Up early and on the trail, we hit Namche Bazaar which sits at 3340m |11,268ft by lunch time. It was a great warm up for our legs with a big final climb up into town. Namche is the biggest town in the Khumbu so if you’ve forgotten any last minute gear, this is the place to seek it out before heading further into the more remote parts of the valley.

The trail is beautiful and while it was a bit cloudy today we caught glimpses of snow covered peaks and the last of the Rhododendrons are still flowering along with the odd cherry blossom and magnolia tree. Most of the day it was hot enough to be hiking in shorts and t-shirts but cool enough to be comfortable. We’ll acclimitize here for a few days with some hikes before continuing higher.

It seems Gummy Bears, Pringles & Peanut MMs are a strong snack favorite amongst the team – although Emily pulled out some Greens & Black organic chocolate today and it was like watching vultures descend. Boom. 1 second later. Gone. Needless to say we all made it up the hill in fine form! Although not as tough as the local porters!

This heroic porter is carrying more than 100kgs in a single load between Lukla and Namche

Emily at one of the less frequented Pemba Choling Monastery above Phakding

The team crossing the big suspension bridge over the river before hitting the hill up to Namche