May 18, 2007
To Camp near bridge over Drakar Chu: alt 4341
The wind blows and it is a cold night, the price we pay for camping in such an exposed spot. We figure if it gets really bad we can always hike down to the pass where there are several tent shops with heaters in them. A dog sneaks off with our garbage during the night, he rustles around our tent until Patrick throws a stone after him. Patrick doesn't sleep well, could be the altitude, but also his cold feet.
Around 6, Patrick dresses in most of his clothes and raingear for a layer and crawls out of the ice covered tent. The sky in the East is golden, to our South are the tallest mountains on earth. A few thin clouds stick to their summits, but it is mostly clear. Rachel rises too and together we watch as the first sunlight hits the high peeks. Far to the East, on the border of Sikkim, India with Nepal is Kangchen Junga (8598m), just to the East of Everest is Makalu (8481m), slightly behind Everest is Lhotse (8511m), then Everest at 8848m, the massive ridge of Cho Oyu (8153m), finally Shish Pangma at 8012m high. Six of the tallest mountains on earth from one viewpoint.
A good spot for Dan!
We watch as the light changes and shadows grow through the valley below. Patrick takes at least 100 hundred pictures! The difference from the past with slide film and now digital pictures. We also freeze, white frost covers everything exposed to the wind. We are expecting many land cruisers to show up here at sunrise, to our surprise only a German couple walk up the hill and spent fifteen minutes gazing at the scene. The man knows the names of the mountains we are looking at but is not able to identify Pumori, the mountain Dan once climbed.
We slowly pack up as we fix breakfast and defrost in the warm sun. We pose for a couple of tripod pictures then off to pushing bikes the downhill to the parking lot at the pass. Then down the endless series of hairpins (64 switchbacks).
What a downhill! Views of Everest, Cho Oyu and Makalu at every turn!
In a small village at the bottom of the pass we eat lunch in a restaurant and buy a second meal for take out for tonight's dinner. We also find coca cola and bottle of beer along with more water. Two military police guys walk in to eat...we set off again on one of the worst roads of this trip. Loose sand, large gravel rocks and a narrow bumpy road, makes the going hard. The police guys pass us and offer us a ride that we decline. We both did agree that we won't cycle back this road, it will either be the shortcut to Dingri or hitching a ride.
On top of all of this we have a headwind. At about 4pm, we call it a day and Patrick finds a camping spot just where a bridge crosses the river. We fiord an irrigation stream and have a spot near the river. There is a threat of rain and the wind is still cold, so after finishing the beer with some jerky we read in the tent for awhile. Patrick heats up water for a wash and we finish the take out meal. Dark sets in now around 9:00pm.
Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 9,228 km (5,731 miles)
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