Chapter 5 - Mountains of Garnets and the Icy Salon - The walk to Sam Tsok

The clouds stay with us and keep us cool as we set off for Sam Tsok, about an 8 hour hike away. Our feet were sore after the hike after going over the dreaded rouded rocks that made your feet turn and rub. We stayed right next to the river on a trail that tightened to a narrow ledge in places, passing a mountain that oozed garnets, crossed a raging river on a swaying bridge. The clouds kept the distant mountains hidden, which was neat in retrospect since every day you had a new discovery. At Sam Tsok, everyone gathered to wash their hair. The next morning, we bid Linda goodbye as she turned back according to plan. This was a decision point. Anyone continuing on, had to pretty much stick it out for the whole thing. Everyone was in.

We get up early. We had a night time scare when a donkey came close to us and brayed in our ears and scared us half to death.
We start the 2nd day of walking. We are trying to get to the camp at Sam Tsok. This is a much longer hike than the first day. One of the other groups had wanted to go further on the first day but decided to cut it short after seeing our plan.
Our goat, "Dinner", eats along the way as Asif leads it pas Linda and Anisa.
Matthew comes up on the trail out of Korophon. The rubble is from the moraine of the Biafo Glacier, one of the longest glacial systems in the world.
The confluence of the Braldu and a side stream from Johla.
Our group spread over the path to Jhula.
Plants along the trail towards Jhula.
More vegetation growing in a harsh climate.
Meesha staying with Rich and Tanya.
We see part of the Masherbrum range to the right.
The trail climgs to the side of the mountain as we make our way to Jhula.
VIDEO - The Braldu flows by.
In previous times, trekking parties used to ford the river and many people lost their lives. A bridge was finally made at Jhula but this addes a couple of hours to the route.
Linda does not like getting too close to the edge of the trail. Here she clings to the side of the mountain.
VIDEO - the trail skirting Garnet Mountain.
Some of the sculpted rocks we passed along the way.
Rose bushes growing on the cliff above the river.
More sculpted rocks.
Getting the loads balanced.
Tanya heads along the cliffs.
Garnets embedded in the cliff alongside the trail. We called this Garnet Mountain.
Linda points at the embedded semi-precious stones. They were everywhere.
The black specks are the garnets. You could pry them out with your pocket knife.....which we did.
Walking towards Jhula Camp.
The walk towards Jhula bridge where we then double back on the other side of the river.
Jeff on the nice flat trail.
Anisa's favourite rock.
This had been sculpted over hundreds if not thousands of years.
More pretty rocks.
Misha and Tanya have to walk right down to the waters edge once they get on the other side of the river in Jhula.
Matthew crosing the bridge at Jhula.
Linda carefully going across at Jhula. This bridge was more stable than the last one.
Enough for a wide yak.
Along the rapids in Jhula.
We see Jhula Camp where we stopped for lunch. An NGO had put up the portable toilets which were generally quite clean.
Entrance to the camp.
Linda carefully balances across a few trees across an icy mountain stream on the way to Sam Tsok.
Anisa crossing a stream on the way to Paiju. If you come to this stream later in the day, it is flowing over the poles.
We are mercifully shaded by clouds as we make our way through this parched landscape.
Linda by her pretty wild rose bush. Vegetation was so scattered that when you did find something it was like a little tresure.
Rich was the rover. Everyone had a trekking buddy but we left Rich without one so he could move up and down the line as the situation demanded to keep everyone safe.
Tanya happy to be under cloud cover. Not until the way back did we discover how brutal the sun was in the shadeless and vegetation free desert.
Anisa scrambles over a detour because the lower path had been washed away. An earlier party had taken the wrong path, found themselves in the washed out area and tried to leap accross boulders and almost ended up losing a person in the river.
VIDEO - The walk along the river trail.
Still skirting the river. It was significantly higher than Ayub had ever seen it. There was a whole cliff before Sam Tsok that had been wiped away.
Another exhibit in the "largest museum of shape & form on earth" (famous Italian explorer Fosco Maraini). We were yet to see the majestic stuff that took your breath away.