Ama Dablam Expedition Dispatch

October 24, 2015 – Acclimatization in Namche Bazaar – An Active Rest Day

Yesterday was a rest day for us in Namche as we start the acclimatization process. Rest days consist of lots of tea and coffee, eating, more eating, and visiting old friends. Today we had a leisurely start and climbed up above Namche to a beautiful ridge that leads to the Hillary memorials, which sit at about 13,000 feet. One memorial is for Sir Ed Hillary, while the other two are for his wife and daughter, who were tragically killed in an airplane crash in 1975.

Views from this spot take your breath away, but more importantly, pay homage to a man that gave so much to the Sherpa community. We moved farther up the ridge with the sacred Sherpa mountain of Khumbi Yul Lha looming above, and then descended past the Kunde monastery and ambled on to Khumjung, where we will spend the night at the Sherpaland Tea house. Outside the tea house is the Hillary School that was built over 50 years ago, and once again, we are reminded of Sir Ed’s amazing legacy that far surpasses his climb of Everest.