Easy Day Climb Nangkar Tshang (16,500ft)

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I write easy day because today is our acclimitization day, where we 'rest' so our bodies acclimate to the 14k ft elevation. So, on this day, the three of us did a 2,400 foot climb to the top of Nangkar Tshang. In reality, it was a true test of endurance, to realize if I had what it takes to make a similar climb from Gorak Shep to Kala Patar (18,200), the elevation climax of my trip.
The way up me, Buddhi, and Phorbu talked the typical guy conversation, but it was lots of fun, and i'm so pleased how great we all get along. It makes the trek a blast, and it's a wonderful feeling of brotherhood between us 3. (Buddhi is even planning my next trek here, pointing to the mountain in the distance that he wants to climb with me: Island Peak (20,305 feet).
Without anything to carry, Buddhi and Phorbu essentially sprinted to the top of Nangkar Tshang. My day pack made me take a bit longer, but even without a pack, I don't stand a chance against these two guys, with a combined age around 90. They are much quicker than I.
At the top of Nangkar Tshang, I was absolutely spolied with 360 deg. views of the surrounding mountains, which included a few of the tallest mountains in the world (Makalu and Nupste). Easily, we saw 8 separate peaks, and the view was like nothing i've ever seen before. I could have stayed up there all day, and not because the effort to make it so high planted me on a jagged rock I wouldn't normally find quite so comfortable. Simply, you know the view is incredible when you can turn your back on Ama Dablam (my FAVORITE MTN), and still think the views are out of sight.
The way down felt even longer than the way up! I couldn't believe I had come so far! Apparently, my legs had kept the momentum from the previous days, and they knew how to get me up. The way down wasn't difficult, just unfamiliar. In many ways, it felt like i was skiing down the mountain (even helped to have my trekking pole to plant ahead of me!).

After we returned to the teahouse, I thought I should try the 'shower' situation. Being that it had been about a week, using only baby wipes on my body, and getting only one chance to cleanse myself with water in the glacier river, maybe a Xmas treat would be nice.

This 'shower' consisted of two guys on a roof pouring boiling water into a bucket. Then, i turned on the shower head and relayed the message to them hotter or colder!! I got 2 minutes worth of water. Enough for me to get my head wet, wash the important areas, and remember what I was missing by not choosing to vacation within hundreds of miles, minimum, of the developed world.
The ground was concrete, and quite cold. Also, when the hot water ended, the cool air took over. I had to dry off QUICK and get some clothes on before the shower water froze to my body. Yes, it was still refreshing. But can I call it a 'shower'? You decide.

After my shower, I realized I had nothing clean to slip in to. So, I did some laundry, old school. In many ways, it was therapeutic spending my afternoon scrubbing my dirtiest clothes with a bar of soap (the same one from the shower) and glacial water, and leaving them on a roof to dry (and then freeze when the sun went down). As I scrubbed, I didn't even need to look up to remember where I was. Surrounding me were HUGE mountains. In fact, I think I heard some of them looking down on me, laughing that I came to see them without knowing I would be hand washing my clothes before them.

It is so peaceful, serene, and simple here.
But as the sun goes down and the wind picks up (wondering if this wind came off of the jet stream), its not difficult to remember that this place is also unforgiving.

Not a moment later, my watch died. Was this elevation too much for my watch? Or did the cold take its toll? It's certainly getting harder to keep my electronics alive. My body feels fine, though I wonder what the reality is.

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Comments

[Javi]

Cool mountains
Have a nice trip my friend

[John]

Food
I am guessing there are no McDonalds up there.