Blogs from Annapurna, Nepal, Asia - page 14

Rise and shine in the dark - it's 0350. Pack up last few items; having slept in my clothes there's not too much to stuff in. Apparel du jour - long johns, 2 x socks, trek pants, wool singlet, wool long sleeve thermal, wool 360 degree Kathmandu top, down jacket, fleece hat, scarf, gloves, headlamp (all matching- gotta think of the photos!). Nervous but excited, choke down some breaky and off we go. It is so exciting heading up the hill in the dark, the headlight beams criss cross the path ahead and behind me. I am concentrating on the boots in front of me illuminated by torchlight. The wind is up and it is really cold (but exciting). Trudging forward we stop intermittently for everyone to catch up, the sky changes and that pre-dawn colour ... read more

Desayuno a las 8am, ya me sentía mucho mejor. Caminamos un rato por el pueblo y fuimos a un monasterio budista en donde pudimos presenciar parte de una ceremonia que hacen cuando alguien muere, fue muy bonita, estaban sólo los monjes y el señor que había solicitado la ceremonia y nos invitaron a sentarnos dentro del lugar donde hacían la ceremonia (en donde oran y tienen el altar) y hasta nos dieron té tibetano (té + leche + sal + mantequilla), un poquito difícil de tragar aunque el sabor no era del todo desagradable. A medio día agarramos un minibús a Ghasa, nos tocaron los asientos del final y como la vía es una precaria carretera de tierra nos pasamos las 3 horas que duró el viaje brincando todo, corrijo: TODO, el tiempo, que si no ... read more

The route this morning is ascending up through the fields behind Maya to join the limestone walled track leading down from Tare Gomba, this will then take us back onto the Circuit towards Yak Kharka (4020m). The fields are stony and barren and it's a reasonable climb. We spot a large trekking group a distance ahead of us. We also spot several groups of blue sheep, something has spooked them and they are running en mass across the landscape (I was kind of hoping a leopard might be in pursuit- no such luck for me, good luck for the sheep!). We walk steadily upward for 2 1/2 hours through dusty track and low scrub- the colour is not dissimilar to the bush and northern countryside of Perth during summer (ie- parched and scraggy). We catch up ... read more

“I had seen those astonishing snow peaks to the north; to close that distance, to go step by step across the greatest range on Earth...was a true pilgrimage, a journey of the heart.” When speaking with my parents some months ago over Skype, informing them of my intentions to undertake the challenge of hiking over 100km around the Annapurna Circuit, ascending to heights of over 5000m in altitude (and higher than the famous base camp at Everest), I was aware of two things: firstly that my mother would suffer cardiac arrest if she thought I would be doing this alone (my original intention); and secondly, that my father would undoubtedly want to join me on the journey. I allowed my proclamations to settle with them for a few days before receiving a ... read more

El día empezó temprano con lo que se supone era un pequeño paseo a la cima de una colina que está frente a Kagbeni desde donde se podía apreciar una vista de 360 grados de los alrededores (el masivo tibetano, las grandes montañas nevadas de donde veníamos, Kagbeni, etc); fuimos solo Martin, Chris y yo, los demás no se quisieron despertar antes de las 7am para hacer el paseíto (no era recomendable ir más tarde porque alrededor de las 11am llega un viento fenomenal a la colina que hace difícil y un poco peligroso el descenso). Al cruzar el río que pasa por Kagbeni vimos una multitud de hindúes bañándose y afeitándose la cabeza en el río (es un ritual que practican los hombres hindúes en algunas festividades o como señal de luto cuando muere un ... read more