Start: Namche Bazaar, 3,440m above sea level.
Destination: Phortse, 3,840m above sea level.
Date: March 15, 2023
Start from Namche Bazaar: 06:44
Distance: 11.91km
Duration: 6:37h
Altitude: 1,049m ascent, 681m descent
Highest point: 3,991m above sea level
Change in altitude for sleeping: +440m
Route profile: A well-developed path throughout
Overnight stay: Little Sherpa Lodge, Phortse (highly recommended)
Weather: Fantastically beautiful start to the day with blue skies and fresh snow. Snowfall shortly after Mong-La, cloudy and correspondingly cool in the afternoon.
Temperature: -4°C. Pleasantly warm in the sun, icy cold in the evening.
Fauna: Yaks, eagles, butterflies
Flora: Hemlocks, junipers
Food: Left without breakfast, ate three peanut cookies and a Snickers on the way. In Phortse at the Little Sherpa Lodge, an apple pancake and garlic soup for a late lunch. Dal Bhat for dinner.

Elevation profile (own tracking via Garmin)

06:15 AM. Eyes open, brrr… 2°C in the room again. Of course, I forgot my earplugs again, and the barking of dogs accompanied me through the night. The first glance out of the window is reconciling — a brilliantly blue sky. The second glance shows that Namche is covered in a blanket of snow. Well, I can’t change that — get dressed, pack everything, and start walking right away. I want to make the most of the beautiful weather. I settled the bill for the two nights and meals yesterday evening. So, I start at 06:44 AM and take the path directly behind the lodge again. My first goal: the Everest View Point. With this weather, I hope for a fantastic view. Once again, I am almost alone on the way. I only encounter a few workers improving a section of the trail. It’s uphill again, still in the shadow at first, but soon in the sun. The warmth from the sun makes the snow-covered surroundings glitter.

A Beautiful Awakening — Namche Bazaar at Sunrise

Climb to the Sherpa Panorama Hotel (right in the picture) — on the left the Khumbi Yul Lha (5,761m above sea level)

To the right of the Sherpa Panorama Hotel, I turn the corner, and BANG! Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam all reveal themselves in one glance. Tears of joy stream down my cheeks. I am overwhelmed. It’s 07:50 AM, and I have the privilege of savoring this sight all by myself. A dream! I enjoy my breakfast (three peanut cookies I bought in Namche) against this breathtaking backdrop. The smile on my face couldn’t be bigger. The trail beautifully follows the cliff to the Everest Viewpoint Hotel. This hotel is known for the option to fly here directly from Kathmandu by helicopter to (expensive) have breakfast. I am convinced that this is nowhere near as enriching as the journey on foot. I walk through the hotel directly to the terrace and enjoy a wonderful view of the highest mountains from there. My destination for today, Phortse, is visible in the distance at the foot of Taboche. I am alone for a few minutes, then I hear the whirring of a helicopter. Shortly after, several visitors rush to the terrace. Here, I meet a German couple living in Switzerland who are enjoying a two-hour birthday excursion here before flying back to Kathmandu. They are interested in my journey and wish me well. A very lovely encounter. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo with them.

View of the Taboche, 6,495m a.s.l./ Nuptse, 7,864m a.s.l. / Everest 8,848m a.s.l. / Lhotse, 8,516m a.s.l. / Shartse, 7,591m a.s.l. / Tsuro Ri, 6,168m a.s.l. / Ama Dablam 6,814m a.s.l. / Ombigaichen, 6,340m a.s.l.

Everest 8,848m a.s.l. and Lhotse 8,516m a.s.l.

Ama Dablam, 6,814m a.s.l. and Ombigaichen, 6,340m a.s.l.

The tree line here is around 4,000m above sea level. Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam in the background

Phortse at the foot of the Taboche, 6,495m a.s.l

I descend to Khumjung and from thereon, I stick to the upper trail leading towards Gokyo. I intentionally choose this route over the typical Everest Base Camp path because I’ve read many positive things about this section. And it quickly proves to be a good decision. The high trail is delightful, allowing me to relish the view of the world’s highest peaks, gaze back at the beautiful Ama Dablam, and peer down into the valley. Along the way, I ask another trekker with headphones if he can snap a few photos of me. He takes the pictures but seems clearly in a hurry. He started in Lukla yesterday and is already up here. He, too, intends to do the Three Passes Trek — I wish him that his rapid pace doesn’t lead to altitude sickness and that he can also enjoy the surroundings. Shortly after, he’s already out of my field of vision, and I won’t encounter him again in the next few days. I, on the other hand, continue at a leisurely pace, relishing nature to the fullest and my happiness to be here. While the sun is shining, the wind doesn’t hold back and showcases its strength. With sunglasses and a scarf pulled up over my ears, I continue towards Mong-La.

My backpack compared to the porters’ luggage

Heavily loaded local in front of the Ama Dablam

Mong-La, approx. 4,000m above sea level left on the hilltop

Shortly before Mong-La, I start talking to a Frenchman from Paris. They are a group of three with a guide (who warned me that it was very dangerous to travel alone) and a porter, and they also have Phortse as their destination, but plan to stop in Mong-La for lunch. Meanwhile, I continue walking. Upon reaching Mong-La, I descend into the valley again, heading towards the Dudh Koshi River. On the way, I encounter Monic and Matt from the Netherlands again. They, too, are aiming for Phortse.

At the river, there’s an opportunity to buy some snacks. A tourist from India approaches me, asking where I’m from and if I’m traveling alone. We strike up a conversation, and I learn that he has visited Zurich several times as he works for UBS. It’s a small world indeed. Another wonderful encounter. I continue walking, and as soon as I reach Dudh Koshi, it starts to snow. The weather is quite unpredictable. Crossing a bridge over the river, I then walk through a charming rhododendron forest on the muddy trail until I reach Phortse.

How’s the air up here? At nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, my approach is to walk comfortably and slowly, with conscious breathing being essential. While I have no trouble taking deep breaths through my nose, if I increase my pace while ascending, I quickly run out of breath. My body demands a slow step from me. Although I usually move quickly at home, it poses no difficulty for me to move slowly here. I want to imprint every meter in my memory and fully savor the time. However, today I’m struggling with headaches. With each step, my head throbs by now. On this sunny day, I clearly haven’t drunk enough with just one liter of water.

Monic and Matt arrive in sunny Phortse at the same time, and together we set out to find a lodge. The Little Sherpa Lodge stands out with its red bricks (which are fake), and so we decide to stay there. I immediately like Tashi Lama, the owner. After a quick wash, I sit at a table outside in the sun and enjoy two liters of hot tea, an apple pancake and a garlic soup for lunch. Tashi, who grew up in Phortse, spent seventeen years as a monk at the Tengboche Monastery, where he met Ueli Steck and Evelyne Binsack. He shared many stories of his experiences with them and even showed me photos of his visits to them in Switzerland. He has since left the monastery and now runs the family lodge in Phortse. He is deeply committed to the region and the Little Sherpa Foundation. Following the significant earthquake in 2015, they have already completed several reconstruction projects through this foundation. I listen to him with great curiosity and am thrilled to gain this insight into his life. Such a warm and kind person.

In the late afternoon, I decide to take a stroll through Phortse. Behind the lodge, I walk up the hill, past yaks, until I reach the ridge and can look down on the Tengboche Monastery. The mountain peaks are now hiding in the clouds. I sit in the grass and watch two yaks bumping their horns. Later, I walk up to the Phortse Monastery and then across the village back to the lodge. It’s now cool outside, even with a down jacket, so I settle in the common room. Matt and Monic are already there, and the French group has also gathered. I enjoy a delicious Dal Bhat for dinner, study my route for tomorrow on the map, and sit by the warm stove. Tashi joins us and shares his experiences, and once again, I enjoy listening immensely. The guide of the French group behaves a bit strangely and I’m happy to be traveling without someone who would be very unpleasant to me at best. To make matters worse, he throws plastic into the stove, and the entire room disappears in smoke. That leaves only the escape to the unheated room. Fortunately, I’ve filled my water bottle with boiling water. I take it into the sleeping bag, read a bit on the Kindle, enjoy the silence, and fall asleep contentedly before 9:00 p.m.