Today was technically an easy trekking day – only ascending about 500m at a very gradual pace. The altitude however left everyone breathless and slowed them down to what I call ‘Sarah’s Pace’.
The forest track, which so far wouldn’t look out of place in an Australian National Park (except for maybe the sherpas. And yaks) slowly turned into a Lord-Of-The-Rings-esque barren landscape of rocks, sand and low bushes, with an old wooden bridge every few hours used to cross the white-water rapids beneath us (holding our walking poles and calling out ‘One Ring To Rule Them All’ in a Gandalf voice also kept us entertained).
It got significantly colder, and we arrived at Ding Boche, at 4343m, by about 2.30pm.
The tea houses we have stayed in have all been basic but comfortable, simple hard beds in rooms made of pine, with a common room where it is usually warmer and where we spend the afternoon reading, writing and chilling out before supper, and prior to crashing at about 8pm.
Tomorrow is another ‘rest day’ to acclimatise. Which means another crazy walk up a vertical mountain and back down again. And I am running out of Mars Bars. But Frodo survived, and he didn’t even have sherpas. So I should be fine.
-Sarah
Sarah