birding never sleeps: 30 years ago: 1 June 1982, Langtang Trek day 16, Thore Pati to Pati Bhanjyang

Tuesday, 1 June 1982

30 years ago: 1 June 1982, Langtang Trek day 16, Thore Pati to Pati Bhanjyang

Tuesday 1st June 1982: Thore Pati to Pati Bhanjyang (16 miles)

We had another late start after a good night’s sleep. There were excellent mountain views from south of Thore Pati, including Everest and Kachenjunga in the distance, although the clouds soon came in and blotted them out. We slowly walked to Kutumsang (8000 ft) birding on the way without seeing a tremendous amount. We arrived there at 15:00 but the village was deserted so we decided to push on keen to avoid another night sleeping in a hut or under a rock. We ended up hurrying on to Pati Bhanjyang (5800 ft) to get to a decent lodge and then have an easy walk to Kathmandu the following day. The trail down to Pati Bhanjyang was very bad with loose gravel and rocks all over the place but we made it in 3.5hrs when our guide book suggested 5.5 hours for this section! From Thore Pati we had descended 6000 ft and for first time ever I found ascents much easier on my lungs and legs. On the ast section the climb from Gul Bhanjyang (7000 ft) of 1300 ft must have been done in record time for me, following Dave & Nick all the way and hardly dropping behind at all (usually I find myself going much slower up hills and consequently get left far behind). When we arrived at the lodge I had 7 of my 38 packets of biscuits left – just about enough for another day! I finished off my letters in the lodge so they could be posted when we returned to Kathmandu. Tomorrow I’ll have been in Nepal three months and my visa will have expired, although hopefully it won’t be a problem renewing it. It has been a really excellent visit with most of my target species seen but I’m ready for a change of country. I will also be glad to see the end of trekking for a while as great as it is, and I’m really pleased to have done the three treks I have, I’m not and never have been too keen on carrying a rucksack around most days.

Birds recorded: Kestrel h, Common Hill Partridge h, Impeyan Pheasant 1 male, Large Hawk Cuckoo h, Cuckoo h, Oriental Cuckoo h, Little Cuckoo h, Mountain Scops Owl h, Himalayan Swiftlet 40, White-throated Needletail 1, Fork-tailed Swift 5, Darjeeling Pied Woodpecker 1, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker 1, Red-rumped Swallow 3, Asiatic House Martin 2, Upland Pipit h, Olive-backed Pipit 5, Rosy Pipit 5, Long-tailed Minivet 2, White-cheeked Bulbul 5, Rufous-breasted Accentor 1, Golden Bush Robin 3, White-browed Bush Robin 3, Stonechat 1, Grey Bushchat 1, River Chat 2, Blue-headed Rock Thrush 1, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush 1, White-collared Blackbird 3, Aberrant Bush Warbler 1, Rufous-capped Bush Warbler 1, Golden-spectacled Warbler 2, Blyth’s Crowned Leaf Warbler 1, Orange-barred Leaf Warbler 3, Siberian Flycatcher 2, Ultramarine Flycatcher 7, Streaked Laughingthrush 1, Black-faced Laughingthrush 2, Red-headed Laughingthrush 1, Hoary Barwing 2, Chestnut-tailed Minla 2, White-browed Fulvetta 5, Black-capped Sibia 2, Stripe-throated Yuhina 4, Rufous-vented Yuhina 4, Rufous-fronted Tit 2, Red-headed Tit 10, Black-crested Tit 4, Green-backed Tit 2, White-tailed Nuthatch 2, Fire-tailed Sunbird 5, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker 1, Black Drongo 2, Nutcracker 4, Large-billed Crow 6, Common Myna 2, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch 1, Dark-breasted Rosefinch 5, Pink-browed Rosefinch 3, White-browed Rosefinch 4, Allied Grosbeak 2, White-winged Grosbeak 8.