The trail goes north From Tashigaon, crossing a few streams in a lush cloud forest, and then onto a ridge where there is a small herder’s hut. The trail levels out, and then climbs to another shepherd’s hut atop another ridge. The route now becomes steeper, switch backing on rain-soaked slippery rocks up the ridge in forests to a kharka. A stone chorten and prayer flags mark the gateway into the Makalu-Barun National Park area at the top of the ridge (3190m). The trail descends in more open country on the west side of the ridge to Unshisha (3180m), a tiny soggy meadow, where Palde, Pemba Rinjii and Pasang cleared spots for the kitchen tent and my tent. It took 3:10 to trek from Tashigaon to Unshisha. The overnight temperature was 8C with heavy rain. My tent leaked, and I had to keep moving to avoid the puddles,