between the Nakvak and the Korok: an expedition to the Torngat mountains. Hiking through the Valley of the cirques, climbing Mont d'Iberville, fishing in the Nakvak Valley, Canada, Torngat Mountains, northern Québec, trek, Nakvak, Korok, icefield, caribou trail, summit, travelogue, trip, travel, hike

 
 
 





One of thousands of engraved stones


 

Thursday, November 20
A moment between Tatopani to
Ghorepani

We trekked up steps and at the top would be a grade and at the top of that a turn with more steps and it was up and up again and up some more and then up. In the shade of the trees it was cool but as the day progressed, it was t-shirt warm in the sun.

It was the kind of trekking where you have to find your own sustainable pace and stay with it, and not worry about falling behind or getting ahead of the others (except when you get to a fork in the trail and don't know which way to go so you have to wait for Krishna).

I used my poles again, and a very deliberate rhythm of feet and poles and breathing, step after step after step, hour upon hour. The rhythm turned into a little chant in my head: Tatopani, Ghorepani, thik cha, thik cha. (Thik cha means I am fine, or something like that.)

I started to compose a poem about the stones of Nepal.

The stones of Nepal
Silent and strong
Bend down before you
To support you and lift you up...

There are so many stones that have been laid by human hands. They always seem to be there when you need them. The streets of the villages are paved with them. When the trail gets too steep, it becomes stone steps instead of a grade.

And on this day we climbed hundreds of them.

More of this day
The next day

this travelogue is part of the subside travelzine
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