In the town of Yak Kharka, 4050m (13,287ft) above sea level, we exchanged itineraries and travel stories with the other guests while huddled around our only source of heat for the evening, a small stove in the dining room. We traded some of our Diamox for Ibuprofin. Most of the trekkers, like Tony and Jimmy, had arrived from Tilicho Lake, many of them suffering from severe headaches due to the altitude. From here on, our decisions would be critical. Tony and I had to catch a flight to New Delhi in a few days and any setbacks due to altitude sickness would jeopardize this this deadline.
We had two options. One would be to take the four hour hike to Thorung Pedi early in the morning and spend the day and night there before embarking for the Pass. The other would be to continue on to High Camp and spend the night at 4850m (almost 16,000ft). Option one would put us at lower risk for altitude sickness as Thorung Pedi sits at 4450m (14,599ft), but would add an extra hour to our Pass hike. Option two would decrease the distance of our hike to the Pass, but would put us at greater risk of altitude sickness. The general rule when dealing with altitude is hike high, sleep low. We had received word of some hikers having to return to Manang after spending the night at High Camp to re-acclimatize and then make another Pass attempt. If this situation were to arise, Tony and I would surely miss our flight to India. The group unanimously agreed to stay in Thorung Pedi and decided that this time, Tony would push on ahead of us to secure accommodation for the night.
As temperatures fell below freezing, streams of water turned into ice, making the morning walk to Thorung Pedi quite slippery. Thankfully, as we continued across the barren landscape and landslide areas, the sun offered its protection, turning ice back into water. Knowing that Tony would be in Thorung Pedi before us, Jimmy, Helen and I took our time, taking care to aggravate Jimmy's ankle as little as possible, for we would all need to be in good shape to make the Pass. We arrived in Thorung Pedi by lunch time. From this moment until the next morning, our main goal was to relax and re-energize.
At lunch, we were fortunate to meet two great couples from Colorado, Connie and Mike, and Diane and Harry. They had an amazing guide, Krishna, who they met ten years ago when he had accompanied them as a porter. As a side note, for anyone who is interested, Krishna is a very well-informed guide and we will be able to get his contact information for you if you decide you need one. We listened in while Krishna briefed our American friends. It looked like they would start at 4am as the winds at the Pass pick up early. Tony and I tried to sell this idea to Jimmy and Helen, but they weren't on board. We would start at 6am instead. The other bit of advice that Krishna gave was to walk slowly to conserve energy as the hike would take anywhere between 6 to 12 hours. I knew we wouldn't make it in 6, but I certainly hoped it wouldn't take 12. My biggest concern however, was the descent, which would be much harder than the ascent.
We went to bed early that night, preparing to wake up before sunrise, but high altitude makes sleeping difficult. I had some anxiety about the next day. After several late night trips to the an outhouse covered in frozen pee, it was time to conquer Pass Day!
Pass Day:
After a hearty breakfast our group set out just before the sun emerged from the horizon. Most of the larger groups with guides had departed hours before, leaving behind smaller groups of independent hikers. Being a seasoned high altitude hiker, I let Tony set my pace. One foot in front of the other, we walked towards the Pass, lungs working hard, attempting painstakingly to keep our breaths even and controlled. Right behind us was our Bavarian friend, Charlie. We exchanged hellos and goodbyes. This would be the last time we would run into him. We arrived at High Camp an hour later, reconnecting with some of the folks that had stayed in our Yak Kharka guest house. Imad, a young Swedish guy was still suffering from mild mountain sickness and the Russians had picked up a porter for this part of the journey. Our break had to be cut short however, as we still had a long way ahead of us. I estimated that in total, it would take us 10 hours to reach Mukhtinath on the other side of the Pass.
I don't recall the trail to the Pass to be particularly steep, but the thin air made walking through the desert moonscape incredibly difficult. Up until now, I had also acquired the habit of taking small sips of water every 10 minutes from my camel pack. On this day however, the water remained frozen in the tube, cutting me off from my water supply. I would have to share Tony's bottle. We were able to enjoy the view that morning, with clear blue skies, brown, desert-like sand and off course, the snow on the surrounding mountains. By 9am, the winds started to pick up. I can say with certainty that I've never been this cold before. Even with layers, the wind cut through my jacket and I felt my face and hands freeze. The only shelter along the Pass was at the very top, but that was still an hour and a half away. I resorted to hiking directly behind Tony as he held my hand, protecting me from being blown away by the violent wind. As our guidebook pointed out, we would pass one false summit after another, raising our hopes and then destroying them. We passed by a memorial of a young hiker that had died on the very same trail as he gave in to acute mountain sickness.
As I struggled up the mountain, I thought of all the people that have climbed the peaks of Everest, Manasalu, the Annapurnas and many more, some making the summits, some having to turn around and others moving on to the afterlife. What is it about these mountains that make humans so hungry to conquer them despite the hardships and dangers involved? The Hindus believe that the Lord Shiva lives in these mountains. Maybe some people feel closer to God. Maybe some feel like God. For me, I've never had so much respect for nature as I did that day, praying silently that the elements wouldn't change all of a sudden and leave us stranded.
Around 10am, we started to see Tibetan prayer flags, indicting our approach to the top of the Pass, and then, the sight we had been waiting for, a pile of prayer flags hiding a sign that congratulates trekkers for making the journey to the top. We now stood at 5416m (17,769ft), the highest any of us had ever been before. The Thorung La Pass is higher than Everest Base Camp, higher than Mt. Whitney in California (the tallest mountain in the 48 states of the continental U.S. excluding Alaska) at 14,500ft, and higher than Mont Blanc, Europe's tallest mountain at 15,700ft. Unless you are a mountaineer, most people will not venture higher than this. We were high, physically and mentally.
Unfortunately, there was no time to celebrate. After a quick stop for chai at the little shack on the Pass and a few forced victory smiles, we quickly found the trail that would take us back to civilization. Admittedly, the descent is where our group fell apart. We hunkered down in a spot protected from the wind to refuel on chocolate, potatoes and eggs before continuing our journey. Beaten down by the wind and altitude, I began to weaken. The descent was steep, with loose rocks that made every step precarious. Even with my hiking sticks, I found myself sliding down the mountain. Along with the physical challenge, the mental concentration required was exhausting. Downhills have never been my forte.
Around 2pm we were still struggling to get down. By this time, the clouds had started to move in and we were still up high. I remember a moment where I stared into the horizon, watching the clouds approaching, feeling the warmth of the sun disappear and then quickly being swallowed by thick, dense, dark coldness. We had to get off the trail soon. After several meltdowns and curse words in English and Spanish, we arrived at the town of Charabu. Despite there being a few guest houses, Tony decided that this town would soon be enveloped in the clouds, making it a cold place to stay for the night. We braced for another hour and a half walk. Thankfully, the trail from here would be a gradual descent. We passed a few shrines and some blue deer before catching a glimpse of Mukhtinath, a holy pilgrimage site. In Mukhtinath, we were back in civilization. The sight of jeeps and motorcycles left me with a slightly depressed feeling despite being relieved that the hike was over. We would soon be leaving the mountains and that knowledge left me slightly empty.
We walked towards the guest house that Krishna recommended and met up with our Colorado friends again. It was to be an early night however, as Helen had come down with a fever and me with a cold. Overall, our bodies were completely wasted. Still, there was a great sense of accomplishment and memories that will last a lifetime.
To the great Himalayan Mountains, I thank you for humbling me in your presence, for showing me beauty and for allowing us to complete this journey!
The Route:
Yak Kharka (4050m/13,287ft)
Letdar (4200m/13,780ft)
Thorung Pedi (4450m/14,599ft)
High Camp (4850m/15,912ft)
Thorung La Pass (4230m/13,878ft)
Charabu (4230m/13,878ft)
Mukhtinath (3800m/12,467ft)
