Our campground below Kang La summit. It was cold and dry when we went to bed.
But the next morning . . . we were shocked to wake up to snow. We got up early to hit the trail to the highest summit of our trek. Kang La at 18,031'.
Trudgin' our way through freshly fallen snow
It was a beautiful day to tackle the big pass
Angela and Leo at around 17,000'
Dawa taking a breather
Donkeys approaching the summit
Donkey jam at the summit. When you see the prayer flags, you know the summit is close.
Whoopee! Achieving the highest point in my life . . . Kang La at 18,031'. The mighty Annapurnas over my shoulder.
More views at the summit
Angela proudly hangs her prayer flags . . . a big accomplishment for her
Yikes! . . . the long descent to the bottom, a vertical drop of a mile over 4-5 miles
Awesome views of the Annapurna range . . . looking at 22 - 26,000+' mountains
Crossing the largest scree field of my life
Window on the World!
Waaay down there is our campground. Can you see the yellow tents?Click on pic for enlarged view
We camped in a yak pasture
Shama saddling up the donkeys
Dropping down into the valley and heading to Manang
A neat series of water powered prayer wheels . . . for perpetual good fortune
Another beautiful Himalayan day!
This stretch of the trail was simply beautiful
Looking back to the scree field we hiked down. Kang La summit lies in the dip in mountain.
A colorful chorten near Manang
Simply unbelievable! Two young women with a huge load.
The village of Manang, a major stop on the Annapurna Circuit. Plenty of guesthouses, restaurants, and shops.
A little storefront
Leaving Manang and heading to our next stop, a guesthouse in Kangshar. No camping tonight!
Hello there!Spotting blue sheep, a neat wildlife sighting
Village of Kangshar, where we spent the night at the New Yak Hotel
Fine doors at the New Yak Hotel
Our suite at the New Yak
The squat toilet and shower room . . . pretty lux after camping for 15 nights, heh!
Cheers Leo and Mike! Two witty guys from the UK added alot of levity to our group.
The dining room at the hotel
Crossing the river and heading to Thorung La Pass, our final big climb
More grand views
Camping with the yaks
We camped next to the main Annapurna Circuit and saw many trekkers and donkey trains go by
Scree and ice
The steeeep climb to Thorung La Base Camp
At Thorung La High Base Camp. At 16,253', the highest elevation I ever camped, and COLDEST!
A view of Base Camp from a mountain top.Click on pic to see our two yellow tents.
The final long slog to the summit. We started at 5 a.m.
There were a constant stream of trekkers heading to the summit
For $150, one can take a horse to the summit. Riders hiding their faces in shame.
I followed this porter to the summit . . . we were racin'! . . . Ha!
Langen (sherpa) and Shama (donkey driver) at the summit
Another major accomplishment. My second big summit at 17,872'.
Sue at the summit!
Another long descent to Muktanath . . . end is near.
Cheers!!End of the trail in Jomsom. What an incredible journey and adventure!
Tired and happy trekkers kickin' back in the hotel patio in Jomson
Jack lights up!Congratulations to all. An accomplishment of a lifetime.
"Pain exists to measure pleasure by" - A Tibetan Proverb
Next blog - Porters and Sherpas
Click on "Older Post"
1 comment:
Woweeeeeeeeeeeeee just finished all your posts on this amazing journey.
Wow..what a wonderful time it must have been...Some incredible sights and tough hikes. Good thing you had sherpas!
Hope all is well..
Jeff and I are in NC at my sisters for a few months.
Hugs..
Post a Comment