Only boots find the sublime - Gokyo to Thangnak

Today I went for a walk
Gokyo - Thangnak

Cloudy night overnight with no sightings of Venus.....
Still overcast at our 5.15 am wake-up call.
This morning's adventure was to summit Gokyo Ri (5357 metres) for "excellent" views of Everest at sunrise, all before breakfast!

We were on the track by 5.30. The clouds were very low and we couldn't see the other side of the lake. We were hopeful that the clouds would clear.
Our slow but steady 600 metre ascent took 2 hours. On the way up, we encountered some fellow trekkers descending who had got up and started at 4 am. They confirmed that the summit was shrouded in clouds and they managed a 30 second glimpse of Everest just after sunrise before the clouds closed in again.  I was seriously contemplating aborting the rest of the climb.
Jack was keen to continue, so we persevered and reached the summit at 7.30.
No views at all, and very windy and cold.
We took some photos and waited for 30 minutes, hoping in vain for the clouds to lift.
For the second time this trek, we had no views at one of the best vantage points.
I was bitterly disappointed and felt quite defeated.

Gokyo Ri summit - the first time!

The A Team

Still smiling - just!

We left the summit, despondent.
About a third of the way down, we stopped for another photo opportunity when the clouds appeared to be lifting.
Was it our imagination?
No, more of the lake came into view and the clouds were visibly moving heavenwards - it was like witnessing a miracle!

Jack was determined to turn around and head back to the summit. Ram agreed that it was a fairly good bet that we would see Everest, so we turned around and climbed back up!

When we reached the summit for the second time, we were rewarded with 360 degree panoramic views with all the peaks bathed in sunshine. The summit of Everest is about 18 kms away as the crow flies. What a magnificent sight! I felt privileged that I was gazing upon the summit of the highest mountain in the world.
Absolutely stunning and worth the extra effort
There are some moments in your life that take your breath away, this was one of them!
Little Miss Sunshine felt like she was on top of the world!

Gokyo Ri summit - the second time!

Yep, and that's Mt Everest!

Up close and personal with Mt Everest

Mt Everest to the left (background) , Lhotse to the right (foreground)

And looking back to Renjo La Pass where we crossed over two days ago!

Renjo La Pass on the far right of the horizon

We savoured the moment and took lots of photos, then descended for the second time, reluctantly!

This was to be the turning point of the trek. Today and the next three days were definitely my highlights, with perfect weather and sublime views.

What a difference an hour can make!
It just shows how quickly the weather can change in the mountains, both for the good or the bad.

Back to Gokyo for late breakfast, early lunch.
Packed up and on the trail again at 1pm.

This afternoon's adventure? Let's hike across a glacier!
There are two routes to Thangnak - the lakeside route, or the glacier route.
The weather conditions usually dictate which path is taken. Ram had heard on the mountain telegraph from fellow Sherpa guide colleagues that the glacier was safe to cross.

The Ngozumpa glacier has many hazards, glacial lakes and scree slopes. The glaciers are living, almost breathing creatures, with rockfalls, slips, even avalanches a real and ever-present danger.
And there was barely even a track to follow.
I readily admit to being quite apprehensive and frightened as we negotiated the crossing.
When we stopped for photos and Ram advised us to keep it short and keep moving because of the danger of rock falls, I realised that it was now I should be checking the finer details of my travel insurance.
It was an amazing experience, but I was extremely relieved once we completed the traverse.

This photo from this morning's adventure shows the Ngozumpa Glacier in the left background.
Our afternoon route went from Gokyo, located on the lake, heading along the lake towards where it narrows,
then take a left hand turn, go over the hill and onto the glacier.
Cross the glacier, avoiding the lakes in the distance (left of  centre background)
until you reach the other side.....
Easy!

A faint trail on the slippery scree slope

Yay! Made it across!

The last hour of the hike took us into the upper reaches of the Gokyo Valley and we arrived at Thangnak at 3 pm. Our lodge had wi-fi access, so we took the opportunity to post a few photos.

Refuelled with more dhal bhatt for dinner. I am really enjoying my food now, even if it is vegetarian!
The menu at each lodge is fairly predictable.
Dinner usually needs to be ordered by 4 pm each day, with the choice of serving time restricted to between 6 - 7.30 pm.
Breakfast needs to be ordered the night before, so the menu comes out again, just after you have finished eating dinner. You don't always like to be thinking about what you want to be eating the following morning on a full stomach, but this is one of the golden rules at the lodges.
Now that we had been trekking for a week, we had well and truly settled into the routine.

We rested, conserving our energy in readiness to tackle the second high pass of the trek,
Cho La Pass tomorrow.
Walk high, sleep low!