tea and cookies, and some of our recently purchased
“Hit Beer” (made in Sikkim). We stayed in that
tent through dinner, enjoying the conversations and
warmth, then made our way reluctantly back through
the cold to our own tents to sleep.
On day 5, we rose at 3:00 am to begin our hike
up to Dzongri observation peak ( 13,675 feet) in
order to see a Himalayan sunrise. Headlamps and
flashlights helped us navigate the treacherous footing
in the pre-dawn hours, but seeing the sun rise over
Mt. Khangchendzonga was well worth the 700 foot
climb. We looked down on the Prek Chu river valley
and moraine, our afternoon destination.
We trekked through hillsides of rhododendrons,
along icy streams, and saw wild yaks in a distance.
The trail down to the river valley was incredibly
rugged and steep, crossing the tumultuous waters of
the Prek Chu on log bridges that somehow withstood
the weight of our dzos and horses. We went through
mossy, mystical forests on our way to the next
campsite, Thansing, at 12,900 feet. I had cut back on
my water consumption that day and was exhausted,
feeling my first bit of altitude nausea.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MARCH/APRIL 2016
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