Trek Day 13 - Rats, Nangpa La 2 - Hoseman 0

Sun rises us...
Breakfast and map reading skills lesson for Nima T
So much one can teach these guys about the outdoors - this then they can
impart to their clients in the future and make everyone's trip that much
more rewarding
Bear West up a different valley towards Lunak (2007 camp site). This
valley flows east west so can access the Inmarsat satellites. Call Mum &
Dad - back home all fine.
Couple of climbers based at Lunak - attempting highest unclimbed peak
left in Nepal, just under 7,000m - Its remote, challenging and not very
accessible, hence its status - name & exact location to follow... Guys
are from Washington state where I learnt many good climbing skills from
Willie Pritty.
We forge on and bear North up the alongside the Nangpa glacier valley,
But the trail just disappears. Nangpa La seems tantalisingly close. The
main problems come from the active Nangpa glacier. This is eroding the
valley walls where the "trail" goes. On the steep sections there is
constant rock fall. From where the trail is to the top of the glacier
below is a good 125m, A daunting sight when you are right on its edge.
Nima T an I try scrambling higher up the valley slope - but this proves
fruitless due the the effort/time/risk that it takes with no reward.
It's one large quarry with a jumble of huge, often unstable boulders.
Another option would be to drop down onto the glacier, but we agree that
this will take longer than the supplies we are carrying. The risk of an
accident would also be high due to the icy rocky undulating moving
glacier surface.
So it becomes 2-0 to the Nangpa La! More rats...
Our turn around point is approximately N28 01 40.0 E086 35 14.3 at 5,200m
I take my hat of to the Tibetans and their Yaks! Hopefully they may
resume their journey so that the trail can be re-established.