Ngubani ongafuni ukuhamba aye Everest Base Camp, echazwa ngamaphephancwadi amaninzi okhenketho njengenye yezona ndawo zintle onokutyelelwa kuzo ngaphambi kokuba ufe? Kwinyanga ephelileyo, ndiqale ukulungiselela ukuzalisekisa iphupha lam lonyaka lokuya e-Everest Base Camp kwaye ndisebenzise iiholide zam zaseDashain.
Ndithathe isigqibo sokwenza uhambo oluThathu lokudlula (iRenjo La Pass, Chola Pass, kunye neKongma La Pass).
Nangona ndandilithenge itikiti lokuya eLukla ngo-Oktobha 8, ndandingakwazi ukuhamba ngenqwelo-moya ngenxa yemozulu embi. Ndandinokukhwela inqwelo-moya ndiye kuLukla kwiintsuku ezintathu kamva.
Uhambo lwam lwaqala emva kokuba ndifike kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya saseLukla iTenzing-Hillary (iimitha ezingama-2840), esichazwa ngabaninzi njengesona sikhululo seenqwelo-moya siyingozi. Uhambo lwaqhubela phambili kuMlambo iDudh Koshi, ukujikela amavili eMani, ukudlula iibhulorho ezijingayo, kunye nokuthetha nabakhweli abahambahambayo kunye nabasebenzi abahamba ngeetrekhi.
INamche Bazaar yayigqunywe yinkungu eshinyeneyo ukufika kwam kule ndawo idumileyo yokumisa kwi-Everest Base Camp trail ngokuhlwa, ndidlula kwiilali ezintle ezifana neCheplung, Phakding, Monjo, neJorsalle. Ndazibhukisha igumbi ndakhe ndake ndake ndahamba kancinci apha elalini. Ilali ineevenkile zekofu,ivenkile zokubhaka, iirestaurant, ii-disco clubs, ii-pool house, njl.. “Bhuti, le lali ayinciphi xa uyithelekisa neThamel, akhonto ungasoze ube nayo apha xa unemali,” umnikazi wale lodge wabelana nam.
Ndaqala uhambo lwesibini emva kokutya isidlo sakusasa kwindawo yam yokulala. AbaTrekker banokhetho apha. Abanye bakhetha indlela yediliya eya kwinkampu esisiseko ngeTengboche; abanye bakhetha umzila odlula kwiChibi laseGokyo, ngelixa i-daredevils ikhetha uhambo oluhamba ngeendlela ezintathu. Ndiyibambe indlela eya eThame ndizama iThree Passes Trek.
IThame yidolophana edumileyo enabantu abanyuk’ iintaba. Iintsomi zokukhwela intaba ezinje ngoTenzing Norgay Sherpa, Apa Sherpa, kunye no Ang Rita Sherpa zazalwa. Ndaye ndangena kumkhweli wentaba wodumo uApa Sherpa ukuze ndifumane isidlo sam sasemini. Iifoto kunye nezatifikethi zengqungquthela kaApa zixhonywe eludongeni lweloji. Emva kwesidlo sasemini, ndaqhubeka nohambo lwam ukuya eLungden.
Ndathetha ngobubele nabakhenkethi abaninzi basemzini endadibana nabo endleleni. Obu bubuhle bokuhamba wedwa. Aba basemzini babaluleke kakhulu kuhambo lwam; ziyandiqinisa. Ndiyamamela amabali abo kwaye ndabelana ngamava am kunye nabo. Ndandula ke, ndafika eLungden ngorhatya, ndisabelana ngezihlandlo ezilula nabakhenkethi ababini baseJapan. Ndachitha ubusuku ndilungiselela ukuwela iRenjo La Pass yangomso.
Ndaqala ukuhamba ngo5 ekuseni. Yayiluhambo olucelomngeni olugcwele iminqantsa kunye neendlela ezinamatye. Umkhokeli wokuhamba wandixelela ukuba imeko yomzila yaba mandundu emva kweenyikima zika-2015. Ndidinwe ngathi sisigodo, ndandithatha inyathelo elinye ngexesha. Ekugqibeleni, ndafika encotsheni. Umbono ovela phezulu wandenza ndalibala ukudinwa kwam. Ndaziva ndinamandla ngakumbi, yaye ndachitha malunga neyure phezulu, ndicofa imifanekiso yeentaba ezindingqongileyo. Ndabukela iincopho ezinjenge-Everest, iLhotse, iMakalu, neCho Oyu ndaza ndaqalisa ukuhla kwam.
Emva kokuwela iPass yaseRenjo La, ndafika eGokyo - indawo yam yokuma ebusuku. Ndandiwabona amanzi aluhlaza aluhlaza eGokyo kunye neentaba ezimenyezelayo ezigqunywe likhephu kanye phambi kwam. Ngaba eli lizulu? Ndazula.
IGokyo yenye yezona zinto zinomtsalane zidumileyo kuhambo lwe-Everest Base Camp. Abakhenkethi abaninzi bayaluphelisa uhambo lwabo emva kokutyelela iGokyo nokunyuka iGokyo Ri. Abanye bafika e-Everest Base Camp emva kokuwela iChola Pass.
IGokyo Ri (iimitha ezingama-5357) yenye yezona mbono zidumileyo kwiNtlambo yaseGokyo. Inika umbono omangalisayo weChibi laseGokyo. Ndiqale uhambo malunga nentsimbi yesi-5 kusasa ukufezekisa umnqweno wam wokonwabela ukuphuma kwelanga ukusuka eGokyo Ri. Ekugqibeleni ndafika encotsheni emva kokunyuka umnqantsa malunga neeyure ezintathu. Emva kokuchitha malunga neyure phezulu, ndehla ndaya entlanjeni, ndahambahamba nje kancinci elalini, ndaza ndaqhubeka nohambo lwam emva kwesidlo sasemini. Umzila wawuhamba ngomkhenkce waseGozumba. Ndifike eThaknak ngorhatya.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, ndaqalisa uhambo lwam, ndikhanyise isibane sam, kwakusasa, ndisingise eChola Pass. IChola Pass ithathwa njengeyona inzima phakathi kwabaphumeleleyo abathathu. Nangona ndandisoyika ukuhamba ekuqaleni, ndaqhubeka nohambo lwam ndaza ndawela indlela ngokukhawuleza. Emva kokuwela ipasi, ndehla ndaya eJongla, ehlala ethangeni leCholatse Himal.
Nangona abahambi abaninzi bechitha ubusuku babo apha emva kokuwela iChola Pass, ndaqhubeka nohambo lwam. Umzila uqhubela phambili ecaleni kweChola Tso, ichibi elinomkhenkce. Emva koko, ndawelela amadlelo ndaya kufika eLobuche. Andizange ndiyeke apho, ngokunjalo. Kwakusele kuhlwile ukufika kwam eGorakshep. "Uyindoda okanye ihashe?" lazibuza elinye inenekazi xa ndisabelana nalo ukuba ndiwele iChola Pass ekuseni kuphela.
I-Gorakshep yindawo yokugqibela yokuhlaliswa kwabantu kuhambo lwe-Everest Base Camp. Zininzi iihotele ezilungileyo kunye neendawo zokulala kule lali ekumphakamo oziimitha ezingama-5,140 ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle. AbaTrekkers bafumana phantse yonke into abayifunayo kwingingqi ye-Everest. Abanini beloji banika ukutya okumnandi nangona kufuneka baphathe yonke into besebenzisa abathwali abavela eLukla. Iindlela eziya eKalapatthar kunye ne-Everest Base Camp zahlukile kwiGorak Shep. Uninzi lwabahambi bakhwela iKalapatthar kwangenj' ixukuxa ukonwabela ukuphuma kwelanga kunye nokuhamba ngeenyawo ukuya e-Everest Base Camp ngosuku olulandelayo.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, ndakhwela eKalapatthar ukuze ndonwabele ukuphuma kwelanga. Ndandikwazi ukubona iEverest, iNuptse, iPumori, iAmadablam, iMera Peak, neThamserku, phakathi kwezinye iintaba. I-Kalapatthar (iimitha ezingama-5550) yeyona ndawo iphakamileyo kwi-Everest Base Camp trail, kwaye ibonelela ngeembono ze-360 zeentaba.
Ndehla ndaya eGorakshep, ndatya isidlo sasemini, ndaza ndaqalisa uhambo lwam olusingise e-Everest Base Camp. I-Everest Base Camp yayijongeka iyintlango njengoko yayingeloxesha lokunyuka, kodwa babebaninzi abakhweli. Ndababona ubuso babo bukhazimla liqhayiya njengoko babegqibezela iphupha labo lokufikelela e-Everest Base Camp.
Ndabuyela eGorakshep, ndizibophelela ngokuma phezu kwentaba i-Everest ngenye imini. Ukusuka apho, ndehla ndaya eLobuche, ehleli elunxwemeni loMlambo iDudh Koshi, ukuze ndiphumle. Njengoko zonke iindawo zokulala zazisele zigqityiwe, ndandihlala kunye nabathwali abane. Yayingamava ahlukileyo ngokupheleleyo.
Ndaqalisa uhambo lwam emva kokutya isidlo sakusasa ngo-5:30 kusasa ngosuku olulandelayo. Namhlanje, kwafuneka ndiwele Kongma La Pass, ipasi lesithathu lohambo lwam. Umkhondo wawulucelomngeni; bekungekho mntu ndinokuthetha naye. Ngaxa lithile, ndazisola ngesigqibo sam sokwenza iThree Passes Trek ndedwa, kodwa ndazama ukuzithuthuzela ngokuba yonke into izakulunga.
Ndandidiniwe, mhlawumbi ngenxa yokuba ndandisondela kwindawo yokugqibela yohambo lwam. Phezu kwazo zonke ezi zinto, ndikwazile ukugqiba uTrekhi wokuPasa amaThathu. Kwandithatha iiyure ezine ukuwela indlela yeemitha ezingama-5535. Ndikhe ndema phezulu, ukudinwa bekuphelile. Ndaziva ndihlaziyekile.
Emva kokuba ndithabathe iintaba ezintle ngekhamera yam, ndaqalisa ukuhla ndisingise kwilali yaseChhukung, apho ndahlala emathangeni eAmadablam.
I-Chhukung itsala abatyeleli, njengoko bambalwa abakhweli abasingise e-Everest Base Camp abasebenzisa le ndlela. Emva kwesidlo sasemini apha, ndatyhutyha eOrsho, eShomare, ePangboche, naseDingboche ngaphambi kokuba ndifike eTengboche, apho ndalala khona.
Emva kwesidlo sakusasa, ndahamba Tengboche kwaye yafika eNamche kwiiyure ezimbini. Ndithathe imifanekiso yale lali intle kakhulu ndaya kwihotele yodumo i-Everest View. Abakhenkethi abaninzi abangakwaziyo ukuya e-Everest Base Camp babuya emva kokonwabela iimbono zeentaba kule hotele.
Ndaphinda ndaqalisa uhambo lwam eJorsalle, eMonjo, nasePhakding, yaye ekugqibeleni, mna noLukla salugqiba uhambo, ngokuqhelekileyo olwaluza kuthabatha iintsuku ezili-15-16, kwiintsuku nje ezisibhozo!
Ndakhwela inqwelo-moya eya eKathmandu emini emaqanda ngosuku olulandelayo, ndikhumbula uhambo lwam olunzima.