Lokpa to Chumling 29 October 2019

Leaving Lokpa and crossing some side streams Tropical vegetation but cool nonetheless The peaks ahead of us. We will go behind these in the coming days. Our luggage taking a break before a climb The main canyon we followed
Up we go on this section of "improved" trail, without which we could not reach the Tsum Valley IMG 8136 This was quite a construction project, as if along a bise Wide to allow the pack horses to pass Without this, we would've had to climb a lot higher
More stairs Kaji brought up the rear Botany Local timber All done by hand with a chain saw and nothing else
The river and the canyon We crossed the river and started up the other side: steep! IMG 1563 A sunny slope as we approach Chumling The mountains thousands of meters above us
Christine en route uphill Approaching our lodging Rooms above, dining hall below. Note green timbers in the stone walls: earthquake measure. A big lodge, with the new building on the right which the proprietors were eager to sell. We opted for the rooms up one story and above Bri Quite a view up behind!
Post-arrival charging and housekeeping The clouds were beautiful! We go that way tomorrow, to the left of that 6000 m peak Pine cones and a nice water point in the village Lunch time?
No one else in the dining hall Just us and our soup Decor The other kitchen, where all the guides and porters hung out Now, with horse
Door art Many different nationalities have passed through here The inner hall of our part of the lodge View from our balcony The rooms across from us, above the dining hall, said to be noisy
Mani wall Mani walls Finger millet that at first look were confused with a sedge So different from the pearl millet we knew in Africa Millet detail
The less steep slopes above the village are terraced and cropped The fields are sometimes still steep Looking up the side canyon Reminds me of a sugar pine Up valley
They also grow amaranthus An unharvested amaranthus field Monkeys gleaning the fields IMG 7159 Chorten and harvested fields
Cows gleaning too Snoozy little kids Figuring out how to transfer photos from the camera to the iPad Dinner: momos, spring rolls, fried rices and thenthuk, the local vegetable noodle soup The evening routine, often involves drying boots as high as possible where the warmer air collects
Finally settled in Nice to have the light