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Published: December 13th 2007
Day 11 (11.09.07) - Muktinath (3800m) - It's A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock-N-Roll...5416m To Be Exact Well today was the big day. I got out of bed sometime before 5am and began prepping for the day. I specifically didn't say that I "woke up" because that would imply that I actually slept. This altitude really is not conducive to me sleeping. First of all - I was wearing long johns, pants, socks, my hat, 3 shirts, and my down jacket inside of my sleeping bag liner inside of my sleeping bag and under a blanket...so I was feeling a tad claustrophobic. And at 4800m the previously described problems with the altitude only got worse. In my not-really-awake-but-not-really-asleep state I would have something akin to a dream...but not
quite a dream. It's hard to describe...kinda like I was aware of my surroundings and sensations but my mind wasn't processing it all properly. This left me slipping back and forth between paranoia about suffocating and having some strange impression that I was climbing a mountain all night in my sleeping bag and each toss and turn resulted in me taking a different path. Like I said...it didn't
Frozen Prayer Flags
So cold that even the Buddhist prayers were frozen.really make sense...and it didn't make for a rested body in the morning.
After eating and drinking as much as was practical, I put on (kept on) most of my clothes and off we went at 5:45am into the darkness. Due to the several inches of new snow (and still falling), we could sorta see the path...and could sorta get traction on the path. My headlamp helped, but it was still slow (and cold) going for a while. Due to the clouds, the views were limited to nearby things...which actually wasn't too bad. I couldn't see the peaks on either side of the pass, but I had enough to keep me occupied. The 3 nights of crummy sleep definitely took their toll and the hike up was brutal. The air is pretty damn thin and each step was rather laborious. The headache was present again today and was definitely from the altitude...but never got serious.
Finally after 2-3 hours we reached the top of
Thurong La -
5416m (approx 17,800ft) above sea level. We enjoyed a well deserved (and expensive) cup of tea, took the obligatory photos, and headed off before we froze. As they say...it's all downhill
A Look Back Down
The sun did poke its head out from time to time. Can see the other trekkers making their way up the "path". from here. Bye bye Manang District and hello Mustang District.
"Downhill" usually implies that it's easier...but due to the slippery conditions, it was anything but easy and my hiking poles came in quite handy. There were times when I'd get up some speed and then just slide/ski down the path for a while. We eventually dropped below the snow line and reached Muktinath for a celebratory beer.
In the earlier days at lower elevations I had been much faster than Santa...but as we got higher and higher, his Nepali engine didn't slow down one bit and I couldn't keep his pace heading up to the pass. He even had taken on another 5kg from another trekker for some extra cash...didn't slow his diminutive 56 year-old Nepali body down one bit.
As I lay here in bed I hear Devalli celebrations outside. It's always cool to hear the local stuff.
Day 12 (11.10.07) - Marpha (2650m) - So This Is Where The Oxygen Is! Long day today and I can feel the combined exhaustion from yesterday and today. Since the pass I've come down 2800m in the last two days and can totally feel the difference. I
can breathe again and the ability to sleep has also returned. It does appear, however, that I've pressed ahead of all the folks I had been walking with. Am not terribly bummed about that, but wouldn't mind seeing some of them again at some point.
Things do feel different on this side. Wide open valleys with a very Arizona feel...which were well documented on my two cameras. I had a rather persistent feeling of loneliness today (
"One lone-ly Beas-tie I be..." - Paul Revere still in my head). I don't know if it's the exhaustion, feeling tiny in the vastness of my surroundings, a combination, or something else. Not a big deal...but a new feeling on this trek.
After some more descent from Muktinath we hit the
Kali Gandaki River valley and had to deal with gusty winds all day long. There are points where the river bed gets approximately 1km wide...but the river is only 50-100m wide at most. The rest is just loads of rocks...some of which contain ocean fossils from a gazillion years ago.
Apparently the people now are
"Towas"...a particular Tibetan group...though I don't see too much difference from the previous few days.
This area is well known for its apple orchards and distilleries that produce apple brandy...though I haven't tried any.
Thankfully, things are getting cheaper as we descend. The room costs peaked at High Camp with a charge of Rs320...which was the most I paid by Rs200. Most places were 50-150 per night. Dal bhat ranged from Rs120 to Rs300 or so as we got higher.
At dinner tonight there was a Malaysian girl at my table who was arguing with her guide. It started out as a discussion about the Maoists and he was trying to explain why they act the way they do...and turned into her having some sort of emotional dump about how there are other people in the world who suffer but don't resort to robbery. I basically agreed with what she was saying...but her whiny approach was really annoying.
It was interesting to listen to the history of this guide. He started out as a porter carrying 50kg and making Rs200 per day. He was smart enough to save Rs50 every day so he could continue his education. Now he's a licensed guide and makes much more...probably Rs1000-1200 per day...but is still poor.
There really isn't much opportunity for Nepalis to make good money.
It's still Devalli and we had some guys come into the dining room dancing and singing...and asking for donations. It made me think of Christmas carolers...but ones who asked for tips at the end.
My room had an electrical outlet (not standard on this trek) and I tried to charge my iPod for the first time since Kathmandu. It just displayed an error message and make bad clicking sounds. Crap.
Day 13 (11.11.07) - Kalopani (2535m) - Mundane...In The Annapurna Sense Ok...perhaps "mundane" is a bit strong...but today was basically a whole day walking along the river valley until we reached Kalopani (which means "cold water"). I slept like a champ last night - 10 hours! Love it. I'm still freezing my bum off though...and since today didn't really drop in altitude, it didn't warm up at all.
Another comment into my inner thoughts. Now that I've accomplished the big ascent a few days ago...my mind is wandering onto other topics a bit. For some reason I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about the teaching gig. With Marie and Romi already handling the classes, what will
Way Down From Muktinath
I forget the name of the village ahead. I teach? When will I begin? How will it go? I mean, really...I've never taught English before...and certainly not to Nepali and Tibetan monks. I know I'll manage and it will work out...but having not had any direct responsibility to others for a while contributes to the apprehension a bit, I think.
Hung out with James and Claire (Welsh) today and ran into Jenny (Canadian) again - so perhaps I haven't lost everyone as I had thought. I'm really wiped out at this point and ready for a day of not walking. Today the valley passed between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I - both over 8000m. Which means that the valley we're in was 5.5km (3.5mi) deep...supposedly the deepest valley in the world.
We saw a goat get killed & gutted today while eating lunch. Gross...but interesting.
Day 14 (11.12.07) - Tatopani (1200m) - Beers and Hot Springs There's nothing quite like sitting in a hot spring ("Tatopani" means "hot water") amongst friends with a cold beer in hand after 2 long weeks of walking. I got into town at 3pm and headed straight for the springs where I found Misael and Annie. We had a couple of
beers and stayed in the springs until the stars came out. I'm totally wiped out at this point and it's exactly what I needed.
Tried charging the iPod again and succeeded this time. Finally after nearly 2 weeks I can have something else rattling around in my head other than "Paul Revere". Yes...it's been in my head ever since I mentioned it 12 days ago. I like the song...but it's driving me insane by this point.
The hot springs here have been turned into a business. There are two rectangular pools (10mx10m or so) that one can pay Rs20 to hang out in. There's a hut selling beer and food as well. I really don't want to know the bacterial levels of the water. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Day 15 (11.13.07) - Tatopani - Yup...Again Perfect day. Woke up late. Ate and headed to the hot springs with a wad of cash and a book. Misael and Annie took off this morning and I spent the next 8 hours at the springs reading and generally chilling out. It actually rained for a couple of hours today, but considering I was in a hot tub...I didn't much mind.
Hanging Out To Dry
Shirt - check
Shorts - check
Goat Carcass - check... When it wasn't raining, the combo of the lower altitude, the sun, and the hot spring made for a rather warm day during which there were times I actually sought out the shade. I also would occasionally make a quick run to the river for a dip in the "refreshing" glacial run-off water.
It was great to have a day off, but I'm not sure it's actually put me back in the mood to walk again. I think I'm pretty much ready to get to Pokhara...but not enough to give up yet (if I wanted, I could catch a bus tomorrow). I really want to do Poon Hill for sunset tomorrow and sunrise the next morning. Civilization will come soon...
Day 16 (11.14.07) - Ghorepani (2850m) - A Fuhhkin 'ill Being pleased with minimal climbing the last few days I wasn't thrilled about going up again. But today involved going up 1650m to Ghorepani and then I continued up another 350m to
Poon Hill (3200m) for sunset. It's amazing what a day off in a hot spring will do for tired legs. Despite a long day of constant uphill, I feel amazingly good. I even spent some
Shorty Selling Oranges
Well...mom was selling the oranges (suntalas)..but the kid was cuter. time playing volleyball at the school with the locals.
We've re-entered an area that feels more like the rural Nepal I'm familiar with. Rice paddys, people working around their houses, etc. And as the trend has been the last few days, the high mountain views are fewer and further between...except from Poon Hill.
Right...Poon Hill...described by Tim and Kerri (in a Nottingham accent),
"That Poon 'ill...that is a fuhhkin 'ill...a fuhhkin 'ill" They're right...it is a fuhhkin 'ill...but well worth the effort. There were only 5 or so of us up there for sunset...supposedly there will be more in the morning for sunrise. From here one has a 360 view...ranging from
Dhaulagiri (8167m) to the far west all the way back to
Manaslu in the far east. In between were
Annapurna I (8091m),
Barah Shikhar (7647m),
Machhapuchhre,
Annapurna South,
Hiunchuli,
Annapurna IV, and
Lamjung Himal. Pretty cool views.
At one point today I was talking to a guide of one of the larger groups...and we walked past some resting porters. One of the porters said something to the guide and he asked me "Did you have a fight with the Maoists?" Apparently the porter recognized me as
the stubborn American from 2 weeks ago. It's nice to make a lasting impression on people...
Day 17 (11.15.07) - The Early Bird Gets the Worm...Unless He Forgets His Tripod Up at 4:45 or so (being awoken by a Ricky Martin song playing loudly in one of the porter's rooms) I grabbed my camera and joined the gathering mass of head lamps heading up the hill. Unlike last night, there were 200 or so people that made the sunrise journey. I thought I had enough clothes on...but once I reached the top and stood still for 90 minutes...I was freezing. At one point my bare "camera hand" ceased to function. I also had managed to forget my tripod...which would have been handy considering the darkness of the scenery for the first 45 minutes. Oops. In any case, it was a fun morning of beautiful views and cheery attitudes of trekkers who were close to completing the journey.
After the sunrise adventure it was a knee-pounding down, down, down until we reached Nayapul and the bus for Pokhara. But before my final Annapurna steps we were lucky enough to get to pass 2 more Maoist checkpoints. Thankfully all they
were doing was checking our receipts...but it was annoying to be reminded about those misguided YCL punks.
Santa had originally claimed that we couldn't make it out today...but I insisted that we could & we did indeed...by 3pm, no less. I hopped onto the bus and collapsed into the seat for the 2 hour ride to Pokhara.
Pokhara - Chillin' Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal. It's set next to a lake with views of several beautiful Himalayan peaks to the north. Upon arrival and checking my emails I learned that my start date at the monastery was pushed back a week...and since I finished the trek 4-5 days faster than expected I decided to stay in Pokhara for a while.
After 8 days of doing absolutely nothing but reading and hanging out with fellow trekkers I was ready to make the move back to Kathmandu and get on with the plans there.
Actually...there were two things I did in Pokhara. One day I rented a mountain bike and rode up to the
World Peace Stupa. From here I had a view of the lake with the mountains in the background
for sunset. Quite nice. But since I stayed for sunset...I was riding home in the dark. During the journey a speed bump came out of nowhere and the next thing I knew I was bent over my handlebars and on my way down to the pavement. I skidded to a stop on my right side and frantically tried to get out of the middle of the road while the local kids just laughed. Naturally they didn't have any concern for me because Nepalis don't have any concept of pain or injury. It's humorous to me that the only two times I've hurt myself while traveling have been the two times I've rented bicycles - one of the activities I am most proficient at. The other Pokhara activity was to rent a motorcycle and head up to another lookout with Misael and Annie. I spent all afternoon there and stayed for another beautiful sunset.
Come to think of it...there was a third thing I did in Pokhara. Eat. I ate meat at every meal...seriously. Steaks. Pizzas. Ham. Enchiladas (surprisingly not bad). And I had desserts...warm apple crumble with ice cream. The food in Pokhara was soooo good...and soooo needed after
Warming Up In The Sun
Dhualagiri in the background the monotony of the menus on the trek.
...and a fourth thing. I decided to bring steel to my face for the first time since March. The guy said a shave would be Rs50 (too much but I didn't feel like arguing over reducing the price by $0.25). My "shave" lasted over an hour, involved a shave/haircut/face massage/head massage/arm massage/back massage/hand massage/and an attempted leg massage. I say "attempted" because I had already told him I needed to leave while he was still working on my hands and then started working on my legs before I made him stop. Somewhere after the face massage I realized he was just tacking charges on...but it's hard to tell someone to stop massaging, yes? He picked up a pad of paper and scribbled a bit then showed me "Rs1550" as the total. It was so ridiculous that I just laughed at him. I had already decided that it had been worth about Rs300-500, so I gave him 400 and left. So...beware of the Nepali barbers...
Unfortunately, the 16 days spent hiking never brought me to an encounter with the famed Yeti...so I'll have to head to Scotland to look for the
Loch Ness Monster...or to the Redwoods to look for Bigfoot.
But despite this failure...I made it through the trek and am pretty certain I'll never experience anything quite like it again in my life. If you can swing getting 3-4 weeks off from work...I'd highly suggest you consider going
Around Annapurna.
Cheers,
Sir Edmund Hillary Jr.
PS - Later I learned that 3 people have died on Thurong La this year. One tourist and two Nepalis. All from altitude related issues. So...pay attention to what your body is telling you at high altitude. OK?
PS2 - There was one point along the trek where I all of a sudden realized that not only had I not showered, but I hadn't even washed my face for 3 days...but it hadn't even crossed my mind. Is that good or bad?
PS3 - Speaking of dirty...Santa wore the same clothes...the whole time. It made for a small bag (gloves, snow pants, sweater, hat)...but yikes.
PS4 - Several of the towns along the trek had "safe water stations" where you could buy clean water. Each one required signing a log of how much we'd buy. I decided to
View From Sarangkot
On the side of the lake closer to the mountains. sign as different people each time...Bono, Jesse James, Barack Obama (that's for you Wick), Elvis, The Edge, and several others. I really didn't expect anyone to notice - it was primarily for my own entertainment. But at one point a guy had asked Tim (from Tim&Kerri) if he was Bono. Odd on several levels...
"...Mike D grabbed the money, MCA snatched the gold, I grabbed two girlies and a beer that's cold."
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Yathi
non-member comment
Gorgeous!!!
Amazing stuff Marc. Love the Post sunset and the pres unrise shots. And ofcourse the panorama! Keep goin!