the thorong la pass was the mysteriously built-up climax of the 15 day trek. after all, we were taking our time to acclimate and tackle the big day of climbing and climbing, passing the 14 false cols that tricked us into thinking we were there, our breaths more labored in the elevation, all the while being aware of acute mountain sickness and its dangers.
the day came, and the morning was slow with the first hour the steepest and most difficult climb of the day. the weather was a perfectly clear, crisp day, and with each step we were greeted by a seemingly more congenial view of the high (over 8,000m peaks): annapurna I, II, and III, and Gangapurna with its glacier staring back at us. and after 4 hours or less we reached the pass.
i cannot even describe the elation the himalayas bring to my soul, leaving me speechless and almost embarrassed at my smallness. but i was so thankful they welcomed me into their vast world, high up in the sky where the birds fly and the clouds hang out, looking face to face to the snow-capped neighbors. i had never been exposed at this altitude before. we were at 17,768 ft, and i wanted to jump some of the highest peaks in the world like they were hay bails.
we basked in the excitement and celebrated at the pass that welcomed us with a proper sign that has been draped with layers of prayer flags by people who have passed this way before us, and several other trekkers, many of whom we had been playing leap frog with along the trail. a couple of french guys indulged in the ham and wheels of cheese, and homemade liquor they packed from france. a couple of others climbed the extra couple of hundred feet to reach 18,000ft. an extreme unicyclist from the UK began his descent the way we just came.
after an hour or so, we decided we should face the inevitable 4 hour knee-crunching downhill that awaited us.
