Nepal 2019 - Day 3 - Sete to Jumbesi

 Sete to Jumbesi

I woke up early the next morning and felt my knee buckle immediately. There was significant swelling on the knee and the pain was a lot more sharp. I went downstairs to the kitchen for some breakfast and the old man asked me to take a couple of painkillers as the day was long and would be tough on the knees. I was just carrying basic Paracetamol and popped one of them, put a knee brace on and carried forward. The knee brace definitely helped but I was trying not to bend the knee as much as I generally would. I had thoughts about my prep for this journey. I surely could have spent more time in ensuring adequate fitness for this excursion and taken precautions/medicine to assist me throughout this ordeal (it definitely seemed like that now). I also realised the difference between hiking with a commercial company where you are given all sorts of amenities and support than hiking alone. But this was a choice that I had made a lot earlier and there was no going back, no way.

First order of business was reaching Lamjura Pass (3600m). It was about 1000m in elevation gain that I had to achieve to get there. The trek high-sleep low method of acclimatization was really taking a toll physically. I was feeling really good with the altitude gain but the constant uphill and downhill was some of the hardest hikes I had ever done. No wonder there weren't too many hikers on this trail. I climbed further up the trail and saw lamjura in the distance and thankfully, a couple of lodges about 20 mins before it.

I had my lunch at this quaint looking village called Goyam. Surprise, surprise..it was Dal Bhat again! I did notice the slight increase in prices with every pit stop I was making. I finally met a couple of trekkers who were coming back from a hike. Got to know that there is another trail that leads to a peak called Pikey which offers excellent views at sunrise. I was tempted to go for it as a motivational factor after 3 days of arduous trekking through jungles and muddy shepherd trails. Spoke to a local guide who totally dismissed the idea stating it is for "lazy'' people. He asked me to carry on as there are much better views on the trail that I had marked. After a heavy lunch and rest, Lamjura Pass was within touching distance.

At Lamjura Pass, the elements were turning harsh, the vegetation was turning bleak and almost nullified by the amount of huge boulders around the area. A beautiful Stupa adorned this landscape with lots of monks in the distant background. Their crimson robes shone brightly against the blue skies. After enjoying the views from the Pass, it was time to descend again. The change in scenery is quite unbelievable in Nepal. The thick forest was a huge relief from the cold winds and the boulder sections. Several hours passed wherein I crossed a Tibetan monastery, witnessed a prayer ceremony  and saw some massive 6000m & 7000m peaks for the first time on this trip. It was so exciting to get close to what you were there for. That was a boost unlike anything I had felt before. Getting to Jumbesi seemed like a breeze after that, my bag didn't feel heavy anymore, knee was less painful and I was zipping through the rest of the trail. Reached Jumbesi around 16.30 and was completely overjoyed with the time I had made. Checked into a lodge which looked quite fancy but got a four bed dorm room all to myself for 150NPR. The owner was a charming man who ran the setup with his young daughter. 

I finally met a couple of trekkers who were on the same trail as I. They were young guys easily about 10-15 years younger than me. We had a great time going through our itineraries and making changes. One Kiwi was nursing his injury there for a week and the other was a Belgian who was the life of the dining hall. Very talkative and kept everyone engaged through the evening. He introduced me to the local Chang which made us forget any misery we were feeling. We finally hit the sack around midnight which was definitely off course. The Belgian (Jonas) and I had planned to leave together the next day towards Kharikola. I was excited that I would finally have company for the first time. The booze helped me sleep tight for the night and it neutralized the pain in my knee, at least in my head.