Sun, May 4 - Marlung to Renjo Pass to Gokyo

Marlung to Gokyo

On trail by 6AM. Pretty barren north of Marlung. See a few yaks on way to Lungden and a few trekkers and locals in Lungden. I make a critical route decision based on the map I have and it turns out to be incorrect. Bushwhack up a ravine for an hour before joining the correct trail. I realize by the end of my trekking that my map provides a rough idea of what's where, but I cannot rely on detailed info like trail positions and elevations.

Break out onto a plateau and go past a couple of rudimentary dwellings. Before heading up the wrong ravine, I saw three trekkers ahead, one of whom has a very distinctive boot print ("Mr. Boot"). I quickly appreciate the fact that Mr. Boot is ahead of me, as it gives me guidance when the trail braids and I'm not sure which trail branch to follow. This is especially important because it starts snowing, covering the trail, but Mr. Boot is less than an hour ahead so I can still make out his footprints.

My altimeter is telling me that I should be darn close to the top of the pass, but I see no break in the mountains. Finally reach a lake covering about a square mile and meet a group of folks coming down a giant staircase. I've found the way on! But oh my, it goes up and up and up! The first 50m up are like a staircase made from giant slabs of rock. It reminds me of Oberland's Causeway near Horse Camp on Mt Shasta. I slog up the steep trail and eventually reach Renjo Pass.

The weather at the top is sufficiently good for me to eat a quick snack, drink some water, tie a silk kata scarf to one of the prayer flags (one of the things that is done at sacred places), and take a picture of Gokyo Lake. Then it starts snowing in earnest. I meet a three person Polish party coming from Gokyo to Lungden. They ask whether it is a long way. I hate to tell them the truth and I worry about them after I descend. They did not look very experienced and it snows more on the Lungden side of the pass, AND it is long way down AND the trail is often quite difficult to find. I have not heard of any parties being lost up there so I assume they made it through.

I arrive in Gokyo at 2PM and select the closest lodge in which to stay. It is on the waterfront, has a great view of Gokyo Lake, Renjo Pass and the mountains to the west. Didi is the friendly proprietor. A number of travelers are already here. Brent, a fellow Canadian, is the most vocal and is cleaning his Leica and Hasselblad cameras. And I thought I had a lot of camera gear. His porter is earning his pay lugging around 40 pounds of camera-related stuff. Brent has been traveling the past few days with Sylvan, an ebulent Frenchman with a great sense of humor. I like him a lot and engage in some good natured banter with him.

Then there is "Stud", a swiss guy who could easily play James Bond and whose good looks would melt most women. He has melted a German woman who lives in Switzerland and the two of them are joined at the hip. Sophie and her German girlfriend, and the Chek couple round out the other lodgers.

After settling in to my digs, a double room with shared toilet, I order a bowl of noodle soup and inquire about availability of tchang. Like most places I've been, Didi initially tells me that there is no tchang. However, when pressed, she agrees to get me a small jug.

I go to bed early (9PM) as I plan to get up early and summit Gokyo Ri (5400m) before heading back down to Namche.