Wednesday 19th October – Oops Wrong Way (Chamche to Danaqyu 16km – 2200m)
We had been asleep for about an hour when the Nepali porters, not ours, who were staying on our floor decided to have a rambunctious party. The cacophony of noise was unbearable and at one stage I yelled at them to shut up I must have fallen asleep soon after as in the end I had a decent amount of shuteye. James wasn’t so lucky as his room was directly opposite. They were talking loudly, smoking and playing Tibetan music on their mobile phones. James only managed a few hours sleep. After breakfast on our balcony we were ready to depart at 8:15.
Our next stop was Tal and as we strode purposely off we passed a jeep on our right side. We continued to follow the road uphill and after about thirty minutes we glanced across the river and saw trekkers on the opposite bank. In a moment of clarity it dawned on us that we had missed the trailhead. Damn that parked jeep as it must have blocked our vision of the trail. It wasn’t all bad as we had the same views and saw some Himalayan lizards basking in the sun. The irony was that our porters were on the trail and they spotted us high above them. Again there were plenty of waterfalls to see with great views of the river and rugged terrain. To reach Tal we had to scramble down a goat track and then cross a new vehicle bridge. It was a short walk into the village and we stopped to fill our water bottles (40 rupees) at the safe water station.
Just as we were about to leave I made a sudden movement to my right which resulted in a stabbing pain to my head. I gingerly sat down as this sort of pain for me can lead to a migraine. Instead of a stop for a quick drink of water we found a restaurant where I could sit and try to relax. James is always great in this situation and helped me by applying pressure to the muscles in my right shoulder. Our 5 minute break had turned into nearly one hour.
I was still feeling a bit fragile when we set out so we set a slow pace for the haul up to Dharapani. This time we did follow the trail until we came to a suspension bridge which we had to cross. This meant that we had to follow the road as far as Karte. You can leave the road here and follow the old trail but given the way I was feeling we plodded upwards to the TIMS checkpoint at Dharapani. By the time we had registered Tika and Khrishna had arrived. It was nearly 14:00 and by the look on their faces we could see that they were fanging for some Dal Baat. We chose the Kangaroo Hotel for this festive occasion and decided on a vegetable noodle soup with garlic.
By 14:30 James and I were ready to plow on so we left the boys to their feasting. They know how to put it away. It was a steady uphill climb and like the earlier sections there are signposts that suggest some interesting diversions off the trail. If you had a 30 day itinerary and weren’t fixated on making the next village then you would be rewarded with a more fulfilling trek. About 30 minutes later we passed through the small village of Bargachap. I was slightly ahead of James and sat down to wait for him. He was taking his time I thought and then I saw him trudging up the hill with a scowl or a wry smile on his face. James had accidently taken a paved path and got to see most of Bargachap’s sprawling metropolis. Another quick drink and we were on our way again. Before we knew we had reached the outskirts of today’s final destination, Danaqyu.
There was a safe water station with the Tibetan Hotel directly opposite. The owner was keen for us to stay but we said that we would look at some of the other hotels further up the road. He asked us what we had paid for a room last night and we said zero. As quick as a flash he met that rate which meant that we had to look at a room. We demanded a room each and he acquiesced. On inspection the rooms were comfortable with plenty of space and included a power point so we can charge our electrical devices. There was a gas shower which to James disappointment failed to live up to expectations. There is once again wi-fi so we both managed a good chat with our loved ones. I chose the solar hot water and had a reasonable shower. James did some more doctoring on my shoulder before we adjourned for dinner. There is a strong wind chill factor and it is very cold as I sit here in the dining room writing this tome. It is only my puffer jacket and speedy fingers keeping me warm at the moment. So without further adieu I am off to the warmth of my sleeping bag.
Thursday 20th October – Up and Down, Up and Down (Danaqyu to Chame, 12km – 2710m)
It was another cold night but we both managed a good night’s sleep. By 7:00am it was warm enough to enjoy breakfast in the courtyard. Whilst we were eating there were plenty of early trekkers marching past. In fact when we took off at 7:50 there was no one left at our lodge. The first section wasn’t too difficult as we followed the road steadily upwards for about 30 minutes. The real fun began when we hit the old trail which was a steep climb up and old staircase and a rutted track. On this section we passed a couple of groups who were finding the going pretty tough. After about an hour and 15 minutes of sweat and heart quickening trekking the lower section of Timchi Village was in sight. We took a ten minute break here before slogging uphill yet again to reach the higher section of the village.
The scenery along this section is breathtaking and the clouds that cling to the peaks lend the mountains an air of mystery. The clouds are setting in and the wind is picking up which is making it a lot cooler. After following the road for a while we saw a sign that pointed to the old trekking and a conflicting sign that indicated the road. In the end we opted for the trail because after all it is a trek and we are men. The trail was excellent and interesting with a crossing of a suspension bridge at the bottom to top it off. We then entered a world of pain as we clawed our way up the slope and into the village of Thanchowk. We told our porters that we would meet them for lunch here but seeing it was only 10:45 we decided to push on. Quite a few trekkers had taken the road option which basically was cut into the side of the mountain and thus saved then from the punishment that James and I suffered.
We saw an old pine log on the side of the road so we thought this was the ideal place for a smoko break. The view was great but the peanut muesli bar was better. With our break over we struck out for Chame which I thought was four hours away but it turned out to be 45 minutes. At midday we arrived in the new section of Chame. We could have continued on for another 20 minutes to the old section but James struck a deal with the owner of the Kangla Inn Guesthouse. No free room tonight but we have two doubles for 100 rupee each. Once again there is Wi-Fi, charging points in the room, and the promise of hot water. It feels like we are glamping and not trekking.
After a protracted lunch it was time to brave the shower so I could get into some warmer clothes. The shower did not have much pressure but the piping hot water more than compensated for it. The bathroom even comes equipped with a very modern toilet cistern. James and I after a Dal Bhatt will surely punish that. With the access to Wi-Fi we decided to check the weather for the villages in front of us. Manang which we will reach in two days time is expecting a negative temperature during the day and dropping down to minus 10 degrees during the night. Afternoon rain is also expected. Well at least we know what we are heading into. Oy vey! That is enough rambling for today.
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