Around the Next Corner With Wendy: Trek Day 3

In a pattern that would continue for the next 10 days, mists began to roll up the mountains from the valleys below by mid-afternoon. In this foggy, damp light, Sachen looked more like a muddy yak pasture than a pleasant camping spot. There was already another group there enjoying their lunch, two Germans (mom and son) named Anke and Arne. We didn't realize it at Sachen, but we'd just met the rest of our group. Our guides teamed up to share the cook and porter (or, I think it's more appropriate to say that Raj teamed up with their guide to use their cook and porter - but whatever). Anke and Arne turned out to be delightful trekking partners and savvy dice players...but I get ahead of myself, don't I...

pic by Sarah - The hiker's hut at Sachen

Arne and Anke enjoying their soup. Each meal would be presented like this, on a cloth with metal dishes. Though this was the last time we'd have an elevated seat!

Tashi and Raj in the hiker's hut - cum - kitchen. I know these two helped in the kitchen throughout the rest of the trek, but our first meal was all them. Spicy thukpa (noodle soup), yum!

The tent sites were set up above the muddy (and smelly) portion of the site, which was nice. I have to say, it's quite a luxury to have someone set up your tent while you sip on soup!

Raj, our guide, was very proud of his 'brand new tent' (he claimed later that he had no idea until he set it up on our trek that it was bright pink. Yeah, right Raj. Mock the American girls). Sarah was the perfect model to show it off.

We spent the evening in the protection of the hiker's hut or in our tents. There was a light rain on and off, which only made the muddy site more difficult to navigate. I was still not feeling well, so I mostly rested. There wasn't much to see or do in the jungle near Sachen at dark, and the nights out here were dark as sin, so it was an early night for everyone. Raj in particular, who was serving as guide, porter, cook and trek manager, seemed a bit worn out.

The next morning, we passed a view of this waterfall, far on the other side of the steep canyon we were following. It had to be at least 200' tall!

Wild strawberry blossoms...made me crave some fresh fruit!

Onto another bridge across Prek Chu. Many of these bridges are very new, having been replaced since the landslides and earthquakes. Evidently some of the old bridges were wooden. I'm SO glad we got the new ones!

The Prek Chu Khola Bridge. After this bridge is crossed, the trail begins a steep climb up to Tshoka.

We began to see our first rhododendrons, though these were still just beginning their bloom cycle.

Looking back the way we'd come from about midway up the climb to Tshoka near the forest rest house at Bakkhim. Yuksom is on the smaller hill that juts out in the middle of the canyon.

One of the options that we denied for our trek was to have tables and chairs brought for our meals. This would mean nearly all of our meals would be served on the ground. However, it also meant that we didn't need a porter for this sole purpose...

The gardens of the caretaker of the Bakkhim rest house.

The structure here had been damaged during the earthquake as well. However, it was still standing, so they were still using it - even that second floor which I would find highly suspect, personally. The sign notes that Bakkhim is located at 9000' elevation.

Not the best photo, but you can see that we're starting to get into some great flowers - rhododendrons and magnolias primarily at this elevation. As you can see, however, the hillside is bady denuded by overgrazing.

A view down the valley with a blooming magnolia tree in the foreground. These trees are prized for their wood (in furniture making and carving) which probably explains why there were fewer than I'd expected to see.

Sarah hikes up the hill through the beautiful rhododendron forest. The bloom had only just begun, so we were primarily seeing red trees and a few pinks and whites. They brag that there are over 30 colors of rhododendrons when the whole forest is busting out.

Our guide called this plant a 'cobra lilly'. It is one of a couple of species of Arisaema that we encountered on our trek - this one having these broad leaves always shading the flower itself. I tried to further ID this particular variety, but there are hundreds, and it would take a better botanist than I to get it all right.

Some areas looked more like a botanical garden than a wild forest!

Made it to Tshoka just as the mists started rolling in

Tshoka was our destination for the day, at a little over 3,000 meters (a little over 9,000'). It was at one time a village established by Tibetan refugees, who were moved out when the area became a national park. Now it has become a sort of trekker's village, and many of the homes and barns that belonged to the villagers are now used by the trekking guides.

Many of the trip reports I'd read talked about using the huts in Tshoka, but when we arrived, our guide took us up on this hill and began to set up our tents. I must admit, we had a MUCH better view!

Our campsite at Tshoka near the chortens

More of Tshoka from above, looking down the canyon we'd climbed to get here.

We saw a number of cool birds in Tshoka. We missed a photo of the amazing magpie, drongo and sunbirds that we saw (but if you click the links you'll at least know what they looked like). This guy was in the mood to have his photo taken, though. He's the Eurasian Hoopoe.