Mera Peak Day 14 Kote

Today was a short day, late start and a three hour walk back down to Kote where we stayed 8 days ago.  We are now on the final run and conversation is very much turning to home. 

Almost perversely however, and given what we have been through over the last three days, we have a final big climb up nearly 1600 metres, to over 4,600 metres, camping on either side of the pass, before dropping down to Lukla on Wednesday and a flight back to Kathmandu, weather permitting, on Thursday. We are not quite out of the woods yet.

I had started to construct the view that only mad people come here in the spring - there were so few people about. It's now apparent that this is nonsense and over the last couple of days we have seen lots of other groups. Have already mentioned the Russians from last night but yesterday we saw a large French Group, an American group, and today we met a 12 strong English group. The English group provided us our first home news on 2 weeks, and the news that Tottenham will be playing Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FA cup.

Heading down the valley to Kote

Another view is that while spring is OK we have arrived a week or so early.  Alistair, who works for Exodus and is very loyal, says this is nonsense and that we are right in the middle of the season.

Stories about different people's experience of the great Good Friday storm expand in number. Although non match our High Camp storm survival story some come close. Particularly interesting was the tent collapse, under the weight of snow, experienced in Kote at the very campsite we are staying in, by two clients of KE, a UK rival of Exodus.  Although the tents are the same, Jangbu pointed out that it couldn't happen with him in charge because he would always make sure that the tents are swept, and indeed they are. 

The three and a half hour walk by the way was lovely, just a reverse of last week.  The weather was similar as well, perfect in the morning, rain and cloud towards mid day and afternoon and then clearing up in the afternoon.