It never ever stopped raining last night. I hoped and hoped that it would do the same thing it had done in Namche and rain itself out so the skies might clear in the morning, but no luck.
We dragged ourselves through breakfast and derped around while packing up our bags, but still, it didn’t change. It would be a day hiking in the rain, and no help for it.
They say there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. My experience with bad hiking weather in the past is that, by the time you realize you need your rain gear, it’s already too late and putting on the gear hardly helps.
At least when you leave the hotel into existing rain, you get to gear up ahead of time, and sure enough, that makes all the difference.
- Starting location: Tengboche, 3,860m (12,726 feet)
- Max elevation: 4,360m (14,211 feet)
- Min elevation: 3,737m (12,257 feet)
- Ending location: Dingboche, 4,360m (14,211 feet)
- Total elevation gain: 643m (2,110 feet)
- Distance traveled: 7.08 miles in 4:43 active hiking time, 6:11 overall
- Average pace: 39’52” per mile
- Slowest mile: 50’09”
- Oxygen: 92/90 (me/Dustin)
Other than being in the rain all day, the remarkable thing about today is that we hiked out of Known Elevations.
Mid-morning we stopped for a bonus tea break to get out of the rain, and toasted to our first visit to 4,000m (13,120 feet).
We continued our damp tramp, going steady but very slowly, and taking more breaks, as mandated by Surya. I would never in my life have expected I would need to be told to take more breaks, but I guess until a month ago I had never expected I would be able to hike for more than ten minutes at a time without stopping, either, so…
We made excellent progress, despite the thinning air and non-thinning trail traffic. Arrival in Dingboche was met with relief to be able to shed the rain gear, though our hotel was very cold, so the rain gear was quickly replaced with warm layers and more mugs of hot tea.
As of today, we will have our oxygen levels checked every night.
“What is a good number?” I asked Surya as I stuck my finger in the little device.
“80,” he replied. The device beeped. My number came in at 92. Dustin clocked a 90. So far so good.
“What happens if it’s less than 80?” I asked.
“Fwwwt!” Surya whistled. “We go down.”
“Oooh,” I replied. “So 80 is the lowest number you’re allowed. What number makes you start worrying?”
Long answer simplified: 88 and up is non-worrisome. Mid-80s, you’ll start getting quizzed about other symptoms: headaches? nausea? appetite? sleep? dizziness? There’s a whole rubric for grading symptoms, to help the guide determine when taking action is necessary. Below 83, you can expect all of the above and likely modifications to your itinerary to keep you at lower elevations.
But we are currently oxygen rich, so no need to worry. I feel obscurely proud of this, as if I had some conscious role in its accomplishment. I’ll be really curious to see how it changes as we progress.
The rain still hasn’t stopped, as I tuck myself into my warm sleeping bag liner in my Otherwise very cold bed. May the clouds exhaust themselves overnight so I can lay eyes on my pretty mountains tomorrow!
Thither & Yon 