An alternative more sporting approach to the
Everest region is through the remote and mysterious Rolwaling Valley - described
in Tom Weir's book " East of Kathmandu " and also
visited by ( Sir ) Chris Bonington on an abortive expedition in search of the
legendary yeti.
It was at the trailhead at Charicot that I
first met Nima when he was recruited by our sirdar Lal Bahadur as a porter on
his very first trek. I watched in disbelief as the two huge kitbags of Horst and
his wife Ursula tottered off on a pair of spindly brown legs. However Nima was
to accompany me for 32 days all the way to Gokyo and back to the roadhead at
Jiri.
From Charicot we headed up the scenic,
steep-sided valley of the Tamba Khosi. High waterfalls cascaded from the heights
and rudimentary bridges crossed the many side-streams. Ahead, the twin summits
of Gauri Shanker, once thought to be the world's highest mountain, provided a
prominent landmark.
Beyond Nima's home village of Tashinam we
walked for two days on faint, little-used paths through dark, gloomy forests
before reaching the Rolwaling Valley and Beding, the main village of the local
community of Sherpas with its large chorten ( Buddhist shrine ), gompa, and
stone-built houses with their fluttering prayer flags.
Trekking Itineraries
BEST
HOTELS IN THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS OF THE
WORLD
. .
B
I J U.
.