Expedition Report From Nepal - Entry for 6th April
Our trek has been the most spectacular so far. A cold start with our porters wearing
the boots and red waterproofs they had been issued was the scene at breakfast this
morning. We left the Omje Khola (river) and climbed steeply for some 2500 feet up
the valley side. Our route took us through thick vegetation and passed impenetrable
bamboo clumps up and up past spectacular red and pink rhoderdendrans, white magnolia
trees and lucious green foliage. As we gained height the vegetation turned alpine
in nature and our route passed along a narrow ridge through a huge pine trees to
a col at 3450m. Six team members went above the col to catch the first glimpse of
our goal Kanchenjunga and the huge SW face through the morning haze.
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Expedition porters in their red suits and boots. |
Beyond the col a the whole side of the valley had fallen away in a huge landslip
crashing some 5000 feet to the valley floor. Our path picked its way gingerly past
some patches of snow and ice and across the great scar. It was a little hairy crossing.
We then descended through the most magnificent pine forest of huge old trees draped
in moss. The sunlight filtered through onto the green mossy floor which was carpeted
in beautiful wild violet primulas. After about an hour's descent past a woodcutters
hut, we arrived at a glade our lunch stop. Our route descended down to the Simbua
Khola (river) which flows from the Yalung Glacier at the foot of Kanchenjunga. A
wooden bridge with tibetan prayer flags draped above crossed the raging icy torrent
of glacier melt water to our camp site on some terraces amongst beautiful old pines.
For The kids: Our man today is Paul Randell, 25, of the Junior Team. This is his
second visit to the Himalayas, he did some trekking in the Everest region and climbed
a trekking peak there called Pokalde. He is responsible for communications. Every
night he sets up the satellite phone on which we send our emails and daily diary
to our website. He is thus an important team member. He has suffered from tummy problems
which has made life difficult for those inflicted but he is over that now and looking
forward to climbing Ramtang.
Diary entry by David Nicholls.
