Day 9 Khari Khola to Paiya

	Kari Khola	Paiya
Latitude	27° 36.26N	27° 38.48N
Longitude	86° 42.75E	86° 43.98E
Altitude	2,029 metres	2,750 metres

Ascent	842 metres
Descent	121 metres
Time (excluding rests)	5 hours 45 minutes
Distance	7 kilometres

The stupa outside Khari Khola

A shagged out trekker resting at Kharte

An unfortunate tree is a bookend for a huge boulder

Prayer scarves mark the climb to the pass

In April, Magnolia trees shed their petals on the path

The Khari La Pass

The pass is marked by twin natural rock pillars.

The path to Paiya is carved into the cliff

Karyolung from Paiya

     Today's trek climbs the picturesque Khari La pass to Paiya.

Karyolung 6,511 metres with the snow peak of Khartang 6,853 metres to its right

     As you leave Khari Khola, pass a stupa and the Buddha Lodge. There are numerous other lodges along the trail:

• Blue Haven
• Himalaya Sherpa
• Showa Restaurant
• Star Lodge
• Buddha Lodge
• Star Bharunje

     There's even the Sagarmatha Tailor, if you've got time for him to make a new suit.

     Descend to the Khari Khola river stream and cross the bridge. Turn left uphill just after a small building. Pass some houses (30 minutes). Reach a small teahouse at 2,200 metres at the top of a steep hill (1 hour). A great place for a rest. The village of Bupsa can be seen above.

     Continue upwards, passing the tea house, the Hotel Bupsa. Bupsa itself is inevitably a little further along. [27° 36.82N 86° 43.03E 2,357 metres] (1 hour 45 minutes). There are numerous lodges, including:

• Everest Guest house
• Hotel Yellow top
• Kwangde View
• International Trekkers Guest House

     Continue across a wooden bridge (2 hours 5 minutes) and then further along cross a little stone bridge across a stream in the forest (2 hours 30 minutes). Walk steeply uphill through the rhododendron forest passing large old growth trees that are remarkably still standing. In the small village of Kharte is the Tashi Delek Lodge [27° 37.43N 86° 43.56E 2,620 metres] (2 hours 45 minutes). The lodge is ideally located for lunch.

     Pass a huge rock leaning against an unfortunate tree. (3 hours 5 minutes). Pass a mani wall and the Sonam Lodge Restaurant at 2,800 metres (3 hours 40 minutes). The village of Cheubas may be seen to the north.

     This is the approach to the Khari La pass. On the way there is a tree overhanging the path that is garlanded with silk scarves as offerings for safety when crossing the pass. In April the path is littered with the petals of tulip trees that grow in the forest here. The path becomes steeper and rocky. Eventually you will be relieved to pass between the twin natural rock pillars that mark the summit of the Khari La pass. Prayer flags across the pillars complete the scene [27° 38.19N 86° 43.01E 2,871 metres] (4 hours 5 minutes). There are some teahouses just beyond the summit of the pass. The village of Paiya is now visible to the north.

Carved prayer at the pass

     The path now levels out and contours around the hillside to Paiya. The path crosses stone slabs. The path then crosses a steep gully filled with rubble, no doubt from landslides from far above. The path to Mera Peak lies up this gully (4 hours 40 minutes).

     Cross a wooden bridge by some huge conifer trees. Shortly after is a large steel n-truss bridge (5 hours 15 minutes). This is the entrance to the village of Paiya (5 hours 45 minutes).

© Ian Johnson 2003