From the pass, we had a clear view of Dhauligiri I (8167m), a huge mountain still almost 100 kilometers away. To the north, it was mostly the rolling hills of Dolpo, with a few of the peaks on the Tibetan border in the distance.After a sack lunch, we began walking down the long valley to Dho Tarap. The scenery was similar to some of the long descents down the eastern side of the Sierras, with sedimentary and metamorphic outcroppings on either side. Even though it was all downhill, it was a long, long way, maybe 15 kilometers from the pass.
Dho Tarap is actually a series of towns spread out along the Tarap valley. The main town is at the east end, about 3 kilometers from where we entered the valley.
Kinna had promised us he would find us a guest house where we could sleep indoors, but those plans changed halfway down the valley when we discovered that the mule men had unloaded the bags and begun setting up camp in a mule-friendly spot next to the Crystal Mountain School, another boarding school run by a foreign NGO for the local children. Although we could have insisted that they pack everything back up, Marcia and I were just as happy to avoid another 30 minutes of walking.
Marcia really hit the wall of exhaustion that evening. She hadn't slept well the previous night, and another night in the tent wasn't appealing when she'd been hoping for a bed indoors. Fortunately, she was able to get right to sleep after a minimal dinner and had her best night's sleep yet.
