Goecha-La Trek Day Three

We began our trek out of Tsokha up to Dzongri (4200 meters) at 7:30am, Topden having wised up about how fast we could move with the Bear's altitude headaches and breathing issues. We made good time climbing along broad rocks and wooden slatted stairs laid down by the HMI (Himalayan Mountaineering Institute) up to Phedang Meadows. We were lucky enough to catch a few earl blossoming hot pink and red rhododendrons at one of our break points where we also ran into two Russian men who had just come down from Goecha-La and said it was impossible to go further than the first viewpoint due to slick ice.

We broke for a snack of an apple and an egg at Phedang Meadows and then Topden pointed out the rest of the trek up a razor's edge of switchbacks climbing out of the pine and rhododendron forest into alpine meadows. We could see trekkers, porters and dzos climbing high above us and the mere sight of the climb made the Bear want to lay down and spend the  night right where we were. But...we made it-slowly but surely....up and up through fog that turned into clouds until finally we reached Deorali Pass, nearly 4000 meters and marked with Tibetan prayer flags.

The path from Deorali to Dzongri followed rolling hills among low brush and an absence of trees as we were now above the tree line. Our camp became visible as we crossed an iced over waterfall but aft fifteen minutes it began to feel like a mirage as we just never seemed to reach it. We were at first turned off to find our tent propped on top of a hill above the rest of the camp and with our team's camp without a toilet (a hole dug in the ground and surrounded by a tent), but the latrine situation was soon remedied and although the tent was standing in directly in the windpath it was actually quite cozy.

We spent the rest of the day, when not eating, relaxing in the tent a snowstorm of small, semi-hard hail/snow, and I finally got the chance to try out my rented (and HUGE) down coat. Dinner, of course, was delicious, and precipitated by tea and popcorn, the latter of which apparently helps with altitude acclimatization.