Our guide, Ajoy woke us up at 5:00AM to see the sun peek over the mountains. We walked up to a cliff that looked out over the Khangchendzonga Mountain range. I could've stayed up there all morning but I got hungry. After breakfast we thanked the family and began the day's 19km trek. It was to be the most challenging of the five days as it was mainly up hill. About 2km before we were to stop and eat lunch the sky went dark and the rain began to fall. We sought shelter in a small army camp on the border of India. Huddled into a creeky shack with soldiers, farmers and a calf, we watched as the storm picked up and turned into viscious pellets of hail blowing at a 45 degree angle. With only 1km left until food and warmth we made a run for it. It was a futile attempt to stay dry and we ended up eating momos and chow mein over a bucket of hot coals while the storm raged on outside. We still had 7km left to go. Jon n' I carried on some heavy life talks to keep our minds off the distance, the height, and the bitter cold that came with it. The day's destination, where we would sleep that night, was 3,636 meters above sea level; the highest point in West Bengal. When we arrived there we were close to hypothermia with no dry clothes. There was no electricity and a scarecity of firewood, so we buried ourselves in as many blankets as we could find until dinner was served. We ate in the only shack of the village that had a fire. The food was hot and really fuckin' good. Before we went back to our room we left our wet clothes to be dried over the fire. I had so many blankets on top of me when I went to bed, they felt like sandbags. Between that and the air being so thin at that height, I was unsure if I'd wake up breathing in the morning. But at least I was warm.
Read Day 15
Read Day 15
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