When you’re in the mountains, all you want is clear weather, which is exactly what most mornings offer. I woke up as early as 5:30 AM. After freshening up properly, dawn had already broken. My focus was on reaching the viewpoint, but before that, I hurriedly went to check on the Pokharis.
They looked absolutely stunning in the morning light. In fact, due to the clear weather, I could even see the other lakes in the distance.
That was enough to assure me that my day was going to be great and that the purpose of coming to Panch Pokhari would be fulfilled—I would get to see the majestic views of all five ponds from the top.
Lama Dai had promised to show me a shorter way to the viewpoint, but he was deep in sleep. Meanwhile, after washing up with cold water and having my legs soak in the snow, I was absolutely freezing.
The temperature must have been in the negatives at that point. All I wanted was the warmth of firewood so I could walk like a soldier. I called out to him upstairs, asking if he could show me the way or at least light the firewood so I could get some warmth before heading to the viewpoint.
He was reluctant to wake up and said it would take time to get the fire going. Instead, he suggested I use the stove for a while. Although it would waste some gas, I had no other option. I warmed my hands and even my legs a bit. A good trick I used was warming my socks so my feet would stay warm longer.
But there was another problem. Due to the freezing temperature, my shoes, which I had dried the day before, were completely frozen. I had never experienced this before. So, before putting them on, I had to warm them up too.
I made sure not to waste much gas, just enough to be ready to go with some warmth. In fact, I was in a hurry as I wanted to reach the top in time to see the sunrise. It reminded me of my very recent Mardi Base Camp trek, where I witnessed one of the best sunrises ever. Maybe I’d get a similar experience here?
At first, I was confused about which way to go. And why wouldn’t I be? All I could see were animal footprints. It looked like a cat’s or maybe a raccoon’s. I had no idea. There were no human footprints, as the fresh snow from yesterday had covered everything.
I tried to recall the directions Lama Dai had given me in his half-asleep state. I got confused, turned back, and tried taking another way, but a signboard confirmed I was on the right path.
I was already wasting a lot of time. So this time, I dared to create my own path in the snow and marched forward. Thankfully, my path eventually connected to the trail the others had taken the previous day. I spotted some footprints, probably left by Sherpa Dai and the boys. I followed them.
The snow had indeed taken over a significant portion of the trail. My legs kept sinking into it, but it wasn’t as bad as the locals had warned me.
I kept moving, occasionally glancing at Panch Pokhari to my right. With every bit of elevation I gained, its beauty mesmerized me even more. This was exactly what I had come for, all alone, and every second was proving to be worth it.
I was so motivated, but one thing was for sure—I had already missed the sunrise. Maybe if I had a companion, we could have pushed ourselves to the top earlier.
I was the only one walking towards the Panch Pokhari Viewpoint. But I couldn’t complain; I was enjoying my alone time in this majestic place, far from home.
I kept pushing forward and soon reached a lower viewpoint. Not the official one, but let’s name it that from today. The view was amazing, though some parts of the ponds were still blocked.
I was probably at around 4,200 meters now, but this wasn’t my final destination. From here, I could clearly see the prayer flags at the actual viewpoint.
There were five guys already up there, enjoying the breathtaking view of Panch Pokhari. They were facing towards me, probably surprised to see someone else approaching. I kept moving, excited to meet them.
As I rushed towards the main viewpoint, the combination of the altitude gain and my pace made me feel exhausted. Yet, I pushed on because every time I peeked at Panch Pokhari, the ponds motivated me.
I couldn’t afford to waste even a second—I had to capture the view and take videos. After all, the weather at Panch Pokhari had been unpredictable for the past few days. My only thought was to reach the top and finally relax.
After some struggles, but mostly an easy 45-minute walk, I made it. I stood right in front of Sherpa Dai’s small cottage.
I waved hello to the boys and Sherpa Dai. They welcomed me with smiles, and I ordered a black tea. The dog here was quite playful, constantly coming up to me. I wanted to give him some biscuits but somehow forgot to do so.
He looked like a typical Nepali street dog, but since I was in the mountains, he reminded me of “Bhotey,” a dog my friends and I had met during our trek to Kapuche Lake. A similar thing had happened back then—we wanted to feed the dog but didn’t have any snacks. This time, even though I had something to give, I forgot in the rush.
While my tea was being prepared, I went to check on Panch Pokhari. It was breathtaking—exactly as I had imagined.
Surrounded by snow on all sides, with just the five ponds visible in between. I took tons of videos before finally sipping my black tea, which had already cooled due to the freezing temperature at 4,300 meters.
Along with the lake, the mountain views of Gaurishankar (7,134 m), Dorje Lakpa (6,966 m), Langtang Lirung (7,234 m), the main Jugal range, and other Tibetan Himalayan ranges were absolutely mesmerizing.
Sherpa Dai suggested I go to the other side of the hill for an even better view of the ponds. So, I went, sinking my legs into the snow all the way. It wasn’t difficult at all—in fact, I was having fun.
I was taking more videos when suddenly my phone switched off. Just moments ago, it had fallen into the snow while on the tripod. I was terrified that this had damaged it.
I rushed back to Sherpa Dai’s cottage, hoping to charge it for a couple of minutes. And how lucky could I be? His generator was working (unlike that of Lama Dai‘s), and they generously let me charge my phone. I was beyond happy!
At some point, I even felt like I should have pushed to stay here last night instead of at Lama Dai’s hotel. Maybe it would have been even more fun.
Sometimes, prioritizing one thing makes us miss out on others. That’s what I realized after stepping into this small cottage. But I had chosen safety yesterday, and I had no regrets. Everything happens for a reason.
Sherpa Dai wanted me to have breakfast there, but I had already asked Lama Dai to prepare mine, so I couldn’t betray him. I apologized, and he and didi both understood. A truly hospitable couple.
Coming back to my phone—the battery had indeed died due to the extreme cold weather. Crazy, right? Just a few videos and it drained from 70% to 0% in 15 minutes. The earlier drop in the snow probably triggered this to happen.
I still wanted to take more videos, so I waved goodbye to everyone and started heading back. I reminded the boys to stick together, as the return path could be even more dangerous.
I had already discussed with both Lama Dai and Sherpa Dai that the way back might be trickier, especially that steep downhill of Lauribina!
A wrong step could send me tumbling down into a place where no one would ever find me. Such thoughts ran through my mind as I took one last glance at all the five ponds before beginning my descent.
As I walked back, Surya Kunda’s beauty captivated me. The blue lake surrounded by snow looked like a dream. It was even more stunning than in pictures.
I took my goggles off, and the brightness of the snow nearly blinded me, but the view was heavenly. I told myself, “I’ve come this far—let me stay here a little longer instead of rushing.“
In fact, there was no way I could catch a bus to Kathmandu today. So, instead of worrying about the return, I went to the lake to spend some time there. I clicked videos, checked out the lake—which was completely frozen, and just soaked in the beauty.
Then, I took another path, making my way towards Ganesh Kunda and Nag Kunda. I couldn’t go round the ponds due to excessive snow, so I went as far as the trail allowed and took some selfies.
After that, I continued towards the locals who were building a new hotel in the area. Just to be sure, I asked them for directions before heading back to the hotel where I had stayed the night before.
I was really happy to have completed the trip because it was almost over now. All I had to do was return home safely, and that was exactly what I had prayed in the temple yesterday.
I shared my experience with Lama Dai, but he didn’t seem too eager to listen. It felt like he was just there to serve my breakfast quickly so he could move on with his other work.
I had even requested him to light some firewood, but he hadn’t done so. I at least wanted to warm my shoes and socks to make the descent easier. Instead, he suggested I put them under the sun, but the area was already covered by fog by now.
You see, I had made it to Panch Pokhari just in time, but now, I was slightly annoyed with Lama Dai and missed the hospitality of Sherpa Dai.
While my hotel stay here was much better than the small cottage at the viewpoint, the warmth and kindness of Sherpa Dai and Didi were on another level.
Still, I didn’t want to argue, especially since this was a remote area, and to be fair, Lama Dai had shown great hospitality the night before.
I quickly paid my fee—which, to be honest, cost me more than what the five guys had paid at the viewpoint hotel. I knew he was overcharging a bit, probably because I was the only guest, but I didn’t negotiate.
Life in the mountains is tough, and honestly, it was still cheaper than what we normally pay at restaurants in the city. So, it wasn’t worth complaining about. All I had asked for was some firewood warmth, which I didn’t get—neither in the morning nor before leaving.
Now, I was all set for a safe return to Chhimti. The only thing on my mind was Lauribina’s downhill, followed by Sat Ghumti’s.
I prayed to God before marching forward for the return trip…
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