We are already sleeping near the highest altitude any of us have visited before, but we still have a great deal of acclimatisation to do. Today, we plan to walk up the valley to about 5000m, and come back to camp - 'climb high, sleep low'.

The Campsite at Na Photo (c) Tom Padgham 1998

We walk steadily up the valley, which is flat at wide. On the (true) right, the Chhu flows along the base of towering vertical crags which run right up to Kang Nachugo, and on the left gentler slopes lead over the horizon to Ramdung and Yalung Ri.

The ground is sandy, but strewn with gigantic square boulders ejected from the adjacent peaks, earning the area the name 'the lorry park'. Higher up, we reach the moraine barrier that holds back the Tsho Rolpa lake.

We turn north, towards Tibet, planning to climb up to a grassy bulge at 4943m. When we reach the top of the embankment, we find our path blocked by a lunar landscape of dry rock-covered glacier half a mile wide. There is no path, but no visible ice either, so we slide down the steep scree sides and begin the difficult walk across the deep-scoured glacial trough.

The material is very loose and the river flowing along the bottom is difficult to bridge. By the time we all make it onto the to of the far bank, the hard climbing and altitude leave us exhausted. Most of us continue though, and Alan and Julian do make it to the bulge leaving Antoine and I asleep at about 4800m.

When I wake up again, I have a terrible headache from sleeping in the powerful sunlight which I can't shake all afternoon even with the help of codeine. We return to Na, discovering a path on the north side of the river below the crags which avoids the scree scrambling, but invites rockfall danger. Tom and Sue opt to cross the river instead, and get a soaking.

After dinner, we discuss our plans. Alan is ready to camp higher, but others are not sure, given our slow pace during the day. Alan, Julian and I resolve to walk to high camp tomorrow, and the other three will join us the following day.