Day 7


Couldn’t eat my muesli at breakfast – I seemed to have lost my appetite but I knew I would need energy for the pass, so I resolved to try and eat a good lunch. Today was a shorter day’s walking so we set off later (8.30am) planning to arrive at Manang at about 3.30pm, after a leisurely stop for lunch.

The walk was easy this morning, and everyone was in good spirits, Nick was completely better and even David seemed well again. We walked out of Pisang below Pisang Peak and soon the valley became very barren. We stopped for lunch at Braga, flat topped houses in the Tibetan style and a large Gompa. We had lunch at a new lodge, the Buddha Hotel. Carole and I had spaghetti with mushroom and tomato – it was so heavily laced with garlic that you couldn’t taste anything else, but we forced it down. Pasang talked at length about the benefits of garlic on AMS, and said that for the next couple of days we must try and start our meals with garlic soup. Carole said that she didn’t like garlic and Pasang said, “well you must eat it.” She said nothing but I knew the expression well, I sensed rebellion in the ranks.

After lunch we all left the trail to look at the Exodus tree project, where a little money from every trek booked with Exodus UK is spent on a nursery for tree re-forestation. It was a sad affair I’m afraid. The baby conifers were in very poor condition, and didn’t appear to have been watered or cared for. The guy who was employed as nurseryman came out to show us round. The brutal truth is that he didn’t have a clue what he was doing. I don’t think he knew how to propagate the seeds properly and there was no-one to show him or help. In fairness it’s a new project and may improve with the passing of time. Also the altitude makes the seedlings grow very slowly.

Clive, who’s a good gardener, was very interested. It’s a pity he couldn’t stay for a few months, he would soon have it all sorted out.

Examining the 'Tree Nursery'

We walked on to Manang and the Hotel Tilicho. Our room had a loo attached (en-suite!) and there was a shower in the outside yard which was HOT. Sue was in it before we’d unpacked, and the rest of us queued to shower, one after another, in our first hot water since last Sunday. We’re staying here for two days to acclimatise, and I think that’s a good idea, we’re all a bit headachy.

Had a walk round Manang, found a Video Hall showing ‘Vertical Limits’ and a clean water station. We first came across these a couple of days ago, and use them all the time now, every village seems to have one. The water is ozonated, cool and clean tasting, much nicer than using Iodine tablets. Manang is like a wild west town, horses tied up to rails outside buildings, and dust blowing up the street. The mountains keep peeping through the clouds and there’s an incredible feeling of spaciousness and wildness that’s very hard to put into words. It affected us both, but especially Carole who felt quite emotional.

It’s cold tonight. I’m sat in two fleeces writing this, waiting to join the rest for dinner. It’s been raining for the last hour, and the rain has now turned to sleet. Everyday the same – I hope it isn’t too deep at Thorung-la. Perhaps it’s just the cold but I find myself starting to wonder if the hardships are outweighing the pleasures.