Trek to Everest 2017 Day 13 : 10-12-2017

We left Gokyo early for our next destination, Thore. It was to be one of the longer days of the trek, with around 6 hours of walking. Upon leaving the Fitzroy Lodge, we traversed the glacier. It consisted of huge piles of rubble, the occasional ice wall and some frozen lakes. After discovering that the lakes were covered with thicccc ice, we proceeded to “ice skate” in our hiking boots for the next 30 minutes. We continued on our way, stopping for a picnic lunch of pasta, veggies, cordial and roti. The walk back down the valley afforded grandstand views of Dole and Machhermo which we had visited earlier in the trek. For most of the valley, Cho Oyu (an 8000m peak) was visible back towards Gokyo Ri. We eventually reached Thore, one of the more “rustic” lodges we had encountered. The afternoon was spent eating strawberry oreos, reading and yak-watching. Dinner was an egg curry and mixed vegetable soup, with a yummy dessert of chocolate-wheat pudding. After dinner we listened to music and relaxed, exhausted after a long day of walking, before heading off to bed.