Woke up early this morning to the now famililar headache.  Anne was worse off than I was, a turn from the day before.  Regardless, we picked ourselves up and made the hike to Gokyo in about 3.5 hours, rolling in after noon hungry and ready to eat.

The hike in was amazing.  There were incredible views of Cho Oyu almost all the way up.  We climbed a short and steep section up what looked to be a terminal moraine that lead to the first lake and a cairn fairy land.  The first lake was incredibly beautiful, the sort of milky blue like you’d see in Lake Louise, made all the more amazing with the Ruddyshell ducks that were swimming about.  The second lake was slightly less awe inspiring, but still a sight to behold.  Overall, the scenery was breathtaking, adding a hop to the step in baited anticipation of the next corner.

After we rolled into town and secured the room, we grabbed a quick lunch and Anne settled in for a nap to try and finish off her nagging headache.  I was feeling adventurous so I took off for Renjo Pass where there were promised views of Everest and a myriad of other surrounding peaks.  It was a tough haul but I made it to 17,050 feet (well short of the pass, but the best I could manage with the remaining daylight) and had some spectacular views of the promised peaks.  I blasted back to Gokyo just in time to see the last of the light and secure a warm seat in the dining room.

Stats for the day:
Miles: 4.56
Ascent: 510m
Descent: 131m
Total Time: 3:29
Moving Time: 2:20