The morning is cold and damp with a touch of frost, at it is without regret that we leave the bleak exposed spot and move on up.

We soon reach the pass, which is decorated with the usual sun-bleached flags and small stone chortens in which insense has been left. From this spot we can just see Kwangde Nup and Shar, but the peak we are aiming for, Lho, is obscured by clouds*. As we soon rocket down into the valley, I collect dead wood for it is the fifth of November. Lumding is quite wide and flat, with a large lively river winding its way down the centre. There are no trees up this high, but there is an abundance of Juniper, Rhodedhendron and other colourful shrubs and flowers..

Bonfire night at Lumding Photo © Jeremy Thomson 1998

After crossing the river with some difficulty, we find Pasang has already occupied one of the half-dozen or so little houses that have been closed up for the winter. The porters stay in another and we camp on a flat round island nearby. Surrounded on three sides by himal, it’s a beautiful scene that puts the alps into the shade. However, we are over 4000m again and the afternoons and evening are getting seriously chilly. Some of us, me included, are very apprehensive about the next peak. It’s getting quite late in the season, and the grade of the climb (approx AD+ to D), while easy enough in Europe, takes on a totally different danger at 6000m miles from assistance and without proper maps or guides.

As night falls we explain to the sherpas about bonfire night, and start a modest fire. The porters get very enthusiastic and we soon have a raging inferno. We attempt a sing-along but there’s no rum left and our noisy brash attitudes were left behind weeks ago.

*Yes, well done, it’s a Pink Floyd reference. Have a cigar.