Trekkers on the move… now so close to the highest point in this life. Next life I want to be a bird so I could go higher
We went to bed soon after dinner last night as it was too cold to stay up. At about 2 a.m. I woke up with my throat feeling dry and hoarse through every single inhale. I felt very thirsty. So I drank some water. But my throat remained dry. In the bitterly cold night I moved a bucket of icy-cold water left just outside the communal washroom right into my room. Despite that the air remained too dry to be drawn in. I had to close my lips to avoid breathing through my mouth. But breathing through my nose was also hard to do throughout the night. I knew then I was not adapting well to high altitude atmospheric conditions. I felt dry perhaps because my lungs were losing water as result of drop in atmospheric pressure.
At about 5 a.m., finding that changing my sleeping position would not help him to get back to sleep, I sat up to look through the window at the first ray of dawn brightening some clouds upon some snowy mountains.
The first rays of dawn at Lattar
My headache had gotten worst and so at breakfast I swallowed two more Panadol C pills given to me by Chang. He said they were extra strong, not ordinary, and very effective against headache. In all honesty I trusted his words. Like it or not, all these past days he had been slow but steady on the way, on his double walking poles. He is doubtless one guy who is going to walk over Thorung-La despite his slow motion and always being last.
After breakfast we pulled out with a whole lot of other trekkers all dressed in stylish colorful outfits. Last night some 200 trekkers had taken up all the rooms available in the few hotels in the vicinity. Soon all of these trekkers would be on the only narrow path to Thorung Phedi about 4 hrs walk away in search of rooms again. We had better rushed to take rooms for the night, the guide said.
This porter is from Thorung Phedi in the background of ice and snow
At about 3 p.m. we reached Thorung Phedi located just at the foot of the vertical stretch of climb up to the first of the three tea-houses of Thorung-La.
Thorung Phedi is a place of several hotels with barely enough rooms for 200-300 trekkers. After a long wait we were finally given our rooms. Chang has to share a dorm with the ladies.
Piped water in our room and everywhere else is frozen. I wonder if there is any complaint of no hot water this time.
At dinner time words went round that Gan Che was expected to arrive at any time on a pony, whatever.
It was dark at 7.30 p.m. when he finally wobbled in. Still ill and absolutely worn out he could hardly walk with his legs straight as a result of riding astride the pony since about 2 in the afternoon. Seeing him in his condition my tears came down feeling sorry for him and us also in our miserable state. But we were all so happy to have him back. Bravo! sunset guy, hats off to your inner strength and wonderful spirit!
He was quickly led away by the ladies to their dorm to rest. Chang must have felt relieved by an additional male in their dorm, making it 2:5. He could call for help if bullied by the ladies.
Dinner was basic, to each a plate of fried rice or mi, just rice and mi. The kitchen was short of hands. We were lucky to be given food and drinks. This time no one complains his dinner was not according to order.
After dinner we were told that tomorrow we have to get up at 3.30 a.m and be at the breakfast table latest by 4.30 a.m. At 5 a.m. we will begin trekking on the extreme slope and be at the first tea-house latest by about 8.00 a.m., gaining 800 m. in altitude. Only then we would be in time to get to the third tea-house at the highest point of Thorung-La at 5416 m before 10 a.m. According to him, after 10.00 a.m. blustery winds would sweep across Thurong-La making it potentially dangerous to trek up to or down from there.
All 10 of us, one short of the original 11, are in high spirits. We go to bed imagining what an experience it will be like climbing 5 hrs up, gaining more than 1000 m. to be on the other side of Thorung-La into the valley of Kali Gandaki.
Yes, tomorrow we’ll be doing what we have paid dearly for to be in these damned mountains: to cross the Thorung La!
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