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On The Map

On The Map

Saturday, October 5, 2024 - 2:56 am PT

It was another brilliant blue sky morning in Namche, and so it was easy to get up and get going… but leaving comfy Camp de Base is never all that easy.  We were excited to start up the Thame Valley.  There were many many nice people on the trail from Lukla to Namche and the vast majority of them were headed for Everest Basecamp.  We took some satisfaction this morning in going out of town the other way.  We walked in forest for roughly the first three miles and then began to break out of the trees to see perfectly manicured small farms along the way.  Of course we sat for tea in Thamo, comfortable outside even as some clouds began to gather.  Then it wasn’t too much further to Thame.  We began to see the destruction caused by the recent outburst flood (essentially, a month ago a natural dam failed up valley, sending a wall of water and rock down upon this beautiful village).  As usual with such things it is jarring to see some farms and tea houses completely untouched while neighboring properties are simply gone or in ruins.  We were welcomed at the Paradise Lodge in early afternoon, having gone just over six miles from Namche.  A big lunch put the team in the proper mood for resting through the afternoon and adjusting to the “new” altitude. 

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Did you know that the Andes are the longest mountain range in the world? Stretching from southern Colombia all the way to the southernmost point of the continent in Tierra del Fuego.

Or that Peru has 84 out of the 113 different climates found in the world?

Or that the potato was originated in Peru? And there are over 4,000 species of potatoes here!

Did you know there was at least 6,000 years of development prior to the Inca reign and many of the terraces date back to 4,000bc?

Today was an awesome day learning about ancient civilizations to current day Peruvians.

We were led by an awesome guide, Cristian, that graciously shared about religion, agriculture, politics, history and answered our millions of questions while touring the Sacred Valley.

We took it at all in like sponges and there were so many moments of awe - how in the world could they have gotten boulders this large, this high? And so perfectly slotted together?

The Andes are the most rugged set of mountains you could ever find - but instead of seeing these mountains has obstacles the Peruvians and the Inca turned them into possibilities. By building cascades of terraces, from the bottom of the valley to the summit. Building canals for water and over 10,000 miles of trails connecting to each other.

These sights were amazing to see but the best part of the day was the wealth of knowledge and openness from Cristian to share the culture of his ancestors with us.

Jess and the Team

Namaste everyone,

We are still bopping along here in the Khumbu. The team left Pheriche at 8am in beautifully clear skies and made our way back down valley to the lovely, humid and what felt like warm Namche bazaar.

It was a lot of downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill and even a little side hilling to get here. But the team was rewarded with hot showers and dinner at the best restaurant in town, called Eat Smart!

Full bellies and tired legs have us all headed to bed early.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

On The Map