Jagat to Dharapani – Running up that Hill (no problem)

These aren’t hills, these are monsters. We haven’t seen the half of it yet, but enough to know that these are the behemoth of the mountain race. The Beginning of the Roof of the World. But it’s not one of those ‘I can’t believe that I’m here’ feelings. It’s normality in a fantastic place. 

Asleep last night by 8.30pm and awake at 5.30am. One pee and no other disturbances. Omelette and Tibetan bread for breakfast, Jet had porridge again, and off by 8am. It takes a while to repack the rucksacks and get everything ship shape.

Jagat is above the river, a river we are following from the start all the way up to Thorong La pass, the highest pass in the world, on day 13 or 14. Not sure. 

But it’s day 3 now and we’re on our way down to the river, over another modern footbridge and then up the opposite bank on narrow footpaths for 7 hours up to Dharapani. Before we got to the footbridge I posed with Sulis and Prem against a background of a huge waterfall.

And then the bridge.

The climb up was steep and getting hot, although we were getting up around 6,000 feet so we were expecting things to cool down.  Unfortunately I had a soreness on my Achilles which, all of a sudden, turned into a tearing pain from my heel to halfway up my calf. Now, like baston we’re going to have to use another word for something else. Let’s call it ‘frick’ as any fan of Gold Rush on the Quest Channel would be familiar with. Anyway it frickin hurt and I shouted in pain. Luckily I could still walk with a hobble and we weren’t far from a tea house where we got some water and a decent surface to strap up my lower right leg and be administered Ibuprofen by Jet. Not good but not bad. I could still walk if I took it slowly and the pain was easing. 

After 43 years of playing football, and lots of trekking since retirement, this was the first leg injury I’ve ever had. Broken toes and damaged feet, broken ribs and leg cuts and bruises, concussion and chipped vertebra, yes, but no leg injuries. Frickin old baston!

And after a mile or so further uphill we came across a natural painkiller. 

Marijuana grows wildly and freely in this area. It wouldn’t last very long in Roundhay Park.

A final climb before lunch took us to a view point looking back down the steep sided valley.

And, climbing forward, to a nick point, which the river came roaring and bubbling over, and beside which we entered a valley through this gate.

Suddenly the world changed to an old lake bed, flat as a pancake for a mile or two, and the path went on to the village where we were to have lunch.

Fed, ready and off.

The view back down the old lake bed towards the village was beautiful. 

The path was difficult in places. There were sheer drops at the side into raging torrents and there were strong streams cutting across which had to be forded on stepping stones over the edge of the waterfall. Eventually we crossed back over the river and high above a valley cutting down towards us, was a bridge hanging over a 600 foot drop. Glad we didn’t have to cross it!

Dharapani!

And this is our little house – 104!

A good shower, a good meal and early night. Perffick. 

Night night.