Day 5: Phortse Tange to Dole

It was a short day today, but that was by design.  We climbed 470m to Dole as the next step in our acclimatization process.  It turned out to be a good thing because I felt ill in the morning, suffering from some sort of stomach issue.  Regardless, we made goo time to Dole, clipping off the couple miles in 2 hours and 5 minutes. 

We “checked in” to the Valley View Lodge, quite possibley the most run down place in town.  given the condition of my belly, the situation with the bathroom was quite depressing.  I’ll spare the details, leaving you just with the fact that I was unhappy.  Despite the “modest” surroundings, the lady who runs the place is hard working and very nice, almost allowing you to forget the rest. 

I spent the afternoon getting some sleep while Anne read the trekking book and wandered about town (and confirming the assumption that we had the worst looking lodge in town). Good afternoon sunlight also allowed us to dry our remaining wet clothing and charge the iPhone.

Tomorrow we’re off to Macherma for the last trekking day before we hit our first major destination, Gokyo.

Stats for the day:
Miles: 1.63
Ascent: 470m
Descent: 45m
Time: 2:05