12th day: my first 5000er :)

 Today with Csilla and Raj we summited the lower peak of Chhukhung Ri (5400m). This is my first fivethousander. Ok, I was higher than 5000m in the EBC (5347m) and even slept over 5000m, in Gorakshep but have never been on a summit higher than 5000m.
We took the 600m high difference in 3,5 hours. It shows how technically difficult the path was... No. It was only a hike to a hill. No snow, no climbing. Only that the oxygen was the half of the one on see level. Indeed there is half atmosphere at 5500m. So we hiked snake-style: we stopped to look at the picturesque scenery after each 10 steps. Yes, we needed to check that the 6-7-8000ers were still there: Amadablam, Lhotse, Makalu. We also checked the summit of Island Peak if climbers were there.
The weather was perfect: sunshine without any clouds and almost no wind. We can also see the halo effect. This time the second circle was a rainbow.
The Chhuchkung Ri is really like a hill. There was even scattered vegetation on it. Some brushes on the lower part. Grass and dry flowers from last year on the upper part. The flowers said to be blossom in June and July.
In the meantime Reni summited the Island Peak and joined us at lunchtime.
After lunch and packing together we walked back to Dingbodse in an Xmas-like, snowing landscape.