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Not much sleep for anyone as the Dzo were tethered outside our tents and their neck bells were ringing throughout the night. We were hoping for beef on the menu for breakfast but they received a last minute reprieve. Some of the team were up at first light and they got food views of the full Pandim Range and the foothills of Kangchenjunga. Sunrise was at 0500 hrs and the cloud and mist moved in to obscure some of the views. However, the sun did manage to break through and we got some clear views to enjoy with breakfast.
Today’s journey was steep but very short in comparison to the other days. Along the route we saw many rhododendron and primulas. The majority of the primulas should be in flower within a couple of weeks but we did see some purple flowering primulas near to the final stop. We arrived at Dzongri campsite, elevation 4024m at 1045 hrs. The rest of the day was free for us to get used to the altitude and explore the surrounding countryside. However, the cloud and mist stopped us enjoying any dramatic scenery. There were several yaks at the campsite and another group of trekkers. Most of the team passed the time playing cards until a member of the support team challenged them to a game of high altitude cricket. We had a ball and they had made some bats. The stumps were made from walking poles and our guide was the umpire for the England vs India game. England opened the batting with some wild swings, leading to a duck for the opener. However, we reached 58 for 4 in the limited over match. The Indian side had a couple of good batsmen but we had better bowlers and they only managed 26 for 4 in the 10 overs. By the end of the game we only had half a bat left but that didn’t matter as England had won and we all gave three cheers for India.
After all the running about we relaxed with a cup of tea and then split into smaller groups to do some exploring. Some went up to the viewpoint 170m above the site to look at the prayer flags and mist whilst others read books or played cards. The food was good and the tents were on a flat site away from the dzo.
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