Namche to Thame—April 6

Woke up, looked out the window, and just started laughing—snow! Namche is blanketed in a fresh inch or two. What is happening to weather in the Khumbu this year?

At 8:30, we set out towards Thame, Lakpa Rita Sherpa's (AAI's lead guide and Sirdar) hometown. Our net gain in vertical feet wasn't much for the day, but there was plenty of up and down, more than I anticipated. The trail was pretty wet and sloppy; I was glad to have my hardshell pants on. Pressure breathing was definitely helpful, as was the rest step on the steeper portions.

Thame is not on the common route for trekkers, but it sits in a lovely valley and is surrounded by some dramatic snow-covered peaks like Thamserku. We checked into the Sunrise Lodge, the most basic accommodations we've had, though the climbers have bathrooms with showers in their rooms again. The trips down the hall to the bathroom in the middle of the night are a bit foreboding. Can't even make the trip in my socks here. Shoes are crucial to deal with these floors.

After lunch, we hiked up the hill to the monastery and were rewarded with a great view over the town.

Thame monastery

A few in the group are still not eating. We'll see how that plays out. Daniel made an announcement that he would eat food that people were going to throw away. It's astounding what he can put away.

I lay down before dinner and finally slept longer than I intended. Missed the snacks before dinner. Would love to manage to sleep through an entire night.

In my sleeping bag with me: tomorrow's softshell pants, tomorrow's socks. On me: thick knee socks, long underwear bottoms, short-sleeved shirt, zip-neck long-sleeved shirt. The trick is to get dressed in the morning without leaving the bag.

nearing Thame

my room at Sunrise Lodge

Thame

young yak