MY GREAT HIMALAYA TRAIL X RANDY SUN
Today is just a big transition, without waiting to see any sights. There are two ways to go from our stop to Simikot: through Hepka or through the valley of the Sally Kola River. The route through Hepka is almost a third shorter, but with two passes over 4600 meters. Locals prefer to walk through the Sally Cola River Valley. We decided to follow the example of the locals and went a longer, but easier way.
Along the way, you can trace the evolution of the Sally Cola River from a small stream, which can be crossed anywhere by pebbles, to a powerful river with surprisingly clear water. Unlike the muddy rivers Karnali or Limi, the water in the Sally Kola River is completely transparent until it flows into Karnali. With great pleasure I swam in this wonderful river before dinner. The water is cool, but very pleasant after a few hours of walking with a backpack on your back.
We have to drop another kilometer in altitude from the parking lot to the place to spend the night. The bulk of the elevation change occurred along the Sally Cola River. It turns out that over the course of approximately 12 kilometers (3 hours walking), the landscape smoothly changed from tundra (mostly moss and lichen-covered rocks) to a Himalayan mixed forest with huge trees.
The main challenge of today is crossing a waterfall along a log. No insurance. And it would be nice not to look down, but you have to see where you put your foot. And a stream of water rushes under the log and falls on stones 10 meters lower.
By the middle of the day we went back to the gorge of the Karnali River, from where we actually started our movement towards Hilsa a week ago.
We can say that the section of "My Great Himalayan Trail" with the Limi Valley is completed. In a few days after the start from Hills, we walked 122 kilometers. Tomorrow we will start the next part of the route - trekking to Rara Lake.
Simikot delighted with the wonders of civilization. There is access to Wi-Fi (very weak though), there is electricity in the sockets, and you can even buy cola and beer.
But there was still dalbat for lunch, albeit with additional delights in the form of cucumbers and chicken curry. I wonder if you can get used to this food? For a long time already on the route, but somehow the joy from this feeding does not appear.