Two Rai porters, returning to their village in the Arun Valley after selling their loads in the market at Namche Bazaar, were engaged to complement Lalu and Nima on my 12 day walk out from Lukla to Hille.
After an initial steep descent from the infamous sloping airstrip the path wound its way around the forested hillsides giving views down to the Dudh Khosi in its deep gorge far below. We encamped for the night at the small settlement of Puiyan.
Next day we continued for a short distance along the main trade route to the road-head at Jiri before turning sharply east and climbing up a faint, difficult track over rocks and through rhododendron still frost covered in the early morning. At the ridge-top we paused to admire the snow-capped peaks of the Khumbu Himal before starting the descent on the far side. The forest soon gave way to open grassy meadows overlooking the extensive terraced fields above the Kare Khola. Dropping to a small stream the path contoured round the hiiside before rising to the compact village of Panguin with its gompa, long mani walls and many tall flag poles with their long white vertical pennants.
Above Panguin we crossed the Pangkongma La, the second of the four passes on route to the Arun Valley. A small moss-covered chorten and some mani stones marked the top of the pass. We were now back into the Hinku valley and looking up the sheer sided narrow gorge the white summits of Mera peak could be seen once again. The path plunged down the steep hillside and across the swirling waters of the Hinku Khola on a short suspension bridge before winding its way up, somewhat more gradually, first to the few houses of Gai Kharka scattered over the hillside and then to the small settlement of Nadjing in broad meadows beneath the next pass.
Another early morning climb over icy stones and through hoar encrusted vegetation gained the top of the pass and a gentle descent through forests led to an open valley with wide terraces. It is from this area that much of the rice in the market at Namche Bazaar is carried over three passes for sale. We stopped at the Sherpa village of Kiraule for lunch and were surprised to be greeted by Dorche, one of our intrepid porters on our previous climbing trek when we crossed the Mingbo La high pass.
As the two Rai porters had proved increasingly unsatisfactory - although only (relatively) lightly loaded they had persistently lagged behind and stopped prematurely at lunch times - they were paid off and replaced by Dorche and his brother-in-law Takpa.
That night we camped in a corn field on Dorche's farm and had chicken for dinner. There was a local festival being celebrated and the sound of gongs and horns from the local gompa lasted late into the night.
From Kiraule the route led along the valley side to the lush, sub-tropical vegetation of the large Rai village of Bung sprawling over the entire, terraced, hillside. Numerous trees bordered the rice and millet fields and gave the impression of well-ordered parkland. A stone stairway took us down through the apparently prosperous and picturesque village to the Hongu Khola and another lofty suspension bridge. On the opposite hillside the terraces were only a few feet wide but were again interspersed with trees.
We encamped in the village of Guidel ensconced in a small amphitheatre on the hillside. I received a smart salute from the village shop-keeper who was an ex-British Army Ghurka (Rais form a large proportion of the Ghurkas). Trekkers are few in this area and when I tried to photograph some school children surrounding us they ran off in alarm.
Above Guidel we obtained a view of the white massif of Chamlang in the distant Hongu valley. The path now contoured high along the rugged, forested valley-side of the Lidung Khola and through occasional small settlements. The last one before the Salpa pass was Sanam where we spent the night.
Next morning we climbed up an ice-covered rocky pathway through an old, moss and lichen-covered forest to the top of the almost 4,000 metres (c13,000') pass marked by a large chorten decorated with many multi-coloured prayer flags. A final view of the snow-capped summits of the Hinku and Hongu Himal was gained before heading down the other side.
A long descent on a broad ridge, then along narrow tracks above sheer drops and finally through terraced hillsides brought us to the neat village of Phedi with its thatched roof huts amidst banana palms at the confluence of two rivers where we encamped in a rice paddy. Unlike the Sherpa villages in Sola Khumbu in these Rai villages no charge is made for camping - only for the purchase of food or firewood.
For the next two days we proceeded alongside the Irkuah Khola heading due East, criss-crossing from bank to bank across the rushing waters on flimsy bamboo bridges. Buffalo drawn wooden ploughs were being used in the fields.
Dorche and Takpa announced that they had decided to go to Darjeeling to look for work and wanted to leave us as they wished to travel faster.
The amount of food we were carrying was now substantially reduced and they were replaced by a somewhat elderly Rai porter. On his first morning he set off first carrying my kit-bag and our two tents. Lalu, Nima and I started some 15 minutes later. As the morning wore on and we still had not caught up with him I became increasingly concerned. I had heard many tales of porters making off with their loads. However, just before noon we came upon him at a tea-house contentedly puffing a cigarette.
Climbing diagonally away from the Irkuah Khola we crested a ridge to spy the wide green waters of the Arun river in its wide valley. The path gradually descended through forest to reach the riverside and a long suspension bridge (toll - 1/2 rupee per person, approx 1p) used to cross the swiftly flowing waters to the eastern side.
For the next three days we walked along the level banks of the mighty river - sometimes on the sand and pebbles of its broad flood plain and sometimes on grassy flats above. Numerous small villages with thatched-roofed, wickerwork houses were passed whose inhabitants were mostly Chetri people. Shouted greetings of 'Namaste' were received from young children unaccustomed to seeing foreigners.
Tumlingtar with its STOL airstrip and a common starting and end point for treks in the Arun valley was also passed as our destination was the road-head at Hille - a further 3 days walk.
On the last day of our trek we left the flat, well-cultivated banks of the Arun and climbed, long and arduously up through hill villages shaded by large burr and pipal trees, to reach the trailhead at Hille on the crest of a ridge.
A 3 hour bus journey brought us out of the mountains to the major city of Daran where the Rai porter was rewarded for his labour. He was to buy a load of merchandise and carry it back to sell in his home village of Bung. Lalu, Nima and I were to travel a further 4 hours by bus to Biratnagar and then for 1 hour by Land Rover to visit Lalu's home in a village in the Terai in southern Nepal close to the border with India. The return to Kathmandu required another 2 day bus journey.
