The next stage was to make a short detour to a small lake on a shelf across the valley. This would get us away from the road and give a different view of the mountains.

The first two hours, however, continued down the main route past the base of Dhauligiri, which towered five kilometers (three miles) vertically above the valley. Immediately above us was the huge Dhauligiri icefall, considered unclimbable by the earliest expeditions. The ridge above pointed almost straight at us, so the summit was only a tip on the end. Most climbing expeditions approach the mountain from the back.

At the base of Dhauligiri, the river valley narrows and makes a 90-degree turn to the left. We crossed to the east side and began our detour up to Titi Lake. Our guide had never come this way before, so he took us on one unnecessary trip uphill, but after visiting a few young goats at a shepherd's house, we got back on our track and made it to our goal by lunchtime.

Titi was a very small farming village and the guesthouse was very basic. A dying cow was lying in the space next door. We walked a bit to see the lake, which was just a small pond, then relaxed and reviewed Chinese flashcards for the rest of the afternoon. Our guide cooked dinner for us so we didn't have to repeat dahl baht (rice and lentils, the staple of the locals).