A hurdled trek
(part III)

 

A young porter, carrying a heavy load of food and geysers, effortlessly runs past us in the long climb to Kudi, where the permit checkpoint turns out to be closed. All of us seem to walk somewhat easier today. Due to yesterday’s rum…

Past waterfalls, over rapids and through soaking forests we mount high above the Modi Khola Valley, then dive into a bamboo forest alternated with rhododendron trees. Verdited flycatchers and brightly coloured sunbirds sometimes show themselves and give occasional concerts. At twelve o’clock we already have reached Doban, in the midst of the first snowfields. Nepal’s national bird (Danfe or Himalayan Monal), a nine-coloured pheasant, hops out of sight and we relish the soup and pancakes.

Today we might reach the village of Himalaya, from where it is just half a day of climbing to MBC. We are positive: the sun is shining and there are virtually no clouds to be seen. The weather seems to have changed, so we continue. The muddy path meanders through the ultimate forests on the mountain slopes, where more and more snowfields appear. We climb over bumpy remnants of an avalanche. Peter cuts two bamboo sticks, to finally complete his outfit. Two local women approach us from the opposite direction, both of them carrying a cubic metre of grass and leaves on their backs. A toddler happily waves at us, sitting high on one of the green bales.
Tired we reach Himalaya (2.900 metres) at the end of the afternoon. The sun has already set here and it gets cold very fast. A kerosene stove under the table and heaps of hot food on top of it make that we slowly recover. A game of dice quickly changes into a game of nodding…

“Good heaven, this is too much, is this really necessary?”
It’s a quarter to five in the morning and the alarm clock goes off. Yesterday evening it was Peter’s own choice, now at the moment supreme he doubts his rational capabilities a few hours back.
Breakfast is too late because the kitchen staff has overslept, that’s why we only leave at half past six. We have decided to have an early start, to be able to pass the avalanche area in the time before the sun beams reach the snow mass.
Over a narrow track just two feet wide we walk through the snow from now on. Mounting is difficult because of the soft underground. After a short break at the Hinku Cave at 3.100 metres we reach Deorali in one go. The village is situated one hundred metres above the cave and to reach it we have to cross a ravine and an avalanche danger area. We survive.

We don’t allow ourselves a break in Deorali and go on. Every step makes a crackling sound on the still frozen ground. We descend into an enormous snow valley, cross the Modi Khola River to avoid the avalanches of the western flank of the valley and climb step for step up the snow layers that become thicker the more we ascend. In the early morning light the views of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna III are unequalled. The sky is bright blue and behind us mysterious patches of fog float through the already conquered valley. The vegetation diminishes; trees make way for hardy shrubs that plaintively bend to the ground, burdened by the heavy load of snow.
Then the sun reaches the valley and within ten minutes we feel the change: the snow becomes sticky and we sink further and further into the soft subsoil. To save time we eat some cookies and muesli bars whilst walking. The valley becomes narrower all the time and behind us we hear the first rumbling of a small avalanche. The others walk in their own speed, I stay with Mirjam to support her in the last hundreds of metres. Breathing becomes more difficult, we have reached an altitude where every excessive exercise is punished by the low oxygen pressure. The last dozens of metres to MBC are very hard because of the enormous percentage of the climb. With a lot of effort and heavy panting we reach the top one by one. The snow reaches the roof of our hotel; the staff is digging it away bit by bit. We devour freshly baked apple rolls. Gert and Peter decide to reconnoitre part of the route towards ABC, whilst Sylvia and Mirjam order a bucket of hot water for a well deserved wash.
The route to ABC is almost impassable in the afternoon and Gert returns quite fast. Peter pushes on a little bit more, but keeps sliding off the slippery path and regularly falls into invisible holes. When he sinks unto his waist into the snow and really has to wrestle to escape from the hole he also returns.

Taking a break on a snow crest a redheaded rose finch joins him, not paying him any attention. Together they look out over the immense mountain range all around them: Annapurna I (8.091 metres), Annapurna South (7.273 metres), Fang (7.647 metres), Annapurna III (7.555 metres), Gangapurna (7.454 metres), Hianchuli (6.441 metres) and of course Machhapuchhre (6.997 metres). Seven giants in just a few kilometres distance. Peter’s small red friend decides to honour one of the peaks, all of which are out of Peter’s reach, with a visit. Then he returns to MBC, which is quite high as well at 3.720 metres.