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It was supposed to be a 0300 hrs reveille with a 0330 hrs departure to ensure that we would be at the Goecha La in the early morning sunshine. However, everything seemed to slip by about 40 minutes and we set off at 0415 hrs. It was still dark and we all had head-torches to follow the trail. There were some clouds in the sky but the stars were bright and we could see the Milky Way. Everyone was excited about the prospect of getting close to the 3rd highest mountain in the world, standing on the Goecha La at a height of 4950m. The altitude had already caused some minor headaches and difficulty in breathing for all the team when ascending. Today was no different, as we had to gain 700m in height. Sunrise was at 0450 hrs and we could see the ground rising to our front. We had camped about 30 minutes below Samati Lake and therefore we were even further behind schedule. The moraine was enormous and we crossed a large expanse of sand that must have been a lakebed many years before. The air was getting thinner as we gained height and each step demanded scarce oxygen. One of the team was struggling with breathlessness and unfortunately had to descend with one of the guides to the campsite. Another of the team was struggling with the sheer physical exertion required to gain the height but he managed to continue step by step.
As we neared the pass, the bright sunlight reflected off the snow to ensure that everyone was wearing sunglasses to protect eyes. The team had spread out over the trek but they all met up just below the pass to walk in as a team. The first to ascend stopped short of the pass on a knife-edge ridge to admire the views and wait for the rest of the team. It had taken 2¾ hours of hard work to reach the ridge by 0700 hrs and the sun was just coming over Pandim to light up the valley. Just below the pass was a cloudy but turquoise lake with a reflection of the Goecha Peak and the glacier that was dipping down onto its shore. By 0800 hrs most of the team were together enjoying the scenery and shortly after they all walked up to the pass, which was decorated with prayer flags. For the leader it was the culmination of over a year of planning to organise the expedition and we were all happy to follow him to the top. The views were absolutely amazing; snow-capped mountains, sharp ridges, sheer rock faces and glacier surrounded us. There were lots of smiles, handshakes and photographs for the next hour.
The euphoria of achieving our goal made all the hard works in reaching it seem like a distant memory. The inevitable iron and ironing board came out of one of the bags for the extreme ironing photos and various magazine covers appeared for publicity shots. We were rewarded with clear skies and bright sunshine despite the late start, which made the whole experience magnificent. At 0900 hrs we started the steep descent and soaked up the awe-inspiring scenery with less exertion than on the way up. The trek down was considerably quicker for most but one of the team went over on his ankle close to the summit and therefore took a long time to reach the rendezvous at Samiti Lake. When the team regrouped they walked the final 30 min stretch back to the campsite to pack and have lunch. As the food was being served the snow started falling and the wind whistled up the valley. The temperature had been as low as minus 15 degrees on the ascent but the clear skies allowed the sunshine to fool us into thinking that it was a lot warmer. The snow and wind blowing straight at us as we started the trek down to the next night stop certainly left us without any illusion concerning the temperature. Our convoy of dzo, horses and men was on the move down the valley hoping to night stop at the river hut at Kokchurung. Fortunately for our tired legs and bodies there was room at the inn and we unpacked our roll mats and sleeping bags onto the floor of a large wooden hut. The cook team set about preparing some snacks and the trekking team washed and changed after what was aptly described as a ‘big hill day’. Morale was high and despite the aches and pains the team all agreed that they had just experienced the most amazing day on the trek. The wooden hut was a welcome break from the tents. The evening meal was up to the normal high standard of the field kitchen and the dessert was a fruit flavoured red jelly! We finished the day with a toast ‘to a fantastic day and thanks to the team leader’ for making it all possible.
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