April 21, 2007
To Mile marker 4207: Free camping before Nyinchi /Biji
"Is that snow on the tent?" Rachel asks. We could hear the drops on the tent throughout the night.
When we awaken, the rainfly is covered with snow. The mountains and valleys are fogged in. We wait. Finally, after an hour or so, we decide to make a break for it. Sometimes it's good to wait out a storm, sometimes it's good to move through it.
We shuttle our gear back to the halfway point, then shuttle it back to the road. We wear our hiking boots. The altitude is affecting us both, but Patrick is able to get the job done with the bikes and a little help from Rachel with the gear.
The road looks clear, the weather looks ominous, but "dry.... We set off for the summit 9kms up. Then the rain starts, we climb, then sleet, we climb, then a blizzard a couple kms from the summit. Disappointing that we don't see the views and the highest unclimbed mountain. On the summit, marker 4182, there are strings and strings of prayer flags, a couple of tents, a man comes out to say hello, then watches us eat hard boiled eggs.
Then the descent, we need to get down quickly. Our bodies are warm, Rachel's fingers and toes are almost numb. The "Gor-Tex" gloves we bought are not Gor-Tex! Patrick gives Rachel his gloves, we find a "secret" campsite about 1300, filter water, have coffee, do some laundry, Patrick works on the bikes. We are in the tent and the rain starts.
About 1800, the rain lets up, and we eat our instant noodles, and back in the tent, and the rain starts again. Tomorrow we will need to be up early before light to get down and past the next two checkpoints.
Hope the weather cooperates.
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Today's ride: 34 km (21 miles)
Total: 8,254 km (5,126 miles)
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