Thursday 16th May 2013.
I slept straight through the alarm today. Yesterday was an easy day but I think the effects from the day before had accumulated with the previous weeks efforts and had not woken me at 05.30 or earlier! It was the last of our high passes today and I could see across the lake that the cloud was down. I had located the steep section of our path the day before from the top of Gokyo Ri so was confident about finding it again despite the low visibility. I was positive that the start of the climb was further along than what was written in both of James' guidebooks, so I caused us to waste time and energy looking for it. It was only after gaining a high point and looking back that the path could now be seen.
A lone trekker was consulted and he confirmed that this was indeed the right path. After the very steep loose first section a large flat sandy area appeared and we managed to follow fresh footprints across, there being a distinct lack of cairns.
And then a loose clamber up here.....
....and you get to the base of the pass. There are various paths that wind their way around this slab section.
The final section is very well stepped on this side as it is on the other. Some of our permit money is being well spent!
Just five minutes up here and then go!
After half an hour of those big steps we skirted this lake.
And not long after that some sunlight and sandy trails....
Looking down the Bhote Koshi Nadi to Lungdhen and then Marulung.
There's a new bridge across to Marulung.
The place was deserted. There appeared to be only one guesthouse available to us. The old woman prepares us some lunch and then I head out to the 'shed' at the back of the garden for a nap. When I awake a few hours later I realise that there are no curtains or light in the room. And the toilet is outside.
There are now cows in the garden. The old woman has an unusual gait, when she moves it's as if she's constantly catching herself from falling forward. She careers amongst her livestock jabbering to them or herself, untying them from one area and re-tying them elsewhere. Some are loose and she staggers through them, berating them for reasons unknown and slapping their rumps. At one point she stops and pulls out a small pair of binoculars from the folds of her chuba and gazes at the hills. We had no common language but later I asked if she was here by herself, to which she replied yes. I believe that we were the only three in quite a large area that night.
Tucking the binoculars away she seems surprised that she is surrounded by cows and she once again sets about untying and corralling the beasts, clucking and squawking as she herds them all out through a narrow gap in the stone wall.
In my head I have imagined a husband who has collected this climbing paraphernalia including a postcard from one of Reinhold Messner's expeditions over a long and distinguished career Once she had viewed him through her binoculars, walking off to another well paid expedition. Now everyday she scans the horizon waiting for his return. Outside the cloud had dropped completely and the wind was doing it's best to whip it up the valley. Luckily I only have to go outside once that night. There is no moon, no light at all at 3am, the sky is ink black and I take a moment with the headtorch off looking straight up. Nothing there. Our time here was almost over, the mountains were slowly nudging us out, the threat of monsoon imminent.
Friday 17th May 2013.
The next morning is the same as the afternoon before it. People and Gompas appear ghostly before us and are swallowed up again.
The valley opens up and becomes greener.....
We pass Thame and Samde, power lines and telecoms masts contrasting with the old ways....
I spend the final section walking with two yaks, the driver and boy. The driver has already been drinking and he laughs heartily at my tales, translating for the boy.
And then......Namche, back again! Just two days here and then the walk to Lukla. We were told there would be flight backlogs due to the weather. But the first guesthouse we went into that was also a ticket agency had us on the first flight the following morning. Farewell Khumbu valley......
