The day began much like the previous one. By around 9 AM, we had finished breakfast and were ready to start the trek. This time, I only had one bag to carry, which made things much more convenient. Most of us decided to start the trek barefoot, knowing we’d be crossing several streams of icy water. I tied my shoes to the sides of my backpack and continued barefoot, rolling up my pants as some of the streams had water rushing around knee level. The cold was intense, making my feet numb, but the experience was fun.

We took a brief break to dry our feet before putting our shoes back on. After that, we faced a steep climb alongside the Bhaba River. We paused occasionally to catch our breath, and during one of these breaks, we noticed some shepherds with their sheep and horses on the opposite side of the river. The mountains they traversed were lush green and beautiful, and the shepherds moved across the steep slopes as effortlessly as if they were strolling through a park.

As we continued our trek, we encountered a short stretch of glacier that was extremely slippery. We crossed it cautiously and soon reached a point where the climb was nearly over. Once again, the ground was adorned with vibrant, colorful flowers. We spent about half an hour there, chatting with fellow trekkers and losing ourselves in the beauty of the mountains. From that point, it was almost a flat walk to the Phutsirang campsite.

After pitching our tents and having lunch, I filled my bottle from a nearby stream and set out to explore the surroundings. This was easily my favorite campsite of the trek—I couldn’t have imagined a better view. We had set up our tents on a flat surface, with three sides surrounded by towering mountains, and the remaining side opened up to the valley we had trekked through. Beyond that valley, the mighty mountains rose again, creating a breathtaking panorama. The day was cloudy, with a light drizzle for a while. As the day wore on, I watched as the clouds slowly descended into the valley below—a sight so beautiful, it’s impossible to capture in words. We had dinner around 7:30 PM and tried to get some sleep, knowing that the next day would begin early, with a 2:30 AM start.