Woke before dawn to climb Gokyo Ri. The air was thin enough that every step took real effort, and my hands went numb inside two pairs of gloves. Worth it. From the top, Everest, Cho Oyu, and Makalu lined up across the horizon, and below us the Ngozumpa Glacier stretched out gray and cracked, way bigger than I expected from photos.
The lakes here are a color I don't have a good word for somewhere between teal and gray-blue, depending on the light. Sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, our guide said, which explains the prayer flags strung along the shore even out here.
Legs are tired. Appetite is gone, the way it always goes above 4,000 meters. Tomorrow we cross the Cho La pass, so an early night.
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