At the viewpoint Sir Chris got the tripod set-up and we had more team photos.
There was this incredible view, looking back, of the Lamjung Himal 6,932 m., 22,742 ft.
Annapurna II completely shrouded in snow.
Poppy getting up to our high point. Our tents can be seen as little orange dots in the valley at left.
Prayer flags, or Lung-ta. Yellow (Earth), Green (Water), Red (Fire), White (Air/Wind) & Blue (Sky).
Then, back at camp, it was bath-time for Phil.
The gompa is a recent replacement for the ancient, crumbling one. This village is over 500 years old!
Trumpets and conch shells used in the ceremonies.
The ceiling of the gompa has this mandala decorating it.
Here, a view of Upper Pisang from Lower Pisang.
After morning tea we crossed a bridge and turned a corner to face this massive wave of a cliff - the Paungi Danda or 'Gateway to Heaven'. It's a vast ocean bed of slate that rises 1,200 m., 4000 ft.
Lunch was at a pleasant hotel in Dhukure Pokhari and then on to Pisang which we entered over a nice old bridge.
Our campsite was in a field about 1 km. beyond Lower Pisang. Directly opposite we had a view of Pisang peak - 6,091 m., 19,983 ft.
Behind us, as the afternoon clouds came and went, were the lower slopes of Annapurna II with fantastic flutings and cornices.
Breakfast was outdoors and very pleasant.
Lunch stop was at a place called Ketho only a short distance from our destination of Chame.
We entered Chame to the left of a long Mani wall of prayer wheels.
This was a quintessentialy Buddhist town and very colourful.
By afternoon the rain set in again and we reached Temang soaked. The bags were delayed so I was freezing in shorts & T shirt. Eventually rugged up and we had dinner in a building with no lights!
Phil & I, however, were always comfortable in our tent.
A big climb past a torrent brought us over a ridge onto a plateau. The rain stopped, the river meandered and the village of Tal sat quietly next to it.
Just the time for Sir Chris to start his Bridge school. So! Not only physical anguish, but mental anguish too.
As soon as we turned to face up the valley, high in the sky, cloud-like, the faint sight of Himalchuli - part of the Manaslu group.
Lunch involved rice & dhall.
The camp was behind a teahouse in Ghermu where we had a final beer.
We found our campsite in a jungle filled gorge at Bhulbhule. Rather nice.
Joe got a map out in frantic attempts to work out where we were so he had an excuse to change the plan a few times.
We had our first team meal in our mess tent. This possibly involved rice & dhall.
A couple of km. over the hill brought us to the giant stupa at Bhoudanath - remarkably quiet as all the shops were closed.
That evening we found a place near the hotel called 'The Food Zone Cafe' which was retrospectively christened 'Bikrum's Dodgy Kebab House' by Phil.
We heard about 10.30 pm that the strike had been called off so we were leaving by bus in the morning for Pokhara. This led to massive celebration with more beers and harder drinks - oops!
At the summit was a Buddhist temple where Chris got his first group photograph.
In the evening we had a lecture from Sir Chris on his Annapurna II summit of 50 years previously. He'd climbed with Malcolm's father, Dick Grant.
After the lecture we handed over an oxygen making machine which I'd transported out. Dave Curin had collected $2,000 worth of medical goods and I donated an oximeter - all to CAN, Community Action Nepal. Sir Chris is a patron and Ian Wall the Kathmandu representative.
Rather extravagant rooms - just like home for Phil & me.
