Annapurna Nepal, day 9, hike to ice lake

day 1// day 2// day 3// day 4-6// day 7// day 8We decided to hike up to Ice Lake on the ninth day.
We had already decided to spend a couple of days in Manang,
resting,
eating,
and allowing our bodies adjust to the high altitude.

It was recommended that we hike up to this lake.
the purpose?
push our bodies a little further,
acclimatize a little more,
see how we reacted to the higher altitude.
then go back down,
and allow our bodies to recover.

Besides, the views were suppose to be incredible.

So, we set out.
This time, I carried no weight on my back,
hallelujah
and the now fiance carried just what we needed for the day-
pastries from the “German” bakery, water, and his water purifier.

The ascent to the lake was 1000m.
one thousand meters…
in case you don’t know,
this is a lot to climb up,
and back down,
in one day.
it was, quite literally, straight up.
It took hours.
and hours.

the views, however, were well worth the effort.
the photo below is real.
and does not do justice to the beauty of this Earth.
I am so very blessed to have seen,
with my two eyes,
this overwhelming valley,
surrounded by towering mountains.

After several hours, we made it to the lake.
and evaluated how we felt-
(both very good considering the altitude and exertion)

as we devoured our pastries,
we sat in silence,
looked at what lay before us,
and took it all in.

All day,
throughout the entire hike up,
we had not seen any other people.
We were completely alone with each other.