Dragnag / Thagnak
30th April
Where are we? The same names are written on buildings and maps side by side different.
What time is the alarm set for 4.45 - seems early but that is the time that everyone says works - so ok. 5.00 breakfast and when we present ourselves the breakfast duly arrives at 5.00 - oak porridge / omelette for Brandi - small pot of milk tea.
Out the door at 5.40 - bill paid on Visa of 950 rupees about $95 US approx
Hit the up button immediately - in a fog which has rolled up the valley. We climb steeply up thru the crowd - making room for porters to climb past - come. A young porter boy in sneakers carrying 2 large duffles with his own bag on top.
After an hour we have climbed up through the crowd and now it’s only porters and us.
We are not going fast at all - a stop at a tall flag - 1 hr 20mins in and the track now descends across the upper valley before climbing steeply from a ‘porters stop’
These young guys now recognise us, as folks who can climb at their speed, and occasionally they even talk. The last climb is steep and we have already been on snow for a bit - crampons on - these much debated crampons bought in Nacho for $10 (the $11 ones we determine too expensive)
So with these crampon on, up we go - they provide fantastic traction and we end up travelling up with some young porters who struggle in their sneakers. One step up and I push a porter struggling to get up in his sneakers. It’s steep at the top and it’s one foot in front of another. On the col young porters are smoking - only 10 people or so here.
Yak cheese & salami lunch on top - well not quite lunch but a nibble to keep energy levels up
The compulsory quick snap with prayer flags and down a steep loose drop onto the glacier side and then flat glacier - around corner and we hug a steep rock face stretching up into the clouds. It’s still slippery and Brandi and one of the porters slide down the track a meter or two between oulders>
At the bottom of the slope it’s crampons off and the porters say follow us - but of course they are little trains - running between rest stops and then on again>
Now it’s a flat valley - where is Dzonglha - must be just over that rise - we sidle around and there it is.
The last part of the trek has been dominated by the 6423m Anakam Tse and with the sun (obsured by clouds)) heating the snow and sending avalanche plums down it’s flanks.
To soon the cloud rolls in and the mtns disappear
I’m tired - aches cold has me on the ropes by the time we get here and a slow lunch leads to a snooze
(we are the only ones here after what we though was a slow 5hr crossing) but apparently it’s really quick
Monday, August 27, 2018
Gokyo - Gokyo & The Road Less Traveled
Gokyo - Gokyo
4800m (15748ft)
An early morning walk (6.00) up and onto and along the moraine wall with Brandi bum sliding her way off, followed by breakfast and a walk up to the 5th lake chased by the now expected afternoon snow storm.
Talked to American (Taj) ex Golden Bay and home for late lunch + snoozing and reading
The Road Less Traveled
Wandering down valley we both looked at and ignored a goat track leading to the moraine wall. I was expecting the normal road sign but no. At the end of the first lake the valley drops away and we stop to check the m ap which shows the route going across from the 1st lake -> so up onto the moraine wall we go - more cairns but not well used. A yak track leads down onto the glacier edge and we head left knowing eventually we would cut the track (this would never have happened as it was 2kms or more upstream) - but a faint track leads us into the mess of a rock covered lower glacier.
Subsequent picture inspection shows that we are in the ‘lake area’ part the glacier but by following relatively recent footprints and the occasional cairn we navigate across - me dreading the blind route - closed out by a lake or glacial river.
4800m (15748ft)
An early morning walk (6.00) up and onto and along the moraine wall with Brandi bum sliding her way off, followed by breakfast and a walk up to the 5th lake chased by the now expected afternoon snow storm.
Talked to American (Taj) ex Golden Bay and home for late lunch + snoozing and reading
The Road Less Traveled
Wandering down valley we both looked at and ignored a goat track leading to the moraine wall. I was expecting the normal road sign but no. At the end of the first lake the valley drops away and we stop to check the m ap which shows the route going across from the 1st lake -> so up onto the moraine wall we go - more cairns but not well used. A yak track leads down onto the glacier edge and we head left knowing eventually we would cut the track (this would never have happened as it was 2kms or more upstream) - but a faint track leads us into the mess of a rock covered lower glacier.
Subsequent picture inspection shows that we are in the ‘lake area’ part the glacier but by following relatively recent footprints and the occasional cairn we navigate across - me dreading the blind route - closed out by a lake or glacial river.
Eventually of course it happens - the route leads to a 1 metre gap - a
lake outlet river flowing into another lake. The jump over the gap is
to a hand sized toe hold that was intimidating but actually possible of
course even with pack on. The packs get thrown - committing us and sop
across I jump - Brandi say ‘landing like a spider man on the rock.
I stretch back for Brandi - hesitation - ‘come on darling, it’s easy - with tears in her eyes - jump babe. ‘ She does and of course it’s easy
“….easy for Geoff the webbed man……”
Packs on and cairns to follow - hoping for no more lakes to cross - but any glacier crossing is problematic - finding a way, following cairns across a surprising sand desert - the moraine wall looms and it’s easy - finally 3 hrs later the KT lodge. VISA accepted and room available. That will be 10,000 rupees please he smiles.
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