Martin

Hello everyone,
Hope you’re all well. I’m hanging in there… Kath, I’m sorry love but I can’t access tiscali here for some reason.

Today has been the 8th straight day of walking, we’ve covered around 100 miles and gone from 790m to 3800m altitude. It’s 3 days now to what I know will be about as tough a day as I’ve ever had.

So far I’m holding up well physically. One bout of sickness that I got under control with antibiotics in a couple of days and a general struggle to eat and drink enough. Apart from that no serious problems (a painful bit of buttock chafing aside). Also, I’ve been a bit breathless but apart from that I’m coping OK with the altitude.

Every day has been a little different visually – the photo above is looking north from Bahundanda on Day 2.
Yesterday was by far the best day yet, as we went through the 3000m line we could see both ways up and down the valley for about 20-25 miles with snow-capped peaks ranged on both sides. Its too hard to explain it in a short time so I won’t bother to try. i also saw my first herd of the big hairy yaks. They are sooo cool.

Near the village of Tal in Manang district.

The weather has turned from blazing sunshine for 3 days to lovely sunny for 3 days then mild yesterday and today it is snowing. It hasn’t got below freezing in the nights yet. The next two days go to 4000 then 4500m in 4-5hrs each day then the big one will be on Saturday – the Thorug La pass is at 5416m. We get up at 4am, walk the 1000m gradient to the top of the pass then its a 1600m descent to Muktinah at 3800m. It should take 10 hours or so and I’ve been psyching up to it for a few days now. The 8 of us are getting on fantastically well and we’re all helping each other where we can.

Looking north from Pisang.

I’ll try to post again later today.

Love to all

Martin