A yak grazing amidst the rocks of the Rongbuk river valley, Everest Base Camp (North)
After a relatively good night's sleep at the Tingri Friendship Hotel, we woke to more low cloud and a greasy chapati breakfast.
Leaving the others to walk back up to EBC still hopeful of a Qomolangma sighting, Fran and I decided to cut our losses and to walk down towards Rongbuk Monastery.
Our stroll took us alongside the rocky glacier route of the Rongbuk River valley, dotted with yaks. At the sacred water well, we picked up Tashi, a local Tibetan man who chatted to us as we walked on towards the monastery. About 10 minutes in, he became very insistent we stop and look back.... thereby ensuring we did get a sighting of Mount Everest, peaking out of the lower cloud base. Tu-de-chay Tashi!
At Rongbuk Monastery we pottered around the monastery kora, still getting the occasional sighting of Mount Everest / Qomolangma, and then returned to the tent camp, helping a lady carry her three thermoses of water for the final stretch.
I'd been a bit woozy all morning, and spent most of the exciting off road return drive to the Friendship Highway sleeping in the front seat. Too tired to keep my eyes open to take in the amazing scenery, the river crossings, and towing another jeep out of a bog.
At (Old) Tingri we rejoined the tarmac, and checked in to the Snow Leopard Guesthouse where we had a late lunch and a lazy afternoon to wash, repack and stroll the length of town which stretches along the main highway.
As the light faded, the cloud lifted and we were treated to a very atmospheric view of snow capped Himalayan peaks, including (somewhere!) the elusive Mt Everest
After noodle soup for supper, we made the most of the evening's hot water and hit our beds for a comfier night's sleep.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9C-Tsang
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rongbuk_Monastery
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everest_Base_Camp
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tingri_%28town%29
IMG_8606
A yak grazing amidst the rocks of the Rongbuk river valley, Everest Base Camp (North)
After a relatively good night's sleep at the Tingri Friendship Hotel, we woke to more low cloud and a greasy chapati breakfast.
Leaving the others to walk back up to EBC still hopeful of a Qomolangma sighting, Fran and I decided to cut our losses and to walk down towards Rongbuk Monastery.
Our stroll took us alongside the rocky glacier route of the Rongbuk River valley, dotted with yaks. At the sacred water well, we picked up Tashi, a local Tibetan man who chatted to us as we walked on towards the monastery. About 10 minutes in, he became very insistent we stop and look back.... thereby ensuring we did get a sighting of Mount Everest, peaking out of the lower cloud base. Tu-de-chay Tashi!
At Rongbuk Monastery we pottered around the monastery kora, still getting the occasional sighting of Mount Everest / Qomolangma, and then returned to the tent camp, helping a lady carry her three thermoses of water for the final stretch.
I'd been a bit woozy all morning, and spent most of the exciting off road return drive to the Friendship Highway sleeping in the front seat. Too tired to keep my eyes open to take in the amazing scenery, the river crossings, and towing another jeep out of a bog.
At (Old) Tingri we rejoined the tarmac, and checked in to the Snow Leopard Guesthouse where we had a late lunch and a lazy afternoon to wash, repack and stroll the length of town which stretches along the main highway.
As the light faded, the cloud lifted and we were treated to a very atmospheric view of snow capped Himalayan peaks, including (somewhere!) the elusive Mt Everest
After noodle soup for supper, we made the most of the evening's hot water and hit our beds for a comfier night's sleep.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9C-Tsang
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rongbuk_Monastery
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everest_Base_Camp
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tingri_%28town%29
IMG_8606