Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar
View(s):Gearing up to be the first Sri Lankans to summit Mount Everest, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala and Johann Peiris have set out on their journey. The following is a short account of their progress as conveyed by the duo to their support team in Colombo.
![File-5-04-2016,-12-21-48-PM](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/160410/uploads/File-5-04-2016-12-21-48-PM.jpg)
The following day we hiked from Shurke up to Monjo (2,835m). Both of these places have tiny guesthouses on the side of a hill. This was our first proper day of hiking and it was excellent! We were both delighted to be out hiking in the Himalayas again. The countryside is so scenic – valleys, rivers, mountains and swinging bridges, yaks, and mountain flowers. Beautiful! We stayed overnight in Monjo and then hiked up to Namche Bazaar (2,835m), a continuous, steep uphill climb taking 4 hours. Namche Bazaar is the last town we will see and this is a critical stage for acclimatization. Today we do a day trek and hopefully see our first view of Mt Everest. That will be quite special. We then spend another night in Namche Bazaar following the ‘hike high sleep low’ principle which allows us to adjust to the high altitude. We are getting higher and higher and each day brings new views, experiences and thrills.
![File-5-04-2016,-12-20-11-PM](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/160410/uploads/File-5-04-2016-12-20-11-PM.jpg)
Pix courtesy Everest support team
Stay tuned for more updates on their progress as we publish highlights from Jayanthi and Johann’s journey to the summit.