Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Best Hike Goes To The Himalaya: Day 10 - Grocery Shopping in Dingboche


We're up to Day 10 of Best Hike's recent trek through the Himalaya. Site editor Rich McCharles has already guided us up to Everest Base Camp, and has now returned to Dingboche.

After a rather grueling climb up to BC, Rick elected to take another rest day upon his return to Dingboche, where he was able to get Internet access, even at 14,800 feet! He also found a cool looking grocery store in the village that allowed him to resupply, which was of utmost importance considering he was making the trek independently. Rick also elected to hang out in one of the tea houses for the first time, finding the accommodations comfortable and the food very tasty. Trekkers in Nepal rarely need to carry tents with them, as there are enough tea houses found along the trail that they can rest each night under a solid roof and eat hot local food.

One item of interest was that the owner of the internet cafe told Rick that trekking in the region was better in the spring than in the fall, saying that "hikers are healthier". He believed that the growing vegetation provided more oxygen, helping them to make the climb a bit easier. I'm not sure if there is much credence in the theory, but it sounds good to me! I guess that means, go in the spring and face larger crowds but have a healthier approach, or go in the fall, and take your chances, but relish in the empty trails.

No comments:

Post a Comment