Ghorepani-Ghandruk Loop: In the midst of the Annapurnas

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Birethanti (1050m)-Tikhedhungga (1540m)

We are going trekking today!!! Had a great sleep last night with only a slightly weird dream. Everyone has been having some crazy dreams over the last couple of days. We are all slightly suspicious there might be MSG in the food. The girls bags looked bigger than I had anticipated when we walked down the road to get a taxi to the Baghlung Bus Station for the journey to Nayapul. We were all jammed in the back of the bus on busted seats, the girls with their bags on their laps. The girls nausea from the night before continued once we hit the winding bumpy roads.

Nayapul ended up just being a row of sheds selling food on the side of the road. I kind of expected a town centre at least. Instead we jumped off and followed the directions down to the river and across to Birethanti. We registered our passes at two checkpoints: at least my parents will be notified if we get lost. The tea houses in Birethanti looked pretty basic and there didn't look like too many people around, perfect for finding a place to stay.

Straight away I could see the girls were in trouble. They were really struggling with their heavy packs and couldn't keep up with the slow-medium pace up the general terrain. They both knew it as well, you could see it on their faces. I carried Lisa's bag for 30 minutes after a break: it's a great pack and its hugs your body really well, but it was kinda heavy.

The first hour was a basic rocky trail beside the Bhurungdi river. Then it became subtropical with rice paddies to the left of us and the heat being turned up a notch. We stopped for a cold drink and the girls weren't too happy and I was getting grumpy as well. I should have been more supportive, I was just disappointed that with 9 months prep they still brought too much on the trek. The rain started falling heavily and it dampened the girls spirits even more. They were now talking about getting a porter for the remainder of the trek: it would make everyone happier so I thought it was a good idea. It did mean that we wouldn't be totally independent but as long as it helped the girls it would be ok. I like doing stuff on your own: getting both freedom and a sense of achievement at the end of the day.

The girls toughened it out in the afternoon and I always seemed to be saying "only one more hour." Tikhedhungga ended up being only 20 minutes after Hile. The first tea house we checked out looked perfect: 100 rupees for the room and we just had to eat dinner and breakfast there. The owner of the guest house was really nice and sorted a porter out for the girls by volunteering her own son for the job!! A little bit of pocket money for him before he goes back to university. He seemed like a nice guy so am sure the next 5 days will be fun. Tomorrow we had 3280 steps straight off the bat and nearly a 1500m climb in altitude. Excited...you bet.


Tikhedhungga (1540m)-Ghorepani (2874m)

Glorious sunshine was streaming down the valley when I opened our blue doors of our guesthouse bedroom. The green rice paddies were gleaming and smoke was pouring out of the houses up the hillside. The girls were visibly happier than yesterday with the porter situation. They still had to carry a few things in their bags but it would be 3 times lighter than yesterday. After we crossed the bridge at the lower end of Tikhedhungga the stairs started almost instantly. There were 3280 stairs between here and Ulleri and I thought it was a perfect place to test my fitness after a month of leisure in Scotland. It was a tough climb and after stopping once to have a drink and see a snow capped peak through a window of green hills I kept the pace up. Two guys even offered me marijuana all the way up here!! Unbelievable. Pauly and I were getting drugs offered to us left, right and centre in Kathmandu but I didn't expect it up in the hills. I couldn't think of anything worse for hiking up mountains then sucking back on a hefty joint.

I made it to Ulleri (2070m) in 46 minutes and waited in the heat for the other guys to come sweating up the stairs. The girls were coming up strong and despite Claire being sick halfway up to her credit she was powering on. We had a small break on the upper outskirts of town with Claire feeding a pony some much needed biscuits. The trail to the next town wasn't too bad, a few more steps but more of a gradual incline around the mountain. The girls were walking faster with the lighter packs and Sagr (the girls porter) was struggling with the 2 small packs he carried front and back. His sister, cousin and friend decided to accompany him for the walk to Ghorepani for some company.

After Banthanti (2300m) the landscape changed to a dense forest which is apparently filled with Rhododendrons when in bloom. It was hard to imagine that we were in Nepal: it could have easily been mistaken for Thailand. It was a relief when we reached Lower Ghorepani with everyone becoming slightly delirious with the heat. Pauly and I continued onto upper Ghorepani to find somewhere to stay whilst the girls waited for Sagr to catch up. For their effort they were surrounded by a hoard of children who were showing off their ninja skills.

In upper Ghorepani there was a bunch of older folk playing instruments and singing: apparently celebrating a wedding from earlier in the day. Green rolling hills were outside our window but the afternoon clouds obscured the view of the Dhaulagiri Range including Annapurna I and Annapurna South. Tomorrow morning we would wake up early for the hike up to Poon Hill where we should have an amazing view of the Himalayas. By 8:30pm we were all in bed, hoping for clear skies in the morning.


Ghorepani (2874m)-Poon Hill (3210m)-Tadapani (2590m)

Beep...Beep...Beep. 4:15am and time to get up for the walk up to Poon Hill. I pulled back the curtains hoping to see clear sky and was amazed with the view in front of me. A clear starry night with enormous snow capped mountains were looming over Ghorepani. Wow!! The night was so still as well and you could almost hear the snow being blown off the top of the peaks. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and it would only get better on top of Poon Hill. Head torches were flickering on the pavement outside as a long queue formed for the procession up to 3210m for hopefully an amazing morning. It was hard to keep your eyes on the path with the urge to look right and catch a glimpse of the mountains illuminated by the moon. Pauly and I were dodging trekking poles and overtaking the slower walkers all while the altitude was tightening our chests and making it harder to breathe. We made it up in 36 minutes and it was relatively peaceful with a few people up in the watch tower and the tea stand on the left starting to get busy. We found a seat on a bench next to a guy from London who was on Day 8 after Annapurna Base Camp. We were still thinking about doing an extra 4 days to get there but after he told us of the bad weather, the cold and the lack of accommodation we started to have mixed feelings.

The shadows of the mountains stretched as far as the eye could see from Left to Right. It couldn't have been any clearer. The sun started to change the colours on the horizon and soon the mountains began to show their true form. Snow on the top of the peaks were blowing a trail of snow into thin air. How many people were climbing these mountains at this point I wasn't sure. Our London friend started playing classical music on his portable music player...very loudly. It was amusing with the surrounding scenery but it only lasted 30 seconds before someone complained. The next hour involved a lot of camera work and taking it all in as the sun began to hit the top of the mountains. It was really crowded by the time we decided to return to Ghorepani, the walk back down was like the queue at Wimbledon: slow moving with little reward. Some hot tea and some eggs whilst looking out the window as the clouds rolled in over the peaks capped the morning off.

We still had a long day ahead of us to get to Tadapani after our morning trip up to Poon Hill with a gentle rise up to a ridge was the 1st hour of the hike. Claire was the chirpiest of everyone having fought off her sickness with Lisa and I now exhibiting some symptoms. After 90 minutes we reached the Deurali Pass and pushed on for Ban Thanti 90 minutes away. On my map it said that is was at 3180m which meant we would go down into the valley and then rise up 700m. No one liked the sound of this. Fortunately the map was wrong and we just descended down a beautiful valley filled with waterfalls and cliff faces (apparently some rare monkeys were in the area but we couldn't see any). Sagr who had charged ahead earlier met us here for a break.

The final two hours to Tadapani was very undulating and a steep descent was matched with a steep ascent just before the town. Claire took the lead for 15 minutes and for the first time we ended up taking the wrong path that was really narrow and muddy. We all had a good laugh, especially as Pauly fell in the mud after losing his footing. There was word that all the guest houses were full which frightened us slightly as the thought of trekking to the next town didn't sound like a good option. Lucky we had Sagr with us who knew a lot of people in the town and we soon had a room with 4 beds. The afternoon passed with lots of rain and drinking tea in the tower with a view of the misty valley making the time pass. Everyone was clock watching for dinnertime because we were all so tired and wanted to go to bed. Boy it was cold that night, and with my flu it was only going to get worse.


Tadapani (2590m)-Chhomrong (2170m)

My blocked nose kept me tossing in my sleep and I seemed to wake up every 30 minutes through a crazy dream. It got closer to 5:30am and someone came into our room with their head torch blazing: I thought it was one of the Finnish group but it turned out to be Claire, who said that it was amazing outside. That was all I needed to jump out of bed despite the cold. Again it was a clear starry night and this time we were so much closer to Annapurna South and Machhapuchre. They were really looming over us now. It was so hard to grasp that Annapurna South was 7200m, so much higher than any mountain in the South American Andes. It was even harder to grasp the height in the dark, but when the sun hit the top of the Annapurna South the details of the ridges on the face could be seen. Again, it was the same experience as Poon Hill: lots of picture taking and looking at the mountains from the balcony of our guest house with our mouth's open.

Breakfast was at 7am and by 8am we left Tadapani for Chhomrong. We were looking at 4-5 hrs but we all didn't realise how down and up it was going to be. The first hour going down was in rainforest surroundings with low lying ferns, moss on the trees and birds singing above our heads. We descended all the way to the river at 1800m then we had possibly the steepest climb up which was a real test for the calves and the lungs. At the top of the first big climb was a school with the children assembled in the courtyard. Along the way were lots of marijuana plants which were usually smelt before seen: quite odd right next to a school. An enormous landslide on the Chhomrong side had taken a large chunk of land and barely spared a house only 10m above. We continued around the mountain and arrived in Chhomrong around 4 1/2 hours from setting out.

Our bodies all slumped when we reached the first hostel in town. However we had 10 more minutes walk to get to Sagr's grandparents guest house that used to be run by his parents. We were welcomed with a lovely view and a double bed in the rooms. Sagr announced proudly that it was the 1997 Guest House of the year, and it still looked in good condition. Tired bodies slumped on the beds for a relaxed afternoon.

I think sometimes I take it for granted that I can visit places like Nepal. I know I work hard and save money but so do a lot of other people and its not really an option for them. The people here in Nepal are amazingly friendly and it would be nearly impossible to get lost here as there is always someone to point you in the right direction. Just sitting outside and looking at the giant mountains I feel very lucky to be here. And talking with other people and asking them "Is this your first time in Nepal" usually the answer is a "no". And you can see why its an irresistible place to return to: its cheap, hassle free, the locals are friendly and there are so many mountains to explore. I am definitely looking forward to coming back here in a few years time.

This was definitely the best guest house we have stayed in so far. The owners were so friendly and the food was great. Also there was a bunch of crazy Germans making everyone laugh so the atmosphere was great. Also I finally discovered the proper way to eat Dal Bhat: by pouring the soup over the rice. I always thought that it was a little dry. Tomorrow we were going to Ghandruk probably via the hot springs in the morning. It is disappointing being this close to Annapurna Base Camp and not having a crack but the views so far have been amazing and we hoped tomorrow morning would give us a better close up view of Annapurna South and Machhupachre.


Chhomrong (2170m)-Ghandruk (1940m)

On leaving Chhomrong with the big peaks of Annapurna South and Machhupachre right in front of us again it was hard to take that we weren't heading up the valley to ABC. My legs felt good, slightly sore in the calves but with regards to the steps we had taken over the last 4 days I felt in good shape. And with the buzz the Germans were exhibiting after reaching ABC it made it even harder. Groups of people were streaming past me down the steps and up into the valley: the stairway to heaven in the Himalayas. My emotions were swinging from one extreme to the other over the 5 days. I left here feeling privileged to have seen these magnificent peaks and experience the emotions that they conveyed, but I also left here with a tinge of regret for not making the extra journey up the valley. I swallowed my pride, put a smile on my face answered the question everyone asked with "we are going back down the valley."

The stairs down the mountain to Jhinudanda (1780m) were steep but everyone was in high spirits. When we arrived in town the sun had been beating down on us all the way down and the last thing we wanted to do was strip off and jump into some hot springs. Little did we know that by coming down to the hot springs the journey to Ghandruk was going to be a lot tougher. The hike along the river was bloody hot with the subtropical conditions. Everyone was walking at a reasonable pace and we all thought we would be sipping down some cold beer in Ghandruk in no time. Kumre was a small village town on the river before the final climb up to Ghandruk. The girls were getting used to the longer distances and having already walked 4 hrs today were ready for the final push up the hill. JUst before I negotiated the first step I turned to everyone and said "This is going to be epic." And epic it was.

The river was around 1200m and Ghandruk was on the top of the hill at 1920m. And the stairs went straight up. My heart was thumping, lungs were burning and I was sweating up a storm. I passed a school, gave a donation, guzzled down my remaining water and looked straight up at the ridge where Ghandruk was supposed to be. You couldn't even see a house, it was utterly demoralising. I just got into one of those moods where getting to the top was a massive challenge. 3 kids started following me and were trying to practice their English but I was so out of breath that I could barely respond. They were so quick as well and it was hard to leave them behind. 55 minutes from the onset I passed under an arch that marked the beginning of Ghandruk. I took a video straight away just to show how exhausted I was. My final words were "that was epic." I had a sprite and watched the local kids play a game on a flat board that was kinda like pool but using checkers and flicking them into the pockets. I wandered back down to the stairs and met Pauly who was out of breath just like I was. We started to worry about the girls and how angry they would be once reaching the top. When they appeared they were more stressed than anything having left Sagr behind and going it alone. They were unsure of the path and thought they had strayed into a neighbouring town so they were relieved to see us. I waited for Sagr at the top of the stairs whilst the others were knocking bottles over with the assistance of a local kid and his slingshot. He was exhausted and extremely thirsty upon reaching the top. Again he took us to his relatives guest house which had amazing views on the top balcony of the valley and the mountains to the left.

In the evening Sagr asked Pauly and I whether we would like to take a quick tour of the village which is one of the largest in the mountains. With our bags off our backs we all relaxed a bit and Sagr started opening up about himself. He really enjoys music and plays the drums, guitar and was even a singer in a death metal band. His grandfather was a Gurkha and he has once tried to join, still contemplating another attempt. He told us a little about the caste system as well which we both didn't know much about. He is apart of the Gurung caste with his family history being in and around this village. We followed a maze of trails before we came to a lookout for the main village of Ghandruk. No guesthouses here, just a bustling mountain community in the midst of the Himalayas. He really didn't need to show us around but it was a nice gesture. Night was falling upon our return where we had some dinner and bed around 8:30pm.


Ghandruk (1940m)-Birethanti (1050m)

It was hard not to keep waking up at 6am when we got to bed around 8:30pm every night. We were further away from the mountains now but they still loomed over the green hills at dawn with the sun streaming down the valley. It was the last time we would need to pack our bags, mine considerably lighter after devouring a bag full of chocolate over the last 5 days. Sagr was in a good mood after catching up with his family over the last 2 days and on asking him whether he will be a porter again he swiftly replied 'no' with a cheeky grin.

The walk down to Birethanti was descending 900m in altitude but it wasn't really that steep, mainly a gradual decline down into the valley. The knees weren't feeling too bad and after sweeping around a few bends we couldn't see Annapurna South or Machhupachre over our shoulders anymore. Just walking towards our end point made us walk a bit faster with all the excitement behind us. On seeing two men with phones racing past us on the trail Sagr told us that 2 days ago a Canadian girl was hit over the head with a pole and robbed. These two were about to catch the 2nd of the 3 accomplices. The girl was apparently recovering in hospital but she could have died with a knock to the head like that. 1hr later they passed us the other way with the culprit in handcuffs. Its a bit hard to run away up in the mountains with only one path out so they were going to catch them as soon as they came out of hiding. Sagr said they would be taken back to Ghandruk, beaten and then handed over to the authorities in Pokhara. Rough justice....you decide?

Job done. We reached Birethanti around lunchtime and we were all excited that we had made it unscathed so to speak. Sagr bought us all a little bracelet before he headed back up the mountain to Tikhedhungga. The girls had a final taste of the heaviness of their bags for the 15 minute walk to Nayapul where the bus to Pokhara was already beeping its horn. That evening we went out for some pizza, beer and some Russian style food cooked in a claypot. It was good to be back to civilisation but it still would be nice to be in the mountains totally oblivious to the outside world.

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Comments

[Saroj Bhattarai]

Revived
revived totally...have been there about 6 months back...living in nepal i wasnt aware that such beautiful places lies here....with the trekking of nayapul-ghorepani and ghandruk, landruk and finally to pokhara was gr8....