My Himalayan Trekking Adventure: Thansing – Lamuney – Lake Samiti

Today is Sunday, May 11, 2014. We have spent the night at Thansing, inside the hut. First thing in the morning, Ravi takes me for a closer view of the great Kangchendzonga. We hike for a bit, and there she is, lighted up by the morning sun. A grand beauty. So breathtaking.

Ravi and Mt Kangchendzonga

The weather is nicer today with the sun out. We relax. The hike from Thansing to Lamuney is short and easy compared to all the other stretches. This is also because we leave most of our gear at the hut in Thansing. The groundskeeper keeps the room for us under lock and key.

Lamuney is a wide open field with a small hut. We have brought two of our tents with us. Evening approaches and it is chilly. There is the six of us, and there are also two other groups of trekkers – a team of two and another team of six to eight, all young men.

The cooks begin to make dinner and I try to keep warm. It’s not easy to stay warm if you’re not moving. We hang out on a wooden ledge in the hut, which is used by the cooks and porters as a sleeping area. A few of them are taking a nap right now.

After sunset, temperatures drop, and it begins to snow. We are scheduled to leave at 3:30 a.m. to make our final ascent. I wonder to myself if the snow will stop, and whether we will go at all. What if we get snowed in, I wonder. We stay inside the hut, all huddled up on the ledge - our bed. We fall asleep.

We have taken the cooks’ and porters’ sleeping area. They are the nicest and kindest people I have ever met. Humble and patient - they make these treks possible. They sleep on the ground below us. It is a cold and windy night. I am in and out of sleep. It is silent except for the howling wind. Everyone is wrapped up like a mummy. Forget about using the toilet right now.

Me - ready for Goecha La

I wake when the cooks stir to make tea and breakfast for us. It is almost 3:00 a.m. Ravi goes outside to check out the snow. It has stopped snowing. There is little accumulation, and we can proceed. Our cook pours some tea into my thermos. I will take it with me.

I have all possible layers of clothing on me, and I still feel the chill. I take my cross-body bag with my camera, aspirin, and thermos inside. I am ready to go, mostly because it is so cold and I want to get moving. The moon is out, and I feel giddy with nervous anticipation.

Samiti Lake

We walk across the open Lamuney field and start climbing - cautiously. We will ascend from 4,300m (14,100ft) to 5,000m (16,400ft) within 3.5 hours. It is 4:00 a.m. It is dark, cold, and the path is narrow and rocky. It is hard work, reminding me of the tough climb to Dzongri.

We pass Samiti Lake. A little treasure sleeping nestled among some hills. It is a shade of cool blue before the sunrise. I stop to admire the view.

Next: Goecha La – Lamuney – Kokchurong.

My Himalayan Trekking Adventure: Dzongri – Kokchurong – Thansing

It is Saturday, May 10, 2014 - the fourth day of our trek. I am not in tune with the days as prescribed by the calendar though. That it’s the weekend, has no meaning to me. I have no deadlines. I am up with the sunrise, and what matters is that we make it to our destination before sunset. I like this break from stiff work hours.

We have breakfast, and the usual accompanying beverage of chai - hot milk and tea. We pack up and tidy up trying not to leave any trash behind. I wrap my knee for extra support, and I am ready to go. Ah, and don’t forget the backpack. It’s back on. Today, we are headed for Thansing via Kokchurong. It will be a 4 to 6 hour trek at approximately the same altitude. 

I start my day off by tripping over some ropes which tie together a couple of mules. My pack pulls me forward as I fall, but I am okay. Get up and keep going. The ascent here is minimal compared to the other two days. We are trekking through an open hillside. I realize at some point that Ravi and another member of our group have separated from the rest of us, and I have separated from the remainder. I know I can’t catch up with Ravi. I look back, no one is there. I look around and I wonder if I’m on the right path.

It is different here. I am in the middle of an open field, and there is more than one path. I keep going, I hear the familiar jingling of bells, and I see a herd of yaks coming my way. I figure I’m going in the right direction, but I am not certain. I don’t want to keep going by myself. Just to be sure, I stop and wait for the rest of my group to catch up. I rest next to a big boulder and have some water, hoping I will see them soon. I tell myself, they will be here soon.

Kokchurong

A few minutes and a few yaks later, thank goodness, I see them. I am relieved. Trekking is as much an individual challenge as it is a team effort. You can only trek as fast as the slowest person. We pick up again and move on. It is a long and steep climb down to Prek Chu River requiring focus. We descend over big rocks and windy corridors. I have learned that where there is a descent, there will soon be an ascent. We reach Kokchurong. 

It turns out that we have missed Ravi. We rest, have some water and snacks, take a few photos, and get ready to move when Ravi shows up. He has gone to Thansing, left his pack, and has come back to meet us. We get going again. We cross the river over a bridge and begin the next section of our trek.

It will be a shorter hike, but it will be a little more challenging. We will be trekking through oversized ancient boulders, and a misty forest of trees tall like skyscrapers, or maybe they just seem that way. I feel like I am in a magical Himalayan forest. It is another world indeed.

It is a tiring trek up to Thansing over many rocks of various sizes. It is cool and damp here, but we stay warm from the effort. I get a headache and try to remember where I may have put my medicine. I have to take my pack off and search through all the pockets. Frustrating. Finally, found it. Strap the pack back on, and get going again.

The "mammoth" boulder

A boulder draped in brown moss welcomes us to Thansing. It looks like a mammoth to me. It is much taller than I am. We make our way to the wooden hut where we’ll be spending the night, and unload our things. The six of us will be sharing one room. There are other rooms in this hut, and other trekkers are staying here. There isn’t much to do except hang out. It is cloudy and chilly, and you have to keep moving to stay warm. We have a nice close up view of Mount Pandim from this location.

Mt Pandim from Thansing

Some of us are attracted to the kitchen which is in a nearby hut. The cooks have started a fire. We huddle around and warm up. The smoke permeates our clothing. It is nice to get the chill out. After dinner, we get ready for bed and get all wrapped up in our sleeping bags. The night is chilly. Tomorrow, we head for Lamuney, our last camp before we hike up to Goecha La – the highest point and the highlight of the trek.

Next: Lamuney – Goecha La – Thansing