Annapurna or Himalaya ring through the eyes of an amateur

The further we moved into the heart of the Himalayas, the more excitement grew. When climbing, the body can no longer successfully cope with various misfortunes - even a cold throat could lead to irreversible consequences at a great height. The highest point of the route was still far away, and it was very important to prepare for it, retaining energy and strength to the maximum. In the mountains, an extra cup of coffee will be much more useful than pathos and motivating words. Yes, I myself was surprised how much the values in my ordinary life and in the mountains differ.

... On the fifth day of tracking, we had to make a radial track light to the top of Ice Lake. The idea is tempting, because you can gain height, acclimatize and be ready to conquer the main peak. Yes, and the absence of heavy weights was pleasantly invigorating, but there was one BUT: the manifestation of mountain sickness was inevitable on such a track, and this time it would not work out with simple fatigue and slight dizziness - it was necessary to rise even less than 5 hours in 1400 meters. But what I saw exceeded all my bold expectations.

Of course, this radial route can be ignored and go further to the village of Manang (3500 m), not gaining much height. But I highly recommend visiting the radial track for two reasons. Firstly, this way you acclimatize better, although this process will not be pleasant, and secondly, the views from the top will be worth it. In my memory, this is one of the most beautiful places on the whole track.

I had to get up at 4 in the morning to have time to go down before the snow begins to melt, thereby complicating the process of moving. The wind howled violently outside the window and very unpleasantly froze the body, despite the fact that I had a warm sleeping bag. There was already a sense of height, and lethargy was standard. Enthusiasm gradually faded away as we ate rice already bored and tasteless every day. Every morning, the temptation to stay in a warm sleeping bag increased, and the nervous system was slowly shaken. I’m already used to my silence - subconsciously saves energy even on this.

I had a freshly bite to eat and gathered only the most necessary things (nuts, dried fruits, a thermos with water and photo equipment with a flashlight), I first took out the insulated pants and a down jacket and, admiring the stars in pitch darkness, I went first. A little later, it came to the realization that for the first time I would be able to see the dawn in the Himalayas and mentally tick off the list of “under 30 years old”.

The path looped unevenly, now gaining height, then going straight down. A ray of light dissolved in the Himalayan darkness, and this somewhat facilitated the ascent, nothing was visible.

After 40 minutes, the sun lazily began to illuminate our path, giving five satellites one of the most stunning sunrises in my life.

Apparently, someone upstairs loves us ... The weather since the morning was excellent, clear, without a hint of possible snowfall or rain. For the first time I felt the absence of a heavy load behind me and decided to absorb the impressions of the sorties to the maximum. The lack of cargo nevertheless did not mean that I kept up with my companions. I was still tired, especially since this track was extremely difficult - it abounded with steep climbs, and the very thought of climbing 1400 meters (Ice Lake height - 4750 meters) inspired alarming thoughts. It is not clear how the body will behave. I still hoped that the symptoms of mountain sickness would pass me by.

The right decision was to bring along a player with suitable tracks for the path. Suddenly I felt a very strange compilation of feelings - my soul was abruptly filled with happiness and excitement from the sight of a terrific dawn, but on the other hand, I suddenly felt a comprehensive loneliness. Colleagues went far ahead, and I was no longer able to share my impressions with them, we are too different people. They are experienced climbers, excellent performers, but they saw and understood the beauty of the Himalayas in their own way. With surprise for myself, I realized that right now I really wanted to see this dawn with a person very dear to me, who was then a thousand kilometers away from me and, unfortunately, could not see it with me. Tears of happiness flowed uncontrollably over my face. A wonderful moment that will remain in memory for a lifetime. And I thought that it was impossible to break me into such emotions ... The Himalayas put everything in its place.

I am surprised that, being extremely attentive to the expression of my emotions (I used to hide all the best in my heart), I was so imbued with the beauty of the moment. Despite all this, the track has become an excellent viewing platform. One could see our next destinations. For example, the big white community is the Tilicho peak (7134 m), where we had yet another radial outing for 3 days, at its foot. That track was also quite difficult.

I was in no hurry anywhere, not only because I admired the views, but also because the track turned out to be damn difficult for me. The climbs were too steep, and every 5 minutes I fell out of breath. It’s hard to imagine what athletes and smokers will have to do here ...

It is an amazing sight to watch how the rays of the sun first “strike” along the peaks, and then gradually cover them with their heat. The picture is changing every minute. By the way, a small lake in the frame is Lake Gangapurna, formed from the melting of the eponymous glacier. We will also come to him, but not today.

Literally after 5 minutes, the truly Martian landscape was even more transformed.

Climbing 500 meters, I began to feel a clear deterioration in well-being. My head was spinning harder, and I even took a short break in the hope of recovering. Ha, there it was. On this "coffee break" I took out a phone to change the track, and he ... was discharged right before my eyes. The air temperature was about 20 degrees, and in the hour that my phone was adjacent to a warm body, the temperature difference when pulling it out became critical. Well, I was left not only without music, but even without a map. There were very few signs, so I had to go blindly, relying on my intuition and struggling with the symptoms of mountain sickness. At this peak, there are a lot of imaginary rises, which means that the chance that I wander in the wrong direction increased.

The main thing in this business is not to fuss. Colleagues went far ahead, and I lost hope of seeing them, the next travelers will appear here in two hours, so it's silly to wait for their help. Of course, the thought crept in to turn around and go down, before it was too late, but there was too great a desire to see such beauty in the future. I chose the second option.

This track is dangerous because it contradicts the philosophy of acclimatization. In order to slightly suffer from the miner, it is recommended to gain no more than 800 meters of height per day. Here, the norm had to be exceeded almost 2 times, and not in a day, but in 5 hours !. Soon, light-headedness and pain in the stomach increased to dizziness, and it began to reduce. Dyspnea increased. I walked on and then noticed that I had been talking to myself for about 5 minutes. But I have not yet passed half! As luck would have it, the higher I went up, the steeper the climbs, the slower I walked. Well, okay, psychologically you can distract and explore the beauty - nevertheless, no one died on the way to Ice Lake. Or not?

This species often flashes in this post, because it is the most trump, another reason to rise so high. The settlement near the lake is the village of Manang, the largest in the region. There is a visitor center and even a cinema. A kind of oasis in the world of mountains.

Seconds changed to minutes, minutes changed to hours. I walked on, turning around to assess how much I had climbed, but at that height it was already difficult to determine how many meters you climbed. I was already completely ill, and the steps were replaced by tortoiseshell, and in my eyes it was getting dark. Not even a minute had passed before I flopped into a short-term swoon. Fortunately, I only got off with scratches, but in the future I realized that I needed to change something in my psychology. And I didn’t think of anything better than setting myself short-term tasks. Do not set a goal to get to the top, but to get to the hill, and after it - to another hill. Thus, psychologically, I veiled the main goal, and it became a little easier to go. I stopped thinking about the top, and it helped me.

The fact that I was left alone had its advantages. Of course, this called into question my safe presence at a great height, but it was here that I realized how insignificant a person is in front of the forces of nature, how majestic it is. A small building on one of the hills is a chorten - the burial place of a monk. A spectacle that not everyone will see. Very much in vain, many trackers neglect this route, they lose a lot.

Why is the route called Ice Lake? Because the end point is crowned by a gompa with two alpine lakes at an altitude of 4750 meters (not the highest mountains in Nepal, by the way, we will visit the highest mountain lake a little later), whose names are Khicho Taal and Saano Khicho. In early March, they are almost completely covered with a thick layer of ice, and we will not see their turquoise waters. How long have I gone here! It seemed that I spent all my strength.

Here I met guys who were already returning. They helped me a lot by giving a thermos with water, but they urged me to hurry up, because soon the sun will start to melt the snow and one step will be equated to five in complexity. I psychologically calmed down, realizing that the long, prolonged ascent was over and the descent would be somewhat easier. Then he looked around, and calm filled my whole soul.

Chorten is the final checkpoint of a route. This means that we have done ourselves a favor by rising to such a height - we helped ourselves to acclimatize ourselves and, in addition, rewarded ourselves with amazing views. I do not know how I would have been given the subsequent ascents without this ascent ... The tablet was bitter, but it helped. At the very top, I was fairly exhausted, but at the same time glad. I was able to get up, although 2 hours ago I was determined to turn back.

All this was reminiscent of a process of redemption through pain and suffering. Only madmen can consciously take such a step ... Who knows what would happen if I hit my head with a swoon on a stone or turned in the wrong direction ... Mountains are far from romance, but a serious challenge to my health and nervous system, especially when it happens in first time.

Meanwhile, the sun was already roasting with might and main, and the thick down jacket had to be removed. A sharp change in temperature is one of the chips of all ascents.

Well, how do you like the landscape? It is completely ordinary for the locals, but he brought me a real delight. A kind of laboratory Black Mesa from the Half-Life universe. In the photo you can even see the house in which we spent the night.

Finally - practical tips for visiting the track:

- it is better to stay in the village of Bhraka, and not in Manang, as many guidebooks say;

- it is better to get a good night's sleep, preferably getting up no later than 4 a.m.

- before a trip, drink a tablet of diacarba for better resistance to mountain sickness + a tablet of mildronate - helps the heart cope with the load;

- be sure to warm up and take with you only the most necessary, and leave the backpack in the lodge;

- keep the pace slightly below average, as the climb is very long, steep and exhausting;

- after the descent, do not continue on to Manang, but lie down at least until the next day so that the body can recover a little.

By the way, after a long descent, I sharply felt the need for sweets. In a local shop I bought expired juices and chocolates and began to gobble up the whole thing. Then, to the delight of himself, he took a warm shower (I was not afraid of a strong wind - the next opportunity would not come up soon), washed his things and hung them to dry. Until the end of the day, we sat on the veranda and spent the day talking and exchanging impressions. The climb gave me greater hope that I could walk this path to the end. This greatly increased my strength, and for the first time that day I smiled. Everything was fine.