You should now be stood at the epoch of orogenic (mountain building) geology. All round you are the peaks of the Annapurna range.
The world’s largest mountains lie in the Himalayas (8 of 10 of them), reaching up over 8000 meters. They resulted from a collision of Indian Subcontinent and Eurasia about 40 million years ago. The northward movement of the Indian tectonic plate is still ongoing today, with a movement in the region of a few mm per year. This results in an area of stress build-up, causing landslips and earthquakes. It also means that the peaks are still rising, some as much as an eight of an inch per year! But because this region is so young, and the peaks are so tall, erosion takes place faster here than any other mountain belt. From this location you can see glaciers carving down into the valley below, glacial moraine deposited like domes along the valley floor. The rivers you passed on the way up here, carving downwards rapidly, attempting to find isostatic equilibrium, carrying huge boulders in their powerful grip. The Rocks here are metamorphic, clearly showing bands of colour, twisted and curved, folded like hot toffee.
In order to claim this cache, you must have a photo taken with your GPS and the Glacier in the back ground. If the weather is so bad that the glacier is not visible, then a photo by the monument will do.
You must also answer these questions by sending me an email (do not post the answers in your log).
1. Machhapuchhre can be seen from here, and it has a very distinctive shape. What is the shape of this mountain (or its English name).
2. In what direction does the glacial incised valley run?
NOTE: This is a physically demanding trek, at altitude, in a potentially dangerous and geologically active environment.
