After our Jomsom trek we rested for a day in Pokhara and went rowing around the lake. The next day we took the bus back to Kathmandu and spent a couple of un-eventful days doing laundry, getting permits for the park and buying all the things we wished we had taken to Jomsom, mars bars etc. The Jomsom trek was a nine day warm-up, practice, training session to face the big one, an eleven day walk to see the big boys; Everest; Cho Oyu; Gyachung; Kang; Lhotse; Makal...

DAY 9 Muktinath (3710m) to Jomsom (2760m) To reach Jomsom we retrace our footsteps, this time facing into the wind. Our buffs protect our heads and make a good nose and mouth dust guard. Sunglasses over the eyes and we become anonymous. A buff has been so handy on this trek, it mops up sweat and can dry quickly, works as a scarf, hat when its cold, a dust guard and a water filter. We walk into the strong wind and arrive after four hours in Jomsom. We confirm our ...

DAY 8 Kagbeni (2840m) to Muktinath (3710m) An early start, and we made a steep climb up of around 500m to a dirt track. The altitude here was about 3400m and the lack of oxygen slowed us down. My guide was getting into a little strop over a typing mistake in the guide book. After a 20 minute walk from Kagbeni it advised we would reach another town. After walking for 45 minutes we were still in the middle of the dry dessert and my guide was cursing the books a...

DAY 7 Marpha (2680m) to Kagbeni (2840m) The wind was blowing furiously in more ways than one today. One way I can explain with the use of terms like geo thermal air, the other way, well, diet I should imagine, too much daal baht. The walk out of Marpha is into a new environment, it looks like the surface of Mars, dry red stone everywhere with small scrub bushes dotted around. The wind is cold but the sun soon warms us. We walk on, with not much to see, and sto...

DAY 6 Larjung (2560m) to Marpha (2680m) The view of the mountains from our bedroom window in the morning was a cracker. The sun rose behind the mountain so its rays illuminated the snowy peaks and the high jet streams that swirled the loose snow. We morning routine ensues, we pack our bags, everything lives in-side five separate, thick, double layered plastic bags that will get rolled over three times and then clamped with two bulldog clips. Up at high altit...