On Day 5, we climbed above 10,000 feet for the first time, ascending through pine forests until the trail opened into a fertile agricultural valley. Rice fields and cow pastures marked a rather more hospitable stretch of terrain, but many of the residents had moved south for the winter, to Pokhara or even Kathmandu, escaping the harsh climate of high altitude. This gave the landscape a rather abandoned air that would remain with us for the rest of the trip. It was actually a bit of relief given how relatively touristy villages like Chame have become.
Dante admires the moonset over the distant ridge.
Another of the typical gates that guard the entrances to most villages in the Manang district.
As a frequent traveler, I've learned to ask people before taking their photos. But the Nepalese always seemed eager to have theirs taken, and equally delighted when I showed them the picture on the LCD screen. I'll be sending some of these to my guide company soon so they can bring hard copies back to the villages.
The girl's peace sign above is contrasted here by this young gun...
who overcame the language barrier and promptly struck a soldier pose when we asked him about his bamboo weapon.
An old stupa. Many of these have been rebuilt as smoother, shinier structures, which appeared in the next couple days of the trek.
This puppy almost became my new hiking partner.
Some of the rice fields that characterized the agricultural plateau.
This impressive monolith marked our progress much of the afternoon.
Late in the day we caught this glimpse of Gangapurna luring us down the trail, a sight that would accompany us all the way to the base of the pass.
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