Exciting!!

Today was so exciting!! I actually saw some mountains, and even got a glimpse of Manaslu. Omg ……..intimidating!

After breakfast – the usual, porridge and 2 boiled eggs – it was quite a surprise to notice a brightness outside. Outside the cloud was definitely at its highest since I arrived, and I even caught a glimpse of the northern Manaslu glacier. Terray claimed he could see base camp, to which I nodded in agreement, but I saw nothing.

Our hike today took us a little way along the route to base camp, and then we branched off in search of Milarepa cave, a mediation spot up in the hills. The sun did break through, even to the point that sunscreen and sunglasses were required, and I took a photo of a blue patch of sky. The view of the Manaslu glacier was incredible. Below it is Belindra Tal (a glacial lake called after the last royal monarch). At one point the glacier reached all the way to the lake, but now it knew hundreds of feet above the lake. Around this time the cloud lifted, and we caught a brief glimpse Manaslu. As we watched the cloud continued to lift to eventually expose the summit. It looks like an upside down ice cream cone, it looks scarily steep, and so high. Our viewing point was at about 13,000 ft, so halfway! Base camp was obvious now, pitched on the grass slope just below the glacier. This area of Nepal is so interesting, you have lush forests running up to the glacier. Our ascent brought us closer to a second massive glacier, before we dropped into the woods to find Milarepa cave. Festooned with the mantra flags, this is another meditation spot, and houses a small Buddha shrine. The spirituality of the Nepalese Buddhists is impressive.

The current plan, always subject to change, is another hike tomorrow, and then we will head to base camp. The luxuries of the Mount Manaslu hotel will soon end.