Muktinath

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We got up in Thorung Pedi at 5am and it was clear so we began the 600m ascent. At the high camp an hour later Gregory from Belgium dropped out to stay a day as he was not feeling too good, but they rest of us went on as we could see some blue sky, but not much now. However it continued to snow harder and by the time we got to the top all we could see was white. My stomach was a little dodgy so I found a small cold 3 walled stone loo at the stop and took what might have been my coldest dump ever (somehow I think not though..), and is definately my highest not including planes. The descent was quite muddy and long and it was good to get to Muktinath where we bumped into a lot of the same people we saw at Thorung Pedi - mostly French.
There was a funny story with a large group we met the day we got to Thorung Pedi. Tim, Jules, and I stopped in a small hut while it was snowing for a hot lemon and some bonbons and there was a big group - probably 4 girls and 6 guys in there wearing cycling shorts and t-shirts. I asked where they were from and they said "Basque country". I said "oh Spain?" and Jules heard about three of them say "No!!' very angrily and empatically. Somehow I missed that and continued "isn't that in Spain I thought it was, where is it then, Jules?". Everyone stayed quiet so I let it drop...

Muktinath is a pilgrammage site - and it was well worth taking a couple of hours the next morning to go and check out the Hindu fountains and the eternal flame at the temple on the North side of town.

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