Day 16.. 100 doubts per hour

I managed to get my arse into gear early enough in the morning... the reason for this is because I was hoping to be able to go past Thorung Phedi and instead go to High Camp, where jump off for the pass would be easier. The distance between Thorung Phedi and High Camp is only 0.8 of a mile, which sounds like it would be no problem... until you realise that there is just over 1100ft to be climbed in that 0.8 of a mile!! That is some hill. Not to mention that this is all done at an altitude that leaves most of us breathless without exertion. So you can see why it would be an advantage to get to high camp today. But that would also depend on how the day went, because the journey to Thorung Phedi was also not gonna be a walk in the park.... but it was going to be a walk... no ridable sections here really.  Only 3.9 miles to Thorung Phedi... sounds easy but again I stress, the gradient is not good 😂

So I set off, before the early morning sun had really hit the road. Today was the first day of no shorts, ski trousers was now the cycling fashion of the day. It was bloody cold and yak kharka was just over 13000ft so there was ice in the roads and I began the day with my down jacket on. 

It did soon warm up enough and as I plodded on, always uphill, sometimes very steep gradients, the trekkers behind caught up and overtook. That didn't bother me... what did get me annoyed sometimes was when I let them past and then they immediately stopped so I had to go past them.  One group of trekkers was Russian and we were passing each other throughout the day. There was occasionally small rideable sections which I enjoyed when they came, but for the most part it just went up steeply.

Then came the pisser! 

So there were 2 paths to choose from. One went down and crossed a suspension bridge to the other side of the river and then headed towards Thorung Phedi, the other stayed on the right side of the river, also went to Thorung Phedi. The left track was marked with the red and white flag of the Annapurna circuit and so I started to follow that, but then a guide who had been just behind me, took the Right track, the one that went up. He said they both went to the same place and headed off leaving me with a dilemma. The guide has chosen the right track, and it looked a bit shorter. The left track went over the suspension bridge which I'm not a fan of for 2 reasons... no 3.

1. They wobble big time

2. They look like have been going for years

3. They usually have steps up to them which is a bit of an effort to get the bike up... 

So I went for the track on the right... and from that point in... had a constant and maddening path envy. Whereas the path on the left climbed up a little and then seemed like it went nice and flat with even a little downhill... mine just kept going up! I was getting more and more pissed off. anot that it was taking me ages, I was keeping up a reasonably good pace by foot... but thats not the point. From my vantage point of over 15000ft, which is what my path climbed up to, their path seemed about 1000ft lower and much much nicer. 

I did get a little downhill every now again but it was so short that it the end I stopped bothering to get back on the bike as the effort of getting on and then off 100m later when the gradient went up steeply again, didn't seem worth it.

And so... I chuntered to myself as I went along, trying to convince myself that I might have a downhill at the end worth all of this...

But nope... Oh I got a downhill, but so steep, and shaley with large rocks every now and again that it was impossible to ride... Instead I got smushed toes and a suspension bridge to drag my bike up to and then cross... out of breath. Then to top it all off.. to add salt into the already smarting wounds, I had to use every muscle group and last ounce of energy to heave my bike up the ridiculously steep and slippery slope to the lodge at Thorung Phedi.

I think I stopped and got food... I can't remember, so much has happened since. But I do remember that time was on my side, due to both starting from the hill above yak kharka and leaving early enough in the morning.... which meant Plan B could be put into action. I put aside the annoyances of the day. This time there was only one route and it went straight up... this was the 1145ft in 0.8 of a mile.... straight up, disguised as switchbacks.  I was also now at 14800ft and heading up to 16000ft... this is where altitude bites hard.

It said on maps. me that it would take 2 hours, I was prepared for more. Given that I was also dragging a bike full of kit up there.

It didn't look that far, when you stood at the bottom looking up. Earlier on the right path, I could see both Thorung Phedi and Thorung high camp and it didn't look too bad.... oh how wrong I was.

In climbing and mountaineering they often talk about the crux of a climb, the tricky bit to work out how to do or get past before the top can be obtained. This iswhat this felt like... it felt like, if I could go to High Camp today, then I would have got through the crux, leaving Thorung La pass open for the conquering... again... oh how wrong was I... but I will leave that for Day 17 blog😂😂

Back to the trail up to high camp... 

It honestly felt at times that a harness and rope would not go amiss, so steep were the inclines... at times my bike handlebars were above my head, with my feet scrambling for purchase on the loose shale or dust and my hands starting to cramp with holding the brakes, so that the bike didn't slip down any of the hard won inches... and I mean inches in places. Add to this, but at 14000 to 16000ft, it only took a few steps at times, to leave me curled over my handlebar bag gasping for breath. Then I would take some deep breaths, have a bit of a coughing fit, and carry on up...

It seemed to take forever. And with every step, every hard won breath came a nagging doubt in my head.... could I do this??

Why did I think that I could haul my bike up to one of the highest passes in the world.. with kit? 

In fact, why did I think that I could get to thorung high camp today? 

I was clearly waaay slower than the trekkers... 

So many doubts... magnifying with each switchback, each hard incline, each slip back down. Several times I was nearly in tears from the utter effort required... I was close to having nothing left at all. I could feel the last dregs of energy ebbing away, as fast as the river far below was flowing.

It took 2 hours of sustained whole body effort... 2 hours where I had to give myself a pep talk with every step.... 

Some American guys passed me offering words of encouragement and then as they turned a corner and I slowly followed, I could see a building and I shouted to them... Is that it?

Yes they replied and suddenly I found myself in floods of tears. I hadn't thought I'd get there... in fact I still wasn't as there was still the sring in the tail killer slope to be got up before I could start to recuperate. So I wiped the tears away and continued for probably another 10 minsutes step by step until I reached the doorway of high camp. Made it! I put my bike against the wall and flopped down, struggling to catch my breath. It took a good 5 minutes of deep breathing and coughing before I could stand up and head in to see if there was a room. There was, but only one for 3 people, so I may need to share, but frankly I didn't care. High camp was not a place for comforts, it was a place to survive the night before heading up and over the pass. No heating in the rooms, only one small duvet... tonight my sleeping bag would come into its own, along with every single scrap of clothing that I had brought with me.

I headed to the dining area. Here they charged for wifi, charged for charging electricals and charged an exorbitant (by nepali standards) amount for food. The room itself was pretty cheap. I ordered a flask of lemon tea... but I did not feel great. It was a bit of a leap up in altitude and I felt a bit nauseous and a headache was starting. The dining room, whilst warmish with the burner going was a bit noisy so I sat there with a bit of a thousand yard stare on.

One of the russians who had been leapfrogging me earlier on the high path, came over and we started chatting. It took my mind away from how crap I was feeling for a bit and I was grateful to him for that. It also let me try some of the very small amount of russian out and he seemed to understand (thanks Milla for your teaching).

But soon, I just had to go to bed. Although I was aware that not eating was probably not the smartest thing to do, given the amount of calories I keep using, I just couldn't bring myself to eat. Just before I went back to my room, a chinese girl who I had met further down the route bounced up and said she was sharing a room with me... that was fine... at least I'd met her.

So I crawled back to my room, crawled into my sleeping bag and tried to block out the fact that my feet were almost frozen solid.  Eventually I drifted off... the doubts quietened for now but remaining close to the surface. 

What would tomorrow bring?? 

p. s the photos below for some reason have uploaded in backwards order... start at the bottom and work up😜