Category: Annapurna

The final day of my Annapurna Trek was pretty straightforward. Up early for breakfast, down another steep staircase all the was to the river to cross a bridge, back up the other side, rinse, and repeat. Eventually our track widened to a roadway where a half dozen 4wd vehicles hung around waiting for tired hikers to ferry out. We passed by them and continued to hike on the road as it gradually just became one long decline back along the river to where we started 5 days ago.

Overall, quite a spectacular hike. It was also very interesting also to pass through all the villages and see how many Nepalese earn their keep. Now back in Pokhara, in my choice room with spectacular views, my legs are very sore and sick of stairs! I do have a bathtub which I should put to use.

One bit of irony from the experience of passing through countless villages that rely on spring water to drink and mules for deliveries: they always had power 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Here in Pokhara I’ve been back now for six hours and still now power. It seems to be off more than its on. How to the villages get power? They generate their own through micro-hydroelectric generators that use channelled water from nearby streams. We passed quite a few of them. Each required a substantial amount of work to set up and each could only power about 40 homes, but they are very lucky to have power when they need it.

After a long recuperation sleep in a below average guest house… Well, it was okay except for all the signs/rules for guests including “do not put packs on beds.” Which begs the question: If their beds can’t handle my pack, how are they going to handle me? It was in a nice spot over looking a big river valley and received some nice warm morning light. Hardly and other trekkers sans an Israeli couple. I asked for cornbread with my breakfast in the morning and received a huge fried pastry like a papadon made with corn and sprinkled with sugar, which was quite nice.

From about 2/3 up the side of a mountain, our trek led us straight down many switchbacks and stairs to a suspension bridge over a river and back up the other side. Eventually we reached a stretch that had been wiped out by a monsoon landslide four years ago and we had to take a huge detour way up to a higher altitude than we started.

Along the way there were terraced farming plots of wheat and other crops, including some marijuana. It was amazing to thing these people spent their days working their ways up and down these huge mountainsides. We occasionally came across couriers with massive packs of fragile cargo on their backs like eggs or bottles drinks which could not be trusted on a mule’s back.

There were a number of massive landslides around that claimed many lives. One in particular contained a huge rock that looked to be about the size of a ten story office building that lay about half way down the hill. There were many memorials next to the track for those villagers who died in the landslides.

We arrived at another wonderful guesthouse around noon with amazing views of snowy peaks and deep river valleys. Plus my room had an attached bathroom a big bed for me with private mountaintop views from my bed. Probably the nicest guesthouse yet. And it was just a 20 minute walk from some wonderful hot spring pools. It’s about 1800m above sea level.

My legs have become very stiff and sore and my feet have finally bubbled up a few blisters from all the steep stair climbing and descents, and the hot springs sounded like just the ticket to treatment. Unfortunately, they were straight down another long set of never ending stairs to river level. We paid a visit for about an hour of soaking and my legs felt much better in the end. The pools were man made along the side of a beautiful ice cold snowmelt river. during the summer monsoon season the baths get destroyed by the flooded out river and they need to be rebuilt every spring – so a small fee was collected at the entrance for financing the annual construction.

The climb back up seemed a lot easier. Back in the guesthouse, the manager is a good friend of my guide from ten years ago – so they have been enjoying each other’s company quite a bit. The manager also happens to be one of the better cooks I’ve come across on this trek, so I’m quite happy.

Tomorrow we finish off our trek by following the beautiful crystal clear snowmelt river back out to where we started – with hopefully minimal hills. I haven’t heard a car horn in 4 days now and I’m savouring the tranquility before we get back to Pokhara and the traffic that leads to it.

My day started at 5AM, or possibly earlier because I didn’t sleep very well. Altitude? Waiting for my alarm to ring? Probably a combination of both. The 5AM start was so we could get up Poon Hill before sunrise and witness the spectacle of morning light on the Himalayas.

Of course, this is what everyone does, so there were scores of Trekkers aiming for the same peak in ice cold darkness. It snowed up here a week ago, maybe about a foot or so. The trails along the ridge overlooking the Annapurna Range were now sheets of ice from hikers and some daytime melting. Getting up Poon Hill was steep and slippery, but then we had to descend after sunrise for our breakfasts and bags so we could continue along the circuit towards Annapurna Base Camp.

For a while I thought hiking in the snow was challenging and fun, but after about 5 slips and falls, and a gashed open hand from a sharp rock while trying to brace myself, I just wanted to get the descent back down below snow level. It was an extremely treacherous section that everyone was really struggling with. At one point my guide took off his shoes and socks and put on his shoes and socks – in that order, with his socks over his shoes. It worked! He was able to keep from slipping for most of the rest of the descent.

I would say today was my hardest day so far with three steep ascents and the ice and snow. Most of the trail was through forest with views of the snow-capped peaks between the branches. There are huge forests of rhododendron trees all about to burst into bloom here in probably two weeks. You can see some trees open and many others with red buds starting to open. Also seen on our hike today were wild orchids, wild monkeys, and a deer (evidentially rare – my guide had once ever seen one while trekking before).

I commented at one point to my guide, while struggling up a steep hill, that I would never have survived the Everest Base Camp hike. We reached a peak altitude of 3101m (a bit over 10,000 feet) today, and I found it very hard to climb. The Everest Base Camp reaches altitudes of 5500m (18,000 feet). He said I would not have had any problem with the Everest Base Camp hike because it takes longer and has a much more gradual ascent that allows you to acclimatise much better. You are supposed to only climb 300 meters a day at higher altitudes but because the Annapurna Circuit is so hilly they don’t have a choice unless hikers really only want to hike 2 hours a day.

By evening only one couple, from Israel, showed up at the guesthouse (at about 2500m), also extremely fatigued from dealing with the day’s hike. We also were inundated with donkeys home from a tough day on the trails, extremely ecstatic to have some time off. I’ve never seen mules roll around in the grass and run and play before.

Now half way back down the mountain, tomorrow is supposed to be a short hiking day with a hot springs visit in the afternoon. Looking forward to that!

Started off bright and early before the other lodgers to tackle about a 3000+ stair climb and the hardest day of my 5 day trek. Or so I was told. One of the New Zealanders who I met this morning at breakfast said later in the day that it was the hardest hike he’s done in Nepal yet and he’s been here hiking for quite a while now – so I guess it was! There was a lot of climbing but I really didn’t think it was too hard – but it certainly helps to have someone carrying you pack for most of the way.

My guide’s name is Deepak and he’s 21 years younger than me, so I don’t fret too much when I run out of breath and he’s still quietly breathing through his nose. He was born and raised in a small village just like the ones we’ve been walking through so he can explain what life is like for the locals from personal experience. He’s also a registered guide with the Nepalese government and was required to undergo 45 days of training on culture, history, flora, fauna, anthropology, first aid, etc.

It has been an amazing hike so far that gets more and more Spectacular the higher you climb. And colder and colder. We ended the day’s 20km hike at a ridge (at 2760m) staring straight in the face of the world’s 7th and 10th tallest mountains. There is snow around our guesthouse from last week and it was 10C in my room, but I scored a wonderful private bathroom with a great hot shower and I brought plenty of warm gear to put on.

The guest house had a warm cozy ski lodge atmosphere by evening when the lit up a big warm fire in the dining room and served me wonderful hot vegetable curry on rice with Masala tea and hot apple crumble with custard for dessert.

Started my five day trek on the Annapurna Circuit with my guide/porter. That is, he’s offered to carry my bag for me if I’ll carry his much lighter one. Sounded good to me! We swap from time to time, but he seems happy to carry mine. He’s guessing it’s about 13 kilos, which really isn’t that bad – but his bag is only about 5 kilos.

Today is the first really clear day I’ve seen in Nepal since I got here. There were some thunderstorms last night that seemed to have cleared the skies out. It was very nice to wake up this morning and see all the snow capped mountains from my hotel room.

So far the hike has involved a lot of climbing, but it has been very tolerable with someone carrying my pack. The trail started out as a dirt road, but became more of a mule track as we got higher. There are nice guesthouse all along the trail with comfortable mattresses, squat toilets, hot showers, meals, and electricity. So far we have passed mostly terraced farm plots that are used for rice in summer and other crops like wheat and vegetables at other times of the year.

My guide has been very nice, bright, and a good English speaker. He is from the country where his parents still reside but now lives with his own family in Kathmandu. He guides people regularly on the circuit I’m on as well as a more difficult and higher altitude trek to the Everest Base Camp. Today we climbed from about 800 meters to 1550 meters, the first few by taxi to get out of Pokhara and up to the Annapurna trailhead.

In the evening the guides got together for a private dinner, but not before making sure their clients received their dinners and had all their questions answered and needs addressed. I ended up eating and talking with a young American engineer from Minneapolis working in India for six months and his traveling companion from the UK whom only met for the first time a few days ago in Kathmandu.