Day 10 Trek (March 28th)

Jim struggled during the night and early morning with frequent visits to the toilet. Wisely, he takes an Immodium before we depart. More sunny and blue skies await us this morning. Outside of the dining room are incredible views of the surrounding mountains. Very dramatic. Even more so with the village of Pheriche being covered in fresh snow. Like all other villages their fences are constructed of rocks and their roofs made of corrugated tin. No heating in these places and no electricity. Last night a steadily barking dog as we were trying to sleep. Fortunately, I have customized ear plugs. During breakfast, Jim accessed wifi which is a first on our trek. Leave at 0750. Lots of snow on the ground.

 Start of Day 10 from Pheriche (4243 m) to Deboche (3820 m)

Lots of snow on our trail this morning.  

 Good that we have an experienced guide with us to ensure we are following the correct trail downhill.

Lots of walking up and down. Jim struggling this morning, but given his challenges with diarrhea both during the night and early morning no wonder. While Jim has those challenges over the last many days I have been constipated which isn't so bad given the absence of any washrooms along the trail or brush/trees to hide behind.

Many excellent views along the trail of Ama Dablam and other beautiful peaks. We briefly rest at Sumarie village at the Trekkers Lodge & Restaurant patio around 0910. Very warm outside. We share water and strip off our heavy layers as it is that hot this morning in the direct sun. More sun block needed. This part of the trail is what we used to get to EBC a few days ago during day 5 of our trek. 

You can see our trail ahead. Less snow as we get out of the first valley. Another gorgeous day for blue skies and incredible scenery. 

 Check out the small herd of Himalayan Tahr (goats) above the rocks. First time we have had a chance to see some wildlife.

Close up of a Himalayan Tahr. Just below our trail down to the river (Imja Khola).

As we near Deboche we are down to the solid bridge and trekking along the slippery, icy and snowy trail. Under the trees many drops of water falling on us from the earlier snow now melting in the sun. Very much another up and down trail. We make it to the very small village of Deboche with plenty of time to enjoy another hot, blue sky and sunny day. Very quiet and peaceful down here except for occasional birds and yak trains above our lodge. 

Jim's mileage:  5.71 miles and 13,339 steps.

We are staying at the Rivendell Lodge (named after a place in the Lord of the Rings). Deboche is located below Dingboche. Our lodge room (#111) is clean and more room here for our bags and there is a good sized window sill. Another bonus is wifi after 5:30 pm and you can get wifi for only 200 Rupee for one hour. We eat lunch outside on the patio in the very hot sun. The two Ontario girls arrive for lunch and a southern California Chinese couple with the wife suffering from "gastro-intestinal trouble." Perhaps, early signs of high altitude sickness?

Jim and I pay 400 Rupee for a "hot shower" indoors in a small room. What a novelty! The water isn't hot, but warmer than tepid. About 5-7 minutes worth of hot water so that does the trick. The three of us take a shower. Very refreshing to be clean again and change underwear. The spray volume is decent. 

It is still warm and hot outside so we can leave our towels to dry on the stone ledge of the patio. Light breezes and hot sun = relaxing. I have a good conversation with a young guy from Kent, England trekking on his own. This large lodge is nestled in the trees and below the trail. In addition to the indoor showers, their American style toilets have actual flushing mechanisms! Of course, you don't put your toilet paper in the toilet but fold it and place it in a small plastic bucket. Outside the toilets is  sink of cold running water. You can brush your teeth, although don't use this water to brush your teeth or rinse as you will get sick. Overall, the lodge is clean and tidy. The dining room is upstairs and all the guest rooms are on the ground level.

By 3:30 pm the breeze picks up and the clouds obscure the sun so the temperature chills. I am wearing only my trekking pants and a long-sleeved wiki shirt. Given yesterday afternoon it snowed this is fantastic weather. Jim arises from his nap/rest and we head upstairs to play some crib with Dorjee. At 5:30 pm, we both buy wifi for 200 Rupee each for one hour. Lana is in London with our friends Tina and Adrian who now live there. Tarlika is with her Mom in New York for a fun weekend and staying at Jim's condo in Harlem. 

Dinner at 6:30 pm. As usual, your drinks arrive significantly later than your meal. Very weird custom? Jim heads to bed a little early as he is still beat and I play more crib with Dorjee. Very dark/poor lighting so difficult to place the pegs. The lodge does not provide extra blankets, but Dorjee manages to obtain one for me. One fantastic sight during dinner was in looking out the window we saw Ama Dablam and another peak glistening under the moonlight before darkness set in! What a beautiful scene!

Unfortunately, a very large group of teenagers are staying here. Storming in the hallway, very noisy but they are teenagers without much supervision. It will be difficult to get a good sleep tonight. The dining room is located right above our room and noisy as well. It is 8 pm and it might be a long night... During the night my breathing was a lot easier in the lower elevation.