Nepal - Manaslu Circuit - Day 6 - Namrung to Lho

With the enormous porridge bowl filled to a centre peak higher than the brim, it’s too much this morning. Nev is well today but I'm feeling a little queasy.  The apple slices looked appetizing but with the flavour of onion evident, I was easily deterred from eating breakfast.  I was reminded of the numerous times I had seen washing of stainless steel bowls, mugs and pressure cookers outdoors, probably in cold water and the less than hygienic lifestyle was sitting heavy in my belly this morning.

I had time before our departure to walk back through Namrung village. I was interested in checking out the ‘resort’.  We’ve taken 5 days to get to this point but the Nubri Four Seasons resort offers 4 day packages to tourists that includes a helicopter return flight from Kathmandu, meals, a few hours of walking on two of the days, foot massages and hot showers! I walk past a woman sitting outdoors in the meagre warmth, weaving yak hairinto a colourful scarf.  The light and temperature is probably far superior outdoors, to what she would have experienced in her stone house.

Our trek started around 7:30, mostly on a track that is more hard packed earth and only some stairs. We cautiously crossed five snowy avalanches. There were still some steep climbs that I felt I was struggling with, and I tried the nasal breathing that KK advised was the best for oxygen intake but breathing in and out of my nose just initiated snot forming, so I kept stopping to blow.  My body seemed to be overheating on the climbs so I put my poor performance down to not feeling too well. We made good time to Lho, arriving at 11:42, so a trek of only 4 hours 25 minutes with a morning tea break. The early arrival gave us time to wash our clothes, have a hot shower (200 rupee) including a hair wash.  The afternoon was sunny but a cold breeze cut to the bone. The room was like a wind tunnel. 

Nev , Jo and Greg climbed up to a Buddhist monastery.  It was high on the hillside and I decided to stay back to rest. When we arrived there was a community meeting of locals underway.  There were many people sitting outside with a spectacular view over the valley and the mountains beyond.  Their discussions continued to around 5:30 by which time it was bitterly cold. There were lots of raised voices at one point, and everyone standing and yelling, and a bit of argy bargy. I can't believe how cold it is! I have fleece pants covering my legs and my body is layered with merino chamisole, tshirt and sweater, a down jacket and head topped with a hat. At least it has been sunny and warm while trekking. KK tells us there is bad news about the pass, because of recent snow.  Evidently Samarkand to Samdo is 2 feet deep with snow. Time will tell. Rained heavily in the night, woke 10:15 thinking it must be around 4am as disparate to go to toilet, had to go out in pelting rain. Fresh snow down quite low. Villages have little children greeting “Namaste chocolate”, “Namaste balloon” with palm outstretched we have nothing for them. Most have running noses and cheeks skin thick and red as in wind burn.

Nepal - Manaslu Circuit - Day 5 - Deng to Namrung (2900m) 5-6 hours

Yesterday afternoon, at the time of ordering breakfast, we anticipated we would be hungry next morning, and had ordered a 'big breakfast' at a very reasonable 500 rupee.  Nev has woken feeling unwell with an unsettled stomach (nauseous and gassy).  I'm not feeling hungry and we each make a feeble attempt to eat the enormous amount of food on our plates: Tibetan bread, scrambled eggs and fried potato, served with black tea.  I hate being wasteful but we leave most of the meals untouched.

We leave at 7:30 a.m. as we know we've got a long day ahead including 800 m of climbing.  There was some pleasant, almost flat walking along a valley before lunch, but also some steep climbs and drops.  The mountains are becoming visible and the higher altitude is only achieved by climbing makeshift steps and lots of rock climbing. It took 4&1/4 hours to Prok, just beyond Ghap. 

Nev has continued to feel unwell and doesn't order lunch.  My vegetable omelette is eaten outdoors, surrounded by stunning mountains and the river roaring below.

Nev's only focus is 'to get there' and all day he has walked at a pace I've found difficult to keep up with. After lunch it took us only 2&1/2 hours to reach Namrung.  This was largely climbing 680m switch-backing and rock-climbing through beautiful forest.  Some trees have been felled and sawn into planks ready for carrying to building sites.  New buildings are evident in every village.  There are small numbers of houses smattered on the river side route we are traveling, but large groups of buildings are clustered high on the opposite hillside beyond the river.  Today KK pointed out the Himalayan Blue Sheep, a bit of misnomer as they are not sheep, nor are they blue.  The brown, goat-like looking animals, are well camouflaged in the landscape.

On entering Namrung we walked passed a very new resort.  Here, just around the corner, there is only one room left.  The rooms here are external buildings but we have been allocated the only vacancy.  It is very close to the tea-house and it's been allocated to us so that Nev can go and lie down.  It’s a clean room and tea house.  Jo and Greg have been accommodated in another area, and will join us for dinner.  I headed to the shower room to freshen up.  The highest the temperature displayed was 14C on the gauge, so I braved it, until the temperature suddenly dropped to 11 degrees, at which point the tap was quickly turned to off!