Langtang Trekking

Safely back in The Du after an excellent hike from Dulche to Chisopani via the lakes at Gosaikund. Although the first hiking day was shrouded in cloud, climatic conditions turned in our favour as we headed rapidly up to 3800m. The often desolate trail is steep and indeed very steep in parts with gradients of 70+ degrees. I had forgotten how undulating these Nepalese trails can be. he days varied from five to nine hours per day, and truly painful at times.

Just approaching the full moon, it shone down so brightly, one could see as if day, with long moonlight shadows reflected on the rough terrain.

frozen lake

Hitting 4300m and it was bottom numbingly freezing during the night. A dirty, thick blanket enrobed my 3 seasons sleeping bag where I lay awake, cold and motionless in 2 pairs of full body thermals, a Hard Rock Café, Bogotá sweatshirt, fleece neck-warmer, gloves and jacket, red pashmina scarf and topped off with my Bolivian llama wool hat.

With a local Full Moon festival being held in a neighbouring valley, the trails and remote settlements are almost entirely deserted. My guide, Sherpa Mungma, loved to sing loudly and tunelessly for long periods every day. He found no further favour for having a bad dose of wind for three days. Zed, the porter was a trooper and we enjoyed sharing a bottle of Bond´s Black Label and some varieties of fermented and distilled assorted vegetables to keep out the chill. I would recommend the radish in particular.

Zed - my quality porter and drinking bud

Apart from the ubiquitous dhal baat, the culinary highlights had to include fried Mars bar momos and fried Tibetan bread with Druk orange marmalade.

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I´m heading to the jungles of Chitwan tomorrow.