Despite our less habit of walking uphill, we rolled in by a large open pasture where we spotted a number of geese and yaks grazing by it while shepherds were freely roaming around without any care of them. The land was extensively stretched along the hill as it was going to meet the mountains.
By the time, a caravan of Tibetanian nomads emerged from the rocky path who were mainly monks and were walking briskly uphill. They looked as if they had to walk along several mountains to find shelter because they were so many and were carrying sacks that perhaps contained various kinds of food stuff.
It was a heavenly place blessed with nature which seemed to be carved divinely for these beautiful cattles and it was a really amazing experience to see them.
We'd not eaten much in the morning except tea and cookies. This caused the extreme level of commotion in our hungry and empty stomachs.
We barely found a place to eat food on the upper side of a hill or mountain side except for rare small camps and homestays.
Therefore, we had already managed some food stuff in case of such a problem, and we had chewed hungrily whatever we had in our bags, lying on the grass near a huge rock and we observed the area and the beauty of the enigmatic place as far as our eyes reached.
We really needed a time of rest as this was the fourth day of subsequent trekking and still most parts of the body had aches though it wasn't a continuous walk like other intense trekkers and travellers do.
However, we continued the trek and after some steady walks we got to a steep and rocky wall where on the edge a gorge split the hill and the mountain. It was a dangerously perilous deep gorge where there was no chance to come back alive after falling into it and the path was too narrow for vehicles to move through. Even for pedestrians, it was too risky to pass through and it would allow only one pedestrian at a time if we were mistakenly disbalanced to walk and would lose our control over movements that would lead us into the deep ditch.
Even though the stairs path was too dangerous and perilous, a man was trying to drive her three loaded mules upwards through the stairs. The mules were weak but were loaded with heavy sacks. The man was ordering, screaming at them and striking on their backs or sometimes on hocks so that they could walk steadily, but the mules barely were making their feet ahead. They were holding their hind legs back rather than going upside down as the path was really arduous to pass, especially for any man who was manipulating a flock of animals. However, he managed and controlled the mules and they finally made their way to the top.
We also passed through the way, walking cautiously.
After a more than two and half hour long walk, we were almost nearer to Phurbi Chyachu glacier.
This was the first time ever we'd been taking a close up look at the mountain. The white enormous mountain was standing still before our eyes, stretching its huge legs flamboyantly. Walking along the narrow route,we crossed craggy hills and got to a sloppy path which was expanded along with thick and wild bushes.
There were some bulky long haired yaks with dense horns and sturdy legs walking ahead and were controlled by a red faced man who wore his typical sherpa dress and dhaka topi. This kind of huge yak is normally found in the mountain region which are very useful cattle for mountain villagers. They are usually used for milk production, ploughing the field, meat and fur purposes, and so on.
Slowly and gradually, the mountains had been closer and nearer to our eyes. As soon as the mountain got closer, we started to feel icy cold.
I guessed, we were soon going to reach Phurbi Chyachu glacier within less than half an hour.
"Buba, Phurbhi Chyachu mountain pugne bato yehi nai ho?" Som asked.
"Ho babu, sidhai bato xa," he replied.
"Aba Phurbi Chyachu ko height ma pugna ko lagi kati samay laagxa,"
"Ajhai aadha ghanta bhanda badi lagxa, babu haru."
"Hass dhanyawad!" We said.
Chewing food stuff, chatting, and giggling, we eventually reached Phurbi Chyachu. We were extremely excited after reaching the mountain. A huge mound of ice and snow stood before our eyes, and we were at the height of 6,637 m.
The mountains were vampire-white. A wave of white snow went rumbling down the sides. They were all crumpled at the base. They were sky-stabbing at the top. The legs of the mountains were very wide. The peaks of the mountains were like harpoon tips.
We had witnessed a mountain closely for the first time.
Som had already alerted us that we had to be very conscious while walking and making any movements.
But without hearing his words clearly, Jeetu and I excitedly raced like small children in the race competition as we wanted to climb it and stand on the top immediately. Som also joined in this race running after us.
We two quickly got to the peak of the mountain and gave a triumph pose as we scaled the highest mountain of the world. Shit! we missed the camera to carry with us. It was really surprising that none of us remembered to carry it.
We stood on the top, screeching and roaring with all excitement as we won a tough game. When we were just lost with fun and amusement in lap of the mountain, we suddenly heard a clapping sound nearby the place and a huge wall of snow crashed down. We heard a sinister, growling sound and a cascade of white thundered down the mountain.Rumbling and roaring, a wave of white surged down the mountainside. A deep booming noise erupted before our eyes.
We had got terribly horrified by the noise and occurrence as we felt that something wrong might occur
"Hey! Be alert. I think it's an avalanche to occur here. Let's walk down carefully and move away from here as soon as possible," Som shouted with fear.
"What to do now?" Jeetu muttered.
Though I could not utter even a single word as my legs shivered with fear, and I thought death was approaching near us slowly.
"Have patience! Slowly get down. Do not run hurriedly otherwise we may be in the even worse situation," Som suggested.
Just some time back we were amused being on the top of the mountain and were enjoying ourselves, playing with the white and smooth snow and throwing it over each other, but just in another minute, we started to pant with extreme fear and were trying to escape.
As soon as we tried to walk down, the huge mass of snow slid down, and we tumbled down the top sinisterly.
"Som," I shouted.
It was an incredibly spontaneous avalanche which was a collapse of an underlying weak snow layer, and it seemed that it had loosened the snowpack. It was accelerated and grew rapidly in mass and volume as it captured more snow.
The wind blew roaring and the storm thundered, consequently, the precipitation had increased rapidly. It got some more snow unexpectedly. We were swept away down the slope by a huge slide of snow, and when another mass had fallen over us we screeched horribly.
I got stuck by a huge snow layer, but Som and Jeetu had been taken even deeper down the mountain. The snow streaked me thoroughly, leaving my upper body merely head. I was trembling with extreme fear and searched for my two friends here and there, but I could not see them now, which brought another level of fear to me.
After some minutes, it stopped fortunately, and I couldn't believe that I was alive.
I tried to remove snow with all strength that covered me and rushed down to find my friends. I examined every part of the place, still trembling, but I did not see their faces.
In just a few seconds, they had disappeared and there was no noise and scream coming out from them. I cried at us and I thought they had been buried by the snow.
"Som, Jeetu. Where are you?" I shouted.
"Jeetu, Som. Where are you both?" I shouted again.
"I lost my friends on the mountain."
When I did not find them anywhere, I burst into tears.
As I stood up to walk away from the mountain area to go back, the avalanche hit again as it didn't stop, and this time an even bigger snow slide occurred. It swept me away and buried me completely inside the earth.
"Mamma!"