Here is the exciting conclusion to week 2.
It was a gradual ascent to Chukkung at 4750m and a really nice walk with Ama Dablam on my right constantly smiling down at me. Maybe not smiling. I stayed at a lodge recommended to me by two Israelis back in Namche Bazaar. It was only around 10AM when I arrived so I decided to wash some dirty clothes of mine. Afterwards, I had a cup of tea then went for a walk up the valley.
I had a bowl of potato soup when I returned to the lodge. There were four other tourists staying in the same lodge. They were all quite nice but I didn't talk to any of them much. I hope they didn't take it personally. I just didn't feel like being social.
A light snow came down in the afternoon and made me think of what it might be like being stranded on one of the passes I would be crossing in the next week. What fun that would be. Definitely a character building experience.
One thing I've really enjoyed about trekking the past few weeks has been the peace and quiet in the lodges, something that was impossible on this day. It made me really look forward to trekking in India where I've heard it's possible to go two weeks without seeing another tourist. To me the mountains and socializing don't go well together. At least not socializing with fellow westerners. I sound like a jerk don't I. On vacation in the Himalaya and I still find things to bicker about.
Like most days, the next morning I woke up around 5:30AM. Almost every morning of this trek has been clear and beautiful. This morning was no different, at least until around 7AM when a thick fog appeared out of nowhere. Visibility was limited to about 50 ft. This was a small dissapointment because I had planned on hiking up to Chukkung Ri this morning.
I briefly contemplated waiting til things cleared up, but instead went up through the fog hoping it would clear up by the time I reached the top of the peak. It took about 2 hours to reach the top at 5550m For much of the way up the clouds remained and would only allow brief glimpses of the surrounding mountains. The thick fog and light blanket of snow that fell the night before gave everything a very unique out of this world feel.
By the time I made it to the summit, visibility had gotten a bit better, but not much. I stayed up there for almost an hour hoping for a break in the cloud cover but never got it. It was still fun sitting up there listening to distant rock slides and glacier movement. Of course, about 30 minutes after I began down the weather improved and blue sky soon dominated the sky. That's the way it goes sometimes.
The walk down was short and easy. Overall, I was surprised by how easy the whole hike was. I got a little out of breath on the way up, but felt good the whole way. It made me feel a little less dread for the next day when I would be trekking up to about the same altitude, but would have the added difficulty of carrying along my bag.
The rest of the day was divided into eating, reading, sleeping, some more walking, and lots of soaking in the beautiful surroundings. Chukkung was a great place to spend two nights. It's also the most convenient place to stay before crossing the Kongma La pass. My task for the next day.
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