K2 GGL trekking: Jhola Camp - Paiju Camp

The second day of the trekking is as a long day and also a bit harder than the first day. Towards Paiju you have to walk along cliffs for quite a while which are very uneven, especially towards the end. The beginning of the walk is not typified by these cliffs, but consists of a lot of loose sand that makes walking more difficult. Yet this is one of the nicer days for walking as it is a good combination of (technical) challenges and nice landscapes, although the latter can sometimes be a bit monotonous.

When I leave Jhola Camp I return briefly to the route I walked yesterday as I have to make a U-turn in order to walk next to the Braidu River. This river keeps me company all day long and he likes to be heard. The water is flowing at a hellish pace and that results in a high number of decibels. At the cliffs I'm walking cautiously as the ground can be eroded by the wild flowing river Luckily the path is located far away from the river and there is never any real danger of a collapse

The first part of this stage is the easiest as it mainly runs next to the Braidu ruver on a wide path. The walk is quite easy as the slope is not steep at all. From the resting place onwards this slowly changes as rocks and stones are dominating the landscape now. The path becomes narrower, cliffs becomes higher and the course more uneven. A bridge consisting of loose wooden beams illustrates the easy part is finally over.

At over 21 kilometers this is quite a long walk, but especially the second half more enjoyable with small cliff paths that go up and down. This way I also have nice viewing points over the surroundings such as at that time when I saw the Snowleopard Bridge in the far distance. When I arrive at Paiju I'm nonetheless happy as the sun becomes scorching hot again.