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Andrew: We have returned safe and sound from our 16-day trek, walking 230km's and up to an altitude of 5,416m's - through the worlds biggest pass - Throung La Pass.
First some highlights and then the day by day account....
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Of course making it up to 5,416m's!! The views from the top were amazing - we had many 7 thousand and 6 thousand high mountains around us. The main risk was altitude sickness, which kills 2 people on average each year who cross the pass. Everyone felt some form of it - headache, tingling fingers.
* Meeting a Shepherd who had just had his goat attacked by a tiger 1-hour prior. He was holding half the goat (the tiger took the other half). He offered to sell us the half goat because he thought we were so interested! He said the tigers come out of the forest when they don’t have enough to eat in the forest. We thought it was good the tiger must be full with half a goat, so hopefully wouldn’t want any skinny tourists
*Matt, a guy we were trekking with from America, got hit by a rock that
View from the top
view from the Passcame tumbling down a mountain side. Everyone tried to get out of the way, but at the last second the rock changed direction and hit him on the leg. Everyone thought the worst (a broken leg at 5,000mtrs), however he limped to the high camp tea house and we watched him inject painkillers into his arm (he is a New York Paramedic) and he managed to carry on (no broken bones, just a really sore leg)
*Eating Dahl Baht with our fingers. Dahl Baht is the local food consisting of rice, lentils, veges and pickles. Nepalise eat with their right hand and use the left for toilet business. Dahl was our main meal on the trip - although all the places we stayed also served lasagna, curries and even pizza! The pizza was quite good considering the Nepalese lady who made it at 3,000mtrs would have never been to a western pizza restaurant!
We kept a dairy of our trek, so here it is!
Day 1: Kathmandu - Bhulbule (840m altitude)
Bus from Kathmandu, stopping at Dumre and BesiSahar, going through to Bhulbule. We rode on the top of the bus for the last part
with some of the locals - thinking the bus was about to fall off the side of the road at any minute!
Did a small walk up to the top of a hill from our guesthouse to see our first view of the Hamals (Hamal means snow capped mountain range)
Day 2: Bhulbule- Ghermu (1160m)
Met Ferg from Wales and Matt & Amy from USA, who we walked with. Walked along valley floor with a few steep climbs. Everyone tired by end of the day.
Day3: Ghermu - Tal (1700m)
Same distance covered but not feeling as tired as yesterday. Walk mainly through a gorge, up a number of steep climbs. Met Eckart from Germany with his guide Budda.
Stayed in Paradise Guesthouse in Tal. Had shower under waterfall - water hurt because it was falling from such a high distance.
Eckharts birthday today so had cake and rum. A large group of us stayed at the guesthouse.
Day 4: Tal - Timang (2590m)
An easy walk to Danagyu then big uphill climb to Timang. Took uphill route not valley. Card games at guesthouse
Day 5: Timang - Bhratang (2860m)
Easyish day with a long lunch
Goats on tour
A typical scene during the trek of a shepard taking his goats through one of the villages playing card games. Stayed at a tiny village called Bhratang with only 2 guesthouses and great old stone houses
Day 6: Bhratang - Upper Pisang (3305m)
The day was over quicker than it began! A shortish walk, shorter than we realized, but couldn’t go any further due to our altitude gain - 500m today. Arrived Pisang 10.30am!
We walked passed the mountain ‘stairway to heaven’ called Paungi Danda - a 1200m sweeping cliff face!
From our accommodation ‘Annapuna Hotel’ we had amazing views of Annapuna II mountain all day - great as it had been covered in clouds for the past 2 days. Also good views of the Manasalu Range
Day 7” Upper Pisang - Manang (3540m)
Walked the high route from Pisang to Manang via Ghyaru and Ngawal (3670m). Great views of Annapuna II mountain all morning. Scenery turning to sparse vegetation as reaching alpine height.
Trail came back down to valley floor and nice walk to Manang with view of Annapuna IV. Watched movie at Manang cinema ‘Caravan Himalaya’. Stayed at Yeti Hotel.
Watched small places fly into Hume airport at 3280m
Day 8: Manang - Acclimatization Day
Spent day in Manang. Went for walk
Prayer wheels
At the entrance and exit to every town there are these prayer wheels which locals and travellers spin. Each time they spin they say a prayer for you! past glacier lake (Gangapurna Tal) up to lookout (Chongkar viewpoint), good views down valley and of glacier. Ate Yak steak for lunch!
Watched ‘7 Years in Tibet’ at cinema. Played with ‘Momo’ - the local puppy dog at Hotel Yeti
Day 9: Manang - Yak Kharka (4020m)
A gradual climb uphill, not very strenuous. Arrived by lunch time. Not going further due to altitude gain. Good views of Chulu East and Annapuna III
Stayed at Ganya Purna hotel. Food getting expensive!
Ferg, Eckhart and myself went for an adventure walk up to a cave. It took a while to cross the river and climb up. Found the village rubbish dump - a big hole in the ground by the river!
A number of locals stayed in tents around the town. They come up the mountain to look for lavae, which is used for traditional medicine.
Day 10: Yak Kharka - Thorung Phedi (4430m)
A gradual uphill walk. We were stopped by a small landslide on the track. Arrived at guesthouse by lunch. Good views back down the valley of Annapuna III, Gangapurna, Tarke Kang(GlacierDome). To the east while walking Chulu West. To the west, the Muktinath Range, Khatung
Inside a prayer wheel
inside the prayer wheels are all of the prayers! Kang.
Arrived at head of the valley - a dead end wall of rock going straight up.
Day 11: Thorung Phedi (4430m) - Thorung La Pass (5416m) - Ranipauwa (3700m)
What a day! The best and hardest day of the trip! We woke up at 4am for a 5am departure from Thorung Phedi. Treked with Ferg, Eckhart, Budda, Mat, Amy, their guide Santos and their porter.
The first hour was the steepest, straight up to ‘high camp’. Then 20mins after, while trekking up, Matt got hit by a rock which had fallen down the hillside while crossing a bridge. It hit his leg, luckily didn’t break but very sore.
We walked up to the next tea house where Matt injected himself with painkillers!
The walk up to the pass was great, fantastic views back over the valley.
Reached the pass - yeah! Plenty of photos taken. Spent about an hour at the pass.
Started walk down - pretty slippery with melted snow so took our time. Downhill turned out to be tough - a long trek, sore on the knees, short of decent food (only lollies and biscuits).
A few people started getting headaches from AMS including
Paungi Danda - gateway to heavan
Paungi Danda or 'gateway to heavan' as said by the Nepalese, between the villages of Chame and Pisang Jen. My knee started hurting. Matt was holding up well, limping a bit.
Me and Jen started picking up rubbish with Santos. A German couple with us also helped. We filled up 4 bags with plastic bottles, tin cans and other rubbish.
Finally reached a tea house at the bottom of the mountain - yeah! Everyone bought plenty of food then trekked the final hour to Muktinath.
Arrived 4pm - a 12hr day! 1000m’s up, 1300m’s down!
Stayed in Bob Marley Hotel - quite nice.
Day 12:Ranipauwa - Kagbeni (2800m)
Slept in as very tired from yesterday. Visited the combined Hindu and Buddist temple in Mukinath - one of the most sacred temple complexes in Nepal and India. Got blessed by the 108 water fountains.
In afternoon walked to Kagbeni, about 2 ½ hrs walk downhill 1000m’s. Went into a great little town called Jharkut with an ancient herbal medicine building.
Walked past old historic caves of Upper Mustang.
Walked around Kagbeni- nice old school streets.
Day 13: Kagneni - Marpa (2670m)
Today we said farewell to Ferg and Eckhart as they stayed an extra day at Kagbeni.
We left early to avoid the high winds
down the valley toward Jomson. Passed some great geological hill sites - showing the movement of the Indian and Asia plates.
We also searched for black fossil rocks to crack open. Bought a fossil from an old man at a road side stall.
Arrived in Jomson - a new town but no atmosphere or culture. It contains a well guarded army training camp. Had lunch at Jomson.
Visited the Mustang Eco Museum, which was really good. Exhibitions on geology of Mustang, history of caves, Upper Mustang restricted area (only 1000 tourists a year allowed, paying $700USD each!). Herbal medicine and flora and fauna.
Walked to Marpa (Paradise Hotel) in high winds. Tried apple brandy at night - tasted great! But apricot brandy was bad!
Day 14: Marpa - Ghasa
A long day (25km) through patches of rain and low cloud, but a nice walk. Built a bridge of stone for Jen at one of the river crossings. Searched for fossils on the riverbed and found some broken fossils and silver.
Ghasa - a very nice small village. Stayed in Florida guesthouse.
Day 15: Ghasa - Titabani
A nice walk down the valley, past a lot of
Annapuna II photo
Annapuna II (two) height 7,937m from Uppper Pisang, altitude 3,305m. Within the Annapuna range there are 4 mountains named Annapuna I, II, III & IV! work being down to build the new road. Passed a funeral by the river where a boy worker had died the previously day (from sickness).
Arrived Titabani and enjoyed the hot springs.
Day 16: Titabani - Pokhara
Walked a couple of hours to get to the village where the road is connected to - waited a while for a jeep to come along and get picked up. As there were a number of us tourists together we managed to get our own bus from Beni back to Pokhara.
Arrived Pokhara - back to the city life! And checked into a nice hotel with a hot water shower!
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Rachel
non-member comment
Amazing Jen!
OMG what an adventure, a 16 day trek and thought my 3 day trek in Thailand was hard! I have just printed this out to read on the lovely tube on my way home... Well done and sooo looking forward to seeing you here in London town. Rach xxx