Today was the daddy. 5km and 4 1/2 hours of climbing, the first kilometre took 1 1/4hrs at a gradient of over 30%.
The first km went something like. push, brake, take two steps, repeat. Every so often there was a slide backwards at which point I would drop to my knees to stop going too far. I read somewhere someone describing this section as 'trying to push a wheelbarrow up a set of stairs', that sums it up perfectly.
The remaining 4 km were more of a take 10 steps, stop breathe, recover, repeat. I even rode for a few hundred metres at one point.
This is big country but the pay offs are huge, stunning views, good tea and a monster descent to look forward to.
Sunrise!
Time for breakfast.
200m done, more to go.
Thorung High Camp below, still climbing.
Up there somewhere, Thorung Peak in the distance. I'm heading to the right somewhere
Mid climb tea stop.
In the absence of prayer flags upon my person I left a message instead. Always carry a sharpie for moments like these.
Well this should be a bit of fun then!
400m descended and loads more to go.
700m descended...
a traffic jam and still loads to go.
900m descended...
I'm in heaven.
another tea stop, only 400m or so to go now, the arm pump by now is intense.
Muktinath.
A pilgrimage site for both Hindu and Buddhists, where the five elements (space, air, fire, water and earth) are said to be at their most pure form on earth.
Dhaulagiri in the background, 7th highest peak in the world. What a stunner!
Bells and smells, how very Catholic.
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