Post 4: Yak Trails
Day 5 Khumjung to Pangboche
We said farewell to Trotty as she has to load up and fly’s to Kathmandu for further attention. Ang Dorjee, Namgel, and his brother are from Pangboche. It has the oldest monastery in the valley that was built in the 1500’s. They even have a yeti scalp and hands which I wanted to snap for all my big foot believing friends at home, but no cameras allowed but I did snap a pic of a picture.
This is where we get our blessing for our journey. Lama Geshi passed away and a new head lama gave us our blessing. I asked for and received a special blessing for my grandchild and mother and was given a cord and kata for both their journeys. I may be criticized by being part of this but if someone tells me he will pray for my safe return every day and the health of my daughter and grandkid until they come, I will take the blessing and criticism.
Our journey to Pangboche is a new route where we pass through Rhododendron Forest. There are steep ledges with great vistas but unfortunately we had snow the entire route and visibility and footing was poor. Maybe a good thing you couldn’t see how far the fall was. The village is snow covered and Monastery met all expectations.
Day 6 Pangboche to Pheriche
Just a few hour walk to the town of Pheriche where we would spend another night. Adventure Consultants goes about acclimatizing very slowly. We also had a group of trekkers heading to basecamp for a night that would meet along the route and at many of the tea houses. Pheriche is also where I and Robin spent 4 days in treatment in 2016 and 2017 and every time I am in the area I stop by and give a donation 70% of their patients are villagers that are treated without cost.
Day 7 Pheriche Dingbche Pheriche
Right over the hill in Dingboche there is a French bakery that is famous for great coffee and cakes. Plan was to climb a 5000 ft peak between the two towns drop into the bakery and climb back to Pheriche. We made the summit weather got bad and had to return to Pheriche fitting it into our next day. My day to carry Ember (Trotty’s Koala)
Day 8 Pheriche to Chukhung
We climb the hill once more go to bakery end up at Chukhung about 4800m and where we would push to 5500 and 5600 m in the next two hard days
Day 9 Chukhung, Chukhung Ri, Chukhung
My second time here beautiful day beautiful mountain on the top looks the asteroid from the movie Armageddon.
Day 10 Chukhung, Kung Mu La Pass, Lobeche
This is another long day as we climb through a high pass bringing us to 5600m ending in the Kumba glacier that we have to navigate across to get to the town of Lobeche. We were tired when we get to the glacier and since it moves there were markers everywhere so we had to pick our way through it arriving in Lobeche in 10 hours.
This was the third day we got off the Yak trails and I saw something new and exciting.
Lesson to grandchild: Don’t stick to the same yak trail as everyone else. Make your own route, even though it may be more difficult. Life is about the journey, not the destination. We may never reach our destination so don’t miss out on the journey and what you may learn from a different path.