From the pass, there's a path up to a higher vantage point.
Trip to Nepal
October 2006
Day 13- Thorong High Camp to Muktinath
This was a long day, longer than it needed to be. "You don't want to be out in the pass after 10am, because the winds can be too strong." So we got up at 4:30am, but the day was fine and it only took about 3 hours to get to the pass. By 5:30am, we were walking towards the pass. I was hoping for some bad weather, but it was just up and then over.
The path to Muktinath is downhill for 3.5 hours, losing 1700M until arriving in town. It was very hard on knees and particularly calf muscles, as you're fighting gravity for hours. Almost nobody crosses the Pass going from Muktinath, as it's a steep 1700M going uphill. We did pass a group doing just that, but they were carrying camping items, so they were going to stop part way up and camp.
Muktinath has a very holy religious area with a holy spring feeding 108 spouts, and a natural gas fountain that is continually feeding a sacred flame.
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At the pass; about 8:30am, clear and calm day. |
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From the pass, there's a path up to a higher vantage point. |
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The trail seems to go down forever. |
| A view back up the trail. |
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Muktinath's Main Street - that's a loom out in the street and they did indeed use it. |
| This lady had a table setup next to my rooms, and helped me with the town laundry system. She then charged me the maximum amount she probably ever received for some jewelry and a set of prayer flags. She also tried to get me to buy her and a friend dinner. |
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The red building is a new Buddhist temple. |
| Painting the inside of the Buddhist temple. |
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An image from the temple. |
| This is from the inside of a Hindu holy temple; behind it are 108 spouts from a holy spring. |
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Bob Marley's big in Nepal. |
| I stayed at the North Pole hotel - good food, but walls were thin and there was a dog barking outside somewhere all night long. That's ALL NIGHT LONG. |
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