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My 40th blog entry from my 14th country!
My month in Nepal is reaching an end and this is the first chance I've had to write a proper blog. I have managed to cram quite a lot into such a short period of time, though not as much as I wanted to (sorry guys, no Everest pics). Coming from Phuket, Kathmandu was a culture shock. Yes, even after living in a third world country, there are still places in the world that can surprise me. I will get to that, but I think I should begin with what was my favorite experience here, and an impressive accomplishment in general: my Annapurna Base Camp trek.
Nepal is a trekkers' heaven, with dozens of routes to pick from, and 8 of the world's top 10 tallest mountains to see. My trekking buddy and I decided the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) route sounded reasonably priced and physically manageable. This trek is known as a "tea-house trek" because there are little guest houses in every village with accommodation and food options. So besides a sleeping bag and some warm and waterproof clothes, not much was required to do this trek.
After obtaining all the proper trekking permits, we caught the tourist bus from Kathmandu to the beautiful lakeside town of Pokhara, a 200km drive that takes 8 hours on twisty mountain roads. After one night's rest we started fresh in nearby Fedi, the main starting point for the trek. The next 8 days would prove to be challenging, painful, cold, and wonderful. I will try to keep this short by providing the highlights (and low points) as well as some incredible photos.
Day 1- Fedi (1130m) -> Dhampus (1650 m) -> Pothana (1890m) -> Pitam Deurali (2100 m) -> Bheri Kharka (~1900m)
Steep start, walking up stone stairs. Passed through farming fields, lots of "Namaste"s from the locals. Met some aggressive cows along the way, had to stop short of Tolka thanks to a little hail storm.
Day 2- Bheri Kharka -> Tolka (1700 m) -> Landruk (1560 m) -> New Bridge (1340 m) -> Jhinu (1780 m)
Woke up with a sore throat, always the first sign of a cold. More stone stairs, more villages. Passed lots of buffalo, who proved friendlier than the cows. Some nice suspension bridges and waterfalls, too. Lost my trekking
buddy in New Bridge to back pain, decided to carry on solo. Plenty of nice people along the trek and at the tea houses to chat with.
Day 3- Jhinu -> Chhomrong (2170 m) -> Sinuwa (2340 m) -> peak (2500 m) -> Bamboo (2310 m)
Up and down all day long to cross valleys and peaks. Cold getting worse, bought some vapor rub and toughed it out. First sighting of Machhapuchhre, commonly known as Fishtail (see picture). The views kept getting better with altitude. Temperature dropped quickly after an afternoon rain, reminding me that it was only going to get colder too!
Day 4- Bamboo -> Dobhan (2600 m) -> Himalaya (2920 m) -> Deurali (3230 m) -> Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3700 m)
Moving from stone paths to natural forest floor, stream crossings, and loads of ferns. Surprisingly easy trekking for the huge climb in altitude. Trees becoming very shrub-like, air getting noticeably thinner. Caught in another sleet strom just before MBC, made it to shelter and put on all my layers- so cold! Enjoyed hot chocolate and card games with other trekkers.
Day 5- MBC -> Annapurna Base Camp (4130 m) -> MBC
-> Deurali (3230 m)
Up before the sun to catch it rise over the Himalayas. Walking between the giants, in awe that mountains could possibly be so big. Made it to ABC just in time for the clouds to break and the sun to glare blindingly off the peaks. Had breakfast and a "top of the world" photo shoot with new friends. After a few hours I headed back down, no intention of sleeping in freezing temperatures. Knee hurting on the down, not a good sign.
Day 6- Deurali -> Himalaya -> Dobhan -> Bamboo -> Sinuwa (2340 m)
Cold finally clearing and knee feeling better than yesterday. Walked through a pika den in the forest, if you don't know what they are Google it. Stopped before the rain and relaxed for the evening.
Day 7- Sinuwa -> Chhromrong (2170 m) -> Kimrong (1800 m) -> Komrong (2250 m)
Another up and down day, which meant incredible amounts of knee pain. Bought myself a brace, but it didn't help much. Rough day, got lost, didn't make it as far as intended. More rain, but at least it was warmer at the lower altitude.
Day 8- Komrong -> Ghandruk -> Sayuli Bazar -> Birethanti -> Nayapul
The final haul. Went an alternate route for flatter trails and shorter travel time (aka less knee pain). Slow going but I made it all the way and caught a bus back to Pokhara. Success!!
I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking. More to come soon; get ready for lots of exciting stories from Europe!
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Virginia
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Awesome
Your trek looks glorious. Wouldn't have been as marvelous without all the struggles. I love you!