Day 15: Marpha to Larjung

Approximate Trekking Time: 3 – 3 ½ hrs.

Distance: 11.7k / 7.3 miles

Overnight Elevation: 2550m/8366ft.

Heading south out of Marpha through the southern entrance/exit kani, we rejoined the muddy road, wet with last night’s rain, eventually detouring onto an alternative trail that would take us through the villages of Chhairo and Chimang.

The path through Chhairo, a Tibetan refugee settlement, was one of inlaid stones with water flowing in ditches along (and sometimes under) the path. The trail skirted the small settlement, passing by the Chhairo Gompa (under reconstruction) and down a path flanked on both sides by corn fields and apple orchards. This path eventually came to a T, where we took the high route (left) toward Chimang. The low route heads directly toward Tukeche.

The trail to Chimang was a beautiful path through pines and past an open grass meadow in the shadow of a large flat rockface. Beyond the meadow, the trail ascended switchbacks of rocky steps, eventually leveling along the top of the slope where it became a narrow path of large stone slabs that a ditch of water flowed beneath. Once again, the trail meandered past fields of corn, apple trees, and cabbages, finally reaching a chorten at the entrance of the village.

Here we climbed up wooden ladders into the village (the main gate closed due to some construction behind it). Like many of the villages we’d passed through, the stone homes were painted white, with dark red doorways and window trim. Several villages washed their clothes in the water that ran below the stone slabs, and a small girl ran to the doorway when she spotted us, “NAMASTE!” she called. In less than five minutes walk, we had come to the end of the village.

From here, we descended the other side of the slope down a wide trail/road through pines that eventually deposited us along the banks of a rushing river. Two logs had been laid across the river at an uphill incline. Shawn made walking across them look easy, though when I had my go, I ended up crawling across them –not so suave.

Across the river, we walked down the rocky river bank until it again became trail, eventually leading us to a suspension bridge over the Kali Gandaki. Crossing over, we walked along the road for 30 minutes to Tukeche, a large welcome gate greeting us at the north end of town. Here, we stopped into a “Dutch bakery” for a chocolate croissants and coffee before continuing through town past stone-fenced fields, homes, and a memorial stupa, and along the road to Larjung.

The road to Larjung followed the river in the valley below, pines covering the mountains above. Walking first through the village of Kobang, here the road wide and muddy, we eventually turned off the road on a stone paved trail lined by stone fences and fields leading into Larjung.

Larjung (2550m/8366ft.) was very quiet, most of its buildings or shops silent or closed. At the south end of Larjung, we found a room at the Larjung Lodge. While several others we’d met earlier on the circuit had stopped at the lodge for lunch, the afternoon and evening hours were quiet with only ourselves and one other older gentleman staying the night. The rooms were small and simple with very short doorways like small hobbit doors. Being short and not accustomed to having to duck for doorways, I knocked my head on the door to the room more than once.

Here, Shawn ordered the BIG pot of black tea, since it was so cheap (250 NR ~$2), and we worked our way through it all afternoon… into evening… with dinner… and post-dinner burned popcorn… and I still don’t think the pot was empty when we went to bed.