Renjo La – the Last Pass

Today we transitted the last of the three passes on our trek.  They have been getting easier, but we still spent four hours climbing and three hours descending from the Renjo La.  None of the passes have been the rounded walkovers common in the Rockies; there is always a scramble near the top of the invariably knife edged summit.

It was another gorgeous day, with light winds and pleasant temperatures.  We had excellent views of Everest, Lhotse and many other peaks all the way up.  Everest and Lhotse were capped with lenticular clouds, which I took to be their way of saying goodbye to us.  Only glimpses of them are available after the Renjo La is crossed.  I took some time at the pass to contemplate the vista before me.  It is the region with the highest real estate in the world and I feel very privileged to have been able to see it.

On the way down I was reminded of the cost of accessing this beauty.  About an hour from the pass we met a woman being supported by a guide and her husband.  She had an unfocused stare and a staggering gait.  My immediate impression was that she had a cerebral edema and should have been descending rather than climbing.  She still had an hour of climbing and three hours of challenging descent ahead of her.  I hope that things turned out well for her, but given her situation it is difficult to be optimistic.