16 July 2019, Tuesday, Yak Kharka
Somehow the walk from Temche to Yak Kharka seems to be one of the most beautiful treats of the trek.
The valley, immensely beautifully, is carved by gently sloping mountains from two sides, the rivers converging down at Temche – and the start of meadows, some signs of civilization and the view that extends further down the valley of green expanse, river and waterfalls from mountains.
Looking at the mountains – studying the rock formation, following the contours, layers and shape of the mountains – the visual accessibility from their base, the low hanging clouds – this is simply out of the world. Never have I been in such mesmerising beauty in the untouched nature.
As we climb down from the snaky path down to Temche there is seemingly a bus-like rocky mountain on the right. As I go further down, this rocky mountain looks like a bus or rather a space ship, as though it has been there for eternity, and could lift off any moment. The seemingly inanimate land formation is animated.
And there, on some rocky mountains, I see beautiful waterfalls. On one instance, this soft silky water falls between two tapering and slightly slanted mountains. Like some sci-fi structures in-the-waiting.
Why? Why are these perfectly natural geological objects giving me such eccentric feelings? Perhaps, I think to myself, I have never seen and experienced such beautiful splendour ever before. Or, had the slightest clue to what Dolpo Trek would offer.
In the other instance, water sprouts out from a rocky facade like the mountain is throwing up. As though through inner streams and tunnels the water oozes out suddenly like a soft water cannon. The waterfall merges into the river down below.
The valley continues, with green meadow expanse and river cutting right through the gorges. We follow the river, walk quite a bit into the valley. It seems like it would take forever to pass that sloping ridge below in the distant horizon before it opens up new vistas. The path is visible like a serpentine guide below the base of the mountains on the right. The river is further left below the gorges.
And wow, light turquoise bluish water. I see through the water, as though the cleanest and most pure river I have seen.
We arrive Yak Kharka. We have walked the green meadows. Little flowers carpet the green meadow occasionally. I watch out not to tramp, can’t help it as it is all over. The nature inspires me immensely and I feel these beautiful flowers greet us – to welcome us into this beautiful valley and nature. Close to Yak Kharka, past the sloping ridge that has opened into this wide meadow of Yak Kharka, we spot Marmots. Beautiful and shy, they hide into the bushes or their burrows. There are many such burrows all over the green meadow floor. Some openly visible and some slightly hidden by the rocks and bushes.
We are happy to spot our campsite. There are black Naks around – beautiful and full of grace. Rest of our team have arrived. Everyone is delighted and happy after this long descending walk. We have crossed two passes – the Numa La at 5309 meters and the Baga La at 5169 meters in succession. Phew, surely I have conquered some high mountains within.
Today I had a very amazing and wonderful experience climbing up to the Baga La Pass. I was behind the lead Kedar – one of the kitchen crews and porter. It was a slow uphill. As I was climbing, at some point, it was just my breath and me. This was meditative – as though I found my ‘Now’ there. It didn’t matter – the hardship, the small steps, who was ahead or behind. I was in the ‘Now’ and I felt blessed.
This experience somehow started in when we were doing the Numa La Pass yesterday. This one was more difficult and steep. The final attack from the last stop just before the pass – I was flooded with thoughts. So many imaginations were pouring in. Then at one moment I thought ‘Why?’ ‘But why?’
Then it happened – just me and my breath.
I was the third to summit the Numa La Pass, and second on the Baga La Pass.
Yesterday, the arrival at Danigar Base Camp was sort of magical. I remember Danigar a bright sighting for the wet and tiring long walk. It was drizzling. I was partially wet like everybody else. I was cold and hungry. And angry because there was no space to find cover in the tent. While closing in on the camping site, past that final turn, Danigar revealed like a paradise place between two converging meadow mountains. The river curving through the two mountains, and campsite by the river on a little stony grass patch. The river snaked gently, slow and easy, with a bright aura high up there at confluence of the two mountains where the river must have started. It was the next morning that I saw another higher mountain right above the confluence where I had imagined the river had originated.
It had been a crazy walk going steep down the Numa La Pass. The excitement of the pass gradually shadowed by the never ending steep and tiring descend. In a matter of first ten minutes or so I started to feel my knees. I was running down in excitement, and it was my knees that reminded me to take it slow.
We spotted Blue Sheep herd just after the Numa La Pass. There were on the right ridge – on the barren cliff mountain high up at almost 5000 meters. There were quite a few of them with a little kid as well.
Somehow the walk from Temche to Yak Kharka seems to be one of the most beautiful treats of the trek.
The valley, immensely beautifully, is carved by gently sloping mountains from two sides, the rivers converging down at Temche – and the start of meadows, some signs of civilization and the view that extends further down the valley of green expanse, river and waterfalls from mountains.
Looking at the mountains – studying the rock formation, following the contours, layers and shape of the mountains – the visual accessibility from their base, the low hanging clouds – this is simply out of the world. Never have I been in such mesmerising beauty in the untouched nature.
As we climb down from the snaky path down to Temche there is seemingly a bus-like rocky mountain on the right. As I go further down, this rocky mountain looks like a bus or rather a space ship, as though it has been there for eternity, and could lift off any moment. The seemingly inanimate land formation is animated.
And there, on some rocky mountains, I see beautiful waterfalls. On one instance, this soft silky water falls between two tapering and slightly slanted mountains. Like some sci-fi structures in-the-waiting.
Why? Why are these perfectly natural geological objects giving me such eccentric feelings? Perhaps, I think to myself, I have never seen and experienced such beautiful splendour ever before. Or, had the slightest clue to what Dolpo Trek would offer.
In the other instance, water sprouts out from a rocky facade like the mountain is throwing up. As though through inner streams and tunnels the water oozes out suddenly like a soft water cannon. The waterfall merges into the river down below.
The valley continues, with green meadow expanse and river cutting right through the gorges. We follow the river, walk quite a bit into the valley. It seems like it would take forever to pass that sloping ridge below in the distant horizon before it opens up new vistas. The path is visible like a serpentine guide below the base of the mountains on the right. The river is further left below the gorges.
And wow, light turquoise bluish water. I see through the water, as though the cleanest and most pure river I have seen.
We arrive Yak Kharka. We have walked the green meadows. Little flowers carpet the green meadow occasionally. I watch out not to tramp, can’t help it as it is all over. The nature inspires me immensely and I feel these beautiful flowers greet us – to welcome us into this beautiful valley and nature. Close to Yak Kharka, past the sloping ridge that has opened into this wide meadow of Yak Kharka, we spot Marmots. Beautiful and shy, they hide into the bushes or their burrows. There are many such burrows all over the green meadow floor. Some openly visible and some slightly hidden by the rocks and bushes.
We are happy to spot our campsite. There are black Naks around – beautiful and full of grace. Rest of our team have arrived. Everyone is delighted and happy after this long descending walk. We have crossed two passes – the Numa La at 5309 meters and the Baga La at 5169 meters in succession. Phew, surely I have conquered some high mountains within.
Today I had a very amazing and wonderful experience climbing up to the Baga La Pass. I was behind the lead Kedar – one of the kitchen crews and porter. It was a slow uphill. As I was climbing, at some point, it was just my breath and me. This was meditative – as though I found my ‘Now’ there. It didn’t matter – the hardship, the small steps, who was ahead or behind. I was in the ‘Now’ and I felt blessed.
This experience somehow started in when we were doing the Numa La Pass yesterday. This one was more difficult and steep. The final attack from the last stop just before the pass – I was flooded with thoughts. So many imaginations were pouring in. Then at one moment I thought ‘Why?’ ‘But why?’
Then it happened – just me and my breath.
I was the third to summit the Numa La Pass, and second on the Baga La Pass.
Yesterday, the arrival at Danigar Base Camp was sort of magical. I remember Danigar a bright sighting for the wet and tiring long walk. It was drizzling. I was partially wet like everybody else. I was cold and hungry. And angry because there was no space to find cover in the tent. While closing in on the camping site, past that final turn, Danigar revealed like a paradise place between two converging meadow mountains. The river curving through the two mountains, and campsite by the river on a little stony grass patch. The river snaked gently, slow and easy, with a bright aura high up there at confluence of the two mountains where the river must have started. It was the next morning that I saw another higher mountain right above the confluence where I had imagined the river had originated.
It had been a crazy walk going steep down the Numa La Pass. The excitement of the pass gradually shadowed by the never ending steep and tiring descend. In a matter of first ten minutes or so I started to feel my knees. I was running down in excitement, and it was my knees that reminded me to take it slow.
We spotted Blue Sheep herd just after the Numa La Pass. There were on the right ridge – on the barren cliff mountain high up at almost 5000 meters. There were quite a few of them with a little kid as well.
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