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Woken up at 0600 with Breakfast Tea to a superb view of the Kanchenjunga Massif; something to get the blood pumping. We had a bowl of hot water to wash in before breakfast of porridge, eggs, toast and honey. Rik (Rakesh, our other guide) pointed out our route and the Goecha La in the distance where we would be trekking next week. All the heavy packs were loaded onto the horses and we left the Tonglu lodge just after 0800 hrs. We were headed for Kalipokri in Nepal with a lunch stop at Garibans. En-route we past a border post patrolled by an Indian soldier carrying a rifle and we could see Maoist flags to designate their area of control. Once through we zig-zagged along the Singhalila ridge. The views along route were breathtaking and we entered the Singhalila national park after paying a toll of 25 Rupees for each camera. Lots of rhododendrons and forest of bamboo, magnolia, pine.
We descended to our lunch stop at Garibans 2554m, where there was a Red Panda Breeding Centre. Great lunch of ham, beans, dumplings, potatoes, green beans, cheese, mango and of course tea. After lunch we climbed up a steep slope through a forest and the cook team overtook us carrying all the kitchen equipment. The altitude certainly affected our progress up the steps cut in the path. Some of the team were still suffering so the pace was kept very comfortable.
At the top of the ridge we stopped at a local tea house for a cup of tea made over a small clay oven. The mist swirled around the tiny houses and the temperature dropped. Only 4km to go and off we went to the final destination at Pandim Lodge where we shared rooms in a wood and corrugated hut and watched the new-born goats playing. Another fantastic, and large, meal cooked by our team, although two of the team have been banned from eating anything else except rice! An early night is in order in preparation for another trek tomorrow.
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