Gerry and Wendy on the trail toward Syangboche after lunch
Fred enjoying today’s trek
Liz, Lauren and Tina looked beautiful along the trail with prayer flags and mountains behind.
As the clouds moved in, the landscape became mystical.
Alix is happy climbing higher.
We shared the trail with Yaks. These are the pure Yaks from the Tibetan Plateau, not cross bred. They are powerful, beautiful animals.
Later we loved stopping to watch some baby yaks grazing.
Arriving in Khumjung we saw the Hillary School.
Kids by the School
Temba and his Mom were together for the first time in 5 months.