A Rest Day Climbing Gokyo Ri (Second blog today)

The kind of blog title that they call an oxymoron. But we are getting up later, breakfast at 7.30, and we will be climbing without rucksacks. A bit resty.

This satellite map shows this region.

The redline is the route from Renjo La pass yesterday down to Gokyo. The blue line is the route up to Gokyo Ri today, the most accessible of the local peaks and round about the same height as Renjo La. The grey mass in a broad sweep down the photo is the Ngozumba glacier. The green line is roughly the route we are taking tomorrow to Dragnag.

Today started brightly and yaks were wading in the lake.

We set off for Gokyo Ri, not a long route but a steep and high one. We were feeling so much better than yesterday and the going was easier.

Part way up the mountain our hardy Nepali lads decided to get a kip. How come the Gurkhas are one of the best fighting regiments in the world but two of its potential members can’t walk up a hill without a sleep?

The grass and vegetation petered out and we were scrambling up dirt and rocks higher up, which got even steeper.

Me and Dan kept a discipline of 50 steps and a standing break, with a sitting break every 200 steps. Much, much stronger than yesterday and we were soon near the top.

One more push and we cleared it, although the cloud had come up from the valleys and the view was limited!

We felt more for the mountain because we couldn’t see anything else! And we had a bit of a celebration, feeling uplifted by our efforts and making it up in three and a half hours.

It’s amazing that the only two pieces of detritus indicated my age.

The three musketeers.

And we secured a very quick return to Gokyo, where the lads played cards and I blogged.

Another great day on this fantastic trek.

Night night.