Nepal (October 2017): Simikot to Kolti via Mount Saipal
3. Karan Khola valley and north Saipal glacier
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We left Chala to visit the valley of Karan Khola up to the north glacier of Mount Saipal (7030m). Karan Kolah has its source at this glacier and soon after flows in the west-to-east direction, creating one of the relatively few Nepali mountain valleys that is not oriented north-to-south. Several small summer kharkas (pastures) dot the valley.
Map: The itinerary of this section of the trek is shown in red dotted line in the topographic map below. Consecutive blue vertical and horizontal lines are spaced by 1km.
(Reminder: These 50K topographic maps are available in their entirety at https://jemecasseausoleil.blogspot.fr/2017/07/cartes-du-nepal.html.)
″Shoulder″ above Chala before entering the Karan Khola valley.
View of Chala from the shoulder.
Mountain ranges north of Humla Karnali Khola seen from the shoulder. The highest peaks at the center of the second photo below form Nyalu Lek. In 2014 I had trekked on their northern side (see here).
Other views from the shoulder. Left: the Kalunba Khola canyon. Right: the merging of Karan Khola and Gurgure Khola into Kalunba Khola, with the snowy 5698m peak and Chhote Kang (5527m) on its left visible in the background. On the left of the second photo the trail leading to Sakya Lagna is also visible.
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Zoom on Chhote Kang and 5698m peak.
Another view of showing the lower part of the Karan Khola canyon.
Views of the Karan Khola canyon after we passed the shoulder, with high peaks around Mount Saipal in the background.
[The Karankhola kharka, the first kharka in the valley, is visible on the bottom-right of the above photo.]
Man from Chala collecting hay on a steep slope.
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Views of the Karan Khola canyon toward the east.
Ravines and streams on the opposite side of Karan Khola.
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View from the trail on a steep secton.
Another exposed section of the trail.
Stone huts at another kharka where we spent a night.
Views just before and during sunrise from our camp.
Full moon setting down behind a mountain range seen from our camp.
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Last (and largest) ravine on the opposite side of Karan Khola, before the 90dg turn of the river.
Beautiful autumn colors and light.
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For a while our path followed the Karan Khola closely...
...until it started climbing again to avoid a former landslide.
We put our camp in the last kharka of the valley.
View (toward the north) from our camp.
We spent two nights at the camp, where Dawa#2 had arranged a nice kitchen (afternoon, evening, and morning photos).
View of the Karan Khola valley further up, with Mount Phirankop in the background.
Zoom on Phirankop.
Flat portion of the valley that have may served as a base camp for climbing expeditions (view toward the north-east).
Reaching the base of the glacier, again with Phirankop in the background. Although higher Saipal′s summit (located o the left) is still not visible.
Views of the Karan Khola valley from the low portion of the glacier.
Ang Karma in a ″rough sea″ of rocks. (On the lower part of the glacier ice is covered by a layer of rocks.)
Further up on the glacier.
As we were not equipped to go much further, we decided to climb on the left (west) side of the valley to reach a place offering a view of both Saipal′s and Phirankop′s summits. Now Saipal is visible on the left.
Zoom on Saipal′s summit.
