I won’t lie, there have been a few ropey days where I questioned why I decided to do this trek in the first place! However, as I write this, I am gradually getting back to warmer temperatures- so no more frozen water bottles!

Naturally, it got gradually colder the higher up we got. However, sleeping in ‘High Camp’, the last spot before going over the pass, was definitely the worst – reaching lows of -13! This was also the first night that we had to share rooms as there was only one place to stay at ‘High Camp’, and it was definitely over capacity! The toilet was also outside!

Each night extra layers were needed – in fact my bag was pretty much empty when I was sleeping the past few nights!

There was a great buzz in the tea house the past few nights as everyone eagerly anticipated what was to come! We woke at 4am, and left before 5am to start trekking over Thorong la Pass. There was no wifi for a few days as we were so high up, but I have checked the weather now for Thorong la pass at the time we went, and it says -19 degrees! Finger burning stuff!

The walk up was difficult, mainly because of breathing at this altitude. There was an elevation increase of 566m and a decrease of 1,616m today, totalling 15 kilometres. We had all our belongings with us, so this was the first time hiking this high with bagpacks. You had to walk relatively slowly to keep your heart rate low, but also fast enough to keep warm (ish).

We reached the pass without any trouble, experiencing a beautiful sunrise on the way. At the top, there was a tea house which sits at around 5,000m. Myself and a friend stopped for hot chocolate and a snickers which totalled 1000 rupees (€7.40), which is extortionate for here, but I would have paid double as getting a hot drink at that point was priceless!

And just like that, it was time to descend! On the way down the descent was steep and the snow was thick, so I was wearing crampons on my shoes to help my grip in the snow.

After crossing the pass, we left the Annapurna mountain region and are now heading towards the Mustang region. Here are some snaps of the views on the way down.

As you can see, its getting warmer already! And that’s very welcomed! We arrived in Muktinath safe and sound and even stayed in a hotel! So hot water was also very appreciated!

Overall, absolutely delighted to have made it across the pass without getting sick or injured! It was definitely a challenge, but another one ticked off the list 🙂