Trekking Day 7 - the highest climb

I'm not sure how much I will write tonight... I'm exhausted!  Today we hiked back up over 16,000ft... But the top of this pass was even more challenging.  It was steep, with snow that had been packed down to icy slush by the horses... And then suddenly it narrowed to a tiny rocky path that was our only way  through.

From our lunch spot, one of the guides pointed out where we would be heading to get to the pass.  Try as I might, all I could see in the direction he pointed was a ridge line typical for double-black-diamond ski trails. And that's exactly where we went!

The best part of the hike was reaching that summit... And seeing once again the giant Jomolhari and her steep-faced sisters, which had been hidden the last day or so by other mountains. Then we pushed over the back of the pass to a whole new set of beautiful mountains.

Coming down the back was easy and gorgeous. We soon passed an alpine lake with a large group of blue sheep grazing nearby. Then downward we continued... Through alpine meadows, across streams, and finally down to the river.

Unfortunately, all of us were exhausted still from yesterday... And the trail seemed to go on forever!  After just about 13 miles, we finally walked around the side of one last hill and saw camp stretched out before us.  What a sight for sore eyes! As I write this, it is 7:45pm and I will be one of the last to bed. We are all worn out and excited to climb into our cozy sleeping bags.

One revelation I had on the way down- today's hike was one of the hardest things I've ever done.  I figure it's a competition between that and the Olympic distance triathlon I did a few years ago... But I'm not sure which was harder.  The thing about the tri, however, is that I didn't do a similar race the day beforehand... And need to be prepared to do another (if shorter) one the day after!!

I am utterly exhausted... But also very content. I still can hardly believe these are the Himalayas all around us- and I am In awe of how fortunate I am to have the chance to do this trip.

Trekking Day 6 - 16,000ft

Well... I made it!!! We all did!

Today was definitely a challenge - the experience of having my legs ready to hike, but with my lungs gasping for air, was something I've never really felt before.  I found out the hard way that taking just a few too many quick steps to catch the group is a fast way to blow up your lungs!

It was totally worth it though.  The hike started similarly to yesterday, with a steep incline followed by an alpine meadow, but this time we continued upward for what seemed like forever!

Dad kept calling himself slow, and leaving group breaks early to 'get ahead' - but the truth is I think he did a better job with the uphill than me... In fact, better than most of the group! I was impressed!

We finally got to the last pitch before the pass- a steep scree pile that a group of horses undertook just before us. It was hard and the air seemed very thin - but by that time I had figured out that slow walking combined with quick panting breaths would allow me to keep moving forward.

The top was narrow and the wind was howling, and prayer flags had been strung across the highest point of the pass.  It reminded me of the top of a ski area... Except that the views all around were not the Rockies or Cascades but the Himalayas! 

We all took turns taking each other's pictures at the top... Then quickly passed over and downward to get out of the wind.  The rest, as they say, was all downhill. ;)

Coming down was an adventure, taking long steps and digging into the wind packed snow. I actually enjoyed that part... And it seemed like Dad did too.  But the people who don't live in snow were very cautious!

The second half of the descent was fairly easy and really cool.  We wound our way across multiple hillsides as we slowly descended, with the river below us, smaller mountains across from us, and peak-a-boo views of the icy Himalayan giants to our left.

We final made it to camp- after a steep final descent, and another little but steep uphill that made everyone groan. We are now near a new river, which we will follow up to another pass tomorrow.

Today was definitely hard- but there is no question that this trip will go into the record-books as one of the most magnificent experiences of my life. It is truly awesome.

Trekking Day 5 - acclimation and alpine lakes

Today was the only day all trek that we didn't need to pack up camp and prepare to move on. Instead we stayed at Jomolhari base camp and day-hiked from there. We were all expecting a light, mellow 'day off' - but that was far from the case.

We only climbed 1,000ft of elevation today, to some gorgeous alpine lakes with snowy peaks behind them. BUT... That elevation gain happened in probably half a mile. It was so steep! We were all sucking wind... And thankful that it didn't last any longer!

The worst part was, there were yaks climbing uphill with us... Going straight up instead of taking switchbacks, their giant bodies handling the elevation gain with ease. How is that even possible?

Anyway, they were following us because the top leveled out to a beautiful alpine meadow- again with mountains all around- and there were scores of other yaks grazing there when we arrived.  We also shared the meadow with some Blue Sheep, which are wild and native to the Himalayas.

If you look close at the picture to the left, there is a herd of blue sheep on the hillside - with their silhouettes shown by the white of the mountain.  I got this photo right before they all spooked and ran up the mountainside out of the frame.






The alpine lake that was our destination was well worth it... The only problem was that everyone else was cold and/or hungry so they were ready to head back down within ten minutes. Dad and I could have stayed much longer, but we followed suit and joined them.

This whole hike was in preparation for tomorrow- when we will gain over 3,000ft of similar tough elevation to a pass at 16,000ft, and then hike 3,000ft down the other side.  This all happens over 13 miles.

Considering we have only been doing 5 - 6 miles the past few days, I think many of us are going to be greatly challenged tomorrow. It will surely be the highest I have ever been... And a couple people are suffering from colds already. Here's hoping it all works out- I may just be too tired to write tomorrow!

Trekking Day 4 - Jomolhari base camp

What an amazing place this is! We awoke this morning, at about 12,000ft elevation, to a thick layer of frost outside our tents.  I had been just slightly chilly in my sleeping bag right before getting up, and I wondered for a moment if my bag wasn't as warm as it was rated... But as it turned out the weather was much colder than we all anticipated. And I was one of the few people who was mostly warm last night.  So thanks North Face- your Snow Leopard bag did great!

The cold temps were a direct result of clear blue skies- so the views all around us were just magnificent!

The craziest thing about the cold weather, though, was that as soon as we turned a corner into the sunshine the temps went up at least 15 degrees! Everyone immediately shed 2-3 layers... some had started the morning wearing every layer they brought. We were all amazed at the change - and the strength of the high alpine sunshine.

Our entire hike today was moderate and above tree line- just gorgeous in every direction. We were now up in the land of yak-herders, and some of us (myself included) went a little crazy photographing the huge long-haired buffalo/cowlike creatures. Not only are they huge, pretty and unusual looking, they are unbelievably sure footed as they graze along the side of the mountains. So what's not to love?

At lunch we stopped at a local school and got a 'tour' - it was a small building where all the local kids walk the same trail we're hiking to get to school each day.  We haven't passed many houses, so some of them must come a long way!

As we began walking again after lunch, 5 of the local kids had just gotten out of school and so they joined us for a while along the trail. One of our guides talked them into singing for us, and so the four little boys linked arms and led us down the trail - singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for us in Bhutanese. It was priceless.

Finally, we reached camp- the Jomolhari Base Camp, that is. We are now at 13,200ft- about the highest we will sleep- and there are huge peaks all around. Jomolhari, the highest peak in Bhutan and one of the highest in the Himalayas, is directly across outside my tent door. And the weather when we arrived was somewhere above 60 degrees in the sun. We all immediately sat down in camp chairs outside our tents and marveled at the view - until the sun dipped behind the mountain and the heat of the day faded to chill.

Trekking Day 3 - first views of the high peaks

I awoke this morning to a sound that made me smile immediately.  First a snap - coming from only a couple feet outside my tent. This was followed by a distinctive munch munch munch...

One of the pack horses had wandered into camp, and was eating away at the plants right next to my head! The sound was so quiet and cute... Especially since sometimes the horses have fits of whinnying in the middle of the night that wake us all up.  So by comparison, this was adorable!

Today's hike was... Hard! But most definitely worth it. All day my stomach was not quite right, so I think my energy was low anyway.  But this was our fourth day in a row of hiking- which I've never done before- so I was also probably just feeling the exertion a bit.

We hiked along through the whole morning and early afternoon in a forest similar to yesterday. If anything, it was even more like the Pacific NW because the rhododendrons gave way to more conifer trees.

Just before we arrived at our lunch spot, we turned a corner and got our first views of the REAL Himalayas- giant and snow-covered.  The second peak we saw was Jomolhari, the one whose base camp we will spend two days at starting tomorrow night.  It came out of the clouds just long enough for us to take a few photos and then it went back into hiding. Gorgeous!

From then on the views just kept getting better. We came above tree line and saw more snowy peaks... And when we arrived at our camp for the night we were in total awe.  There are now mountains around us in every direction... Take a look:

I can't wait till tomorrow, to see what else lies in store for us!

Trekking Day 2 - Fairytale Forest

Today was a much shorter, but technically more challenging hike.  We spent almost all of our 5 hours peering downward at our feet, carefully picking our way along river rocks surrounded by thick mud. I'm sure the mud would be calf-deep on my gaiters and pants now if not for those helpful hiking poles!

In fact, I leaned on my poles so much today that a strange muscle I've never felt before started aching in my upper arm. What is that called, anyway? ...the muscle on the outside between bicep and tricep? All I know is, it's sore!

Anyway, the trail itself was not the highlight of the day.  The scenery, however, was spectacular. In some ways it reminded me of Washington or BC... Steep slopes beside us with limited understory; lots of ferns and moss, and lichens hanging from the trees in long wisps that sway in the wind.  

The main difference is that here the trees are not Douglas firs- they are all manner and size of Rhododendron.  Our local guide said yesterday that there are over 100 distinct species of Rhody in Bhutan!  In tree form, these Rhodies are tall and ornate, almost like giant Bonsai trees. The springtime in this place must be absolutely amazing, when they are in bloom at every level of the forest.  It would be worth a trip back to see that for sure.

The other part of our wondrous scenery today was the river.  As I mentioned in a previous post, this is the same river we could see from our hotel, which is now at least 50 miles downstream behind us. 

This magical river is blue-green in color, like most glacial rivers, with reddish rocks in the riverbed that make one of the most striking color-contrasts I have seen. Many of these rocks have been scoured smooth, and some have been dug out in gracious curves by generations of rushing water and smaller stones.

Looking back, it's amazing that I didn't hurt myself today.  I was so enthralled by the views that I looked around at every   opportunity- often sacrificing good foot placement to do so.  It was worth it though; many other people said they were so focused on the trail that they didn't look around much.  And by doing that, I think they missed much of what just might be one of the prettiest forests on this earth.

Trekking - Day 1

Our first official day on trail- and I lay here writing from inside my super-cozy new sleeping bag, made to withstand temperatures almost down to zero. Hopefully I won't need to test that... We shouldn't get too much below freezing on this trip. But I definitely feel it getting colder outside my tent!

The hike was beautiful.  In a way it was strange, because we spent most of the day walking along a dirt road that followed the valley.  So when the occasional car passed by, it was hard to avoid thinking, 'do we really need to be walking this part?'  

But on the other hand... Today was perfect for acclimating because it was a mellow pitch that continued for several miles; moderate exercise to help our bodies get used to being up here.

The scenery has been spectacular - we are walking up a valley with mountains close on both sides that are probably 4-5,000ft above us. The green, glacially fed river sits just below us... It is the same river that we will follow until we reach our max altitude, several days from now.

After we got off the road, we started up a trail that was a challenging mix of smooth river rock... And mud.  I am already thankful for the hiking poles that Patrick's parents got for my birthday; I certainly would have slid into the mud at least once today without them.  Instead, I felt like I had 4-wheel drive and could just cruise through the treacherous mess. Pretty great!

Okay, one funny story for today. We had our first on-trail lunch, which means we came around a corner along our way, only to find a grassy area with tarps spread out and a delicious hot lunch awaiting us.  What service!  

Anyway, we were all sitting around eating our lunch (with the now-common help of a couple local stray dogs)... And up the road wanders this confused-looking cow.

He stood near our field for a while... And then wandered into our lunch area!  I don't know about you, but I've never seen a cow beg for food before.  In fact, I really didn't think it was something that would actually happen.

But sure enough, the truth became clear when the first person tossed him their apple core after lunch.  He gobbled it up in one bite and looked around for another.  After scoring several more apple pieces from other trekkers, he got greedy and actually walked up to the pile of dirty dishes to see if anything else struck his fancy!

At that point the guides finally shooed him off- we couldn't have him eating our silverware, right?  But even then he only moved off a few steps- and continued to wait close by until he was sure we were done eating.

And then he left.

This is a very unique place.