Kyangjin to Rimche

Elevation:

Early on in the planning for this trip, it was decided that we wouldn’t risk taking the Ganja La [Ganja Pass] south, as it can be complicated by snow even in May and there are no lodgings along that route. So, today we started backtracking down the Langtang Valley. We saw Steve’s water project, which you can see more of on Mark’s website. From there, we ran to a nearby teahouse to escape what ended up being a two-hour downpour. Unfortunately, this afternoon set the tone for the rest of the trip; the afternoon rains followed us through Gosinkund and Helambu until we got to Shivapuri National Park on the last day of the trek.

We stopped at a lodge we had by-passed on the way up – the proprietor had been very confident in her cooking, her lodge, and the view it afforded. Of course it was cloudy the next morning. Turns out it was nearly a full house, complete with an outspoken Italian man, two Americans from Seattle, WA, and two French-people who would later save me from my hiking boots.

The female from Seattle is getting a Masters degree in international development some such from a university in London and doing her practical experience in Nepal. The project involves empowering Nepalis through video. Her male counterpart, like so many others we met on the trail, was on a longer tour of Southeast Asia. As it turns out, she was involved with the Room to Read crew in Seattle in its nascent days; it was enlightening to discuss both ‘Leaving Microsoft to Change the World’ (about the development of Room to Read) and ‘Three Cups of Tea’ (about a man who starts schools in Pakistan) with her.