The first night, at Sachen, when Tashi our Yak-man gave us our bed rolls, they turned out to be 1/4" thick closed-cell foam pads. Great for warmth, but in terms of 'softness' they had bubkiss. Because our internet research indicated that our guides would provide nice sleeping pads, I left my 4" think backpacker's super sweet air mattress at home. Not one other time in the whole 21 days of the trip did I regret the 8,000 miles between myself and home quite like I did that first night. The second was worse, given the bruising I'd dealt myself the night before. By night #3 we'd begun to perfect the technique of stuffing our gear under our knees and head, and padding our shoulders by folding the foam over once. It was almost comfortable!
The same type of pad also served as our sitting surface for all meals and 'hang out' time. We became very intimately familiar with the foam, needless to say.
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| Closed cell foam torture device on left, my pad at home on right |
As morning #4 of the trek dawned, we had some incredible views for breakfast, with a little eggs and toast on the side.
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| Breakfast on the hill, complete with views of Mount Pandim (the bright peak on the left) |
Our hiking goal for the day was Dzongri, described in the trekking guide as a summer pasture for yak herders from the lower villages. Though the herders no longer use the alpine meadows of Dzongri for grazing, the grasses harvested there are used to feed the dzos and the ponies who act as pack animals for the trekkers.
From Tshoka, the hike would climb another 4200' to an elevation of over 13,700' (4200 meters) in a little over 5.5 miles. I knew it'd be a tough day, but the stats were only the beginning!
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| Tshoka from the trail above town, the monastery on the right and the scared pond off center. |
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| Nothing like a little climbing in the morning! |
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| Violets were common along the forest floor, but their tiny size and tendency to hide in shadow made them difficult to photograph! |
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| The soft, wet earth made the trail difficult to maintain, so a boardwalk of sorts had been installed in many areas. It made for a beautiful walk! |
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| The red rhododendrons were spectacular against the green moss, and the peeling bark of the trees made for a great deal of visual interest as well. |
After Tshoka, we began to see many more trekkers, both heading up and down the hill. It seemed like every country was represented, though we were just about the only Americans we would encounter (except for a large group of college students). Anke and Arne, being long of leg and in fantastic shape, both made excellent time hiking up. I felt like I was struggling more than I wanted to, though I wasn't sure if it was the elevation or my illnesses that were holding me back. Raj kept encouraging me to simultaneously keep moving and take my time, and I plodded up the hill.
Our pack animals passed us, which was the first time that had happened on the trek. When I asked Raj if it was a bad sign that the dzo were hiking faster than me, he only laughed.
It wasn't reassuring.
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| If you're going to plod up a hill, at least it's nice to have views to keep you occupied... |
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| ...wait, is that a fog bank I see approaching, Sarah? |
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| Not our dzo, but it was nice to know that they were wise enough to avoid the mud puddle. Well, one was anyhow. The gray one walked right through, after stopping for a big drink. |
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| Guess we didn't out-run the mists today... |
About half way to Dzongri is Phedang (3156m). Evidently there are amazing views from there, enough to warrant people installing hundreds of prayer flags. By the time we got there, though, it looked like this:
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Who are these people?
( actually, I eventually got it figured out just from profiles! from left to right Ann-Gael, Alok, Gael, Raj, Chung-Wan (spelling?), Sarah, Arne, Anke and Rohit) |
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| Wait Legs! I don't want to lose you in this! |
The rest of that day's trek looked pretty much the same: slick, deep mud on the ground and everything above that was the same color of blue-grey. I have to admit, it was a little depressing - steep climbing with zero views. Raj really had to prod me to keep me moving up the hill. Nevertheless, we'd reached Dzongri before noon.
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| Something tells me those solar cells on the roof aren't doing much today... |
I celebrated with my favorite India treat: Maaza Mango Juice. Even at the elevated mountain prices it was only $1. And on my sore throat which was getting only hot tea and luke-warm water, the cold juice felt like heaven.
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| Buying mango magic from the 'shop' at Dzongri |
While we checked out the various trekker's huts around Dzongri, our guide was looking into a good spot for our tents. Evidently, a group of students from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) was arriving a little later in the day: a group of around 80. We all agreed that a little more hiking to get away from such a huge troupe was definitely in order, so we kept trekking a little further to another meadow one valley over.
It was the perfect decision. Far less populated and with superior views, our camp was the perfect spot to sit and watch as the mists rolled in and out. As that was about all the entertainment available for the rest of the day, we made good work out of it.
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| Camp Americans and Germans on the alpine uplands. |
Day's hike: 10km and 1700meters gained (about 5.8mi, 3800feet)
Overnight, the mists turned into precipitation - which turned out to be snow. We woke early to hike up to a view point on the hill just behind our camp. It was painful, getting up before dawn, but the views of first light hitting Kanchenjunga were totally worth it!
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| Snow on the tent, snow on the ground. Doesn't look too warm, does it? |
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| The payoff for a cold, dark morning... |
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| ...alpenglow on Kanchenjunga. The cloud is actually blowing snow. |
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| What with stomach troubles, a head cold and being generally pokey, I wasn't sure I'd make it. But here I am! Yak wool gloves and all! |
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| Sarah, Raj and I celebrate |
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| My big camera was about out of battery, but it was enough to capture this majesty! |
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| Arne, Anke and their guide
Chung-Wan |
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| Sarah adds our prayer flags to the menagerie |
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| It's a high-altitude Wendy (4320m - 14,173feet)! We were joined at the view point by Gael, Ann-Gael, Alok and Rohit (and several other's whose names I didn't catch). By this time, according to Sarah, all the other guides knew my name, since they were so often asked to 'throw a Wendy'! |
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| Looking down at the yak herder huts in the valley below. |
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| Time to head back down for breakfast! |
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| It was looking like it would be another misty day... |
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| But we had plenty of sunshine for our fantastic breakfast (orange pancakes!) |
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| On our warm mats, enjoying hot tea and views. |
After breakfast, the rest of the group headed up to Dzongri Pass - another 4 mile trek up hill. I was feeling like I needed a bit of rest and quiet time, so I stayed behind. It was a delightful morning to explore the high alpine valley.
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| Taking advantage of the brief sunny spot to charge my batteries...(solar panel on the pink tent) |
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| The four chortens on the hill, with Pandim in the background (Pandim would become my favorite peak through the rest of the hike) |
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| The dark peak in front is called Black Kabur because it is never covered in snow. It is not permitted to climb this peak, but evidently our guide 'may have' done it once or twice. |
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| The herders' huts |
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| Fun with photo effects! |
The group that hiked up to the pass came back early - the mists had been to heavy for much in the way of views. Everyone was still up for more adventure, though, so when Gael, Ann-Gael and Alok came by on their way to the 4 chortens, we were game to join them. Though it seemed a bit dangerous to wander these gentle hills in such thick fog, we had that sense of safety that numbers give you (good thing we were right this time!).
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| Walking up to the chortens - still pretty chilly as you can see! |
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| It's hard to imagine building these in such a remote location... |
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| Hiking buddies on the hill! |
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| From Alok Nagdev - taken by a backpack I believe |
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| On our way back to the camp, the mists finally began to lift, and Mount Pandim reappeared. It was a spectacular gift! |
That night, another fantastic soup for dinner, and the first of a long string of Farkle games with Anke and Arne. Though we were in bed by 8pm, we certainly felt like it was a long, full day!
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