Colours – Trekking from Basecamp to Marshun

29. September 2024

 

4.400 m -> 4.800 m -> 5.135 m -> 3.950 m / 10 hiking hours / 16 km

 

 

On this day, I had to cross 2 mountain passes and cover many kilometres. I was a bit scared of this and made sure I set off nice and early. Although I found it cold, but not super cold, I was surprised to see that the moisture around it was frozen.

 

 

It was really weird with the plants, they all had white stuff that looked like fabric/trash. But it was ice!

 

 

I had borrowed poles, actually for river crossings (but there were none), but then found them quite comfortable for the steeper ups and downs. However, I hadn’t realised that you hold them with your hands and that it’s better to wear gloves when it’s cold. I didn’t have any with me -> and my hands were cold. But otherwise it went pretty well. Stomping uphill, gaining height, feeling my muscles, breathing in the morning air: great!

 

 

 

And then 1. the sun was reached (and my hands were happy again)

 

 

and 2. the first pass, at 4,815 metres not quite as high.

 

 

 

I think passes are great – I’m always super excited to see what kind of look is hidden behind them. This one was great. Looking back, you can only see mountains, but you know that at least the village of Shadey is behind them. Looking forwards, it looked like there was nowhere for people to be.

 

 

 

I only saw the horses from behind and then only again at the camp. There was no water anywhere and some difficult walking, which Lobzang wanted to cover quickly.

 

 

The path first led over this kind of high plateau and then round the corner, first over a ridge and then up a valley. There were lots of great views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an overwhelming landscape, in which I felt like a particularly small dot. And then the trail stretched on to the 2nd pass. There you can see it, actually very close. But it kept going into the folds and then the slopes were sometimes quite steep and the path so narrow that my heart wasn’t so light. Despite this truly marvellous landscape.

 

 

 

And then it was finally reached, the 5,150 metre-high Gotunda-la.

 

 

 

I was happy and glad and thought that all I had to do now was descend the more than 1,000 metres in altitude, but no way! After 1/3, a slope on the opposite side appeared and we went up again. And down. And up. And down. And up. The demotivation quickly took hold of my body and my legs felt like muscle-less pudding. The sheer lack of alternatives dragged me on and on.

 

 

And then a surprise! It would be beautiful again! What mountain/rock formations!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like a mountain with pimples. Then I put the camera away and continued down and down and down through a kind of gorge. And when it opened up: Lobzang’s tent! The 3 little horses! My tent! He had already put it up. So sweet!

 

So very proud and happy to have made it, I sank onto the mat. Then Lobzang wanted to give me a special treat and had cooked rice pudding for dinner. Sweet. Nothing else (except the packet soup). No vegetables. I have to admit: I was disappointed. And tried to swallow it.

 

After all, the day had made me rich. Not just with my own struggles, but with this insane wealth of colours and shapes of dry rock. And this sheer endlessness of mountain folds. What a landscape!