Finally, we’re approaching the 17,000 foot summit of Larkya La. It’s daybreak, but I’ve been slogging in the dark for several hours—we’d gotten up at 3:30 AM. We had to cross this summit, descend a few thousand feet of snowy steepness, and pass alongside the confluence of four glaciers before we got to anyplace flat enough to set up camp. A fourteen hour day for the speedier trekkers.

All images ©2002-2003 by Dietrich Neuman