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Published: June 12th 2010
I am not speaking to Darren until further notice. Today has been a day of intermittent showers and the return journey through the sanctuary has been very treacherous underfoot. Climbing steeply downwards over large and very slippery boulders requires caution at all times. The same caution which I also demonstrated when negotiating one of the temporary 'tree' bridges over a fast flowing stream. My satisfaction at safely crossing was immediately tempered by Darrens casual remark, 'that was just like watching the para-olympics sir!' Harsh.
I woke at around 3 this morning and after answering the call of nature paused to enjoy the magnificent views. A crystal clear night, the skies clearer than ever before and the snow capped mountains reflecting the moonlight. I would have stood and enjoyed the view a little longer but the biting cold drove me back to my sleeping bag for another couple of hours.
Sunrise over ABC shortly after 5am was equally sensational. An almost complete ring of high peaks, seven of which top 7000m (23.000ft), draped with snowfields and glaciers, rock walls and ice flutings, quite fantastic. After breakfast we started the long haul back to civilisation with the first leg back to
MBC. Machapuchare looked absolutely splendid as it towered directly over us all the way.
After a very long day we eventually hauled ourselves up into Chomrong around 7.30pm, complete with headtorch leading the way. We had got drenched an hour earlier caught in a downpour between Sinuwa (where incidently I did suggest we overnight so in fact it's all Darren's fault) and Chomrong. Poor Hari rolled in an hour later as soaked as he was sozzled. A spicy Dal Baht at the Moonlight Lodge (lodge of the year 1997 no less) and bed at 9.30 complete an exhausting but wonderful day.
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Annapurna South
