The number 13 is unlucky for some and today, I needed all the luck I could attract. Maybe luck wasn’t really the issue – it was more about digging deep and mustering every skerrick of determination, perseverance and sheer doggedness I could find.
Today, we are going UP!
Day: 13
Date: Monday, 14 October 2024.
From: Thangnak (4,800m) To: Cho La Pass (5,420m) to Dzongla (4,843m)
Daily Km: 9.8km Walking Time: 7h50m
Progress: 65.6km
Ascent: 618m Descent: 565m
Weather: Crystal clear and freezing cold to start. Where have my fingertips gone? Thick fog rolls in about 2pm.
Terrain: Unbelievable and seemingly impossible ascents, and descents.
Stayed At: Green Valley Lodge
General Comments:
- My head cold really gave me curry last night and it felt like I coughed and spluttered most of the night. I felt bad that I was disturbing the Husband and everyone else through the paper-thin walls. These lodges are designed for the most basic function rather than form and, considering that all the construction material and everything else must be carried or helicoptered in, they do pretty well.
- When the wake-up call came at 430am I felt very unrested and unprepared for our BIG day ahead – the highest altitude we would climb to on the whole trip.
- It was still pitch black dark as we made our way into the Common/dining room. Even at that very early hour, looking out the window you could see a string of headlights walking single file up the mountain track. It would be our turn soon enough, after yet more porridge.
- There were last calls for toilet stops and making sure we had our crampons in our daypacks, and in the muted dawn light, we were off too.
- Again, I was nervous about how I would handle the day as it was going to be our longest and hardest one. You would have thought that I would have found my stride by now and lost my nervousness, but each day seemed to present new challenges. My PiC (Partner in Crime), The Husband and I were at the back of the pack trying to find our walking rhythm as the track edged ever up.
- Walking along, it was freezing cold as the sun hadn’t cleared the ridgeline and, despite my thick gloves, it felt like I had left my fingertips back at the lodge. Today was the first day I had every warm layer on that I owned, including my softshell trousers. Yes, we were getting to the pointy end of the walk. 😊
- We were stepping slowly and carefully, doing our best to avoid the patches of ice which sneakily blended in with the rocks and dirt, lying in wait for unsuspecting hikers. Thank goodness for my walking poles, yet again. They saved my bacon many a time.
- We were also keeping an eye on the PiC, watching closely to make sure she could handle the increasing altitude. At one stage she did need to sit for a minute to get her breath and balance back, before we pushed on up again.
- Unfortunately, we only made it about another 50m before my PiC nearly collapsed on the track. We knew this was serious. She was as white as a sheet and her eyes were rolling back in her head. Yes, sadly, her Everest Base Camp adventure was over.
- Roy, our guide, ran ahead to catch up with the porters and retrieve her duffle bag. There was nothing for it, but for her to turn around and walk back down to lower altitudes. We were all a bit teary as she was absolutely devastated, but no adventure is worth dying for, even if it is something she has been dreaming about for 30years.
- With a heavy heart, my PiC and a guide to accompany her, headed back downhill, and the Husband and I turned uphill once more. We will reunite in a couple of days, back at Kyangjuma. It’s all terribly disappointing and heartbreaking, but you just don’t mess with altitude sickness. Alas, we were now a party of five.
- We plodded onwards and upwards, and we could see a very steep ridgeline ahead decorated with lines of prayer flags. I would have liked to have kidded myself that that was Cho La Pass, but even I am not that delusional.
- Eventually we reached the top of the ridgeline and the views – both forward and backwards – were spectacular. There was snow everywhere and the white snow contrasted perfectly with the black rocks. Similar to yesterday, it was an incredibly barren and blasted landscape, with more pops and crackles of small avalanches.
- The ridgeline also gave us a distant, but perfect, view of Cho La Pass way on the other side of the valley. It was equal parts absolutely horrifying and impossible. I asked Roy whether he was actually expecting us to climb that and he gleefully replied, “Yes, slowly, slowly”.
- What could I say to that??
- Down we plunged from the ridgeline and we spent the next hour or so scrambling across the valley floor – up and down small, and not-so-small, ridges, hillocks and boulders. It was exhausting as the track underfoot was often sandy or covered in very loose rock and stones.
- And then we started the climb proper up Cho La Pass. OMG! It was so, so steep and the track was littered with even more loose rock, sand and then icy snow. It was incredibly difficult to keep your balance, to remain upright and to then push off, and upwards for your next couple of steps, before resting again.
- The path then changed to an almost vertical cliff face and we were stepping from large rock to large rock. Thankfully in some places there were some old steel cables you could grab onto – pulling yourself up with one hand and pushing yourself up with a walking pole in the other hand. Five steps, rest, five steps, rest, five steps….
- An additional challenge was the constant flow of hikers and porters coming straight down the cliff face towards us or trying to pass us going upwards. Again, not everyone shows any sort of consideration to other people on the trail, but I was too exhausted or too focussed to say anything.
- It was quite an out-of-body experience. I couldn’t believe I was doing this – climbing to 5,420m – the highest I have ever been on foot. I just kept thinking I was so glad my mother and my friends couldn’t see me doing this. They would have had a coronary on the spot!
- Finally, after about 90minutes (I have no idea as I lost all track of time), I finally struggled to the top. I was the last one of our Group to arrive and I was so tired I could barely spit, let alone eat or drink, but I knew I needed to do both.
- All too soon, it was time to load up and head off down the other side of the Pass and this time we needed to wear crampons on our boots. Yet another first for this adventure.
- It was a real novelty to be surrounded by clean white blankets of snow and walking through it, although we only had to follow the knee-deep trail for about 20minutes.
- From there it was solid dirt and rocky paths all the way down to Dzongla – much easier terrain. We still had to walk slowly and be careful of loose rocks, and even more trip hazards on very tired legs. Despite our care and concentration, there were quite a few of trips, stumbles and a couple of decent falls onto hard rocks. Dzongla couldn’t appear fast enough.
- In the meantime, the weather had turned grey and cold with a biting breeze. The fog rolled in, whiting out all the surrounding mountains and you could only see about 50m ahead. The fog did not dim my enthusiasm for sighting Dzongla when I crested a small hill. With this fast-changing weather, I can really see how people come to grief out here if they are not adequately prepared for all weather conditions.
Highlights & Tips:
- I did it! I can’t believe it, but I did it!
- Jo, this track may be entirely inappropriate to walk on a Monday! 😊 Sorry about that!
#travelinspo #EverestBaseCampCircuit #multidayhikes #adventurebeforedementia #longdistancewalks #Nepal #teahouses #WorldExpeditions #epicadventures #greatoutdoors #crosscountry #exploreonfoot #exoticdestinations #hikingadventures #yaks #Sagarmatha #remotevillages #avalanches #glaciers #moraine #Thangnak #ChoLaPass #mountainclimbing
Life...one big adventure 
Congrats!
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Ta!
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Congrats Mel! Had I been there you wouldn’t been the last one up 😊
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🙂 That makes me feel so much better! 🙂
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And you do this for pleasure?
I hope your PiC recovered. Does altitude sickness ever have a lasting effect?
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Yeah, tell me about it! 😉 I shake my head at myself sometimes! 🙂 And Yes, she came good – a bit wobbly for a couple of days, but rearing to go by the time we met up with her again with no lasting effects. Thanks for following my madness! 🙂
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Oh my word, that sounds way too stressful for my liking 😲. I’d like to see snow one day, but I’m definitely not going to look for it in the Nepalese mountains. But also, I can’t deny that it’s absolutely gorgeous – thanks for letting me see it through your lens! And well done – that’s quite an achievement!!
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It’s amazing what you can do when you just go for it! Although if there had been any way to back out, I possibly would have chosen an easier route. The height of those mountains almost become more of a mental game than a physical one. Thanks for your support.
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Well done! I’m glad you were able to get up and over the pass before the fog rolled in. And you had the presence of mind at that altitude to use your camera. Wonderful photos.
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It meant I could take a breather while I was taking a photo! So there were LOTS of photos taken. 🙂 Thanks for your kind words.
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No mean feet (!) Mel
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I see what you did there! 😉
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Yay! You did it!
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Yay for me! Needless to say I had absolutely NO energy (or skill for that matter) to do a handstand! I will leave that up to you. 🙂
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Well Done Mel ! That was an exciting read! It’s a shame about your friend, although hopefully she recovered after losing height. I was there in the same month, nearly the same week in 2012 and the difference in terrain with all the snow is marked. Either it’s an early start to winter or climate change is taking hold of the Khumbu
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Huh, that’s interesting about the snow. In the beginning I was worried that we booked too early and there wouldn’t be any snow… I needn’t have worried on that count. Yes, my PiC recovered well and was fighting fit when we met up again. Thanks for sharing the trail and your memories with me.
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I’m glad she recovered well. I got your email about my post. I think WordPress throws a wobbly sometimes and does its own thing. I’ve obviously got your reply here so hopefully it has sorted itself out, thanks Mel 😀
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Thanks Jim. I will keep trying. Just know I am loving your hikes and stunning scenery. Mel
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So sorry to hear about your PiC, but she made the right decision. We have seen it happen dozens and dozens of times. Some bodies just can’t acclimatize. We did Cho La the opposite way and that steep climb you did up was very icy on our way down. It was the worst section of our trek and I was a little worried that one of us getting hurt. Maggie
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I can just imagine what you are describing – the descent on the Thangnak side would have been death-defying especially on ice! Glad you made it in one piece. Yes, I was so surprised that altitude affected my PiC – she is super-fit and she is the last person I thought would be come to grief. It is just so random. Have a good day, Maggie.
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Congratulations! What a satisfying achievement.
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Thanks! Although I think it was more exhausting than satisfying! 🙂 It was a revelation though and a good exercise in mind over matter!
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Amazing accomplishment!
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Many thanks.
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Not on a Monday, or any other day for me, Mel. How thankful am I to be sitting, reading this, with a hot coffee in my hands. I cannot believe what a stubborn cuss you are, but, oh Lord, what an adventure! It’s hard to believe that you all came through this unscathed (apart from your buddy and the altitude sickness). On Wednesday one of our walkers had to be quad-biked by the fire brigade out of our hills after breaking an ankle. This settee is the only place where I’m safe! Thanks, darlin!
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Jo, I have never been called a stubborn cuss before, and I am going to own it! 🙂
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I knew you would! X
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🙂
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How bittersweet, Mel. You made it on such a hard, hard day, but your friend did not. I guess it’s even more impressive that you made it with such a heavy heart weighing you down.
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Yes, it would have been better to share it with her, but we all agreed before leaving Aus, that if something happened to one of us, the rest of us would push on. It’s a bugger and an unpredictable one at that…
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This reminds me of that trip to England during the Omicron spike. The Husband and I agreed that if one of us got COVID, the other would return to the States while the sick one waited for evacuation. It was easy to agree on ahead of time, but once the shit hit the fan, it suddenly became very hard to enact. Still, like you, I did what our sensible pre-emergency selves planned because it was . . . sensible!
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You never think it will actually happen when you make these plans…
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That is so upsetting about your PiC, I’m so sorry she had that experience. You’re right though, she made the best choice for her health. What an achievement for you and your husband – just WOW. This looks like not just an absolute physical achievement, but a truly mental one as well. You’re amazing 🙂
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Thanks, Han. It really was a life-changing experience. I don’t think I have ever pushed myself so hard and come out the other side…not that I had any choice in the matter…I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
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Amazing scenery, and well done to you for making it up through that pass! It looks incredibly daunting to me 😲 Such a shame your friend had to turn back but you’re right, you don’t mess with altitude sickness.
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It’s amazing what you can achieve by walking ‘slowly, slowly’ and simply putting one foot in front of the other. Not that I plan to repeat it anytime soon! 🙂
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Woah, not so good for your friend but totally impressed by you and your husband’s effort at making it through that pass. Yes I too stop to take photos when I’m breathless to not only take in air but appreciate the landscape and have a record for later on. Like you my Mum was quite often horrified at some of the things Karen and I have done. Cheers
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🙂 – it sounds like Mum’s of the World have lots in common!
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