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Day 3
Jhula – Paju
Sunrise arrived without the need for an alarm, the porters’ pre-dawn bustle serving as our wake- up call. After eating, breakfast we embarked on the first part of our journey to Paju. Cramming into the Landcruiser from yesterday, we picked up straggling trekkers along the way, until an uncomfortable fifteen of us jostled on the journey. Luckily the ride was short as the road ended after ~ 1 mile and the remainder of the journey was on foot.
Despite our 6 am departure the trek was sweltering, and I found myself limping due to my persistent plantar fasciitis and a new pain in my leg which I attributed to the previous day’s bumpy jeep ride. Nevertheless, I kept pushing forward, looking forward to the support my stiff climbing boots would provide at basecamp, hopefully alleviating the pain.
After several hours of hiking in the oppressive heat, we finally arrived at Paju. I was relieved to have my Steri pen, a handheld water sterilization device. I used it to sterilize water from a nearby cold stream and enjoyed the refreshing drink. Some of my teammates, unconvinced of the Steri pen’s effectiveness, opted to wait for the cooks to boil water, a more traditional method they trusted for safe drinking water.
The afternoon was leisurely, allowing me to explore the campsite and catch up with climbing friends from other teams. I was impressed to find that the campsite was equipped with outhouses and trash cans, maintained by the Karakorum Central National Park, as explained by our guide, Hassam.
It was after sunset when the porters arrived with our duffle bags. I was happy that I had chosen to carry my warm clothing instead of leaving it in the duffle bag since the temperature dropped swiftly once the sun set. Due to our small team and limited space, we gathered for dinner in the cook tent, foregoing a formal dining tent. By 8 pm, the camp was quiet, indicating that everyone had settled in for the night.
