Jagat to Lokpa 28 October 2019

The porters encounter our duffles for the first time. Kaji helps out, Mingma watches and porter 1 waits At the start everything went inside large woven plastic sacks, one per porter This is good as it protects the bags Putting straps around the bags Then a trump line
Meanwhile, Greg gets the stove from Kaji and makes our morning espressos. Everything is working! The coffee complements the breakfast Our first little Nepalese person, who wandered around the lodge with a cellphone in her hand The proprietor of the lodge at Jagat, we're just another of hundreds of groups that will pass through in a season Ducklings in a courtyard (for what?)
Our very first steps on the trek take us to the village of Jagat where... ...Kaji checks in with the authorities. Note the flagstone path... and the Diwali decorations Very tidy village The authorities take their job seriously
Our destination, eventually, but first we will go up the Tsum Valley Lovely bridge over a raging side torrent IMG 1512 Then we spot a local powerplant. We didn't see a lot of these but even one is good. In some sections, the trail goes down along the river
on a path chiseled into the cliff IMG 3885 Warm down here Our luggage gets ahead of us Looking sporty!
Coming up on another bridge, this one over the main river A long bridge IMG 3890 IMG 3892 We started to climb above the river
Deeply incised main channel with... waterfalls Very warm now, even sunny. Glad we didn't have to walk for two days of this! Pointsettia trees IMG 3896
Steps but also power lines A roadside establishment Ekle Bhatti, where we had our first lunch, a village with a paved path and a beautiful water fountain right in the middle of town where many people did their washing while waiting for lunch to be made Water gushed out of the retaining wall Bri reviving herself with some hot lemon
Guides consult maps (we wonder what they are talking about) Continuing after lunch up the canyon toward the confluence of the river from Tsum and the main river down from Manaslu Bri with GPS device that periodically posted our position on a website visible to others Trail along the canyon wall with waterfall Quite a torrent
Another side canyon dumps water into the main channel An open pine forest at this elevation IMG 3902 Where the trails split, we head toward Tsum. We'll be back! Mingma and map
Gateway to the Tsum Valley Now with our guides Mingma (L) and Kaji (R) Buddhism reigns There are Rules! a very nice section of trail
We are getting broken in Approaching Lokpa, our destination for today The lodge where we stay has a giant boulder in front of it which serves as a terrace The local water point is right next to the trail (note trash receptacle) Getting off of the boulder isn't hard but it isn't easy either
Many other interesting folks pass through Lopka We had the two rooms on the right, ground floor Not a lot of light after dark But enough On the bench facing us, our porters with a third guy who is carrying the bags for the two American women (R)
Reading in bed, at least until the owner turned off the current. What will tomorrow bring?