Back on the trail to Everest Base Camp for spring 2012!
Every journey starts with a blessing. Whether from Hanuman the Monkey God or from a Buddhist monk, it’s comforting to have an extra dose of luck and protection as we take one of the world’s most exhilarating flights–to Lukla airstrip, gateway to the Everest region.
During our first two days, the hiking was beautiful in the lush lower valley on the way to Namche Bazaar. Small children offered us flowers as magnolias, rhododendrons, primula, and cherry trees bloomed along the trail.
In Jorsale, near the entry to the national park, we saw a small forest fire burning. Unfortunately it grew the next day, and we could see the plumes of smoke down the valley from Namche Bazaar. The army mobilized a crew with snow shovels and ice axes, but it was the rain that finally got it under control.
Forest fire down the valley