0930-Started out towards Chumiknakpo. Crossed a risky hanging bridge, the horses panicked and one almost stepped off the bridge into the raging Bassi. Tenzing turned them back off the bridge and calmed them down. They were across on the second try. That was close.
Right after the bridge, a steep ascent, dusty and rocky. The feet were taking a nasty pounding. An hour into the ascent we came across a group from Europe who had left for Chumiknakpo the previous day. Apparently, a few of them developed altitude sickness and they had camped mid-way and were preparing to head back to Zanskar Sumdo now. A little later we passed a group of Americans who had left Zanskar Sumdo half hour before us. We were making good pace. But not without its cost, a small headache started rearing its ugly head. I slackened the pace, we were gaining altitude and the pace was too much. Headache is one of the symptoms of HACE-High Altitude Cerebral Oedema, the others being nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and loss of apetite. We had approximated the walk to Chumiknakpo to be about 5 hours, we had been going only half that time till now. It was turning out to be a tough day in the mountains...
The last hour was torture, my head was pounding and feet ached, I was stumbling on occassion. Not a good sign. I was not able to keep pace with Tenzing and the horses and fell back about 5-10 mins. Later I realised I had got myself into trouble with altitude sickness because I had tried to keep pace with Tenzing. I had forgotten the basic tenet of the mountains, as indeed of life itself - know your limitations. I had tried to keep pace with a man born of the mountains, who has a zillion more red blood cells carrying oxygen to his muscles than I did...
Then the hallucinations. Well, not really, I exaggerate. But then in the mountains the line between reality, dreams, and apparitions gets a little blurred. As I trudged along, I started to think about lounging at home sipping a cool beer with folks. Oh how I yearned for that comfort. We appreciate so many things in life when we experience their absence. Why? I must ve thought about this for an hour as I found myself slipping into a strange trance, the pain in the legs was gone, I was not real...it came upon me that this big trek, the Infinite Trail, will help me appreciate a lot of things that I had until now taken for granted...out here its tough, it tests you, its lonely, it can kill you...
Suddenly the humble, dusty campsite of Chumiknakpo came into view, I was delighted. 4 hours which seemed like 8. We pitched tents right away, I helped Tenzing with his first and then we set up mine. I had a throbbing headache and Tenzing confessed he had a mild one too. I washed the mud off my legs down at the stream, limped back to the tent and crashed my beat body.
1500-Headache was worse now, Tiger balm was invoked. After half hour, my worst fears came true. It was indeed the onset of HACE. I began to feel nausea and loss of apetite. I could not get myself to down the broth that Tenzing had cooked. But I knew I had to force it down if I were to have any chance of fending Oedema off and continuing on my journey. Especially given that the next day is tough - we will gain 700m in 3 hours to cross the tough Shingo-la(5100m). Things were not looking good...
1800-We had dinner quietly. I was again not able to help Tenzing much. We talked slowly while he cooked and I did little odd jobs. After dinner around 1900 the light began to fade. They said it will be colder tonight than last night. Another fitful night in the cold. Thankfully, the generous herdsman in Zanskar Sumdo had insisted that I keep the blanket. Maybe he knew that I would not have survived without it. He had also refused any payment for it. I was indebted to that kind man, I really was...
Right after the bridge, a steep ascent, dusty and rocky. The feet were taking a nasty pounding. An hour into the ascent we came across a group from Europe who had left for Chumiknakpo the previous day. Apparently, a few of them developed altitude sickness and they had camped mid-way and were preparing to head back to Zanskar Sumdo now. A little later we passed a group of Americans who had left Zanskar Sumdo half hour before us. We were making good pace. But not without its cost, a small headache started rearing its ugly head. I slackened the pace, we were gaining altitude and the pace was too much. Headache is one of the symptoms of HACE-High Altitude Cerebral Oedema, the others being nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and loss of apetite. We had approximated the walk to Chumiknakpo to be about 5 hours, we had been going only half that time till now. It was turning out to be a tough day in the mountains...
The last hour was torture, my head was pounding and feet ached, I was stumbling on occassion. Not a good sign. I was not able to keep pace with Tenzing and the horses and fell back about 5-10 mins. Later I realised I had got myself into trouble with altitude sickness because I had tried to keep pace with Tenzing. I had forgotten the basic tenet of the mountains, as indeed of life itself - know your limitations. I had tried to keep pace with a man born of the mountains, who has a zillion more red blood cells carrying oxygen to his muscles than I did...
Then the hallucinations. Well, not really, I exaggerate. But then in the mountains the line between reality, dreams, and apparitions gets a little blurred. As I trudged along, I started to think about lounging at home sipping a cool beer with folks. Oh how I yearned for that comfort. We appreciate so many things in life when we experience their absence. Why? I must ve thought about this for an hour as I found myself slipping into a strange trance, the pain in the legs was gone, I was not real...it came upon me that this big trek, the Infinite Trail, will help me appreciate a lot of things that I had until now taken for granted...out here its tough, it tests you, its lonely, it can kill you...
Suddenly the humble, dusty campsite of Chumiknakpo came into view, I was delighted. 4 hours which seemed like 8. We pitched tents right away, I helped Tenzing with his first and then we set up mine. I had a throbbing headache and Tenzing confessed he had a mild one too. I washed the mud off my legs down at the stream, limped back to the tent and crashed my beat body.
1500-Headache was worse now, Tiger balm was invoked. After half hour, my worst fears came true. It was indeed the onset of HACE. I began to feel nausea and loss of apetite. I could not get myself to down the broth that Tenzing had cooked. But I knew I had to force it down if I were to have any chance of fending Oedema off and continuing on my journey. Especially given that the next day is tough - we will gain 700m in 3 hours to cross the tough Shingo-la(5100m). Things were not looking good...
1800-We had dinner quietly. I was again not able to help Tenzing much. We talked slowly while he cooked and I did little odd jobs. After dinner around 1900 the light began to fade. They said it will be colder tonight than last night. Another fitful night in the cold. Thankfully, the generous herdsman in Zanskar Sumdo had insisted that I keep the blanket. Maybe he knew that I would not have survived without it. He had also refused any payment for it. I was indebted to that kind man, I really was...
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