HGFA Skysailor Magazine

8 SKY SAILOR May | June 2018 and every step over the one hour trek. We watched the golden sunset over Fishtail/Machhapuchhare with a traditional Dhal Bhat dinner and great Nepalese hospitality. After a stunning sunrise, we began the two hour hike early and arrived at the 3990m Mardi Himal View Point at 9am. High cloud slowed the big thermals and overdevelopment, but also most lift, as we launched into small cycles, scratching the broken bubbles. The valley wind drifted us towards the big mountains, climbing up the spur as the thermals strengthened to a pathetic 2m/s maximum climb, with sharp edges and broken cores. Surviving the rough ride paid off when we climbed into more consistent lift to cloudbase at 5500m, level with the peak of Mardi Himal, a pimple in the foothills of the surrounding Fishtail/ Machapuchare at near 7000m. It was another surreal experience to be surrounded by towering Himalayan peaks, but we could not linger for long. Our Camelpak tubes had frozen solid in in the balmy -6ºC and a mild mental fuzziness and shortness of breath crept in with the reduced oxygen, our hands ached from the screaming barfies as the blood, drained by gravity and the cold, came violently rushing back (despite the chemical hand warmers, thermal and wind resistant gloves and every jumper I owned). We absorbed the beauty as we raced the encroaching high cloud back to Pokhara, landing at 11am as the day began to shut down locally. Lunch and a quick change in kit and I was back up the hill training acrobatics for the rest of the day. From stunning cross-country to heart pounding acro training, to incredible food and hospitality, Nepal is one incredible location. Setting up to launch from Mardi Himal The Mountains are Calling Launching from Mardi Himal Photo: Gabriel Schwarzmann