Descent

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After several weeks in the mountains, it was time to come back down. It was a much easier walk on the way down than it was on the way up. That bastard of a climb to Namche wasn’t so bad on the way down, though all those downhill switchbacks can be tough on your knees. When your lungs are accustomed to such thin air and you are at lower altitude with more oxygen, you suddenly have this amazing energy.

The landscape had changed since we ascended the trail a few weeks before. Spring had arrived in the valley and everything was so bright and green, especially compared to the lunar landscapes at high altitude. The waterfalls were fuller and the rivers were higher. Riverbanks that were sandy and rocky a few weeks before were now covered by water.

Beautiful wildflowers were blossoming everywhere. My favorites were these beautiful white and purple flowers that seemed to be blossoming near Benkar. I am not sure what kind of flowers they were, but maybe they are foxgloves.

The food was more plentiful and the prices went down. We went from dhal bhat with nothing but potatoes to dhal bhat with spinach and carrots, which was a welcome change.

What a difference between the last night and the first night of the trek! It seemed really cold that first night, but after freezing in Gorak Shep, the weather was almost balmy on the descent. The gloves and long sleeves were put away. It was great to be hiking in a t-shirt again and not shivering in my sleep.

It seemed fitting to stay the last night in Benkar, the same village where we stopped for our first night on the trail. Benkar is such a beautiful place, with tiny houses with flowers and green fields of spinach set in a scenic valley by the river.

I felt I had come full circle by finishing this amazing journey in the same place where I started it. And yes, I came back down from the mountains with the mad glint in my eye. Or maybe it was always there.

After several weeks on the trail, we were tired, dirty and happy to be back in Lukla. We looked forward to seeing Kathmandu and its city delights again. If we only knew how much fun it would be getting there…

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Photos

Flowers blooming in a village
These beautiful flowers were blooming on the way down. I am not sure what kind they are, but was told they might be foxgloves.

River in spring
The river was higher and the forests were greener on the way down.