This section of the journey is quite spectacular and, at times a little daunting. Not in the technical nature of the climb (Mera Peak) ahead of you but in the size, height and temperatures that you are about to encounter. The Hinku Valley is a fantastic and beautiful place with amazing mountains all around you.
Unfortunatley this is also where the expedition went off the rails with a huge storm (Cat 5 cyclone landed in India) dumped over 2.5m of snow on us – this meant that we had to abandon our plans for Mera Peak and crossing the Amphu Labsta a climbing Island Peak. Instead we had to bide our time and make careful choices to avoid avalanche conditions before getting down lower to safety.
There were less fortunate (wise?) groups than us who did choose to climb higher – the results were not so good for these groups
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- Entering Khote
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- Walking up the Hinku – awesome views
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- Kyshar Dominates the Head of the valley
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- Classic Nepali construction in an amazing location
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- Welcome to the Palace – Ben West and Andrew Bishop
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- Thanks for the apple pie Dev – Lhakpa always ha s a smile on his face
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- Ben west – breathing the thin air on the way to Khare – Kyshar in the Background
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- Sorting an ill fated load to carry over the Mera Lha – a day before THE STORM
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- An Ominous sunset as the Storm Approaches
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- The last view of our camp before it was covered
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- 9 am on the morning of the 15th ? October – the snow begins to settle
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- Not so happy feet – the first afternoon and 80 cm of new snow
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- The morning of the 16th – time to drop tents and find a tea house floor to sleep on!
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- Clearing roofs of snow to prevent collapse
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- An attempt to get the Goal Zero system charged – despite the snow and cloud we were still able to charge the system!
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- Day 3- there are tea houses under the snow
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- Making our retreat – all options are off for Mera peak and the Honku Valley – time to leave
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- Waist deep snow – about 500m below Khare
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- Shaun is always happy – or is that crazy?
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- The storm begins to clear as we get lower
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- At lower elevations the snow was mearly mid calf deep
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- Down at Thagnag there was very little snow – just lots of mud!