Everest Expedition Friends and Family Base Camp Trek Dispatch
March 30, 2013 – Trekking Team Visits Hillary Memorials, Khunde and Khumjung
It was a beautiful morning to begin our trekking from Namche toward the higher elevations. We reached our high point for the trek so far, at the site of the memorials built for Ed Hillary's wife Louise and daughter Belinda high on a ridge overlooking nearly all of the Khumbu. Later we trekked to the very traditional Sherpa villages of Khunde and Khumjung
The trail from Namche to Khunde is steep, but it was a beautiful morning for a hike.
Our first view of Mount Everest was not very encouraging. It looks like it can get very nasty up there!
6500 feet lower, the conditions on Ama Dablam looked better this morning, but wow, what a steep mountain!
Ang Nuru led the way up to the high ridge where the memorials are located.
The team at our high point so far, 4040 meters, 13,200 feet above sea level
There is a persistent misconception that Louise and Belinda Hillary were killed on a flight to Lukla. Not true. There are three memorials at this beautiful location now, one each for Louise and Belinda, and a new one was added for Edmund Hillary himself after he died in 2008.
In Khunde we visited the Kunde Hospital, founded by Hillary's trust and supported largely by the Canadian Himalayan Foundation. Two doctors from western Canada, Katie Ross and Howard Stockburger and Todd, a paramedic from Arizona at the hospital.
The X-ray room at Khunde Hospital
Katie Ross admired the educational drawings about health, child care and sanitation posted outside the clinic. Many of the patients are illiterate.
The team continued trekking between the sherpa villages of Khunde and Khumjung.
Along the way Ang Temba met his father. It seems that his father never knows when Temba will be home, and is always surprised and delighted when he comes home, even briefly.
Katie Branham and Joanne in Khumjung
School is out for a brief time, so these young girls were relaxing along the trail.
Ed outside the monastery in Khumjung. We stopped here for a visit and Temba explained a great deal to us about religion in Sherpa life.
Monastery was guarded by a typical Sherpa monastery dog. He was having a pretty lazy day.
Howard, Katie, Cassidy and Jo outside Khumjung monastery
Katie and Steve outside monastery
Tsering's lodge is just across from the Khumjung School, which was the first school Hillary built in Nepal. There was a beautiful chorten between our rooms and the school and we could see a local man doing his daily circles around the chorten in prayer.
Inside lamas were reading from sacred texts.
We went from the monastery to our lodge for the night, which is owned by Ang Temba's brother Tsering.
Cassidy and Daniel happy in the lodge after a great day