Ice Lake

Friday 21st October – The Incredible Shrinking Man (Chame to Lower Pisang, 14.5km, 3250m)

It was a cold night with the temperature dropping down to zero degrees. We were up at 6:30 and had a great view of the Annapurna Mountain range. After settling our bill which cost RS1500 each we hit the trail at 8:00. We soon passed our Indian friends from Calcutta who are quite slow but they push on regardless. After crossing the bridge you can turn left which leads to a hot spring on the right bank. We needed to turn left and walk through a pine forest. It is a bit of a conservation issue as a lot of trees are being felled to feed the needs of we selfish trekkers. The trees are used in the construction of new lodges and as fuel for cooking. After about an hour we caught up with a young Israeli guy whom James has nicknamed “Speedie”, I wonder why?

Altitude is affecting us today as we are blowing harder on the uphill stretches. Every so often the wind blows the clouds off the mountain peaks and we are rewarded with great views of the snow capped Himalayas. James isn’t sweating as much today as the weather is quite cool. With the amount of sweat he is losing I think he has already dropped about 5kg. The sun is out but we had to wait until we exited the forest to reap the benefits of its warming rays. As we approached Bhratang there were large orchards of apples which were immune from a Gould attack due to a large wooden fence and the threat of a RS5000 fine. Ah well! We had just finished a steep uphill climb when we came to a couple of makeshift restaurants. I couldn’t resist trying a vegetable samosa for RS50. It had just the right amount of spice and was so good that I bought two more for our porters. Our elevation is a little over 3000m and even the small slopes are impacting on our breathing. There were a few large groups taking an early lunch but we kicked on as it was only another 45 minutes to Lower Pisang. James and I took our time and we arrived at the Utse Hotel just before 13:00.

It was difficult to get the room price down as our porters had already deposited our bags in a room. We did manage to reduce the price to RS200 each for a double. James ended up in a queen size bed. For lunch we feasted on noodle soup which was far better than yesterday’s fare. Afterwards it was off to the safe water station for five litres of water (RS50 litre). This is a great option as it means less plastic to dispose of and a substantial saving on bottled water. As the sun was out it was a great opportunity to wash the socks and jocks. There is a large group of 13 checking-in later so it was time for an early shower. It was piping hot with plenty of water pressure. Afterwards I was lucky enough to speak with Jem in Berlin and then Alice and Telissa. Bob was not interested in talking.

I spotted our German friend Helge and he is now seconded in the lodge with us. It turns out that his guide is the brother in-law of our porter Tika. We have taken possession of a table that has a power point and will not give it up until after our wood fired pizza dinner. We are living like kings. I have also taken to writing the diary by hand as my old netbook suffers from Acute Mountain Sickness. It just cannot handle anything above 3000m or the cold.

Saturday 22nd October – You Take the Low Road and I’ll Take the High Road (Lower Pisang to Bragha – 18.5km, 3450m)

Today James and I are parting ways as he is sick of me racing ahead. No, the reason is, he will take the lower trail as there is less impact on the knees. I will take the high trail or a better name would be Heartbreak Ridge. The bad weather that is supposed to eventuate looks like a furphy. There is not a cloud in the sky and the mountains are just amazing. I set off at 7:40  and took the high trail towards Ghyaru. The trail from Lower Pisang and Higher Pisang intersected at a crystal clear shallow lake that had a prayer flag stretched across it. After crossing a sway bridge the trail ascended steeply on a series of switchbacks. The higher we go the more difficult it is to catch your breath and after ascending over 400m  I was gasping. At last I reached Ghyaru (3670m) and from the view point was rewarded with a magnificent panorama of the Annapurna’s.

After taking a plethora of photos I took off for Ngawal (3660m). The trail stayed high and passed a ruined dzong. On the 30 minute leg saving descent towards Ngawal I passed a small herd of grazing yak. A little further on there was fresh looking Yak head on the pathway of a restaurant. It was time for a 20 minute break to give my legs rest. It was also an opportunity to have a cup of tea and munch on a granola bar. At this stage I had been walking for 3.5 hours.

Shortly after leaving the village I came to a fork in the road with no destination signage. One trail led up and the other down. I reasoned that I had done enough climbing for the day and chose the down trail. It turned out to be the right choice as after a few hundred metres I spotted a red arrow pointing the way ahead. The trail headed down to Portichhe Village and a boarding school. There was a TIMS checkpoint in the middle of nowhere and after giving the police officer a jelly bean he advised me that Manang was about 1hr 40mins away. After some quick head maths I calculated my arrival time for Bragha to be around 13:10. About 25 minutes later I hit the valley floor at Mungji (3500m) and stopped for a glass of Seabuckthorn Juice. This tiny orange berry once crushed produces a tasty drink with a vitamin content said to be higher than any other berry or vegetable. It was a very refreshing drink.The valley around Bragha is very arid, dominated by dramatic eroded cliffs and the towering heights of the Annapurnas. To my surprise I arrived Bragha at 13:10 a mere 5.5 hours of travelling.

I had to walk through the village to find James and the porters. On spec I stuck my head into the Himalayan Hotel and asked if a big man and two porters were staying here. My luck must be in as they answered in the affirmative. I have a nice double room for RS100 and there is solar hot water. After a late lunch of veg noodle soup it was into the shower to wash away the dust. For dinner tonight I couldn’t go past the Pepper Yak Steak.

Sunday 23rd October – Acclimatization Day (The Ice Lake, 4600m)

After a hearty breakfast James and I were off to tackle the Ice Lake. The idea of an acclimatization day is to go high and then return to a lower level to sleep thus minimizing the possibility of suffering Acute Mountain Sickness. The Ice Lake fits the bill as it is a whopping 1200m higher than our accommodation.  The Ice Lake is said to be the toughest and most spectacular excursion, a relentless four-hour climb that gains over 1000m to reveal staggering Annapurna views. The clearest trail leads diagonally up the hillside behind Bragha, zigzagging up to the top of a ridge. We headed past the Gompa and traversed a series of switchbacks to a chorten which was about 400m up from the valley floor. I was a little in front of James but when he reached the first chorten he was suffering from a bad headache. After resting he wisely returned to the hotel to recuperate. Our porter Krishna was very attentive and stayed with him. Tika and I continued our journey into the heavens and as it was another outstanding day the panorama was mind blowing. The higher we went the more peaks were revealed. Bragha on the valley floor looked like an insignificant speck. After 2.25 hours my eyes lit up when a teahouse came into my line of vision. At 4200m it was a real bonus to sit down and have a cup of tea. A young Swedish girl whom I lunched with yesterday called me her hero. I guess old guys who go walking in the hills rule. Ha ha!

There was still another 400m to traverse and my steps were getting shorter. I was blowing like a 70 year old who had smoked a pack and a half a day all their life. The last 500m flattened out but I was still doing a good impersonation of Hootie and the Blowfish. The Ice Lake is actually the second of two lakes. The first lake was almost dry but it was still worth a photograph. It was only a short walk to the Ice Lake and it looked magnificent with the sun glistening on the milky blue water. Tika and I wandered over to the far side of the lake where we relaxed and feasted on some boiled eggs and chapatti. I managed to stick my hand in the lake and obviously the water was bracing. A Himalayan plunge was definitely out of the question. For about 270 degrees there were superb views. of snow-capped peaks. I was in awe of God’s handiwork.

Reluctantly after an hour we needed to start heading down. No Hootie and the Blowfish on the way down but the quads really had a workout. We stopped for another cup of tea (RS80) and were joined by my Swedish admirer and her trekking partner for the day who was from Finland. It was taking about 30 minutes to descend about 400m. I stopped at the Gompa which is perched on a high crag overlooking the medieval village. It is the largest in the district and has an outstanding collection of statues, thangkas and manuscripts estimated to be 500 years old. Most of the village’s 200 houses are stacked one atop the other, each with an open verandah formed by a neighbour’s rooftop. I only had time for a few photographs so I hightailed it back to the hotel. Dusty Dave arrived at 15:15 and headed straight for the shower. All up the trip took 6.25 hours with about 5 hours of walking. It was definitely worth the effort.

The good news is that James is feeling better and his headache is no more. We look forward to enjoying a good dinner together with some witty repartee.