Day Five - Acclimatisation day, Manang (3540m) to Tilicho Base Camp (4200m)

25th September, 2014

"One shouldn't sleep more than 300-500m above the previous night in order to minimise the risk of AMS"

Tomorrow I want to get to Thorung Phedi (4400m), because it's around 900m higher than Manang I need to gain some altitude today, get some views and minimise the risk of the trip coming unstuck due to pesky physiology issues.  Hence the day ride up to Tilicho Lake Base Camp (the high point of today being 4250m), means the 4400m tomorrow night shouldn't be an issue. Only a 650m climb today, that's almost a rest day!
Headaches and insomnia aside the body is holding up well.
6000m+ giants towering above but the tops still shrouded by the monsoon clouds.

Start with an easy roll up the valley

Then a push up to Khangsar for a well earned cup of tea, well I have been going almost an hour.

My destination is somewhere near that white zig zag middle left of the image below

 Thare Gompa monastry, like a hidden valley deserted but for two carpenters and a nun.

A variously named set of concentration corners which will take me to the high point of the day (4250m). This is walking territory only, both up and down.  

Trail dog from Mursang. Happy to drink my water, sit in my shade and be carried across bridges

This made me feel physically sick, the penalty for failure if I was to ride these switchbacks and crash would be certain death.  Needless to say I walked them and was still terrified as the trail was super steep and the stones were like ball bearings underfoot.

With altitude sickness comes poor judgement.  I set a turnaround time of 2pm and intended to use it as a way marker of my mental state - if i push on my judgement is impaired and I need to re-evaluate my decisions etc.  With turnaround time in 20 minutes (I took a long lunch) and a 100m vertical descent to Tilicho Base Camp I decided to stay here and have a snooze rather than descend only to have to climb back out and put myself behind schedule. The last thing I wanted was HRA sending out the search parties for me. 

It would have been a wicked descent across those scree slopes though... Maybe next year. 

My goal for the day was altitude gain not destination, the peaks were still hidden so Annapurna I wasn't going to give herself up for a photo today.    

I rode this one instead on the way home, great fun and  much safer area to be spat out onto in the case of a crash