Hangkar - Markha Valley Day 5 End

We finished our day early in lower Hangkar (4000m) to celebrate Yulia's birthday. Eight beers at $2.40 a piece were half-covered by our new French friend, Siril, who felt obligated to thank us for our team nurse, Polina, doctoring his foot-sized blisters.

The journey through the Himalayas thus far has been an exercise in pain tolerance, breath control, camera battery conservation, and trying not to think about hygiene. The river crossings through icy waters and hours spent traversing unforgiving fields of rocks are broken up by hikes through treacherous mountain-side trails and steep inclines. Add altitude to the equation and it is easy to understand why it feels like breathing is done through a Capri Sun straw. While progress has been slow, it has also been consistent -- we generally cover between 13-18 kilometers per day and, when necessary, can gain a kilometer of altitude in 6-7 hours (a feat that would have been impossible on Day 2).Read more