Part 10 - After the rain comes...a change of course

Because of the bad weather in the former days, Paul indicates we will not make it to the hidden valley. Snow conditions are bad and without the appropriate equipment, it may become a disaster. The weather is excellent when we leave camp.

Soon we understand why we should choose the other trail. Landslides, slippery trails and a lot of snow on the pass. Rick and I are somewhat dissapointed, but there is nothing you can do about is. So we're heading up for Sangdak, the little village we have seen for so many days from our campsite. It is a gorgeous trip. Never seen such incredible signs of erosion. In de wintervillage of Sangdak, we camp on an excellent spot. This is a medieval place with little children, filthy as hell. What a stunning view!

The next day, a stiff climb makes us all awake. It is very cold because the sun is still behind the mountains. On the ridge, we see a dramatic trail lingering along the mountain slopes. Wow, it's not so bad that we had to alter our plans. At a pile of prayer stones, Rick and I leave a stick with a bagage tag behind. I hope my mum will pass by and recognizes the red Himalaya Trekking tag with our names on it. So she knows we have not been able to traverse the pass.

It is quite a long trip, but after every mountain slope, a new scenery onfolds itself. Even on the last day, we encounter snow! That is so cool. Throwing snowballs to the porters and guides is always fun!

On a mountain ridge, we have an incredible view. We can see Tibet in the west, Mustang in front of us and the Annapurna region in the east. This is way you're doing this kind of trekkings. We all feel so overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the weather is changing. It becomes very windy and a bit rainy. On the last pass, I can hardly stay on my feet because of the wind. The last campsite is in the village of Dhakarjung. Though we're in close proximity of Jomsom, this village is medieval as well. We camp in someones yard, surrounded with stone walls. This was it. Tomorrow we're gonna walk to Jomsom and from there to Marpha.