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Published: October 14th 2014
Current mood: in need of a massage xx
Panoramic images above include Pokhara Lake, and three views from the top at Annapurna Base Camp. Waking for the Red eye Boat on Koh tao was a new experience to me. Usually I would leave on a night boat to drag out my stay to the bitter end, but we had upgraded from the title of Scabby Backpackers to that of ‘FLASHPACKERS’ and had booked a 2000bht flight instead of a 1800bht bus from Surrat Thani to Kuala Lumpur.
Coming down the steps from our home of two months had seemed easier than I thought and to further our ease MR ANTAL Canadian Born and Raised was waiting for us in the Selang (bike with metal cage attached to its side with wheels) Was great working with you lad! In we jumped and off we rode at an amazing 3 km per hour. Avoiding every single bump as Mr Antal would do we made it safely to the pier. Cheers bud.
Five Minutes of waiting had us on the boat and underway to our flight on the main land. Check in went smooth, flight was fine, shuttle bus to
china town easy and room was like a prison hahaha. The hotel itself was great actually but much like Koh San Rd the rooms have no windows so you never know what time of day or night it is.
For four nights or so we explored KL spending it between Roti houses and Malls. We got to see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie but mostly we spent our time waiting out our flight to Nepal.
Kuala Lumpur’s budget terminal, is in my opinion better than London airport. Heaps of shopping and restaurants and really well organised. By the time we had spent 3 hours in the place and had boarded our flight it felt like ten minutes had passed. Nepal here we come.
Landing in Kathmandu, we wasn’t really sure what to expect. We had a Tarmac exit to which we were greeted by a shuttle bus that was full. Luckily it only drove 20m and the rest were made to follow its tracks. Oh how it’s funny to learn a countries quirks. Getting through customs was easy and the visa on arrival sound. 40 minutes to get to our bags was all it took
and before we knew it we were on route in a tiny taxi to our new place for the evening. The Blue Horizon Hotel. At a glance this place was quite nice but being right on the outskirts of an area called Thamel you soon learn to realise that unless you are paying a lot of money nothing is that flash. We agreed to a little double room for around 1500npr ($15US) but on closer inspection that night we realised that the beds were mouldy and damp coupled with no fan to air the place out and aircon (as this is a deluxe room sir) didn’t work. No worries though it was time to explore and get prepped for our trek.
We planned to head up the mountain in a few days so we had to get our supplies. The Lanes of Thamel are Crazy. Cars, Bikes, rickshaws and people Jostle for space through constant Horn beeping and hock spitting. Every third shop sells camping/hiking gear, Wooden Carvings or Paintings. At first all of the colours stand out but after the fourth or fifth time you get hit by a car it all soon blends together. Shopping was a
Success though and we stocked up on new hiking gear, a Steripen Classic which is this device that sterilises your water (absolutely amazing) Fleeces, sleeping bags, head torches and umbrellas. After a few hours spent at the trekking tourist centre we had our Tims cards and trek permits so we were now set. Tomorrow we would get out of Thamel to the peace and quiet of Pokhara. We plan to explore Kathmandu after our trekking is done.
Waking at 6.30am we had a little walk to our Bus. All of the Busses go from the same spot all parked up on the side of a street just to the right of the Garden of Dreams. No real number s posted on them so ask about and you will end up on something for sure. At 7am sharp our bus was underway to Pokhara. It takes around 8 hours along a rice paddie winding road, through small towns and villages and eventually following a riving almost right into Pokhara itself. We were to stay at Lakeside and after having a little hunt around we followed a guy to a place called Angel Hotel just up a side alley opposite the
royal palace walls. For 700npr we landed a great room. Kingsize bed, hot shower, fan and loads of Natural light. I was ready for my first real Beer in Nepal. A NEPAL ICE! I sat down in the main courtyard having a yarn with the owner and instantly began to feel a little bit drunk. I snapped my eyes to the bottle to find that this large beer was 7.5%. Jesus…. Get me another quick. 200npr I think but most bars charge 350 to 400 depending on Taxes and service charges (totalling 23%)
After two nights in Pokhara exploring the Lake and its sights we were ready to head up the hill. We arranged for a pick up from our gaff to take us to the bus for 6.30 am. This would get us on the trail for around 8am. Up we got and snatched a quick shower as Jesper had told us there wouldn’t be any on route, bailed into the taxi and jumped the Bus to the starting point. It was on this route that we would see most of a views for the next 5 days or so. We wasn’t so lucky with the weather.
Day 01: The drive to Nayapul from Pokhara takes around 1.5 hours and our planned trek time to Thikedunga would take us 4 hours. Arriving at a destination that instantly left us lost we hopped off the bus questioning why we hadn’t taken a guide. The road had snaked its way through the scenic country side and then literally left us on its side with no idea of where to go. There were two little stalls on the road at the foot of a steep slope, so we decided to have a couple of Masala teas and get onto the map that we had bought. Before whipping it out a little lady inside the venue asked us if we were trekking and pointed between the two buildings. For some reason I was expecting this great big entrance. At the confluence of Modi river and Burungdi river is where we would find the trail and from here the walk begins weaving through little villages and fields. The first part of this walk had us walking through beautiful valleys then the climb began and after leaving the road (where everybody seemed to be driving up) we would hit a smaller trail towards
Thikedunga. Around ten minutes before pulling into our destination we stopped for a toilet break at a village called Hille. Who cares for the extra ten minute walk. For 300npr we could stay here the night fully equipped with a hot shower and Dal Baht. This section in total took 4 hours. We had finished walking by around 12.30pm so we spent the afternoon reading, stretching, drinking yak milk tea and chatting with other trekkers. At a reasonable 8pm I was ready for bed so off we went to sleep away the darker hours.
Day 02: Waking early (around 6am) we got out of bed ordered a tea and quickly stuffed our sleeping bags back into their pouches. There was a good reason for stopping when we did the previous day and we knew we were in for a hard slog today. The plan was to walk from Hille all the way up to Ghorepani at 2800m (the upper part actually. Ghorepani is the mountain pass overlooking at the deep KaliGandaki valley wedged between two eight thousand meter peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna). What lay ahead was a six hour trek that was to wind through really hilly terrain
and to assist us on this hill we would get to use the flight of steps that consists of around 3000. This isn’t any normal staircase though. There is no building regulation here. These steps have been laid by Sherpas and the like to help them move stock from one village to the next. They come in different sizes and looking for the smallest steps is about all you concentrated on for the next 2-3 hours.
Lets say we smashed it hahaha. The walk from Hille to Ulleri village is where these steps lie and on route, we were to meet many trekkers all in the fight to the top. At Ulleri, where these steps we supposed to finish we had another tea and a monster plate of MOMO’s. These are steamed stuffed dumplings that really know how to do the job. Belly full we had a stretch which turned out to be a new routine (Cyn, I touched my toes once) and from there the trickery began. For another four hours we climbed. The guides say Undulating, but this was definitely all up. From stone steps in the Valley however the scenery changes to Forest paths which actually
are really stunning. Marching on we eventually spotted a village on the ridge that would be our home for the night. Sunny View guesthouse that holds its own basketball court, dorm style rooms and lucky for us the Edmond Hillary room. A separate little private room with ensuite and front door porch.
The guesthouse has a really good selling technique. Not only do they charge 300npr for a private room with own bathroom but when you arrive at reception after such a grueling walk on the counter they leave a uncut, steaming fresh Apple pie for all to see. There is no way you are not going to stay here. She even slides the key across the counter into your hands right past the enormous treat (just on the off chance you never noticed). Showered, Dal Bahted up, warmed up by the fire and treated with Apple Pie and Custard I was ready to sleep. And man did i!!
Day 3: So the Reason for walking to Ghorepani and not heading on a more direct route to Annapurna Base camp is to take in the views that are quoted to be the best in the entire Annapurna region.
From Poon hill at 3200m you can see up to 15 peaks from this vantage point and at sunrise this is supposed to be a highlight. When we arrived in Ghorepani we were told that the weather may clear enough for us to see this. Unfortunately as we had come up at the end of Monsoon season we missed out on peaks such as Dhaulagiri I (8,167m / 7th highest), Annapurna I (8,091m / 10th highest) and Manaslu (8,156 m / 8th highest). Instead of waking at 430am and heading up to the lookout we stayed in our beds until nearly 7am. No view, no point. After an amazing Breakfast of fried potatoes and Gurung Bread washed down with a masala we got on our way to our next stop in Tadapani at a guesthouse called Grandview. (I hope this is true).
The walk its self is really nice. Apparently in clear weather you can see peak after peak but as we had rain and fog we just enjoyed the immediate trail. It was to weave through Rhododendron forest peaking at 3200m, before a little descent and then another ascent and then another descent all of around 400m. This
walk took around 6 hours in total but even though there was rain and a few leaches we had a great time. After one of the last ascents you begin to come down slowly following this beautiful stretch of river with waterfall after waterfall. It’s just a shame that the water is too cold to have a swim. No way hoooooozay.
Arriving in Tadapani was to be the same as in Ghorepani with no views. It was warm though and once again a hot shower was available so I dived right in, ordered my Dal Baht and got to stretching and relaxing for the evening. The little communal areas that you find at all of these venues are really nice. You get a good chance to meet all of the fellow travellers and discuss plans for the following stretches of track. You also get to dry out your socks on the big hot drums inside. Now Warm and cosy it was time for bed.
Day 4: Feeling a little stiff after yesterday’s ups and downs it was time to get going again. The normal routine of packing up and breakfast were over and before you get too cold
it’s a good idea to get moving. We didn’t really have a plan of where we would walk to but Chhomrong at a minimum would be a goal.( Chhomrong is a large Gurung village at the corridor of Annapurna Sanctuary. The village offers the up-close view of Annapurna South (7,219 m), Fishtail (6,993 m). Chhomrong is based at 2100m so the sad thing for today was that we would loose all of the altitude we had made the day before. At these heights there is no need to worry about altitude sickness and losing nearly 1000m was never going to be fun.
Trek to Chhomrong was to take 5 hours. In clear weather Tadapani has got the beautiful view of Annapurna south and Fishtail mountain. From here we will climb down steeply about 900 m to the valley basin at Ghurjung river. This was a real muddy experience and at one point I had the best stack ever and fell straight through my brolly which left it and me in pieces. After we would Climb gradually along the mountain side to Chhomrong perched high up on the mountain ridge. When we spotted it from the fields below we thought
we had heaps of energy left and after a spot of lunch with our new friends David, Georgina and D.B their guide, we decided to try and make it to the next settlement in Sinuwa. So down we go out of town, towards Chhomrong, Khola river where we would be hit with big rain and a flight of steps that would really put us to the test at that time of the day. Another 2 hour walk up to around 2800m. Luckily for us there were rooms, or the next spot was a further two hours down the track. Soaked through to our underpants we got dry, fed our bellies and watched in amazement as the clouds began to clear. About bloody time I say. This was our second view of the trip and in all of its glory; Fishtail reminded us why we were here.
Day 5: So sitting in Sinuwa the night before we had made a plan. We wanted nice relaxing days from here on out firstly to start enjoying the views and second to make sure Casey didn’t get sick again through altitude. She had already twisted her ankle and hurt her knee. The plan
was to make a slow and steady trip up as far as Deurali. This actually turned out to be a real tough day for the both of us.
Off we went at an outstanding pace, flying through the leg of Bamboo and its Forest , stopping for a cuppa in Dovan and smashing through to Himalaya in around 3 and a half hours. We stopped for some mo-mo’s and as we had finished eating David and Georgina had caught up. D.B their guide asked us on arrival to Deureli would we spot the guys a room so they don’t book out. The problem with walking alone, especially in busy season is that the guides generally start calling ahead to capture rooms for the guests. D.B was out of battery. We had to be smart and walking early was working out quite well. Off we painfully walked after fully ceasing up at momo time. Why didn’t I stretch?
The beginning of this walk was pretty much the same but above Dovan which was two hours prior to where we were now is the region that feeling the effects of altitude begin to surface. I was puffed. The sparsely vegetated
rocky terrain and a steep climb can really kick your ass. I was barely coping when I heard Casey call out behind me that she had hurt her knee. This time she was in pain. So Taking her Bag past Hinku Cave and down another steep slope broken by ice fall and creeks, we could eventually see our lodge (3200m). 20 minutes of dragging her leg behind her, Casey and I made it to the top and fell into our beds. When the guys arrived we ate, played cards and slept. I promise to take it easier tomorrow.
Day 6: There was no way we could have a hard day today. Casey was too sore and I was knackered. Luckily for us in two hours we would be at MBC (fishtail base camp 3700m). We had learned the night before that this area is avalanche prone so on advice of guides on route the trail could change. The general rule is to walk early, before the sun warms any of the cliff faces, so that was what we did.
Instantly as we set off you could see the snow-capped peaks. Fishtail being the most visible we walked along
the river looking up as much as we could. Looking behind us now and again also we noticed that how open the Valley was becoming and with the light splitting through the opposite hills you were able to see stunning views of this sun kissed terrain. An hour or so in to the trek, you could really feel the thinning oxygen in your lungs. Luckily an hour after this we had made it, before 9am, and was able to see Annapurna south and Fishtail in all of its glory.
For the remainder of the day we watched people heading straight through to ABC in hope of morning views. The general rule is that it is clear in the morning but then as the mountain produce its own weather clouds begin to form and all views are lost until night time. We sat in the clouds, reading and drinking tea, chatting with new friends and waiting for the morning hike. As the night drew in, the clouds cleared once more and we all got to see an hour of snowy mountains.
Day 7: Our last day of real climbing was set and we would be heading up to see
what this Annapurna mountain is all about. At around 7am we began to walk where most guests head up at 4am to get the sunrise. We had planned to catch it the following morning and take another days rest at Annapurna Base camp. Once again we had only around two hours of walking so of we went following the trail that leads you up to the snow fields and Glaciers. Arriving at Basecamp however the views were minimal. ( I did manage to get a picture at the welcome sign with my
www.Oceansounddiveandyoga.com t-shirt on). Minutes into being up there we caught up with David and Georgina and in that instant we got to witness an avalanche. This was F@#king awesome. Other than this Fishtail was proving to be everybody’s favourite and Annapurna the most elusive. Luckily we had a few days up our sleeve so we could wait in hope of views to come. That Morning nobody really got any daylight views. For the rest of the day we pulled every warm item of clothing from our bags and drank endless amounts of tea to stay warm. It has been a while since I felt this cold. We explored
the memorials to lost climbers including that of Anatoli Beukreev, a mad Russian who had climbed nearly all of the 8000m peaks. Unfortunately, Annapurna got the better of him. After more tea and some well earned Chips we decided to hit the hay for an early wake up of 4.30am to see the mountain and stars.
Day 8: This was it. This was the time where we realised why we had lugged 20kg of gear with us for 8 days up to 4200m. A little Later than planned, at around 4.45am we climbed out of our beds already dressed from the night before to walk up to the glacial ridge. It is here where you can hear all of the early morning cracks and bangs of ice tumbling down the mountain and being pushed through the glaciers. The sun began to rise and the views came out. We were surrounded by 360 degree views that left you not knowing where to look. Ill let the pictures tell the tail though they wont really do much for it. After a few hours of taking it all in we decided to get breaky and then begin our decsent towards our
Favourite town of Sinuwa. This was to be a bloody long day. 8 Hours of walking we wobbled in, Momma of the lodge made us up a room and we just sat, thoroughly exhausted and hurting from our tedious walk down.
Day 9: After a great night’s sleep we woke up sore but ready for what we had planned to be another 7 hour walk to a town called tolka. We had already descended 2000m at this point so our knees were shot. Casey had hers all bandaged up but mine were twinging all the way. Two hours away we would come through Chhomrong again but this time to be greeted by great weather. We had also already promised ourselves a stop at Sueshilas or sugar Momma as she is known. Just to the top of chhomrongs hill on the right hand side you will find her. Momma sells the best Chocolate cake I have ever eaten. She also knocks up a mean Burrito. On arriving pretty stuffed from another 700 steps I walked into the venue to look for her. I was greeted by an Ozzy Lass, Shari and a kiwi fella Sean, who instantly (in a real
ozzy twang said to me) ‘You should get the bladdy BURIDOES MATE’ hahaha. We were sitting outside and as they were about to leave we got into a bit of a chat with them. Turns out Casey and I were well known on the mountain and these two were our Doppelgangers. They had been speaking with others on the trek who after talking of their plans were told that they must meet Niki and Casey. Apparently we were so nice, and whoever this was thought we would all get along. This didn’t happen on one occasion but many. Before even introducing ourselves Shari said ‘ Wait a Bladdy minute! Are you two Niki and Bladdy Casey mate?’ I was chuffed. From this point on we would hang out together for a good few days.
To Begin with our plans changed. Instead of walking to Tolke we only walked another hour to a place called Jhinu. This is a stunning setting and 15 minutes down from our accommodation we got a chance to sooth the muscles in carved out hotsprings. This was me done for the day. From here all I needed was 6 beers two plates of chips and
a lasagne. I am done. The plan for tomorrow was to walk 4 hours, jump a cab from a settlement down track all the way to Pokhara get showered and sit at lakeside with a few more beers followed by filling my belly at Punjab restaurant. And that we did. All in all the trek was amazing but on the way down all you can think of is getting out of there. I recommend calling in at the hot springs and definitely do the cab option for your last days. You may as well. There is so much more of Nepal to explore.
After a few days in Pokhara we need to get back to Thamel to get our Indian visas sorted. So after a great little bus journey and I night of sleep we will get to the tedious task of visa applications.
Until next time guys!
Next up Kathmandu and india. Were are now Current on the blogs. Thank goodness xxx
Niki
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
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I was booked for an Annapurna trek years back...had to cancel due to my wife's pregnancy with our first child...never got there. Ah to be so lucky as you.