[ 미디어원 = 이정찬기자 ) 히말라야는 우리 인간에게 어떤 의미일까 ? 그 곳에서 태어나 사는 사람에게는 생활의 터전이요 신성한 곳임에 틀림없다 .
그들을 제외한 지구위의 대부분의 사람들에게 히말라야는 세상의 꼭대기일 것이며 산악인들에게는 위대한 탐험가 고 에드먼드 힐러리와 그와 함께 에베레스트를 최초로 등정한 셰르파 텐징 노르가이 , 우리에게는 산악가 고 고상돈을 비롯한 유명 산악인들을 떠올리게 하고 생애 한번은 정상을 밟겠다는 꿈을 다지게 하는 대상일 것이다.
자연의 일부이면서도 자연을 벗어나 스스로 만든 인공섬에서 벗어나지 못하는 나약한 인간들이 끊임없이 자연과의 만남을 꿈꾸는 것은 거친 대자연과 부딪치며 살아왔던 본능의 뜨거운 피가 아직도 살아있기 때문이리라.
버킷리스트에 담아 두기는 하였으되 어떤 노력도 하지 않았던 에베레스트로의 여행을 실현하고 같은 꿈을 가진 이들이 보다 용이하게 에베레스트를 찾을 수 있도록 에베레스트 트레킹 상품을 개발하기로 했다.
Day 02: Today we take a guided city tour of cultural and historical sites of any one the three Queen cities (once a feudal principality) of the valley. Patan Durbar, Bhaktapur Durbar and Kathmandu Durbar all listed in the UNESCO world Heritage site. Lunch will be at your convenience, Overnight Hotel.
Day 03: Drive to domestic airport and take the flight of a lifetime to Lukla 2827m.
5월 15일로 예정된 에베레스트 베이스캠프 트레킹 일정과 관련된 자료들을 확인하고 이를 독자들과 함께 나누고자 한다.
Everest Base Camp Trek 18 Days Day 01: A representative from Makalu Adventure will meet and assist you to your waiting vehicle. You will be transferred to your hotel where you can spend the rest of the day and overcome jetlag. The evening is spent with a cultural dance program followed with a dinner of typical Nepalese delicacy, a courtesy of Makalu Adventure. Overnight Hotel
Everest trekking
Your trekking guide will receive you at Lukla airport and introduce you to rest of the supporting staff. Your luggage is made into proper loads for pack animals or for your team of porters. All these are attended while you are still at Lunch and its a few hours hike as we follow the Dudh Kosi River to Phakding 2800 m for the night. Camp or lodge
Day 04: You cross the Bhote Kosi River with a sheer climb to the Sherpa hub or the Mecca of Khumbu with plenty of tourist pleasantries at Namche Bazaar 3,440 meters or 11,286 ft. But this is only after you officially enter the Sagarmatha National Park as you follow your early morning trail to Jorsole on the northern flank of the Dudh Kosi valley. Camp or lodge.
Day 05: This is an acclimatization day for you to get used to thinning air. You have the flexibility to explore around close village of Thame or to Everest view Hotel for a glimpse of Mountain surroundings including Everest. Camp or lodge
Day 06: The trail continues past some village settlement to Kyanjuma where the walk is of easy level almost on flat track. The trail then descends deep into the Dudh Kosi Valley at Punghi Thanka where we rest for lunch. Here on it’s a gradual rise through the right flank of the Dudh Kosi as we reach the spiritual center of Khumbu, Tengboche at 3863m. Camp or lodge.
Day 07: The trail head drops down through dazzling forest before crossing the Imja Khola to reach Pangboche as we push along some summer pastures to reach Dingboche 4,410 m. Today’s walk boosts with some extra ordinary gift of nature, agriculture seen at its best on almost frozen ground. The sight of barley field, buckwheat and potatoes enclosed by stone walls around Dingboche is remarkable. Camp or lodge
Day 08: Rest day at Dingboche. Free to explore around. Short hike to Chhukung 4730m is best suited but you can also spend the day enjoying the surrounding or doing your cores if any. Camp or lodge
Day 09: Trek along the broad valley towards north on a gradual path with Mani prayers structures overlooking the village of Pheriche well below. Here on it’s a steep climb through the valley of Dughla and we start to descend into the yak pastures of Lobuche 4930m after crossing over the valley.
The day’s highlights are the views of Mt Tawache, Ama Dablam and to the north, Pokalde, Kongma-tse, the great wall of Nuptse, Pumori and numerous peaks west of Everest. Camp or lodge
Day 10: Today we walk the Khumbu Glaciers with an amazing view of the Khumbu Icefall as we reach the Everest base camp. This is hard walk as well as the furthest point of your trek of EBC 5363m. We will never know what your imagination about the base camp might have been prior to reaching here, yet it is one thing you will not put behind your entire life, “the story of your successful achievement of an Everest base camp trek”. We know people get sentimental here, so let us quickly get back to Gorak Shep 5180m Camp or lodge
Day 11:
Under the yielding light of early dawn take a hike up KalaPattar 5545m the vantage point for unhindered views of Everest and its adjacent peaks. After some appetizing moments of mountain fiestas and the Khumbu glaciers below, we retrace our step back to Gorak Shep further following the main Khumbu Valley down to Pheriche 4312m. Camp or lodge.
Day 12: Today we take a detour through a forested trail of blue pines and silver fir with opportunities to see some Himalayan wildlife. The most common are the musk deer, Thar (mountain goats), wild and colorful pheasants and if you are lucky enough the rare and endangered Snow Leopards and Red Panda. The trail is basically downhill as we arrive to a small settlement of Phortse Thanga 3680m. Camp or Lodge
Day 13: The trail leads through the birth place of Lama Sange Dorje through stone steps and Mani walls leading into Hillary Village of Khumjung 3780m. Camp or Lodge
Day 14: After a short hike we follow the trail of our earliest day trekking trails towards EBC and retrace the same trail through the village of Namche to Monjo 2840m. Camp or Lodge
Day 15: From Monjo the track move down sharply, passing through the village of Phakding to reach a cutoff point towards Lower Solu and Lukla at Chheplung. A short hike gets us to Lukla2800m from here. Camp or Lodge
Note: The evening is a recollection of memories of past day’s experience shared among your trekking colleague while you enjoy some savory evening snacks prepared by your crew. Join in the band and try a few steps of local dancing, it signifies a courtesy of thanks to your crew whom you might not see the next morning. Retreat for the night.
Day 16: Fly to Kathmandu (Extra day for the flight schedule / Free day in Kathmandu). Transfer to Hotel.
Day 17: Free day in Kathmandu
Day 18: Final Departure from Nepal.
