Hey this is TA calling in from Day 32 of the great big walk. We are located at an elevation of 2920m at a place we are calling forest camp. It was a pretty eventful day so I better get to it. Marian had 19 666 steps, 92 floors, 13.65 km. I had 19 855 steps, 94 floors and 13.1 km and Cam was the big winner again at 22 495 steps and 14.88 km. I wanted to send a big hello out to the grade 4s and 5s at CC Loughlin in Corner Brook and we’re tucked into our little yellow tent once again because it is raining this afternoon. We hoped for some dry conditions but alas after our usual beautiful morning the clouds moved in so we’re not really drying anything and we’re not charging any electronics.

We had a very interesting walk today. We started in the snow and we descended a little stream called the dunghe khola. You’ll remember khola is a stream that feeds a river and at the junction we went upstream along the fun named khola kharka khola. What a great name that is. Say that 5 times fast. Khola kharka khola. I won’t say it five times fast but you can. To find a river crossing and when we found that crossing we also saw an amazingly wide flat valley so I think that is how it got its name khola kharka because it was a giant giant kharka. You could pasture probably a thousand animals in that valley. So after crossing, we descended again. We descended the khola kharka khola. I just had to say that one more time until lunch.Lunch was noodle soup, pancakes, local greens that tasted like ratini. Tuna also with greens and peas and curry. Breakfast was chapati with cheese omelette and fried potatoes. After lunch the trail, and trail in quotations marks, got a little more sketchy and at one point Cam successfully navigated a landslide area entirely on her own. An achievement for sure that we got high fives all around.

Knowing what those kind of areas caused her stress in the first part of the trip. We saw lots of evidence of wild pigs digging and moving around and saw some interesting toubas that they dig up and some folks even saw a bear scampering off the in woods, so very good natural history kind of afternoon. We stopped for a short break at a giant blue pond, this tree was amazing. It was hollow and Mingma said they actually naturally hollow themselves out at the base. The tree was still alive but 10 people could have fit inside the tree and we figured that maybe it was about 12 feet in diameter at the base. I gave it a hug and I couldn’t come anywhere near getting my arms anywhere around it. We then descended to the savim khola and when Cam first caught a glimpse of the bridge she said “no (expletive) way am I crossing that”, but then she saw that there was some bamboo saplings lashed together to provide a “hand rail” which gave the confidence to cross. So pretty exciting afternoon of negotiating this part of very little traveled Nepal. We started heading up through the forest and I noticed finally a red rhododendron blossom that was fresh ie. not full of bugs and low enough for me to pick. So Marian Cam and I, after checking with Mingma to make sure it was indeed edible. One of the edible varieties of rhododendron. Had our first taste of rhododendron. So it was definitely an eventful day all round and we actually passed the halfway mark of our Makalu map so we’re making great progress. We’ll match up with the folks that are coming in to join us in about 3 days but we have a lot of elevation to gain between now and then and thanks so much for following along. Hope you take a great big walk along with us today. Reminder that there is a great big walk heart and stroke foundation spot where you can contribute your steps or you can contribute in any way you like. Thanks for checking in and we will talk to you again tomorrow. Bye bye!

Total Steps for TA: 19 855 steps, 94 floors

Total Steps for Marian: 19 666 steps, 92 floors

Total Distance for TA: 13.1 km

Total Distance for Marian: 13.65 km

Great Big Walk acknowledges the support of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Quick Start Fund for Public Engagement in making these updates from the field possible.