Extraction from Rough Guide
Gosainkund can be trekked on its own in as little as four days, but because of the rapid ascent to high elevation - 4380m - it's best done after acclimatizing in Langtang or Helambu. Combined with either of these, it adds three or four days; a grand tour of all three areas takes sixteen or more days.
From either Dhunche (served by three buses daily from Kathmandu's Gongabu Bus Park, leaving in the early morning) or Thulo Syabru (on the Langtang trek), trails ascend steeply through mossy rhododendron forest to the monastery and cheese factory of Sing Gompa at 3250m. The climb from Dhunche is particularly brutal. Above Sing Gompa, the trail ascends through tall fir stands before emerging above the tree line for increasingly panoramic views of the high peaks (Laurebinayak is a beautiful place to stop) and finally entering the barren upper reaches of the Trisuli River, where glacial moraines and rockslides have left a string of some half-dozen lakes (kund). Several lodges sit by the shore of Gosainkund, the most sacred of the lakes and renowed among Nepali Hindus. A famous legend recounts how Shiva, having saved the world by drinking a dangerous poison, struck this mountainside with his trisul to create the lake and cool his burning throat. During the full moon of July-August, Janai Purnima, a massive Hindu pilgrimage is held at Gosainkund, In good weather you can climb Surya Peak (5144m), on the northeast side of the Laurabinayak La - the pass two hours southeast of Gosainkund; the views are superb.
No regret to take this trip!
2013年4月27日 星期六
27 Apr 2013 - Road back to Kathmandu
Down the hill
Finally the jeep arrived and it took us 6 hours back to Kathmandu.
Let me show you the passengers on the jeep - 2 drivers, Noel, me, Babo, Locksman, a father and his daughter. In the morning, when the village knew that we were hiring a jeep, they would try to "look for" it. Locksman said that he could see it on the other hill opposite to Khutumsang. A lady came up to me asking us to send her husband and daughter to Kathmandu as her daughter was to look for school in Kathmandu. It seemed that we have done a good stuff. The father holding his daughter sat with Babo at the back with our luggages.
When on the road, we figured out why few hours were spent when got a wrong turn. It would take you more than an hour to reach a village to figure out that it was not the intended way, an hour to get down back to the turning point to go on seeking your way further.
We paid US$120 to hire a jeep with 2 drivers. It was quite a lot but the jeep ran for more than 14 hours that the drivers needed to bring water to cool down the tyres and brake engine.
The road condition is really bad - just a narrow strip along the hillside, with rocks and stones sliding from the above. It is zig-zag along the hillside. Quite horrible that the jeep might fall off the cliff when it climbed down the road with a sharp turn and to avoid the stones on the road at the same time.
Along the way, the village children chasing for us, some waved with us, seemed like we are celebrities. There should be very few vehicles driving up to the villages and they needed to walk down on foot.
But we could enjoy the views on the other side.
Finally the jeep arrived and it took us 6 hours back to Kathmandu.
Let me show you the passengers on the jeep - 2 drivers, Noel, me, Babo, Locksman, a father and his daughter. In the morning, when the village knew that we were hiring a jeep, they would try to "look for" it. Locksman said that he could see it on the other hill opposite to Khutumsang. A lady came up to me asking us to send her husband and daughter to Kathmandu as her daughter was to look for school in Kathmandu. It seemed that we have done a good stuff. The father holding his daughter sat with Babo at the back with our luggages.
When on the road, we figured out why few hours were spent when got a wrong turn. It would take you more than an hour to reach a village to figure out that it was not the intended way, an hour to get down back to the turning point to go on seeking your way further.
We paid US$120 to hire a jeep with 2 drivers. It was quite a lot but the jeep ran for more than 14 hours that the drivers needed to bring water to cool down the tyres and brake engine.
The road condition is really bad - just a narrow strip along the hillside, with rocks and stones sliding from the above. It is zig-zag along the hillside. Quite horrible that the jeep might fall off the cliff when it climbed down the road with a sharp turn and to avoid the stones on the road at the same time.
Along the way, the village children chasing for us, some waved with us, seemed like we are celebrities. There should be very few vehicles driving up to the villages and they needed to walk down on foot.
But we could enjoy the views on the other side.
The lower part of the road could be seen
The goat family fled instantly
Different people
Stream flew down the hillside and formed a pool
Seems like corn seedlings
This was the first time for me to see the crop ripen
我 告 訴 你 們 、 舉 目 向 田 觀 看 、 莊 稼 已 經 熟 了 、 〔 原 文 作 發 白 〕 可 以 收 割 了 。 約翰福音4:35
Take a look, I say to you, at the fields; they are even now white for cutting. John 4:35
We finally left the hill villages and passed through different Indian villages
The young man was filtering the grains
Sun set
Green fields along the way
Finally we arrived at the airport at around 8:00 p.m. It's a pity that we could not make to have a final visit to Thamel for shopping of fruits and other stuff. Our flight back to Hong Kong departed at 11:05 p.m. and our trip ended.
After dwelling in the car with sun tanned for 6 hours along our way, you can see the trace on my hand.
2013年4月26日 星期五
27 Apr 2013 Last Trekking Stop - Khutumsang
Teahouse at Khutumsang
There was a flight of stairs at the outside leading to this 2nd platform. This is the entrance to the sleeping rooms
The family of the owner lives in this room. We took the room in the middle on the right
Local life
The shepherd had a snickersnee at his waist, but in a NorthFace jacket. This lovely child liked to display his character in fornt of my camera. His sister hid behind her mum and that was she went with us to Kathmandu.
The shepherd had a snickersnee at his waist, but in a NorthFace jacket. This lovely child liked to display his character in fornt of my camera. His sister hid behind her mum and that was she went with us to Kathmandu.
Farm Land
There is cabbage
Spring onions I could not recognize the plants on the right, they are the "mother plant" of cabbage, farmers get the seeds to plant and yield vegetable
Children at the far side played on a trunk
Dried corn - we saw that people completed their trek this day and settled in the teahouse, they ordered native popcorn and enjoyed their lives
Anxious Wait
We were told at breakfast time that the jeep was on the way and would arrive at 11:00. However, it did not appear at our lunch time. We urged our porter to phone up the driver and learned that they lost their way and needed more time to come. Finally they arrived at 2:30
2013年4月25日 星期四
26 Apr 2013 Trekking Day 6 to Khutumsang
Leisure Walk and Nature Class
To continue our walk, we were introduced to more plants.
To continue our walk, we were introduced to more plants.
In the foothills of the Himalaya, there are magnificant mushrooming canopies of pipal trees (菩提樹). The pipal tree has a special religious significance in Nepal - the Budha gained enlightenment under a pipal tree and Hindus revere various species of pipal as symbols of Vishnu and Hanuman. It is also used for paper making.
Then we entered the village of Khutumsang
Seemed like every village has a shrine
Terraces are the signature of Nepali villages
Finally, we ended our walk by staying at this teahouse
After settling, we could take a warm shower (No bath for 3 days!) How refreshing!
However, you can see that I have sun burnt the lower part of my face, especially my lips.
Before we had our dinner, there was heavy rain and later we heard loud banging on the roof top. We looked out from the window and saw hail on the ground, size like a thumb nail
We slept early at about eight. I woke up in the middle of the night and there was moonlight shining into our room. I then took my camera out to take some shots.
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