Nepal - Day 50 - Trekking Day 7 - Puiyan to Phakding

Puiyan to Phakding

Cool  & Cloudy, cleared later on

WE set off about 8:30am (quite good for us) having squared the bill and bought biscuits for the walk.  It was quite a steep ascent at first to a ridge at 2,800m and then another higher one from which we could see Lukla and its steeply sloping runway.  It looked a very frightening airport and I was now dreading our return flight booked for 11th November.

It was cold as you hit the ridges and occasional spots of rain fell as we descended to the small village of Surke at 2,293m.  Fearing it may rain later, we plodded on going back up hill, but now as high as Lukla, instead following the path around and below the town until we got to the town of Chaunrikharka.  It took a little while but eventually we found a place for daal-baht at the Oriental lodge.  It was a very simple place with a couple of tiny old folks and their two beautiful granddaughters (so we guessed).  While the food was prepared Damian and I played with two young lads outside.  The skies cleared a little and we could see a range of mountains to the east which studying the map we thought would be from Tashing Dingma (5,303m) north to Zair Pass (4,580m) and Gonglha (5,833m).  These hulks of black rock were covered with a powdering of snow.

AS we carried on after lunch we could see the impressive pyramid peak of Karyolung (6,681m) and further up the valley (6,858m) again both covered in snow.  We were getting excited to be getting among the big mountains now, and we got better views of them as we carried on up the valley passing through the village of ghat and onto Phakding which we arrived at around 4:30pm.

While the views became ever better, the character of the trail worsened.  Many people fly into Lukla to save on over a week of their trip walking up as we had done.  They were easy to spot in their clean, expensive clothes, shaven faces and most with ski poles to aid walking.  The average age of trekkers also doubled and the range of nationalities became much more international.  I guess we were somewhat resentful that it had changed from backpackers hiking along to a larger commercial enterprise with tourists.

We stayed at Kumba Travellers Lodge.  We were scold on this place by the promise of a heated dining room, advertisements of electricity (which failed soon after dark as they were solar powered and there had been little sun of late), and the promise of hot water brought to your room in the morning (which never arrived)!

However, it was a cosy place none-the-less and the owners were friendly.  Their kids were a pain, but the food was good with their apple pie even having cinnamon in it - a nice touch and rare treat.

We spent the evening talking to the owner on the subject of the many porters who carry goods up and down the route.  He told us they carry as much as 85kg using a strap across their forehead, but the pay is still not good and they barely have enough for food and other necessities.

The sky was crystal clear again as we went to bed, but that meant it was very cold as you climbed into your sleeping bag.