Would you believe me if I told you I took a John Deere
tractor to get from base camp to Kathmandu?
Well it is partially true. Makalu sits in a valley where there are no
roads, similar to Everest. One can walk
for hours and not see another human....unlike Everest. When we left base camp, we hiked a good 10-12
hours a day from village to village on a single track trail. It was amazing to see the change in terrain. The landscape was lush and bright green. The
ice and snow was virtually gone and we were graced with waterfalls and
rhododendron flowers in full bloom (pictures to follow soon).
After five days of walking out we come to a village called
Num where a road has begun to be developed to support enterprise. Unfortunately the road is a dirt road which
becomes a small river when the monsoon arrives.....and the monsoon has
arrived. Our team boarded a John Deere
which took 8 hours to go 60 kilometers to Tumlingtar yesterday. We took turns
riding in the trailer with the expedition duffles. We were soaked to the bone
from the torrential downpour.
In some ways the ride was a great relief after trekking
10-12 hours for five days on steep terrain and slippery stones. We arrive to
our destination, eat a plate of dhal baht, drink either a Touborg Beer, Coke or
Milk tea and toss our sleeping bag onto a wooden bed with a one inch pad and
hard pillow that we do not dare make direct contact with. We sleep soundly and peacefully.
When we woke up this morning we did not know if weather
would permit flights to Kathmandu.....but we got lucky and got on one of four
flights out. It too was a rough ride but
a dry one. The shower felt great after
58 days without one. A real mattress is
a blessing.....and a/c a bonus. I chose
a hotel with a pool.....and cannot wait to jump in. tomorrow I long to make a trip to Fire and
Ice for pizza and ice cream.
I look forward to giving you my full report of our summit
bid and to posting photos.
-Tonya
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Enjoying the Monsoon rain from the back of a bumpy trailer - being pulled by a not too quiet tractor
