Machhermo: 4394 m
Gokyo: 4752 m
Distance: 8.7 km (56.6 km total)
Last night was the coldest so far, although according to Rishi it was ‘only’ -5C. To be on the safe side we kept our cameras, phones, spare batteries, GPS etc. inside our sleeping bags and laid our day clothes underneath to keep them warm(ish).
The walk started off with a much gentler uphill. We were following the Dudh Koshi to the head of the valley and the glacier that feeds it. It got a bit steeper sidling up to Longpongo, the first of the lakes in the Gokyo region. By the time we reached the lake the wind was picking up and funnelling through, the cloud was rolling in, and it was really quite cold despite wearing two thermal tops, a softshell jacket, polyprop leggings, rain pants, gloves, a polyprop balaclava and woollen beanie.
As we approached the second lake (Taboche Tsho), however, the wind died down a little and the sun started to come out. Past the lakes the trail was reasonably flat. The lakes were an amazing blue-green colour, each one bigger than the previous. But the time we got to Gokyo Lake the sun was fully out again and we had fantastic views across the lake to the mountains all around us. We could also see the trail we would take the next day up Gokyo Ri. The Renjo La pass, which we would cross the day after, was also in view, together with the site of our high camp, which looks quite formidable!
For our night in Gokyo we were staying at a lodge, and had lunch there when we arrived. At 2 pm we had our usual acclimatisation walk up to the top of the ridge behind the village – about 100 m ascent. From the top we could see the lake, the village, the mountains beyond which we will cross; Cho-oyu to the north, the Ngozumba glacier (the source of the Dudh Koshi), and the mountains across the other side (Cholo, Kangchung, Lobuche). My headache was back, but I was still able to function. A few of the others are starting to suffer from the altitude now too.
When we got back to the lodge, Raewyn and I decided to splurge on a hot shower. It was the best 500 Rs we have spent this trip.
On our way up the valley from Machhermo we passed a convoy of dzopke coming down. Apparently the woman we had seen a few days ago carrying the huge load of empty plastic bottles, took them to Phortse for them to be filled with water from a filtration plant there. They were then taken to Gokyo by the dzopke convoy, which we were meeting on their way back down.
We also saw a few different birds today: a Siberian duck on the partially frozen Longpongo lake, some snowcocks, and a magnificent golden eagle soaring over the hills around Gokyo village.
Early start tomorrow with a 5:30 am wake up call!
Next day
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