Blogs from Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna, Nepal, Asia - page 14

I had a much better nights sleep and my heartrate is a lot more comfortable now. Hari wanted to give me a little 'test' before we set off for Thorong Phedi which is the final frontier before the pass. We climbed up probably 100m above Yak Kharka on a very steep trail. I went very slowly and was able to reach a decent height without any serious discomfort. Thorong Phedi is around a 450m climb and I was sure I could do that, the question was what sort of condition I would arrive in ready for the pass the next morning. We set off with our trekking buddy Peter who had arrived last night from a tough excursion to Tilichio Lake. I inched my way up the slope at the end of the yak grazing area ... read more

Darren woke up this morning full of cold and generally feeling pretty rotten. After breakfast he perked up a little and we decided to move onwards even if only to the next village of Gunsangat 3900m. We made Gunsang fairly comfortably although I am now moving very slowly indeed. Moving at any speed is leaving me gasping for breath which is a tad worrying seeing as we are still 1500m below Thorong La Pass. we took a long break at Gunsang, enjoying the views from the Marsyangdi Hotel across to the Annapurna massif. The sun was still shining although the clouds around the peaks were beginning to darken. By the time we reached Yak Kharka the wind was up and the sky completely overcast and within 30 minutes of arrival snow was steadily falling. We arrived ... read more

The transit bus left Kathmandu dead on 7am. Don't be fooled by the 'tourist' bus title, this wasn't a VIP bus with leather seats and onboard chef. Once the young lady in front had reclined her seat cosily into my groin there wasn't a lot of room for maneouvre. No AC either. Never mind, once we had eaked our way out of Kathmandu traffic and into the surrounding hillside the views were very enjoyable. We followed a winding road hugging the banks of the River Trisuli all the way to Dumre. We arrived in Dumre at 1145 and walked into a right old row. After getting off the bus we were rushed onto a mini bus (by a somewhat beligerant young man) bound for Besisahar. I asked Mr beligerant how much the fare was. '650 NR ... read more

May 2nd: Tatopani to Ghasa (…on this, the most important day of my life … deepest gorge in the world) I couldn’t do this without P. I start each day with her melodic voice. “Noree .. Goo morning. We eat breakfas?” Endlessly cheerful, she laughs at each question she asks & each answer I give. My thighs are sore, but everything else - body and spirit - feels great. Slept well last night. There’s a young Canadian-Israeli couple here with two small children (perhaps 5 and 2 years old) and I marvel at them & their easy going approach to travel with such small children. Yesterday was long & grueling (and I was going down!); Wish I had light weight Gortex for afternoon rain showers; Breakfast of oatmeal, apples & black coffee (to stave off the ... read more

April 30th: Hille to Ghoripani (Annapurna Weight Loss Circuit Training) Lets start with the facts. Today was a 1400 meter (4600 ft) ascent started at 6:45 and arriving at 3:45; Ghoripani sits at 2750 meters (a little over 9000 feet, comfortably near the 2800 meter AMS-prevention acclimation recommendation). For 9 hours, including a 2 ½ hour lunch stop and multiple small rests along the way, we trek mostly up. The views are spectacular. We cross the Tikheadhunga Khola suspension bridge and begin the climb up 3300 (really, 3300: not a typo) steps to Ghoripani. As I cautiously climb up, up, up in my state of the art hiking boots we‘re passed by Nepali school children, who skip effortlessly down, down, down in flip-flops. We continue up through oak and rhododendron forests, pastures, cultivated fields. At our ... read more