Thorung La (5416m)

Today was the big day! We climbed to Thorong La Pass, the highest elevation on the trek at 5416 m (17,769 ft). Thorong La is the "world's biggest pass" which I think means it is the highest pass that can be ascended by foot, without mountaineering equipment. Our trip leader, Indra, warned us that the weather at that elevation is often unpredictable -- it could be cold and calm, or so bad that everyone must hold on to each other to brace the fierce winds and blowing snow. So, the plan was to leave very early in the morning so that we could cross the pass well before noon to avoid the notoriously vicious winds. Nobody argued.

The group got up for a 3:30 AM breakfast. Although neither Eric nor I were very hungry, we knew that we would need to eat something that would provide the energy required to get us through the most challenging trekking day (we settled on oatmeal with honey for breakfast). The trek today entailed a steep ascent of over 1000 m and then an even steeper descent of over 1500 m. It was estimated to take 9 hours with no tea or lunch breaks since it is way too cold and remote for teahouses to set up shop, so we stocked our daypacks with granola bars and bite-size peices of chocolate for quick and easy energy boosts.

The temperature at the pass was below –25 deg C. We both wore 7 layers on the top, including several layers of thermals, fleece jackets, and windbreakers. Eric wore 3 layers on the bottom and I wore 4 layers. We both wore extra thick wool socks, balaclavas, and gloves underneath our big windproof mittens. Our camelbaks (water packs that are carried in our backpacks with tubes/straws clipped on the outside) were filled and we put on the tube insulators since it was destined to freeze... all we had to do was activate the "hot shots" to keep it warm. We also had hot shots for our mittens and pockets (courtesy of my sister Stephanie who bought them for me for Fort McMurray which I never used!). Unfortunately, when we tried to activate the hot shots, they didn't warm up since there wasn't enough oxygen in the air! Doh, never thought of that.

Other than the twinkle of the stars and a snake of trekkers with their headlamps turned on, it was pitch black outside when we started climbing. We walked very slowly and steadily with frequent breaks to ensure that we had enough energy to last us through the day. Indra reminded us at every break to wiggle our fingers and toes. By the time the sun came up, we were all freezing. There was ice and snow on the trail and at times the winds were fierce. In the distance, we could see and hear our porters singing Nepali tunes while walking uphill with 30 kgs of our sh!t on their backs. Wow. Despite all the preparation for the day, Thorung La proved to be a challenge for the group. A couple of people were very ill or became very ill so the guides assisted them up the mountain as one might see a coach assisting an injured player off the field. The guides also helped carry their daypacks, in addition to carrying their own. Again, we were humbled by their encouragement, helpfulness and sheer strength.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe – you could definitely feel the lack of oxygen in the air. Eric said it felt claustrophobic since even deep breaths couldn't satiate the lungs. After 4.5 hours of walking with no water (our camelbak tubes froze), we saw prayer flags in the distance – it was Thorong La! The sight of this brought Eric to tears – this was everything we had worked towards for the past few weeks. When we got to the top, it was cold but calm and sunny. It was like some weird pressure was lifted. The guides congratulated us, we took a few pictures and set off again. It was all downhill from here!
The walk down was icy and quite treacherous at times, with very steep drop-offs on the sides. We used our trekking poles and stepped very carefully. The last thing we'd want to do is slip down the sides and spend a few hours trying to climb back up! Fortunately, everyone made it safely and soundly. As we descended, it became warmer and warmer and we saw vegetation again. The views were amazing. In the distance, we could see the Mustang region, where we were going to stay that night (it was still a few hours away). We could also see Inner Mustang, which is accessible to foreigners only if you have expensive permits. We reached Muktinath just before 2 PM and quickly got into comfy clothing to have lunch and relax for the rest of the day.