In case you’re curious, sleeping at 16,000 ft. for a night is near impossible in spite of being physically exhausted. Climbing to 17,768 ft. the next day seems easy by comparison despite the freezing temperatures, fresh snow, altitude headaches and relentless ascent. Through it all the towering peaks act as reminders that the pass is only a route through the range.
As we had come to expect on this trek, we were able to stop at multiple teashops on the way up, though these were the most rustic and cold we had seen. Unfortunately, the first teahouse when descending is 4,000 feet down, 4,000 very tired feet down.
On the way up many people claim descents are harder. On the way down, when the air warms up and the headaches ease, the only complaint is the lack of tea shops, and no longer being sandwiched in the mountains.
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