Dismantling Base Camp

By the morning of the 22nd October all vestiges of Base Camp had been packed away and the site picked clean of litter. We climbed over the Damphus Pass to around 5,250 metres before traversing left on a very spectacular route perched high above the Khali Gandhaki. Eventually, after several kilometres, the path lunged down a ridge descending steeply from 4,900 metres to 3,900 metres. Unfortunately for the stragglers this involved strong winds, a snow storm and a late arrival at our camp at Yak Kharka.
The sunny walk down from Yak Kharka today was a delight. Descending 3,900 metres to 2,800 metres though pine trees, yak trails and always under the watchful eye of eagles and vultures. The Annapurna range dominated the view on the opposite side of the valley all of the way. Then, at last, we came to the delightful Buddhist village of Marpha with its narrow ancient streets and brand new Buddhist Temple. A taste of what is to come in Mustang.