There are three ways to get supplies from Lukla to other parts of the Himalaya, helicopter, beasts of burden (which will be another post) and…humans. They are called porters, often mistakenly called Sherpas. We were told a Sherpa, which is an ethnicity, would not stoop so low as to carry gear at these altitudes. Therefore, the job of porter lies on others in the region looking for a job. This definition, I believe, changes as one climbs beyond base camp and heads to the summit of the big mountains. This blog will cover the space between Lukla and Base Camp.

Let’s begin with footwear. We agonized over what boots to wear that would be comfortable for this trek. Once on the trail that was it, no calling on the phone and having REI send a new pair. So, do we take a spare pair of boots? Some did, I did not. It worked out. I was shocked at the footwear of the porters. Shocked.

They wore flip-flops…

…slide in sandals…  …and rubber boots.

The loads they carried were remarkable. We were limited as to what we could bring, weight wise, for our porters. Each porter carried two of our bags. Our duffels contained clothes, toiletries and a sleeping bag for a 12-day trek. I think they each weighed 25-30 pounds which meant our porters were carrying 50-60 pounds PLUS their own gear. Which no doubt was FAR less than what we thought we needed to survive.

I have no idea what is in these boxes and packages but this looks like it must weigh FAR more than 60 pounds.

I found this interesting. See the belt strap on this backpack? It’s meant to distribute the weight of the pack to the hips thus alleviating strain on the shoulders, right? It’s not connected. The porters carry their weight with a strap across their heads.  It didn’t matter if it was a backpack or traditional basket.

The straps he’s holding are used to balance the load.

This guy is walking through Lukla and approaching a mule train loaded with propane tanks.  I can’t help but wonder how far he’s going. The other amazing thing? We walked with daypacks full of water and extra clothing. The porters seemed to have nothing.

I think I’ve mentioned before that phones were common all along the trail.

It seems this guy may have been setting up his next job.

As with the animal pack trains, we always stepped out of the way and let the porters have a clear path with their loads.

SUCH a common sight.

Not sure of the story here, maybe illness? injury? This porter was carrying a human!

This was one of the more odd materials being transported up the trail.

Hiking poles and…wooden crutches? I was curious about these items, most porters had them. Then I found this fellow:

Genius! You can rest ANYWHERE!! All along the trail are low rock walls, largely built maybe for porters to rest their loads. But if there isn’t a wall there is the little wooden crutch!

It can also be used as a walking stick.

Resting on a rock. He has quite a load.

Hauling dirt? As we got higher there were many folks hauling yak dung for fuel as trees became extinct at higher elevations.

The last four images are a reminder of what their “office” looks like each day. I can only imagine the stress their bodies endure with these loads crushing down on their spines. It’s a necessary evil to live and thrive at these locations. Our impact on the land and these people is certainly something to think about.

Nepal Sutras, originally written on cloth banners, were transmitted to other regions of the world as prayer flags. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Gautama Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the Hindus against their adversaries, the Asuras.

During the Cultural Revolution, prayer flags were discouraged but not entirely eliminated. Many traditional designs may have been lost. Currently, different styles of prayer flags can be seen all across the Tibetan region.

There are two kinds of prayer flags: horizontal ones, called Lung ta meaning “Wind Horse” in Tibetan, and vertical ones, called Darchog meaning “Flagstaff”.

Lung ta (horizontal) prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupas, and mountain passes.

Darchog (vertical) prayer flags are usually large single rectangles attached to poles along their vertical edge. These flags are commonly seen in the ground,  on mountains, in cairns, and on rooftops.

Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five: one in each of five colors. The five colors are arranged from left to right in a specific order: blue, white, red, green, and yellow. The five colors represent the five elements.  Blue symbolizes the sky and space, white: the air and wind, red: fire, green: water, and yellow: earth. According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements.

In addition to mantras, prayers for a long life of good fortune are often included for the person who mounts the flags.

Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to gods, which is a common misconception; rather, it is believed the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all.

The prayers of a flag become a permanent part of the universe as the images fade from exposure to the elements. Just as life moves on and is replaced by new life, Tibetans renew their hopes for the world by continually mounting new flags alongside the old. This act symbolizes a welcoming of life’s changes and an acknowledgment that all beings are part of a greater ongoing cycle.

Prayer wheels were not as common as the flags so they were more of a treat when we ran across them.

A prayer wheel is a cylindrical wheel on a spindle made from metal, wood, stone, leather or coarse cotton. Traditionally, the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” is written in the Newari language of Nepal, on the outside of the wheel.  At the core of the cylinder is a “Life Tree” often made of wood or metal with certain mantras written on or wrapped around it. Many thousands (or in the case of larger prayer wheels, millions) of mantras are then wrapped around this life tree.  According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on the lineage texts regarding prayer wheels, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.

Prayer Wheels are used to accumulate wisdom and merit (good karma) and to purify negativities (bad karma). The practitioner most often spins the wheel clockwise, as the direction in which the mantras are written is that of the movement of the sun across the sky.

As the practitioner turns the wheel, it is best to focus the mind and repeat the “Om Mani Padme Hum” mantra. Not only does this increase the merit earned by the wheel’s use, but it is a mind-stabilization technique that trains the mind while the body is in motion.  Each revolution is as meritorious as reading the inscription aloud as many times as it is written on the scroll, and this means that the more Om Mani Padme Hum mantras that are inside a prayer wheel, the more powerful it is.

It is best to turn the wheel with a gentle rhythm and not too fast or frantically. While turning smoothly, one keeps in mind the motivation and spirit of compassion and bodhichitta (the noble mind that aspires to full enlightenment for the benefit of all beings). The benefits attributed to the practice of turning the wheel are vast. Not only does it help wisdom, compassion, and bodhichitta arise in the practitioner, it also enhances siddhis (spiritual powers such as clairvoyance, precognition, reading others thoughts, etc.). The practitioner can repeat the mantra as many times as possible during the turning of the wheel, stabilizing a calm, meditative mind. At the end of a practice session, there is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition of dedicating any accumulated merits that one may have gathered during practice to the benefit of all sentient beings. Then Om Ah Hum 3 times. This is customary with Tibetans upon completing any Buddhist practice, including the practice of the prayer wheel.

There are two main shopping areas along the base camp trek. The first is in Lukla, the landing pad for all things Himalaya. The second is Namche Bazarre, which I covered in a post on January 30th.

To begin with, Lukla sells everything one woud need to mount a Himalayan odyssey.

On the main thoroughfare, one can purchase trekking poles, water bottles, backpacks, jackets, maps and more. Yak tails showed up occasionally. Not sure why.

These canisters are for locals and expeditions alike. They are propane tanks for heating and cooking. This type of broom is commonly used throughout Kathmandu and the trek.

One can purchase a commemorative t-shirt, mala beads or Hindu masks.

Rubber bands and spools are also available.

Wood was available for purchase at the lower altitudes. As we ascended and the trees disappeared the fuel turned into yak dung or propane.

A big concern for us initially was the availability of fresh water and toilet paper along the trail. What soon became apparent was that both were plentiful and always available. Whew.

What soon became my favorite sound on the trail were these…yak bells. We loved it so much that we purchased one. It hangs outside our front door and acts as our doorbell.

Locals and tourists alike wear these hats. Especially at the upper, colder elevations. We lived in ours.

The eyes of Buddha are everywhere.

Trinkets were for sale all along the trail. We saved most of our souvenir buying for Kathmandu so as to save on space and weight on the hike.  

Next week we’ll take a look at some religious symbols that escorted us along the way.

Happy shooting!!

The higher we got the more rocks played a part in the architecture of the region. As you can see we are above treeline. Rocks, however, are plentiful.

This is a yak herder’s hut. You can see another one in the background.

The thing to remember is that at no time, anywhere along the trail, did we encounter power tools. Which means each of these stones and the wood framing was all created by hand. Let that sink in for a minute.

Walking along the trail we came across this gentleman clanking away at a rock. He, as well as all the others we encountered, had no eye protection.

These two were working at our tea lodge in Dingboche, cutting rock and placing it just so, all by hand.

We ran into this guy and I had to do a double take. We passed and were passed by porters all day long every day.  When I passed this guy I didn’t think much about it until my brain finally registered what I was seeing. He was carrying ROCKS!

Here’s a close-up of a wall. All of the yak pens were made of stones just stacked up. No mud or cement holding them in place. Just the weight of the rocks and skilled placement.

I was continually amazed at how hearty and strong these people are.

I’m a people person. I thrive on human contact and interaction. Other cultures fascinate me and help me to reflect on how easy we have it in first-world, industrialized nations. Watching the locals along the trek living their lives continually fascinated me. I only wish I had more time for the interaction part.

Here are some images I captured of people doing what they do on a daily basis. They are in no particular order, enjoy.

Here are a couple of young men playing a game in Dingboche.

Fixing a bowl of potatoes.

Holding hand as they approach steps in Lukla.

Tourism is clearly the leading industry in the region. There is a lot of waiting for patrons to enter the shops.

Laundry was happening everywhere all the time. I’m guessing there were no washing machines or dryers in most homes as there was a lot of outdoor washing and clothing being hung everywhere.

This lady looks like she’s standing in a telephone booth. Cell phone coverage was pretty constant throughout the trek.

We passed this woman closing her gate as we passed in a small village somewhere along the trail.

This beautiful soul was selling her wares along the trail. Literally, there was no one else around. She had just set up shop near a rock wall. We bought two bracelets from her.

The kids were great. We would get waves from windows or they would approach us saying “Namaste”.

The exchange of money was cool to watch. There were no coins to speak of. What seemed like a lot of rupees really wasn’t. Ten rupees was really a little over eight cents, not ten dollars.

The guy in yellow is getting a helping hand with washing his hair. I’m guessing this means there is no running water in the home.

I thought this was daughter braiding mom’s hair.

We sat with this lady for a while. She had a very active grandson.

This little guy couldn’t have been more than three or four years old. He was one of the few children we saw at the upper end of the trek.

We spent the most time in Dingboche. This woman was working in her yard or yak pen as we passed by.

A common sight in this region, people using carrying baskets held from their heads. There were a lot of children in Lukla and less and less the higher we got.

People made the trip. The mountains were beautiful but I was most moved by the humans that live in this region and work so hard to make my experience a good one. Thank you for all your hard work and joy in living. You are an inspiration.