With our prayer  we headed towards our next destination Dingboche a big altitude jump of around 700m to 4410m. All that you read before you do this trek helps but sometimes puts fear in your mind as well. Every book says recommended altitude gain of 300m for a easy sickness free trek, this is almost more than twice the jump. So with some what fear I started also, I had never been above 4300m in my life so that was again a mental block. And I was right it only was a mental block. All of us with Arun's slow passenger train speed reached pangboche in the next two hours and all were pretty stable with a bit of hyperventilation but thats expected. Heart beating at a more higher rate but coming to rest at once we stoop working all normal. I had picked up what we all called "Backpack sickness" the straps literally start eating up your deltoids and shoulders. My left armpit was also feeling the sickness, first I thought it to be cardiac, but happened to be just muscle sickness due to my back pack. This is what happens if you read a lot. Pain in the left arm pit => something to do with the heart... may be true, but then if it would have been real, I should die on the Namchee climb not in dingboche. Being cautious is good but being over thoughtful sometimes might ruin the trek joy.

Pangboche is a good place with lots of hotel and one can stay here if they think they dont want to break the rule of 300m a day. Pangbohe is at 3910m and we just stopped over for a cup of my favorite lemon tea and GUL POLI for snacks. The hotel where we stepped into was newly built not even painted. The views of Ama dablam are fab. Nana kaka's old South African friend Michael crossed us here and as they always did Nana Kaka hugged him good bye. Nana Kaka at an amazing age of 64 was famous on the trail with the Australians, British, the South African for his lion like moustache. The Korean gang followed shortly the guy with the blue checkered umbrella was still holding it I wondered when will he get bored and wear a hat/cap. The charlie's angels and the guy with the biggest calf on the trail were the next to follow, they met us at the Phakding guest house. I call them friends of the trail, we will meet and part may be never meet each other but hopefully never forget each other's faces. 

From Pangboche till Shomare the trail climbs gradually and before you realise you are at 4040m and heading towards yet another dip to the river Imja khola...So what goes down should climb up I sensed a last climb to Dingboche. Before the dip there is a climb to Pheriche (4200m) another equally important village on the trail. Many people live in Pheriche as it is at lower altitude and has a hospital if required. But this is much colder than dingboche. Plus the views (Island peak,Lothse Lothse Shar,Makalu Peak 39) from dingboche are fab. Also from Dingboche you can make a day trip to Chukkung or Imja tso and small lake at the Amam Dablam's base. If you sleep well at dingboche then you get acclimatize to a greater altitude than Pheriche. If you have problems at Dingboche you can always drop 200m to Pheriche in an hours time and you will be fine.

The Australians were staying in the same hotel. We shared some of our high energy diet GUL POLI wit them and raja explained then how it is made. It was fun sharing the the recipe make then understand jaggery and wheat dough and what not. The Aussies loved it though. We just chilled out doing mostly nothing or playing chess, poker, planning for the next day. That is all you are expected to do on the remaining day just chill and get acclimatized to the new altitude. Our new technique of following Arun had worked wonders every head entered the hotel together with not symptoms of AMS  on anyone. So we decided to follow the same technique all the way to Gorakshep. We had a rest day tomorrow I say it a rest day because Dhan a.k.a Don our guide allowed us to rest or take a small 200 - 300 m hike just above our hotel.

As usual I slowly sipped on to my ORS water I think a liter of it, I guess this is what was helping me to acclimatize faster and better. It was my personal best 4410m I have never been at this altitude in my life, also I was in Himalayas after a break of a 2 years after lake Chandratal feels great. Plus last time at 4370m I was miserably sick for a day but this time around no worries may be experience teaches a lot.

Next Day