Yesterday was tough. We ascended 1,540 metres and descended only 60 metres. I’ve ascended more in one and normally descended the same….but this was unrelenting. In 7 1/2 hours we traveled just 7.17 kilometres, however we did stop for the, apparently obligatory, 2 hour lunch break, even with taking that out of the equation I don’t think the land speed record is in any danger. My only defence for such a slow speed is that we went from 1,807 metres to 3,347.

One thing is becoming apparent on this trek is that we are traveling along a path little traveled by trekking groups and our camp sites are very much a testament to this. Although at first glance the places have nothing to offer, after closer inspection, they are where every day life takes place. The family’s don’t think twice about inviting us in, sharing their fire and more often than not the local brew made from millet. Last night was no exception. The lady of the house and her two young children open their doors to posse of 12 men and one lady, I don’t think that would ever happen in the UK. She shared both her fire and dining area as the children took great delight in running towards Chandanu and me laughing, then running away or the youngest might burst into tears (I might as well get it in first, it was probably my ugly old face that scared him).

Today we stepped up to the first of a number of passes that we will be crossing, called Salpa La and then rapidly descended half the height gain of yesterday! In the afternoon the heavens opened again. This isn’t what I ordered. I’ve tried very hard over the years that I’ve been walking to appreciate rain, as yet it has eluded me I can’t for the life of me see the point in it, except to make my life a misery. I listened to Alan Hinkes not long before I came away and he remembered with joy the days he would go out into the Lakes in appalling conditions to ‘test himself’……is there something wrong with him? My walking partner and I, avoid bad weather at all costs and he’s no wuss, our Uncle Les.

We seemed to walk for miles through forests of moss covered trees, stunning in their own way, but a little less appealing as water dripped through the moss onto my head! The conclusion to the days walk was to walk over a small ridge onto a stunning sight of a village clinging to the hillside and another stay at a local house and all the hospitality that seems to bring in Nepal.

Another day closer to Mera Peak and Baruntse.

The flight out of Kathmandu to Tumlingtar was in Nepali terms on time, in Western terms it was four hours late! But hey we’re in no hurry, time is irrelevant, which in a way is a wonderful feeling. Why were we late leaving? The weather, low cloud and mist at Tumlingtar, a pretty dangerous mixture in a mountainous region when landing becomes essential. What, of course, this means is that we haven’t done any walking today, but at least we’re in the mountains.

Some of you might have noticed that instead writing ‘I’, I’ve been writing ‘we’. Simply put I now have a traveling companion, Chandana. I know very little of her yet but as we are to spend five weeks in each other’s company, I hope we’ll travel well together. She is on this trip to acclimatise for an attempt on Everest later in April.

The title of this blog was Tumlingtar, so maybe I ought to try to describe it. The airport was, last time I came, a grass strip. Now it’s a proper runway. The town is a building site, as is the hotel we’re staying in. There are three finished rooms and Chandana and I take up two of them. The dining is alfresco with a hint of concrete and metal reinforcements. The kitchen, not sure how I can describe the kitchen, but the food that came out of it was very good, anyway. It proclaims to be the best hotel in Tumlingtar with free WiFi, however no one seems to know the password for the WiFi and as for the best hotel? Even in its totally unfinished state, looking at the competition, it could well be. If I ever go to a European hotel that has building work going on, I’ll look back and think, why worry. Please don’t think I’m complaining, far from it. Nepal seems to be a country that’s in a constant state of flux and it’s that side of it and it’s people that I have grown to love.

We had our evening meal on the unfinished top floor, which lent itself to a wonderful roof top terrace with lovely evening view of Tumlingtar.

Tumlingtar is now a few K behind us, as at last we head out up the hot, dust Aaron Valley.