This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. Waking up on Day 10, it was disconcerting to realize that we were done trekking. We had decided to stop at Muktinath due to time constraints, but we still needed to get back to Pokhara for our Yeti Airlines flight to Kathmandu. Initially, our group thought, "There's no way it will take us two full days to get back to Pokhara." We hadn't yet discovered how travel works in rural Nepal. Around 11:00am, we walked to the Jeep stand in Muktinath. There were groups of other trekkers there, negotiating prices for a jeep to Jomsom. It was a first-come, first-served situation. Whoever put together enough people to fill a jeep got the next one. We joined several groups and solo trekkers to fill a jeep. They told us they were stopping in Tatopani for the night to enjoy the hot springs and invited us to join them. In the spirit of adventure, we agreed. We started with a jeep from Muktinath to Jomsom. Jomsom is the biggest town on the other side of Thorong La Pass. It even has a small airport with flights to Pokhara. We knew some trekkers who opted to fly back. When we arrived in Jomsom, no jeeps were available because all the drivers were at lunch. So we had to wait in the dusty, windy town of Jomsom. Eventually, we crammed into a jeep to Tatopani and set off along the one-lane, winding mountain roads. The jeep ride was incredibly bumpy, particularly when we went off-roading onto the dry riverbed, bouncing over massive rocks. The scenery on this side of the pass was no less magnificent than during the first part of our trek. We were treated to views of Annapurna I and a vibrantly blue river. Because we started the jeep ride after lunch, we were still bouncing along when the sun set. I found it disconcerting to be on the curvy mountain roads after dark, with a sheer cliff on one side of us. Also, apparently it is common for drivers to make seemingly random stops, to talk to people along the side of the road, pick up sacks of things, or exchange money. This happened consistently along the way, making us think "What is going on?", but since we could not understand their conversations, we had to go along with it. It was dark, and we were hungry, when the jeep dropped us off in Tatopani. The whole group from the jeep set off to find a hotel. One girl went barreling through town, demanding cheaper rates and storming out when owners refused. Eventually, we separated from her and her friends, since they were passing up perfectly decent guesthouses, and we didn't mind paying $3 for a room. By the time we finished dinner, I didn't want to try to find the hot springs in the dark. After being bounced around all day, I really just wanted to climb in bed. So I did. In the morning (Day 11), we ate breakfast with our traveling companions in a beautiful courtyard surrounded by trees before walking to the bus stop. We didn't have any idea what time the local bus to Pokhara would arrive or depart, but we figured that we should arrive early and wait. When the bus arrived, the driver loaded our bags on top of the bus, and we set off. We stopped at a checkpoint to get our permits stamped for exiting the Annapurna Conservation Area. Then, a few hundred feet down the road, we stopped again. The driver got out, started talking with a family at a roadside ship, ordered some tea, leaned on the wall and stared at the bus, and we thought, "What is going on?" There was no announcement, as there had been on our bus from Pokhara to the Annapurna Circuit, that we were taking a bathroom break. Eventually, another bus pulled up alongside ours, and the driver announced that we had to move to the other bus. We all piled out and then on to the next bus....to find that it was almost full of Nepalese people who had spread out packages, backpacks, and suitcases across the seats, refusing to move the packages to allow us to sit down. We realized that the original driver had held us there on another bus in order to let the locals save all the seats. However, we had paid our fare for seats, so we were not getting off the bus. I ultimately got a seat by moving a backpack, and some of the male trekkers stood in order to let older passengers sit. Some trekkers ended up in arguments with locals, who told them there was no room on the bus. However, the bus driver had collected our money, so the trekkers insisted they had paid the fare and that they were riding the bus. The bumpy, one-lane mountain roads caused the bus to tip wildly, and us to fly out of our seats on some bumps. The Nepalese man in front of me began throwing up out the window. It was an incredibly uncomfortable bus ride that lasted for about 4.5 hours. The local bus dropped us in Beni, where we had to find yet another jeep for the last leg to Pokhara. There wasn't really an option for lunch, so we just had to eat remnants from our packs and wait until Pokhara. The final jeep ride took place on roads rather than stream beds and mountain ledges, meaning it was a bit smoother than our previous jeep and bus rides. However, knowing it was the last leg before Pokhara made the time crawl by. We finally arrived in Pokhara in the late afternoon. Getting from Muktinath to Pokhara took our group 2 days, 3 separate jeep rides, 1 local bus, and a LOT of negotiating.
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This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. When my phone alarm went off at 3:45am, I had a difficult time getting out of my sleeping bag because the temperature was extremely cold and it was extremely early. I peeled myself out of my sleeping bag and began putting on layer after layer clothing, in order to keep warm while crossing Thorong La Pass. I was wearing nearly every piece of clothing I had packed - thick socks, two pairs of leggings, hiking pants over the leggings, gaiters, tank top, long-sleeved shirt, fleece, down jacket, rain coat, buff, warm hat, thin gloves, ski gloves over the top. When we had dressed most of the way, we headed to the dining room to eat breakfast, sitting with some of our trail friends and discussing the day ahead. Group after group trickled out of the dining room, so we decided we should hit the trail as well. As we gathered our packs, we saw a line of headlamps coming up from Thorong Phedi and passing through High Camp. These were the people who had slept at the lower camp and completed the steep uphill to High Camp that morning. Once again, I was grateful to have stayed at High Camp the night before. Everyone starts before sunrise because it is a long day of trekking and the winds at the pass pick up around 10:00am, meaning that hikers want to be across the pass well before 10:00am. The estimated time from High Camp to Thorong La Pass was 3 hours of hiking, so that means an early start is essential. Overnight, water had frozen in the barrel where you could fill up your water bottle. This meant we were unable to top off our water bottles before setting off toward Thorong La Pass. We left the water barrel and headed for the trail...except, in the dark, it was impossible to orient myself. Even with my headlamp, I couldn't tell where the trail up to the pass began, and most of the groups had departed ahead of us. I think this is important to mention because it hadn't even occurred to me that I would have trouble finding the route in the dark. Luckily, with the headlamps of other trekkers, we were able to find the trail and began the journey up to Thorong La Pass. Day 9 of the Annapurna Circuit was a long, grueling, and emotional day, but it was also incredibly rewarding to cross the Thorong La Pass, which we had been climbing toward for eight days! During the first section, we hiked completely in the dark with only our headlamps lighting the way. Slowly, the sky took on a rosy tint behind the mountain peaks, and the landscape began to lighten as the sun rose. The scenery looked remarkable in the glow of the sunrise. The air was cold, and I felt it in my hands, even with ski gloves. Breathing was difficult due to the altitude and - though I didn't realize it at the time - a cold that I had developed along the Circuit. The icy air irritated my lungs with every breath and caused coughing fits, so I pulled my buff over my nose and mouth. It was a little suffocating but protected me from the cold air and eased my breathing. For the most part, the trail was less steep than the hike between Thorong Phedi and High Camp. However, this doesn't mean that the hike was easy. Because breathing was extra hard for me, I lagged behind our group a bit and had to stop frequently to cough. Time became a fluid concept because I was so concerned with the effort of breathing, moving uphill, and staying warm. The morning seemed to simultaneously fly by and drag on. It seemed as though there would never be a moment when I wasn't trudging uphill. Luckily, I realized that I needed to enjoy the moment and paused to take in my surroundings, not caring about anyone else's pace. The surrounding peaks with the sun rising behind them were awesome. I hadn't ever started a trek before dawn, so seeing the sun rise in the mountains was a special treat. The nearby mountains were beautiful with the contrast between dark rock and white snow drifts. And, despite the effort, I was grateful that I was in Nepal. As I admired the scenery and gave myself a pep talk, I heard Rachel and Ciara shouting down to me, "THAT'S THE PASS!" My first thought was, 'No way. I will be hiking forever before I get to the pass.' But, I looked up, and there were prayer flags waving just above the spot where my friends were standing. I was SO CLOSE to the top. Together, we hiked the last few meters to Thorong La Pass, where I saw the sign draped with strings of prayer flags. A little teahouse stood by the side of the path, and cold trekkers huddled near the entrance for warmth.
After working so hard to reach the pass, our group took a lot of pictures by the sign and the prayer flags, commemorating our achievement. I also strung prayer flags that I had bought in Manang, took a moment to say a prayer, and watched the flags flutter in the wind, carrying my intention out into the world. Thorong La Pass was cold and windy. I had to step in the teahouse for a minute, just to get out of the wind, which cut through my layers and chilled me quickly. Around us, mountains were capped with snow, but we did not encounter any snow or ice on the pass itself. We were told that this was unusual for late November and that it was an unseasonably warm year. I didn't end up needing the gaiters for snow protection, but they did act as leg warmers, helping to shield the wind a bit. I was glad that I had worn all my layers. Even wearing all our warmest clothes, we were ready to head down after about 20 minutes. The trusty "Altitude Trekking Time" sign from earlier in the trek had estimated 3 hours from High Camp to Thorong La Pass, and we had reached the pass in 2.5 hours. I felt so proud of myself, and it was literally all downhill from there. From Thorong La Pass, we headed down to Muktinath, descending 1600 meters (5249 feet) in 4 hours. The descent was very hard on my knees, calves, and toes, but I was able to move a lot faster than the uphill portion of the day. As we descended, the temperature increased, a result of decreasing altitude, moving out of the wind at the top of the pass, and the sun rising higher in the sky. We began shedding layers. Eventually, I was down to one pair of leggings and a long sleeved shirt, removing my rain coat, down jacket, fleece, extra long sleeved shirt, gaiters, hiking pants, extra pair of leggings, gloves, and hat. On the other side of the Thorong La Pass, we entered the Mustang region of Nepal, a region with an interesting history and landscape. The Annapurna Circuit cuts through Lower Mustang, whereas Upper Mustang was restricted to visitors until recently, meaning it is a remote and isolated region. Due to this isolation, Upper Mustang area is one of the most well-preserved regions of Tibetan culture and traditional Tibetan languages in the world. Even today, though visitors are allowed, they cannot enter Upper Mustang without a special permit and guide. We did not need any special permits to trek through Lower Mustang on the Annapurna Circuit. Visually, Lower Mustang was very different than the part of the Circuit that we had already completed. Almost immediately, I noted the very dry, brown, rocky, desert-like landscape. To me, it looked almost otherworldly. In the distance, we could see the tops of more snow-capped mountains, including Dhaulagiri, an 8000 meter peak and the seventh highest mountain in the world. There is one tiny town between Thorong La Pass and Muktinath, called Charabu. We stopped briefly to buy water and a snack, resting for a short while before continuing to Muktinath. Muktinath is a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists, a popular pilgrimage site for many worshippers. Just outside the town is a huge temple complex. We passed it on the way into town. Even though Muktinath sits at 3800 m (12,467 ft) in altitude, the air felt so much thicker compared with the Thorong La Pass. Because of the early morning start, we arrived around lunchtime, though we were tired from almost 7 hours of trekking. We picked a hostel in Muktinath, dropped our packs in the room, and headed up to the rooftop patio, where we ordered lunch and rested our sore bodies in the sunshine. From the rooftop, we could see the surrounding mountains. Our group spent the afternoon reading, eating, exchanging photos, and messaging our families using the wifi at the teahouse. Though many teahouses along the Circuit offer wifi, the teahouses at higher altitude either required payment for wifi or did not offer it at all, so we had been unreachable since Manang. I took a shower in the solar powered shower while the afternoon sun was still strong, and the hot water felt glorious after the tough day. At night, sitting in the dining room by the fire, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had been nervous about the altitude and difficulty of crossing the Thorong La Pass. I was tired, but I had made it! Daily trekking distance: 10 km
Total trekking distance: 108 km Starting elevation (High Camp): 4850m/15,912 ft Highest elevation (Thorong La Pass): 5416m/17,770 ft Ending elevation (Muktinath): 3800m/12,467 ft Costs Room with attached bathroom + food (lunch, dinner, breakfast) Muktinath: 1480 NPR ($14.34) Safe Drinking Water Station: 40 NPR ($0.39) This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. The day before THE DAY. On Day 8, we trekked to High Camp, in preparation for crossing the Thorong-La Pass the following day. I cannot lie - I was nervous about altitude sickness. I didn't want to be the person to get sick, have to descend immediately, and ruin everyone's trek. And I really did not want cerebral edema or pulmonary edema. To counteract this fear, I was in a perpetual state of what we called "water panic". I had read that staying well hydrated helps with acclimatization, and we had also heard that locals recommend garlic soup for acclimatization. So, I downed at least three or four 2-liter bladders full of water each day, plus multiple cups of tea at the teahouses each morning and night, plus bowls of garlic soup at dinner. Plus, I took Diamox, medicine known to aid acclimatization (as well as treating glaucoma). Hey, it may have been a bit much, but I didn't feel even a hint of altitude sickness throughout the trip. Most of our fellow trekkers from Letdar were also headed for High Camp that day. Some people choose to sleep at Thorong Phedi, completing the steep slog from Thorong Phedi to High Camp and over the pass in the morning. I was glad we slept at High Camp, since I didn't have to do the section between Thorong Phedi and High Camp at 4:00am with a headlamp. Pass day is long and tiring enough, so, if you can sleep at High Camp, it helps to shorten the day a bit. We had read in the NATT Trekking Guide that we would be walking through a landslide area between Letdar and Thorong Phedi. This made me nervous, but we were lucky enough not to see any falling or sliding rock as we trekked. We rested at Thorong Phedi, where fellow trekkers enjoyed coffee and pastries. After a quick granola bar, we continued up, wanting to reach High Camp as soon as possible. We had read that High Camp can fill up in the high season and that overflow trekkers have to sleep in the dining room. Though we were on the tail end of high season, we didn't want to risk it. The route up to High Camp was tough. I kept thinking, "Man, I'm glad we did the Upper Pisang Trail", since this climb also had a steep incline with a number of switchbacks and required numerous breaks to catch my breath. We gained 400 meters of elevation (1312 ft) in 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) of hiking. Slowly but surely, I made it, in plenty of time to get a room. We arrived at High Camp just before lunchtime, with all afternoon to relax, eat, and socialize with our fellow trekkers. It was such a great afternoon and evening. Everyone that stays at High Camp gathers in the same dining room, so we saw all of our trail friends. We exchanged stories, shared food and hot tea, and described our lives back home to each other, as sunlight streamed in the windows. Since there is only one lodge at High Camp, they have a monopoly on food, drink, and lodging, meaning that prices are considerably higher than the rest of the trail. When darkness fell, we all migrated to the adjacent room, which housed the fireplace, and crammed our bodies into the tiny space to be as close to the heat as possible. The temperature at High Camp plummeted when the sun went down, freezing the water in the water barrel and creating icy patches on the ground by the bathrooms. Before going to bed, we all asked each other, "When are you getting up? When are you having breakfast? When are you leaving for the pass?" Daily trekking distance: 7 km
Total trekking distance: 98 km Starting elevation (Letdar): 4200m/13,780 ft Ending elevation (High Camp): 4850m/15,912 ft Costs Room + food (lunch, tea, snacks, dinner, breakfast) High Camp: 2220 NPR ($21.53) This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. Sufficiently rested after a full day in Manang, we set off again on Day 7, headed for Letdar. The landscape was a stark contrast to the first few days of trekking. We were above treeline in the alpine zone, a barren world of rocky slopes, broken up only by low shrubby plants. Still towering above us were snow-covered peaks. I had never been at an elevation this high, so the scenery was completely new to me. The hiking on Day 7 passed quickly. We had to complete shorter distances now, so that we did not gain altitude too quickly. Initially, I was breathing hard due to the altitude, but I felt stronger than at the beginning of the trek. I could tell that I was building my endurance and acclimatizing well. I was sure that we were moving slowly, but our group actually hiked faster than the estimated trekking times. Our group took our time leaving Manang, since the day's hike was shorter than usual. We mailed postcards to family and friends on the way out of town. I wrote in my journal that "people will probably get them weeks after we return", which was a bit of an underestimation. Our postcards arrived in the United States four months later! The good weather and sunshine continued on our route to Letdar, and we were able to hike without hats or jackets though it was late November. As a note, we were told that we trekked the Annapurna Circuit during an unseasonably warm year, so the best course of action is to plan for layers, just in case. When we stopped moving, we typically had to pull out our down jackets. Along the trail, we passed some Maoist graffiti. C.P.N. stands for the Communist Party of Nepal, which briefly became the ruling party of Nepal after the Civil War. We saw similar graffiti in a few places along the trek, so it seems that Maoist support continues in these areas. Also, as we were promised by a young Nepalese boy, we saw yak above Manang. We were quite excited to see these animals, as they are native to the Himalaya. Letdar, pronounced like "letter", cannot really be considered a town. Rather, it is a collection of only a few buildings, and three of these buildings are teahouses for trekkers. Due to the short distance on Day 7, we arrived in the early afternoon, even though we stopped for lunch in the previous town ( Yak Kharka). This gave us plenty of time to relax, order pots of tea, and add to our circle of trekking friends. While Wikitravel says, "Yak Kharka is a small collection of 3 guesthouses and lacking in other amenities, although it is preferable to Letdar which has even less in the way of accommodation", our evening in Letdar was one of my favorites, due to the fun, social atmosphere in the dining room that night. The great thing about the limited lodging options was that the trekkers were more concentrated, so we saw many of our trail friends in the dining room. In my journal, I wrote, "This place is bustling - the first place we've stayed that has a full, busy dining room of trekkers at night." With the amount of people inside and a fire burning in the fireplace, the dining room was a cozy and pleasant place to spend the afternoon and evening. Daily trekking distance: 10 km
Total trekking distance: 91 km Starting elevation (Manang): 3540m/11,614 ft Ending elevation (Letdar): 4200m/13,780 ft Costs Lunch Yak Kharka: 490 NPR ($4.74) Room + food Letdar: 1085 NPR ($10.50) *The only downside to arriving in Letdar early and spending hours in the fun, social dining room atmosphere is that we ended up spending a lot more on snacks and pots of tea. This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. REST DAY! Sitting at the end of the dusty road that follows the Annapurna Circuit, Manang is relatively large compared with some of the other villages. Large, multi-story teahouses line the street and a beautiful mountain, Gangapurna, towers above the town. When trekking the Annapurna Circuit, proper acclimatization is very important, since the Thorong-La Pass sits at 17,770 ft and ascending too quickly can increase the risk of altitude sickness. Every itinerary that I read suggests a rest day in Manang, so that's exactly what we did. It was glorious sleeping in, eating a leisurely breakfast, and, most of all, knowing that I didn't have to pick up my backpack at all that day. After breakfast, I eschewed my hiking boots in favor of my soft, comfortable moccasins, grateful to give my feet a break after our tough trekking day on Day 5. We explored some of the small shops and were able to find some needed and wanted items, including hand sanitizer, postcards, and prayer flags. Apparently, Manang is known for its bakeries, so our plan for the day involved finding some pastry and real coffee. We wandered down the road to Sanna Bakery and Coffeehouse, where we ordered coffee, a cinnamon roll, and sat outside in the sunshine. Our intention had been to read and write in our travel journals at the bakery, but we soon became engrossed in conversation with other trekkers. This was one of my favorite parts of the Annapurna Circuit - the sense of community along the trail. We met a lot of trail friends, spent time together in the teahouses, and looked out for each other on Pass day. At the bakery, we met a 63 year old man who has hiked the Annapurna Circuit every year for 20 years. He treks with the same guide each year, now more of a friend than guide. Now, he hires a yak to cross the pass, but still comes back each year because he loves this trek so much. After he departed, a father and daughter sat down at our table. They were in Nepal for a month of trekking, starting with the Manaslu Circuit and continuing through the Annapurna Circuit. From Manang, we followed the same itinerary as this father-daughter duo and enjoyed getting to know them better along the trail. Before starting the trek, we had read about the numerous acclimatization hikes available from Manang. Some people even add on the Tilicho Lake trek, a multi-day trek from Manang. We did not have 4 extra days for Tilicho Lake, as much as we would have loved to complete it. We considered the option of doing a day hike from Manang, but, ultimately, we chose not to do any side treks on our rest day. People talk about "climbing high and sleeping low" to help with acclimatization, which we had done the previous day by taking the Upper Pisang route. Instead, we relaxed at the bakery with our new friends. Then, we took advantage of the sunshine at mid-day to take showers in the solar-powered shower at our teahouse. Whereas the shower I attempted in Dharapani was FREEZING, this shower was hot and steamy and wonderful. At our teahouse, the Gangapurna Hotel, we met two Argentinians, thanks to Rachel's Spanish skills. One of the Argentinians now lived in Kathmandu and spoke Nepalese. They had a lot of helpful advice for us. In the evening, our new friends mentioned that they were going to a movie theater in town and invited us to join them. The movie theater was a small, cold, concrete room with no windows. A projector and a few rows of chairs had been set up. Since we were the only group at the movie theater, we were allowed to choose the movie, and we used the row of chairs in front of us as footrests. The people working at the movie theater brought us thick blankets, which I spread across my lap to stay warm (I was wearing my down jacket and the fleece-lined hat I had purchased in Chame), and our ticket included tea and popcorn! Initially, I wasn't sure about going to a movie while trekking in Nepal, but I was glad that we did. It was such a different experience than going to a movie in America, and a relaxing experience on our rest day. Daily trekking distance: 0 km
Total trekking distance: 81 km Starting elevation (Manang): 3540m/11,614 ft Ending elevation (Manang): 3540m/11,614 ft Costs Items at shops (e.g. hand sanitizer, snack, prayer flags, postcards): 850 NPR ($8.23) Tea & cinnamon roll: 320 NPR ($3.10) Water bottle: 100 NPR ($0.97) Movie theater: 350 NPR ($3.39) 2 nights + 2 breakfasts + 2 dinners Manang: 2275 NPR ($22.01) This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. On Day 5, we took the Upper Pisang route to Manang. Trekkers have the option of following the Lower Pisang route, which sits lower in the valley and is a much easier hiking route, or the Upper Pisang route, which is significantly more strenuous BUT SO WORTH IT. I think that everyone should choose the Upper Pisang route for three reasons:
In the morning, we trekked past prayer wheels and along the banks of the river. We had heard that this day was strenuous, so we assumed the trail would have a big ascent. Not long after Upper Pisang, it did. We were faced with switchbacks that snaked up the steep slope as high as we could see. The combination of the steep trail, the packs on our backs, and the altitude made for a difficult, slow, and steady ascent. I would trudge up two switchbacks and then pause for a sip of water or quick breather. The ascent on this part of the trail took over an hour and we climbed 420 m (1378 ft). At the top, we dropped our packs, flopped to the ground, and took in the stunning views of the river far below and the mountains around us. At the top of our big climb was the village of Ghyaru, a tiny village with stone buildings and flat roofs. The road to Manang doesn't follow the Upper Pisang route, so these villages are only reachable by foot or animal. In Ghyaru, a man approached us and asked if we were American. When we confirmed this, he explained that he was the headmaster at the school in Ghyaru, and he had been having computer issues. He thought that we could fix his computer since we were American. We agreed to stop by after resting for a short while. Eventually, we made our way to the school, asking for directions along the way. The headmaster greeted us enthusiastically. I know next-to-nothing about computers, but my fellow trekkers knew a bit more and began eagerly plugging in cords and pressing buttons. As they worked, I shone my cell phone light on the computer and looked around the office. There were photographs of volunteer groups who had come to the school and stacks of workbooks for the students, including English workbooks. Ultimately, we could not fix the computer. Later, as we continued our trek, we hypothesized that it might have been malfunctioning from all the dust. The computer was sitting by the open window and was covered in a coating of dust and dirt, which had clearly blown in through the open window. Rachel thought that the dust probably blew into the office and got into the computer system. Even though we were unsuccessful at fixing the computer, it was a cool experience to see the school and meet the headmaster - an unusual pit stop along the trail! Because we had climbed higher than our stopping point of Manang, the Upper Pisang route descended steeply during the second half of the day. The downhill was hard on my joints, particularly my knees, and we lost the route at one point. After descending, the sun was starting to drop behind the mountains, and I was sure that we couldn't be far from Manang. But, we kept walking. And walking. And walking. My feet were hurting, my knees were hurting, and I was so grateful to see a town, until I realized it was not Manang. We had reached Bhraga, only 30 minutes from Manang, but I have to say that was a long 30 minutes after our strenuous day of trekking. At the end of this day, nobody in our group was speaking because we were so exhausted and were literally hobbling into Manang. At the end of this day, I was exhausted. My joints hurt. My feet hurt. But, I would not have traded the Upper Pisang trail for anything. I was glad that I had the opportunity to hike away from the road, take in the glorious mountain views, walk through the tiny villages filled with character, and visit a school in Ghyaru. And, after all, this tough day of trekking was followed by a rest day in Manang! Daily trekking distance: 19.5 km
Total trekking distance: 81 km Starting elevation (Upper Pisang): 3310m/10,859 ft Ending elevation (Manang): 3540m/11,614 ft Costs Technically none, since we did not stop for lunch. We ate snacks that we carried with us rather than stopping on an already long trekking day. I will include costs from Manang on the post about our rest day. This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. Day 4 of the Annapurna Circuit was a truly lovely day of trekking! I adored everything about this day, I thought the scenery was fabulous, and I had so much fun exploring Upper Pisang. It was reassuring to have my favorite day of the trek immediately following a difficult day. As we departed from Chame, we were surrounded by evergreen trees, which smelled wonderful. The trek wound through an apple orchard, surrounded by a "No Trespassing" fence. There was a small shop at the apple orchard where many trekkers paused for a snack. We kept hiking without a stop until we reached the top of a hill, where we paused, refueled with snacks, and enjoyed the view of the snow-covered peaks with the river rushing below us. We had not been away from the sound of the water since beginning our trek, and, later that day, I wrote in my journal: "The river feels like a friend at this point." We continued uphill through a forest until we reached the town of Dhukur Pokhari, a perfect lunch stop. The day was warm, and we stopped for lunch at a teahouse with outdoor tables in the sunshine. Our table also offered beautiful mountain views. Because we were only one town from our stopping point in Upper Pisang, we stayed for awhile after lunch, soaking up the sunshine and journaling as we admired the scenery. Eventually, we packed up and headed toward Upper Pisang. On this particular leg of the hike, I was really beginning to notice the effects of altitude, namely that my breathing felt slightly more labored. Our stopping point for the night was Upper Pisang. When we walked into Upper Pisang, past rows and rows of prayer wheels, we spotted the monastery perched at the top of the village. Our group immediately decided that we wanted to stay at the top of the village, so we hiked up to the highest teahouse. The views of Annapurna II from the teahouse were unbelievable. First, we dropped our packs in a room. Next, we took a ton of photos of the mountain, prayer flags and the mountain, us and the mountain. Then, we immediately headed up to check out the monastery, a short staircase up above our teahouse. To enter the monastery, we passed under an ornately decorated gate. The monastery building itself was small, with a gong outside the door. We took our shoes off to enter and made a donation. The interior of the building was painted with bright colors and smelled of incense. Against the back wall sat a statue of Buddha and two other deities with various offerings in front of them. When we looked back out the front door of the building, all we could see were the snow-covered slopes of Annapurna II. It was certainly an inspiring place for a house of worship. As we wandered out of the building and stood admiring the view, a monk crossed the compound and began ringing the gong, in what I assume was a call to worship. The sun had already started to set when we visited the monastery, so the temperature began to drop. Our teahouse room wasn't heated, but, luckily, there was a fireplace in the dining room. We brought our Kindles and journals and maps of the route to the dining room, where we enjoyed views of Annapurna II with our dinner. We stayed in the dining room, cozy and warm, until it was time to run for our puffy sleeping bags. On Day 3, I was frozen and doubting the trip, Day 4 was filled with warmth, new cultural experiences, and stunning landscapes. I felt like this was the day I needed to remind me of all the reasons that I wanted to trek the Annapurna Circuit. Moments like listening to the rushing river, sitting in the sunshine at lunch, walking through a serene monastery, and watching the sun set behind the majestic peak of Annapurna II made me feel grateful to be in the Himalayas and experiencing this part of the world. Daily trekking distance: 14.5 km
Total trekking distance: 61.5 km Starting elevation (Chame): 2710m/8891 ft Ending elevation (Upper Pisang): 3310m/10,859ft Costs Lunch Dhukur Pokhari: 510 NPR ($4.95) Monastery donation in Upper Pisang: 300 NPR ($2.91) Dinner + Room + Breakfast Upper Pisang: 995 NPR ($9.65) This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. When we headed out of Dharapani in the morning, the air was chilly. It gave me a taste of what to expect as we continued up into higher altitudes. In the morning, I started out wearing long sleeves, a hat, and gloves. I was also really grateful that we had had nothing but clear blue skies for our trekking thus far. Our goal for the day was to reach the town of Chame, which we had heard was a larger town. Hands down, the best part of the day was our first views of the Annapurna massif and other snow-covered peaks. Up to this point, we had been accustomed to lower elevations, rolling mountains with rounded tops, brown and green hues, and terraced rice fields. Now, we were getting views of jagged peaks, barren ridges above the tree line, and snow covered summits. I couldn't stop looking at these mountains and taking pictures of them! Today's uphills didn't feel quite as bad as the previous day's uphill portions to me, so either it was easier or my body was beginning to adjust to this trekking routine. I hoped it was the latter, since we still had a lot of elevation to gain before Thorong-La Pass at 17,770 ft. We stopped for lunch in the village of Koto, one town before Chame. Lunch was, unfortunately, cold as well, since we were eating in the shade. The down jackets had to come out once we sat down for lunch. We entered Chame, once again, at rush hour on the Annapurna Circuit, accompanied by a herd of goats. A young boy, about 12 years old, also walked into town with us, asking questions about the United States, telling us that we would see yak in Manang, and urging us to stay at his family's teahouse. We had an idea of where we wanted to stay, based on one of our trail friend's guidebooks, so we declined as politely as we could. Unfortunately, when we reached that teahouse, it was full - the only time this happened to us on the Circuit. We went next door to another teahouse. It wasn't busy at all, and someone had to hunt down the the owner somewhere else in the town, which didn't inspire confidence. But the room was decent, and there was actual insulation on the walls. After putting our stuff down, we headed out into Chame in search of a few items. This was the first village that had a variety of items to buy, from extra hand sanitizer and toilet paper to candy bars to warm clothing. I had been so cold all day that I was having "cold panic". If I had been cold all day on Day 3, I was terrified that I would be a walking popsicle at higher altitude. In my cold panic, I bought a fleece lined, wool hat and a long sleeved "North Face" knock-off shirt. The logo was clearly not actually The North Face, and it smelled like a plastic bag, but it eased my cold panic a bit. I loved my hat. Combined, these two items cost me less than $10. Before going to Nepal, I had read online that it was possible to buy everything you need for The Annapurna Circuit in Kathmandu or Pokhara. I didn't actually believe it, but it's true. I felt relieved that I was able to buy things I needed, particularly when I was down to an empty bottle of hand sanitizer and had a sudden need for feminine hygiene products. Chame was one of my least favorite stops, but I think that had a lot to do with the teahouse we stayed in. There weren't other trekkers to hang out with in the evening. We were the only people staying there. The food was ok. The room was ok. Chame seemed dreary to me - was that the village itself or a reflection of my mood? It's hard to say in retrospect. Overall, I can't say that this day was my favorite. The Annapurna Circuit is SO WORTH IT, but it is not always an easy journey. I didn't write a lot in my travel journal on Day 3. What I did write was: "Today I was cold. All day. It was pretty miserable and one of those days when I had those 'why did I think this was a good idea' thoughts...It is so cold. I am so cold. I feel like I will not be warm for the next ten days and that is so disheartening." Daily trekking distance: 16 km
Total trekking distance: 47 km Starting elevation (Dharapani): 1900m/6234 ft Ending elevation (Chame): 2710m/8891 ft Costs Lunch Koto: 450 NPR ($4.22) Hat & Shirt in Chame: 1050 NPR ($9.84) Dinner + Shower + Room + Breakfast Chame: 1040 NPR ($9.74) This is a continuation of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. Our second day on the Annapurna Circuit began with breakfast on the porch in Ghermu. My breakfast was oatmeal and black tea. Unfortunately for me, I really dislike oatmeal, the world's easiest breakfast when trekking. However, I knew I would need energy for a full day of trekking, so I ate the oatmeal. We lingered a bit over breakfast, since the morning view from the porch over the fields and mountains was so lovely. Our new British and Belgian friends had long since left. Panicked about the idea of trekking during the hottest part of the day, they had set off as early as possible. After a leisurely breakfast, we wrestled our belongings back into our packs, paid the teahouse owners, and headed out on the trail. We immediately crossed a suspension bridge and immediately realized that there were a lot more buildings and teahouses in Ghermu. This was the point when we realized that we should walk further into each town before selecting a teahouse. All along the trail we saw signs pointing toward Manang, as shown in the photo below. Parts of the trail were also marked by red and white blazes, though this was inconsistent in some areas. If we were unsure about which way to go, we asked the locals by pointing and saying the name of the next town ("Chame?"). Everyone we met along the Circuit was super helpful and friendly, and, even if they didn't speak much English, they pointed us in the right direction using gestures. Most of our morning was spent trekking on the newly "constructed" road. I say "constructed" because the dirt road was extremely bumpy, filled with uneven rocks and potholes. We had to stop frequently to let jeeps and motorbikes pass. Though the road is technically two-way, there is really only space for one vehicle at a time. Each time a vehicle passed, dust and exhaust was kicked up. Eventually, we learned to look away and cover our faces with a shirt or a scarf. The road extends all the way to Manang, previously reachable solely by foot or animal. Before coming to Nepal, I had read numerous blogs or articles complaining about the road and how it is ruining the Annapurna trekking area. I get it. I get how trekkers dislike having dust kicked up in their faces and hearing the roar of motorbikes rushing past. But I can't complain too much. Imagine living in a place where the only way to get help, supplies, everything is walking for days at a time. We choose to trek for a short period of time, but this is daily life for so many people and the road will only make their lives easier. I can't expect them to reject progress so that I can spend two weeks away from cars. As the NATT Guide says, "In fact a road means a better possibility to sell theirs own farm products like apples, thus earning more, and in the same time other goods brought by the road are much cheaper than carried by mule or porter. This results in a higher life standard." The Annapurna Circuit is not a "get away from people and lose yourself in the wilderness" kind of trek. You are passing through towns, sleeping in teahouses, having someone cook for you, and interacting with locals. I had never been on a backpacking trip like the Annapurna Circuit, and I loved how it combined STUNNING scenery with local villages. All you can do is enjoy the trek for what it has to offer, bring a scarf/buff/bandana to cover your nose and mouth, and take the NATT scenic trails as much as possible to avoid the road. NATT stands for New Annapurna Trekking Trails. In 2006, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project began planning alternative trails so that trekkers could enjoy the area while avoiding the new road. We downloaded this version of the NATT Guide for free, printed it out, and used it along the trek. This version was published in 2011, but, while it is already 5 years old, it is SO HELPFUL. The NATT Guide is packed with great information, indicating when there is an alternative trail option, providing information about trekking times, and giving tips for safety. We passed through the village of Jagat, with its brightly painted buildings. Just past Jagat, there were hot springs, a 10 minute climb down from the road to the river. We did not choose to go down to the hot springs, since it was still early in the day, we had a lot of trekking left to do, and we did not want to be wet for the rest of the day. We continued through the small village of Chamje, where we diverged from the road onto one of the NATT trails. This trail was a beautiful, shaded path through lush, green forest and past a cascading waterfall. After exiting the forest, we joined a herd of goats in crossing the Marsyangdi River and began the very steep climb to Tal. Luckily for us, the road stayed on the opposite side of the river. At this point, I was really feeling the trek in my legs, particularly with the steep climb before Tal and all the stone steps that we ascended throughout the day. I took my time with the ascent and reminded myself that lunch awaited me in Tal. At the top of the hill, we found the sign pictured below, with altitude trekking times. I took a picture of it, and we constantly referred to the photo throughout the trek. Every day, multiple times per day, because it was so accurate. We might think that we were hiking faster than normal or taking an extra long break, but somehow the time between villages was always right on target! Lunch in Tal was glorious. Tal sits right on the river and is filled with charming teahouses. We found this adorable pink and green teahouse with a lovely, well-kept garden where we sat at an outdoor table, took our packs off, and enjoyed the afternoon sun. The sweet lady who ran the teahouse made truly excellent dal bhat and momos. It was the best food we ate on the trek. Also, she had a big container of boiled water where we could fill up our water bottles before continuing on our hike, and the bathroom situation was better than most. Overall, a truly lovely lunch stop. From Tal, we had about 2 hours left to trek until we stopped for the night in Dharapani. I can't lie, motivation was difficult after our relaxing lunch. But, the trekking wasn't too challenging. When we got to Dharapani, we reminded ourselves to keep walking further into the village before selecting a teahouse. Unfortunately, this led to some indecision and resulted in us walking through the village 4 times before selecting a teahouse. Dharapani is quite spread out, so it was hard to tell whether there were more options down the trail. We did find a nicer teahouse further into the village and settled into our triple room that had a clothesline to hang our sweaty clothes. The teahouse had a gas-powered shower for 100 rupees, which seemed like a good idea at the time. I opted to take a shower because I had been sweating the past two days and I didn't know when my next opportunity to shower would be. Unfortunately, with the gas shower, the window in the shower room had to remain open. As the sun had gone behind the mountains, the temperature had dropped drastically and cold air poured into the room, negating any warmth from the hot water. I was already wet, so I shivered through shampooing my hair and washing my body, telling myself, "Almost done." Easily the coldest shower of my life. After drying off and bundling up, I headed down to the dining room. Tonight, Rachel was exhausted and climbed into bed early, as I had the previous night. Ciara joined me in the dining room after her shower, and we met a female trekker from Colorado who was doing the circuit by herself. Spending time with fellow trekkers in the teahouses at night was one of my favorite parts of the Annapurna Circuit. I felt like I got to meet so many people from around the world. I was still fairly full from our late lunch in Tal, so I opted for hot tea and sharing a dessert with Ciara. As we waited for our food, we realized that a yak was being chopped up in the kitchen. I was exhausted from the day, so I enjoyed my tea, chatted for awhile, and then headed to bed. Daily trekking distance: 18 km
Total trekking distance: 31 km Starting elevation (Ghermu): 1130m/3707 ft Ending elevation (Dharapani): 1900m/6234 ft Costs Lunch Tal: 383 NPR ($3.52) Dinner + Shower + Room + Breakfast Dharapani: 800 NPR ($7.35) This is part of my series on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, which we trekked in late November. Check out our itinerary here. Our first day on the Annapurna Circuit began in Pokhara, the city that serves as the departure point for treks in the Annapurna region. We departed The North Face Inn early for the tourist bus station. The North Face Inn was an amazing place to stay, right in the lakeside area of Pokhara and run by the nicest family. They helped us arrange bus tickets, made a phone call to our hostel in Kathmandu, gave us advice about the circuit, and had a safe drinking water station where we could fill our water bottles. We saw them constantly cleaning the place, which was particularly great after the trek - to return to a clean place to stay. We were able to store some of the things that we wouldn't need on the Annapurna Circuit at The North Face Inn and come back for them after the trek. We packed up everything we needed and took a taxi around 5:30am to the tourist bus station, where we would catch the 6:30am tourist bus to Besishahar. Thanks to the helpful owners of the North Face Inn, we already had our tickets in hand for the 6:30am bus, which cost 500 rupees per person (~$4.59). We were told that there was also a local bus station with public buses to Besishahar, but, given our less-than-stellar experience later on a public bus, I am so glad we opted for the tourist bus in this instance. The tourist bus station ended up being no more than a fenced in lot with buses parked around the edge. There was no building or waiting room. We worried that we wouldn't be able to eat breakfast before boarding the bus, but I felt confident that some enterprising Nepalese people would be selling food at the bus station. Sure enough, there was a little stand with some tables where we each had a hot drink (tea for me, coffee for everyone else) and a pastry. The other tables were occupied by a variety of people and their backpacks, indicating that they too were headed for a trek. As we enjoyed our breakfast, the sun began to rise, revealing a clear, cloudless sky and majestic snow covered mountains in the distance. Mt. Machhapuchhre, also known as Fishtail, stood out clearly with its unusual shape. Seeing the pink morning light on the Himalayan mountains only increased my excitement for trekking. Before we boarded the bus, I ran to the restroom at the bus station, a small building behind some of the buses. Sitting outside the restroom on a bucket was a woman with cleaning supplies, and there was a sign requesting donations in exchange for keeping the restroom clean. I had left my pack with the others at the food stand, so I ran back to grab a small bill. This was a reminder that things that I take for granted in America, like people who are employed by bus stations to keep restrooms clean, are not necessarily a given in Nepal. When we boarded the bus, we passed our backpacks up to a man standing on top of the bus. He grabbed them one by one, along with everyone else's luggage, and placed them on top of the bus, within a little rectangle of railings. Then, our luggage was covered with a tarp and tied down with ropes. Initially, I was unsure how well this system would hold, but we went through some bumpy and winding mountain roads during our time in Nepal and nothing was ever lost. Our bus ride to Besishahar, the beginning point for the Annapurna Circuit Trek, lasted approximately 4 hours. At the beginning of our bus ride, the majority of passengers were trekkers. As we made our way through the city of Pokhara, some Nepalese people got on as well, until the bus was full and passengers began standing in the center aisle. The roads outside of Pokhara were so bumpy that my head hit the ceiling on more than one occasion. We stopped once for a restroom break, and, about halfway through the bus ride, the driver turned on some Asian music videos accompanied by loud pop music. I cannot say whether the videos were Nepalese or from another country, but they got progressively stranger and more suggestive throughout the bus ride. Finally, we arrived in Besishahar and all filed off the bus. Luggage collection involved standing next to the bus and trying to catch your pack as the man on top of the bus handed it down. Our plan was to cut out some walking by taking a jeep from Besishahar to Bhulbhule, since we had a limited amount of time for the trek. As we caught our backpacks from the bus, we met three other trekkers who were willing to split the cost of a jeep with us. The total amount of 2000 rupees would be divided six ways, 333 rupees per person (~$3). One of our fellow trekkers tried to negotiate a lower price, but the jeep drivers knew that they had the upper hand and refused to lower their price. I was fine with that because I had already planned for the cost of a bus plus jeep. From Bhulbhule, we began walking along the road. Our plan was to reach Ghermu, 13 km away, by the end of the day. When researching the trip, I focused a lot on the temperature at the top of Thorong-La Pass and the gear I would need to stay warm....but I hadn't realized how warm I would be at the beginning of the trek. Bhulbhule is only at 2756 feet, and we climbed to 3707 feet at Ghermu. The sun was beating down on us, we had heavy packs on our backs, and we spent a lot of the afternoon ascending. I was definitely sweaty. We spent the afternoon walking along the Marsyangdi River, which we would follow all the way to Manang. We trekked through the small villages of Ngadi and Bahundanda, up and over hills with terraced rice fields and haystacks. We passed small farms and quite a bit of livestock - goats and chickens and even two puppies. Everyone we walked by greeted us with "namaste" - the Nepalese word for "hi" and "bye" - and some people asked, "Where going?" We also walked along the road for awhile with a man who was carrying a plastic grocery bag filled with bloody meat, which he told us was buffalo before inviting us to eat at his restaurant. We unanimously decided to be vegetarians for the rest of the trek. In the late afternoon/early evening, we suddenly found ourselves trekking past neatly uniformed children on their way home from school, herds of goats, stray dogs, and farmers carrying huge loads of branches and straw - or, as I liked to call it, "rush hour on the Annapurna Circuit". For the first part of the afternoon, we walked with the three trekkers who had shared the jeep with us, but they stopped for the night in Bahundanda while we continued on to Ghermu. On the trial, we came across a trio of guys from England and Belgium, who also stopped for the night in Ghermu. None of the guys had known each other prior to the trek - they had met in the airport and decided to make a trekking group. When we came to Ghermu, we stopped at the same teahouse as them, in order to hang out with our new trail friends at dinner. Unfortunately, we hadn't yet heard the advice for choosing a teahouse - don't stop at the very first one you see in a village. Often, the main village is a little further along, containing more options with better amenities. Our teahouse for the first night was fine though very basic, even for the Annapurna Circuit. It had 2 beds per room (and one MASSIVE spider) and a porch on the upper level, where we ate dinner. Looking back, it was nice to have one night where it was warm enough to eat outside with just a fleece on. I was so tired that the teahouse quality barely mattered to me. While Ciara, Rachel, and our new trekking friends chatted before dinner, I actually fell asleep on the table. I would have just gone to bed, but we hadn't had lunch and only snacked on trail snacks, so I needed some dinner. In each town, the teahouse menus have to be approved by the tourist board and they are pretty standard throughout the Circuit, except for the prices, which increase as you go higher in altitude. The menus offer the Nepalese staple of Dal Bhat (rice, lentils, and curry), curries, fried rice, noodles, potato dishes, soups, oatmeal, muesli, chapati (flat bread), tea, coffee, and some desserts. Dinner for me was potato curry - cheap and filling. We also shared an "apple pie" for dessert. Cutting into it, we knew that the filling was not apples, though it tasted somewhat similar. Shortly after eating the "apple pie", the lack of apples was confirmed when we ordered oatmeal with apples for breakfast and were told that they had "no apples". To this day, I have no idea what was in our "apple pie". Daily trekking distance: 13 km
Total trekking distance: 13 km Starting elevation (Bhulbhule): 840 m/2756 ft Ending elevation (Ghermu): 1130m/3707 ft Costs Bus Pokhara to Besishahar: 500 NPR ($4.59) Jeep Besishahar to Bhulbhule: 333 NPR ($3.06) Room + dinner + breakfast Ghermu: 467 NPR ($4.15) *They keep track of all expenses at the teahouse and you settle up in the morning after breakfast.* |
AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
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