The elevation after Manang limits hiking distances. It is unwise to sleep more than 500m higher than the previous night, or risk the potential of getting AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Most only get a headache sick to the stomach or lose a bit of sleep, but some can get more serious conditions like blood clots in the brain or bloody lungs, which can potentially kill. At the most minor, ti is very unpleasant, and make hiking difficult, so most go slow. High camp was 600m higher, but we'd already spent enough days at 4000m for it not to be too much of a risk. We only walked 7km, but they were tough. The last hour, only 2km, climbed nearly 500m straight up. It was the first third of the Thorung La.
The walk was cold and not very scenic due to the clouds. Light snow fell off and on. There was no sun for warmth. The climb kept me heated enough. After a seemingly endless pull, passed giant rocky outcroppings in the snow, we saw the high camp. The last half kilometer was the worst; the end was in sight, but it was a long steep uphill climb. Trekkers creeped up like zombies, one slow step at a time to the hotel.
Once there, we met up with Mark, Mark, and Mike, who raced ahead of us the previous day. Mark, the Australian, had an unfortunately incident. Somebody had stolen his shoes the night before at Thorung Phedi at the foot of the pass. He had to cross the Thorung La was his feet in sandals, wrapped with two pairs of socks and a shopping bag duct taped to his calves. It was a cold snowy trail. I believe that there is a special reincarnation for the porter who would steal somebody's shoes at 5000m above sea level with sub-zero temperatures. Mark survived the ordeal according to the others who I met a week later.
I froze while I drank a whole pot of tea. Rationing out the cups, the water in the thermos was cool by the time I finished. Just when I was about to order another overpriced pot, the clouds broke and sun raised the temperature above zero instantly. We climbed up the ridge behind the hotel and let the wind whip us as we waited for the swirling clouds to release the rocky peak of Yakwakang. To the other side, we could see, long the depths below, the dry river bed from which we climbed that morning.
Late into the day, porters came over the pass coming the hard way, from Muktinath. Most had mule trains, but some carried the weight solo. This whole area in inaccessable to roads, to most of the goods for the hotels are brought in by porters and mules. The porters are incredible, supplying most of the outside for the mountain villages. Some carry up to 70lb up mountains. I've seen porters carrying packages bigger than themselves. They always bear the weight by a strap across their forehead; their necks and upper backs doing most of the work. This doesn't look too comfortable, but most seem ok. The porter business, though lucrative is quite terrible. Many are failed gurkhas or uneducated residents who couldn't find any better work to do. The Sherpa people have a union for their famous porters, limiting the maximum weight and regulating pay a bit, but most are ununionized. They often overload themselves, since they can make more money, but they destroy their bodies quickly. Many get injured from overloading or just simply tripping, putting them out of work for the rest of their lives. Most die quite young, primarily from carrying so much weight, but not eating enough to properly nourished. The plight of the porters is a major problem in Nepal right now. They do all this for nary a couple dollars a day. Hopefully, the entire industry will unionize like the Sherpas, and this profession can be more than just a death sentence.
I was quite glad myself that I was not a porter and didn't have to climb the whole pass that day. I was able to stay and the high camp to make it a little easier to finish the pass the next day. It proved to be the coldest night of the trek, as one would expect at 5000m. The weather drove us to bed at 7:00, which was well enough since we had a 4:45 alarm the next morning. I ordered a hot water bottle, but my feet still froze for the first hours under the blankets and the sleeping bag. Tomorrow was the test. Tomorrow I would climb the Thorung La.
No comments:
Post a Comment