Nepal 2019 - Day 11 - Chukung Ri Acclimatization

 Chukung Ri Acclimatization

The day was all about fighting the elements and pushing yourself beyond the pain barrier. My ankle was still swollen and in the back of my mind, was my itinerary, schedule and making up time. I popped one painkiller I got the previous night, triple layered my ankle with bandage, socks and a compression sleeve. The acclimatization was essential for Kongma La and other passes in the upcoming days. What didn't help the situation was the freezing temperature through the night and still prevalent in the morning. The three worst parts of the day are:

• Getting out of your warm sleeping bag
• Leaving the cozy dining room to head to your freezing room
• The bathroom trip in the middle of the night into the freezing abyss of the bathroom

Today, I had to get up to the highest point of my entire trek (at least that's what was in my plan), a lofty 18,191ft. To access the trail up to the peak, I hiked through the village, over a rocky field crossing 3 very slippery semi-frozen streams. Headed uphill along the sandy slopes sparkling in the sun, the trail climbed steeply and then gradually and then steeply again till it reached a false flattish section strewn with cairns. Along my ascent, I was greeted by a lanky German guy who very keen to tell me that hiking with a hangover isn't a good idea, advertising his shortcomings a couple of days ago I quickly clarified that my dangling steps were due to lack of sleep and my injured ankle. The whole trail was quite slow for me and by the time I reached the cairn strewn ridge at the top of the slope I had climbed, I was pretty content to call that point good enough for the day. It wasn't anywhere near the summit, by a long way. I took a breather for 15 mins, ate a Snickers bar which was supposed to be for the summit. After that rest, looking around that landscape, I saw a couple of people pushing for the summit which gave hope. Almost everyone was heading back from where I was.

I had to remind myself about the reason I was there. To explore this magnificent landscape and more importantly, to push myself against the odds on this solo journey. There was a chance that I never come back to this trail and the summit, although, very far but was still in my sights. I popped another painkiller and gingerly picked my way and pushed on further. The remainder of the climb was up steep slopes of rocky scrambles across brittle rocks and slippery gravel. It was a very different and dangerous experience, however, I felt very focused. Took an exposed path on the right side of the rockface, to find several sketchy sections along the route to the top. I finally scrambled through this terrain and made my way to the summit. 

A large chorten marked the top and the surrounding views were worth every step I had made to get there. All the peaks I had seen from the bottom at Chukung, up close as well as Makalu. From the summit view, I could also see the turquoise lakes at the base of Island Peak, as well as Inja Isho near the moraine of the Lhotse glacier, swollen to dangerous levels, probably because of global warming. I marked the occasion by indulging in another Snickers and sat at the top enjoying those views. I thought that I was the only one at the top as I couldn't see anyone else. To my surprise, found a man in shorts and a down jacket meditating behind a prayer flag. He just nodded and smiled and looked like he didn't want to be disturbed.

Luckily, the best route down from the summit was much clearer from above that it had been while I ascended. That was a huge sense of relief as being alone on an unknown sketchy path was a little intimidating. It was the most alone I had ever felt in a desolate landscape and the cold gusts of wind were only making things worse. I climbed past the tricky rocky scramble and picked up the trail leading to Chukung. It was one of the most pleasurable nature walks of my life. Huge expanses of Himalayan terrain in all directions with Chukung down in a valley, the size of my fingernail. I continued down the trail and reached Chukung around 13.00. With the high point behind me and long day of crossing Kongma La ahead of me, I ate Dal Bhat for lunch and dinner socialising with the remaining trekkers. Post dinner, I went out to gaze at the stars and just took in the whole day's experience. All this was short-lived due to the frigid air and I quickly retreated back in the dining area. Just about to crash, a Sherpa and a Spanish woman approached me exchanging pleasantries before they offered a deal to which I could only laugh at without any disrespect.

The Proposal

This Sherpa had 3 trekkers booked for Island Peak but they all cancelled a day before. He had 3 permits which he explained he had to use else it would have been a monetary loss as well as a blot on his reputation. He had the Spanish woman on board and another Belgian guy who was willing to go ahead. I respectfully declined based on my little or no climbing experience. Island Peak was a technical peak and I was just a trekker at best. He assured me that it is not technical and even the Spanish woman had no climbing experience. He went on to explain how we would be roped up, jumars would be used and there would be back-up Sherpas for everyone, yada yada. I still declined as I had my itinerary to follow and more importantly, couldn't afford the cost of $500. The Sherpa then asked me where I was from and when he found out I was Indian, he started to explain the whole thing in Hindi. He also informed me that the others are paying $350 for their permits and I could get it for $200. I still resisted as I didn't want to sign up for something which I am not prepared for or have done any due-diligence. Moreover, I couldn't afford to give him that kind of cash as I needed it for the rest of my trip. This genius had all the solutions though. He asked me to do a bank transfer through his Wi-Fi to an Indian bank account and save on the cash. He also reiterated that he was desperate to break even as the climbing window closed at the end of the month. He also lowered the price to $100!

I looked at Elena who was listening with a puzzled look on her face. I told the Sherpa that I would need to consult with my fellow climbers. He advised me not to talk about the discount he provided me. He also showed us the summit pics from the previous week with apparently, first time climbers. I consulted with Elena and Jens about this offer. Elena mentioned that she had never undergone any such climb, however, Jens was up for it and was someone who had experience in the Alps. He reassured us that we would be roped up so there are very little risks. Additionally, he also spoke to the Lodge owner who did approve of this Sherpa. 

I was kind of taken aback with all this new development but the thought was climbing a 6000m peak made me very excited, especially, after getting a magnificent view of it from Chukung Ri. My enthusiasm gave in and I was onboard with this plan. Money paid, I was pumped and ready to leave for the Base Camp in the morning to get some training with ropes, jumars, cramp-ons etc. Sherpa Dorji was also very excited and you could see the genuine happiness on his face.

I didn't really sleep through the night. All I did was imagine how the next two days would transpire. While I was awake, I redid the entire itinerary and thankfully, I had a buffer of 3 days to my KTM-DEL flight. Gong forward, there couldn't be any more deviation or hiccups in my plan if I had to make that flight.