Gorepani

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Unfortunately in some ways for Jules and I, we both missed the turning for Gorepani. I saw signs and thought we were going the right way, and he missed them all. Anyhow two and a half hours later we got to Tiplyang and realised our mistake. We looked at the map and consulted locals and decided to cut across to Gorepani or Chitre using a trail that was marked on our map and apparently would take 6 hours (which we figured we would do quicker anyway since we had only taken 9 full days to get to Tatopani we were usually walking quicker than the guidebooks). We had a dal baht to get our strength at 11am and headed off the beaten track at 11:30am. Jules and I climbed a quick 1300m by 2:30pm to Tikot, where were were told we had to descend again and backtrack a little to get to Rima, wasting about an hour. We got to Rima and it seemed to go on and on and at about 5pm I suggested we ask at some houses for some shelter for the night.
We filled up our water and I used my Iodine for the first time rather than getting boiled water and tried unsuccessfully to get to the houses. We found a nice clearing and kipped down at nightfall - 6pm, both using our Therma-rests for the first time. I woke up at 11pm and Jules told me the time - Orion was just appearing on the horizon and the stars looked great. I woke up again and Orion was directly overhead and I could clearly see his bow, which meant it was very clear. I watched a few shooting stars and figured it was about 3am so I took a Xanax to help me sleep since my feet were wet and cold from the dew. I think it was my first night ever sleeping rough. I have been out all night before, but never to sleep. We got up at 7am feeling pretty good (me a little groggy because the Xanax hadn't completely worn off - maybe it wasn't so early when I took it, they only usually take 3 hours effect).
I thought it would be a couple of house to Gorepani, and Jules hoped to get there before midday. Some women working in a field the evening before had told us it would take 4 hours from where they were. I got a little worried as we were following a pony trail that it was heading west, and after a while we checked a map reference with Jules' GPS and it put us just north and west of Chitre which was fine. We were still a little concerned because the US geologists met on the other side of the pass had had discrepancies between GPS readings and the map references. I guess it will take a little time for the cartographers to catch up to the new technology, especially out here... At 12:30pm we saw a sign to Nangi, and Gorepani back the way we had come... indicating that we were too far south. We decided it was best to head back and did so (uphill) and just before beginning to descend again, when we were back at the point of taking the GPS reading we began to take a path (there were quite a few more than on the map) East. I figured that Poon hill was that way and South and we would get to Gorepani and the main path by heading that way. At about 2:15pm we we searching around for some paths after finishing the last of the trekker bars I had and I bumped into a couple of guides and 2 Australians. The showed us on the map that we were South of Poon hill and said it was 3 hours to Gorepani over Poon hill. We got to Poon hill in a hour and were in Gorepani 45 minutes later and that was quite pleasant. I think I had worked off my bad karma from the drinking and smoking over the last couple of days and dinner, hot shower (nearly warm)and sleep were the best they had been the whole trek.

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