Nepal Day 16 - Dragnag to Gokyo plus ascent of Gokyo Ri

 2.8 miles, 1500’ elevation gain estimated between villages

Namaste Lodge, 15,721’ elevation

Gokyo Ri: 17,583’ at the top, 1.3 miles from Gokyo, 2000’ elevation gain, steep in both directions!

After a good breakfast, we headed out for Gokyo. We knew it would be a shortish walk but with some strenuous walking on the glacier. A large group of Kongma were hanging around the village; maybe they get fed? We watched them a little, then started with an easy walk in the sunshine. Most of our walk was on the glacier, going up and around piles of rocks and snow. Some parts were slippery in snow or mud and exposed, places where it would be a really bad idea to fall, but Bire and Deepak were there to give a hand on the tricky parts. The track wasn’t always clear since it changes every year as the glacier moves and changes. We could see and hear chunks of ice and snow falling intermittently. There were some beautiful glacial lakes and snow and ice features. We passed a few groups of trekkers going in the opposite direction, and some people we’ve been seeing on a similar route to ours passed us.

Near the end of our route, we needed to ascend a long, steep hill off of the glacier. It was muddy, steep, narrow, and exposed. A large group was descending very slowly.  We waited for them out of the line of rock fall since it was too narrow to safely pass. As trekkers came up behind us, rocks and boulders intermittently came rolling and bouncing down the steep hill, some came close to trekkers behind us crossing the fall line . People yelled “Patthar!” (Rocks!) to warn them. This is the downside of a warm day. We headed up the narrow muddy path as soon as it was clear. Uphill was clearly safer (less slippery) than downhill. 

Soon we were rounding a hill for our first view of the colorful village of Gokyo, situated on a blue, partially iced-over lake, with its  large lodges with solar panels. Bire says 5 of them are owned by the same person. We checked into the Namaste Lodge and had lunch.

The weather was so good that we decided to go up Gokyo Ri, originally planned for tomorrow. We want to take advantage of clear skies since weather can change quickly. The climb up Gokyo Ri was very slow due to the steepness a high elevation. Finally we reached the top with its prayer flags. Some clouds had formed, but we had good views of Cho Oyu, Everest, Nuptse, Cholatse. 

On our way down, we again saw a large group of Kongmas. These were digging in the dirt and making a variety of sounds. Such cool birds! After a slow descent, we were back in Gokyo. We saw a pair of to-be-identified ducks near the inlet. We rewarded ourself with hot showers and felt positively human. The water was hot, and there was even a hair dryer available for those with a need.