Day 5 - Dole to Machermo
Slow night counting sheep and then anything that came to mind in the hope of drifting off. No headache, just awake and not even noticeably breathing hard. Peregrine group up at 6.30am.
From Dole track straight up side of ridge behind the lodge before gradually flattening and following the contours from Lhafarma to Luza. Less foliage, more snow, rocks and alpine grass. View back across to the opposing valley wall and high exposed trail, passing quite a few rock falls. Sitting above snow covered peaks of Cholatse and Tabuche Peak (6495mtr). Cholatse with a huge ledge of ice to the side of the summit. Down below cold and ancient looking huts and rock enclosures on ground taken from mountain and sitting above the Dudh Kosi.
Passed through Luza on the flats before last small climb over a ridge and down through snow to Machermo.
The Mochermo Kola cutting the lodges into two groups before dropping off the side. Valley leading back up to left before swinging to the right under the Kyajo Ri (6186m). Settle into the Namgyal Lodge which looks good at 10.30am. Drop off bags, order lunch and head up the valley past the hospital following the snowy floor.
No noticeable trail, so we rock hop following the stream which soon disappears under snow. Further up the valley, small bramble, similar to that in the Australian alpine region. Small mossy covered sections where the water flow comes out of the mountain to the snow.
We give a wide berth to some free grazing yaks. Still climbing up toward a sheer rock wall where ice is hanging in tentacles over a rock lip. We continue the climb up a side ridge in order to gain ground faster and return via high side yak trails, crossing a rubble scree slope and then a larger boulder scree slope before dropping off the side back to the lodges.
Good dal bhaat for lunch. A quiet afternoon writing and reading sharing lodge with a Dutch couple who were also at Dole, the night before.
Temperature dropping in the afternoon with cloud cover over the mountains. We sit in the dining room with beenie, thermal, fleece and down jacket.....just warm. The dining room is interesting with painted scenes on the walls and an arched ceiling. The seating area around the wall is covered in colorful Tibetan style rugs and back cushions. The room is heated by a central wood burner - the fuel being yak dung. The lodge has solar panels which besides lighting can also be used for battery recharge at 350rup an hour.
Our bedroom has a similarly arched ceiling and feels a lot more solid than previous lodge rooms. The windows from our room are of spectacular views both ways to the mountains.
Slow night counting sheep and then anything that came to mind in the hope of drifting off. No headache, just awake and not even noticeably breathing hard. Peregrine group up at 6.30am.
From Dole track straight up side of ridge behind the lodge before gradually flattening and following the contours from Lhafarma to Luza. Less foliage, more snow, rocks and alpine grass. View back across to the opposing valley wall and high exposed trail, passing quite a few rock falls. Sitting above snow covered peaks of Cholatse and Tabuche Peak (6495mtr). Cholatse with a huge ledge of ice to the side of the summit. Down below cold and ancient looking huts and rock enclosures on ground taken from mountain and sitting above the Dudh Kosi.
Passed through Luza on the flats before last small climb over a ridge and down through snow to Machermo.
The Mochermo Kola cutting the lodges into two groups before dropping off the side. Valley leading back up to left before swinging to the right under the Kyajo Ri (6186m). Settle into the Namgyal Lodge which looks good at 10.30am. Drop off bags, order lunch and head up the valley past the hospital following the snowy floor.
No noticeable trail, so we rock hop following the stream which soon disappears under snow. Further up the valley, small bramble, similar to that in the Australian alpine region. Small mossy covered sections where the water flow comes out of the mountain to the snow.
We give a wide berth to some free grazing yaks. Still climbing up toward a sheer rock wall where ice is hanging in tentacles over a rock lip. We continue the climb up a side ridge in order to gain ground faster and return via high side yak trails, crossing a rubble scree slope and then a larger boulder scree slope before dropping off the side back to the lodges.
Good dal bhaat for lunch. A quiet afternoon writing and reading sharing lodge with a Dutch couple who were also at Dole, the night before.
Temperature dropping in the afternoon with cloud cover over the mountains. We sit in the dining room with beenie, thermal, fleece and down jacket.....just warm. The dining room is interesting with painted scenes on the walls and an arched ceiling. The seating area around the wall is covered in colorful Tibetan style rugs and back cushions. The room is heated by a central wood burner - the fuel being yak dung. The lodge has solar panels which besides lighting can also be used for battery recharge at 350rup an hour.
Our bedroom has a similarly arched ceiling and feels a lot more solid than previous lodge rooms. The windows from our room are of spectacular views both ways to the mountains.
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