25 Oct - Singilila Ridge Day 4: Molley to Ghorkey

A fluorescent hurricane lamp highlights the dark smiling faces of the guides and their Ghorkey-based colleagues. We've spent the day descending, and are now in a beautiful Alpine hamlet beside the river after which it's named.

Seated around the table are Melanie and Beat, our Swiss partners in this escapade, who are equally enthralled by the scene before them.

There's Ajay. He's toothy with big fat lips, and like some caricature from the Beano, it's as if he never grew width-wise into his height or his shoes. His laugh is as unique as ever as he enjoys banter with his mates.

Behind him in the shadows is Tshering (spelt it wrong earlier!) who I am pretty sure hasn't taken his clothes or shoes off for the past four days. His smile is bright white in the darkness, but shy and removed. For all the singing and jocularity, he remains in his chair behind the crowd, shunning attention. Perhaps he is self conscious of his age and status as a fledgling porter. His hoodie is pulled up over his head, further hiding him in the shadowy background.

We don't know the next three chaps, but they're all singing away, adding percussion with their hands: it's a song about not forgetting each other despite a parting of ways, sung in a hypnotic, soft Nepali tongue. It's beautiful and lovely, so liberating.

Finally there's Pimba, Melanie and Beat's guide. His carefully manicured hair, which would look better with a pin-stripe suit, is hidden by a trendy Salamander buff. There's no doubt that he's not the city type; baggy North Face trousers and a zest for the countryside he knows so well. He's the natural leader, initiating the songs and guiding the others when the words aren't quite remembered. He's, they're all, a great friendly person. Eyes alight he turns to us for an English song.

"What shall we do with the drunken sailor..." Oh well.

It would be remiss to not tell a little of the morning. From Molley we climbed early to see the clearest views yet of both Kanchenjunga at 5am and then Everest, her sisters, the Three Sisters and all the way from Bhutan to Annapurna in much higher definition due to our being 20 clicks closer. We're yet to be bored by this simply outstanding backdrop, and once again a challenging but superb walk was had from Molley to Phalut for lunch before a wonderful 15km descent into Ghorkey through yet more Rhododendron woodland, ancient oak and, for the first time, wild Marijuana trees...

Once again both of us struggled to comprehend why there weren't scores of mountain bikers taking advantage of these simply epic pieces of single track, and we arrived with very sore knees from the steep descent wishing we had been doing the same. Straight from that to making our own momos and all was set for a great night of celebrating Dusshera, eating far too much and sharing songs over a glass of 'HIT'!

Pictures:

Morning Kandchenjuna, another 5am start.

Sunrise well below where we were standing, a realisation of our elevation.

View of Ghorkey after a tough 15km decent.

Momos in the making... Delicious!