Nepal 2019 - Day 20 - Gokyo to Thame via Renjo La

 Gokyo to Thame

The rest seemed to have really helped my sleep. I felt energised and eager to begin and finish the last leg of the journey. I left the lodge at 05.30 and pretty much followed the same trail as the one I took on day 1 here. The trail branched off steeply to a relatively flat area which resembled a crater. This was quite a beautiful trail with the Gokyo lake growing more picturesque as you went higher. 

As I moved ahead on what I was fairly certain was the moon, breathing became very pretty heavy. Maybe, the body wasn't used to the long rest I had the previous day, it probably need a reset. This was the most lethargic I had felt for no apparent reason. Eventually, I could make out the prayer flags marking the pass. It was a lot farther than what I had expected. The trail remained gradual until it reached directly below Renjo La. Then it was just as steep as anything I had come across during any part of the past few weeks. It was a tough climb, however, I had fallen into the habit of taking one step per inhale/exhale. It wasn't the quickest way to get around, however, it ensured gradual and steady progress. Within the next couple of hours, I was very close to the steep ascent leading to the prayer flags.

I finally reached the top with some struggle, however, Renjo La offered me the best views from a high pass I ever had. The Tibet range of mountains were also clearly visible in this glorious sunny day in November. Despite the labour-intensive effort at the end of the climb to 17,585ft, Renjo La was the easiest of the three passes. The approach and climb up Kongma La was long and demanding, the climb over Cho La was sketchier involving slippery ice and glacial sections. In addition, hiking the 3 high passes counter-clockwise, Gokyo to Renjo La had the smallest elevation gain. 

I took in all these facts, sat down with my summit Snickers and just recalled the past 3 weeks in my head as best I could and was truly proud of what I had accomplished. I would have never thought that I would be trekking to these heights all alone within 12 months of my first high altitude experience. But as things stood, getting down safely is what really completes the trek so I had a task I had to focus on as well.

Descending west over Renjo La, I was surprised to see some remarkable trail work. Large steps were built into the mountain descending from atop the pass. As much as i hated steps, I was pretty impressed by the infrastructure to complain. I found myself a couple of times off trail during descent and ended up having to cut across some sketchy scree fields to get back to the main trail. Soon, the steep western slope met the valley floor into a flat trail which followed a stream past a series of small frozen alpine lakes. My initial pit-stop for the day was Thame, however, Lunde appeared in my vision not too far off. I decided to check options for stay there and assess further travel. On the trail to Lunde, there were Yaks all over. I literally had to dodge these beasts to stay on the trail. I saw their shepherd running towards them to get them in order. These beasts can be quite deadly at times. I reached Lunde where all rooms were already taken so I decided to grab lunch and head back to Thame for my initial plan. This was an easy decision to make as the altitude was much lower and breathing was quite comfortable. This was the lowest altitude since Dingboche. I continued past the abandoned villages (probably due to winter) as I raced the sun down the valley. I checked into the first lodge I came across in Thame and the owner graciously arranged for food despite my late arrival. The last of any grueling day in Nepal was now over!