Mera Peak Expedition — Ngyngso Camp to Odare Camp

The following is a continuation of Mera Peak Expedition — Namdolingomba to Ngyngso Camp.

Sunday, October 16

There was a steady patter of rain on the tent as we fell asleep which we always find very reassuring somehow, perhaps because we live in dry Southern California.  At some point during the night the temperature dropped significantly and there was the glow of the moon on the ceiling of the tent, two positive signs that the sky had cleared and we were perhaps done with the thirty six hours of rain we had ‘enjoyed’. Sure enough, as the dawn broke we were once again enjoying a sunny day in Nepal and an opportunity to dry our clothes and other gear. With a great view toward Mera Peak, we could for the first time get a clear idea of the distance to and grandeur of the mountains we would face by week’s end. Just knowing that we would be on Mera Peak in a matter of a few days made us both excited a bit nervous.

The Hinku Valley

It was great to see the nearby mountains, too, and we had our first view of the Hinku Valley, a north-south oriented valley with our campsite on the western side, facing the morning sun. The solar charger was connected and for the first time in two days, batteries were once again being refreshed. Breakfast was a delicious combination of eggs, pancakes, ramen soup and the standard granola and corn flakes. This would be a long, tough day, and we were filling our stomachs to make sure we would have the energy to get through nine hours of trekking. There would be no hot lunch today, as Purna, our cook, requested that we take a bag lunch instead so that we could make better time.

A tough day

We were warned that today would be a day of “two passes”, meaning we would make a full uphill and downhill trek twice. They were absolutely right as the first couple of hours were a climb up a steep nose of the peak that overlooked the previous night’s campsite. We climbed steadily until we reached a high point at 3400 m (11,155 ft) before descending to the Tama Khola at 2854 m (9364 ft). The highlight of reaching the first pass that morning was a very clear and seemingly closeup view of Mera Peak to the northeast. Once down the steep hill, the Tama was a beautiful stream that tumbled over rocks and had clear pools of water where we quickly took advantage of the opportunity to soak our feet, wash our hair and, for the men, spend shirtless time relaxing in the sun. From this vantage point we could look down the small but steep valley that we were crossing to the much larger Hinku Khola far below. It was wonderful to have the sun again and drying clothing littered the rocks along the sides of the stream.

Upward again

Soon after eating we were hiking again and this time the steepness was significantly greater than the morning. At times, we were climbing grassy slopes that were nearly vertical with very small stone steps protruding from the hillside. We struggled up the mountain in this fashion for a couple of very difficult hours until we reached the second pass of the day at 3150 m (10,335 ft). Everyone in the group was winded and ready for a rest.

Wrapping up the day

The remainder of the day was an undulating combination of significant climbs up steep ridges and very steep descents into small valleys. We made two major stream crossings, the first by hopping across a series of well-placed rocks and the last one across an enormous log that spanned a rushing torrent. We long ago learned the best way to defeat a difficult section of trail, whether a narrow bridge or a dangerous section of rocks is to get momentum and block out the risk of a fall. Our mantra as we do this is, “just like a sidewalk, and we never fall off the sidewalk.” We crossed the log bridge with little difficulty and were back in a dark and damp forest.

Reaching Odare

Soon after this crossing, Suvash, our assistant guide, asked us to wait at a trail junction while he ran ahead. He returned in a few minutes to tell us that he found our campsite for the night. It was a series of ledges on the side of a hill that would accomodate one tent each. Towering over the ledges was an enormous rock that climbed at least fifty meters above us. The mist was rolling in by then and we were in the midst of rhododendron and pine trees that made for a ghostly ambience. Our porters were well behind and our tents and personal items arrived about an hour later. By then, Jeanne had managed to get a tick on her stomach that I removed with Ursi’s very useful tweezers.

Camp

The porters soon set up two roaring fires…one for the Basa Rai crew and another for the folks from other villages and castes. The most plentiful wood was bamboo, and there was the occasional explosion as the air pockets inside the bamboo heated and then exploded with a canon-like boom and raucous laughter from our trekking crew. We went to sleep by 7:30pm with our Nepali crew still talking and laughing around their fires.

Next up: Mera Peak Expedition — Odare Camp to Kote