Nepal - Annapurna Circuit October 2014


When the mountains call, you have to go.


After putting off this trip for years, it could no longer be delayed, it was holding back all the other plans and it had to be done. Flight booked, got 3 weeks off work, packed and gone.


I originally planned to leave on 11 October, but decided to put off the trip 1 week so to run the Pentlands Skyline on 12 October, and this race may have saved my life, or at least a long trip for nothing:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Nepal_snowstorm_disaster


The news coming from Nepal were scaring, the Thorong La Pass was officially closed until the situation would get better. I didn't know if I would manage to walk all the circuit, but there was only a way to find it out, go there and see what the situation was like.




My rucksack was a huge 13kg (without water and food). I didn't pack down jacket, crampons nor trekking poles, just many layers of fleece tops, boots, and the hard cover copy of This change everything by Naomi Klein. I didn't dare weight it but most people agreed on 1kg. I bought that book as soon as it came out, and couldn't wait for a good occasion to read it. To save £10 I ended up buying a 3 legged flight (Edinburgh – London / London – Guangzhou / Guangzhou – Kathmandu) and thought the 35h in the air/ports would give enough time to finish it, but I amazingly slept most of the time and had to carry it all the way for the following 2 weeks. Naomi, this is how much I respect you!


I arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday evening 19 October (my rucksack did not), and by the time I changed money and was over customs, it was past midnight. A guy from the Kharma hostel I was staying in Thamel was supposed to come and pick me up, at 10pm, and I wasn't surprised to see he wasn't there any more. But the other taxi guys knew him, and one even called him and put me through. I was advised to get a taxi. That night it turned out I would sleep at a nearby hostel as he was not sure if I was coming, although I confirmed it 3 times.


I planned an early start at 7am, in order to have enough time to check in the other hostel, go to the Nepal Tourism Board to sort out the permits and go back to the airport to see if my rucksack arrived. But, I overslept. At 8 I rushed to the Kharma hostel, met the owner Keshab, had a wee chat, checked in, got a map of Kathmandu, a few directions and headed to the Tourism Board. What a shock! Crossing roads is suicidal. It took me 5 good minutes to figure out the right of way dynamic, which I think it is: go slowly toward the other side and all vehicles will pass you by. Good luck! I didn't like Kathmandu, too much traffic, dust, pollution, noise, I really hoped to get everything done and leave it the day after. 

 


After 1h or so of walking in dust and getting lost, I finally reached the Tourism Board. There were a few guys and a guide filling in papers. I went to a desk, was sent to another, and another, to be told for the Annapurna I had to talk to the boss. I went to the boss, he looked at me and said the circuit was closed and they were not issuing permits. The world collapsed on me. I tried to negotiate for a while but there was no way. I went outside, sat on the entrance steps and smoked a cigarette thinking what to do.


In a state of complete bleakness, Long walked pass and asked if I was alright. I explained my situation and he said he just got the permit for the Annapurna Circuit. An American guy, solo traveller with no guide nor porters as myself, that set me on fire. I asked him if he would have minded to come to the boss with me and show him his permit. He agreed and in 5 min I was passing from 1 office to the other getting the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS card) sorted out. After 1h I had both of them! Bring a few snapshots as you will need quite a few. Lucky enough I had a few old spares with me...and I don't think they really checked them anyway.

Long was waiting for me, we walked back to Thamel and had lunch together with the first of many Dal Bhat (Dal Bhat power 24 hours!). 

Our plans were very similar. We were aiming at leaving Kathmandu the day after, and start walking as soon as possible, no porters, no guide. The Pass was still closed, but we thought it may be open by the time we would be there. We agreed to start off together, the only question mark being my rucksack! I called the airport from the hostel, and they said the rucksack arrived so that I rushed to get it and there it was. The meeting point with Long was at 6am in front of a temple nearby, those were a well packed 24h, couldn't wait to leave the city.

Day 1 – Kathmandu to Besisahar by bus, then walked to Bhulbhule, 2h

All the stay in Nepal was characterised by lack of information. Nobody was never sure of nothing, we soon learnt not to get stressed about it and to flow with the mainstream attitude, whatever will be will be.

At past 6am I met with Long, who got lost in the maze of Thamel alleys. We didn't know where we had to go, but I reckoned local taxi drivers must knew. We stopped one and asked for the bus station of the cheap mini buses to Besisahar. 20 min after we were there for 300R each. The mini bus was direct, and much cheaper than the tourist buses (500R), but there is a reason...it was a 6 hour drive with dust over dust, overcrowded, no suspensions on Emmental shaped roads, but, it was good to leave KTM behind.

Tip: sit on the left hand side of the bus!

Back home I got Trekking the Annapurna Circuit - along the new NATT trails which avoid the road and trekking south of Annapurna by Andrées de Ruiter, and was given a the Around Annapurna trekking map NA504. I found both very useful and they were generally enough to find the track, if in doubt I'd ask locals or passer by, I never really felt lost or in danger.

We arrived in Besisahar at 2pm and we were not sure what to do, take a Jeep to Bhulbhule, walk the trail or walk the road, or stay in Besisahar? It started raining while we were having lunch but soon after it stopped and by inertia we started walking along the road. We were planning to get the trail but we didn't find the path to it and got in Bhulbhule 2h after by the road. 

 

The first hostel we asked was full, but we found space in the second, the Heaven Guesthouse. There we met Robbie, the first of many who had to turn back due to the Pass being closed, or the snow too high to make the path look clear. The room was tiny and nice, the menu would have been the same all over the circuit, the main difference being that the price would increase with the altitude.

It didn't take long to get used to the rhythm and routine of the circuit. Early start, abundant breakfast, walk 4/5h, have lunch, keep walking, find a nice hostel, have dinner, prepare next day route / read / talk to fellow hikers, if any, go to sleep early.

Day 2 – Bhulbhule (1310m) to Chyamche (1430 m), 7h

The day started with a coffee in the guesthouse porch and with the deafening sound of the nearby river, that we would follow for the next few days.

This counts as the first effective hiking day. No buses to take finally, but still dust... Unfortunately for the hikers, the road that was built up to Manang means a lot of dust any time a Jeep or motorcycle passes by, which was quite frequently. While the road can usually be avoided in favour of the trail, there are sections where this is not possible, and that makes the full experience lose charm. Opinions on its usefulness are varied and contrasting. On the one hand it's obviously handy and welcomed by locals as it makes life easier, but on the other hand, locals realised, at least in some villages where the road passes by, that hikers wouldn't stop there because of the dust and traffic, which resulted in lost business. As for the hikers, we all agreed that the road is to be avoided every time we could.

But, no matter the road nor the dust, I finally found myself walking in the Himalayas, the dream of my life. I felt privileged to be there, breathe its air and being delighted by those majestic still distant sights. The thought of snow and cold was still remote. We spent the day walking in luxurious vegetation and rice fields, warm and sweaty, up and down the track.

After 2h ½ we were in Bahundanda, on top of a hill with a beautiful view on the valley and then down, until we stopped for lunch. After spending 1h 20” waiting for it (momos for a change) and 10” stuffing them down, we learnt to always ask for the quickest dish, which it's usually fried maccaroni.

After 7 hours we reached Chyamche [2630m] and the beautifully set Superrainbow view guest house. The place is located after a very steep section, and about 1 km out of the village, but is a true gem. Since most of the hikers and groups stay in the village itself, the view on the waterfall was all for the 2 of us, and another couple on thi way back from Manang. 

 

The guys gave us a lot of useful information on the route, and gave us some perspective on the storm that struck the Pass the week before. Numbers were sill vague, but there were rumours of around 50 people dead and hundred of people missing. The guys told us that at no stage on their way back were they asked for their name, and assumed that they have been among the missing, as all the other hikers that turned back. 

Considering the number of checkpoints it was a surprise to realise the level of disorganisation, and the lack of information, even where were we were supposed to have it i.e. checkpoints and tourism offices. Not only the situation in the upper ground was unknown, they couldn't even provide basic info on weather or current track conditions. Again, we realised the only way to find out was to try it ourselves.

Day 3 - Chyamche (1430 m) to Danaquy (1920m), 8 h
This was a beautiful trekking day, 8h of pure joy on the track in the woods by the river, entering the Manang district on the steps of Peter Matthiessen looking for the snow leopard.

The views were getting better and better, the big mountains were approaching, and the people coming back were less, which was good news. The conditions on the upper trails were still unknown, but we were not in a hurry and thought that it would take us still a few days to get to Manang, we were planning a couple of acclimatisation days too, and in case we could afford a few rest days waiting for the track to be open. Not having a clue of what was waiting for us was both scaring and thrilling, but we had hope. In the meantime we enjoyed the still relatively warm temperatures, hot water, beautiful views and the local festivities. 

 

Nights were getting chilly though, and I made good use of an advice from the guys we met in Chyamche. They were travelling super light (and were puzzled at the size of my book...) and had no sleeping bag with them. They were just asking the guesthouses for blankets, thick blankets. Since then I always asked for blankets and never had a problem. In the 13kg of stuff I packed there was a -1 degree sleeping bag and fleece liner, but I'm always cold, and an extra blanket came up useful.

Day 4 - Danaquy (1920m) to Dhaikur Pokari (3060m), 8 h

This was a long, tiring but rewarding day. We had more that 1000 m elevation gained and started to feel the altitude when breathing. Some sections were steep but overall the track was very good and rewarding, the higher the better the views.

We stopped for lunch in Chame, with fried veg maccaroni for a change and it was a lovely break in the sun. We had delicious locally grown apple, which was a good change from a pasta based diet. 

 

Tips for lunch:

1. Always ask for the quickest dish, it can really take hours for some of them, the hours of sunlight are counted and, further up, you don't want to be walking outside when the sun is gone, trust me!
2. When you choose a guesthouse to eat, make sure the table are in the sun, and will stay in the sun for a while. When you arrive warm and sweaty, shade is good, but it doesn't take long to get cold, and lunch can take 1h.

After 8 h we arrived dead tired at Hotel Gangapurna in Dhikor Pokari, ready to spend our first night above 3000 m. Finally it felt like we were in the Himalayas, the freezing cold Himalayas. The sun had set already, which means no hot shower for us. The fire was on in the kitchen but the door was left open for the smoke. I was wearing almost everything and was still shivering. There we met a group of Australians who had to turn back, and the conversation scared me. The way they pictured the way ahead was bleak. Too much snow, the track couldn't be seen, no way to keep going.

On the other side, it must be said that the starred sky at night was spectacular and somehow reassured me everything would be all right. I was also trying to catch up with my book but I couldn't manage more than a few pages, too cold, too tired.

Tip: above 3000 m, pens don't work. Bring pencils.

Day 5 - Dhaikor Pokari (3060m) to Braka (3300) via Upper Pisang, 7h 30'

We got ready for a long and exhausting trekking day. The route was claimed to be one of the most panoramic, and it didn't let us down. We opted for the Upper Pisang trail, and at the feet of the 600m elevation gained uphill we looked up, then at each other and thought, is it really worth it? Yep, the steep ascent was never ending but worth any single drop of sweat, the view on the top of the Annapurna range was spectacular, breathless in every sense. 

 

The track followed almost flat passing through a few villages and then a Buddhist monastery. The weather was usually very good, but that day we got some snow. It was not a blizzard though, just gentle snow dancing in the sky, visibility was good, it was a pleasant change from the typical sunny days, and really enjoyed the atmosphere, it added some drama to the landscape. 

 

Things with Long were getting weird, and I started to feel like keeping on alone. We did have a similar pace which was good, but our attitude to the hike was too different, and, after all, my original plan was to hike on my own.

The descent started and after a few hours we finally spotted Braka. We decided to stay at the New Yak Guesthouse, one of my favourites, especially for the great people I met there, and that I would have met again randomly in the next 2 weeks. The Guesthouse came with a bakery, the rooms were big as well as the dining room. I was pleased to finally meet people, trekkers like myself, travelling independently. One was a Czeck / Slovak group of 3 people, really strong guys! They all had a huge rucksack and that was their first not camping night and the girl admitted she enjoyed the first shower in a week.

Then there was a group of 3 Australian guys, quite a combination of characters...they were travelling the world and when in Kathmandu a few weeks before they decided to do the trek. That was the first snow they saw in their life, and they were not exactly prepared for it... One of them was wearing this kind of striped pyjama trousers and that was all he had. They were really freezing and decided to turn back the day after and go to chill out in Pokhara. I don't even know how they managed to get up there! We realised we would probably be in Pokhara around the same time, and exchanged emails so to meet there, looking for some warm sun and chill out.

After some chatting and laughter with those nutters I went for the good night smoke under the starred sky, wondering if I'd make it to the Pass (nobody was still sure if it was open or how the snow conditions were). At that stage I glimpsed some far away lightening and was not sure how to interpret them. Better sleep over it.

Day 6 - Acclimatisation day, walking up to Ice Lake (4600m), and then to Manang (3500m)

I have been over 5000 m before and never had problems, but all the scaring talks of lung and cerebral endemas forced me to take acclimatisation seriously, and follow all the advice to minimise its risk. The main directives go: sleep over 3000 m for 2 nights; those 2 days go up over 4000 m and return the same day; above this altitude do not sleep at more than 500m elevation gained at every night.

I still had many days to play, and prepared my acclimatisation strategy as follow:

• Day 1 – Acclimatisation day, up and down ice Lake (4600 m) – sleep in Manang (3500 m)
• Day 2 - Acclimatisation day, exploring a path above Upper Khangsar at (4500m) – sleep in Khangsar (3700 m)
• Day 3 – Sleep in Ledar (4200m)
  
• Day 4 - Sleep in High Camp (4600m)
• Day 5 – Thorung La Pass day (5416 m )

I love early mornings and early starts, energies are up, fresh air, morning colours. Happy and kicking I started the steep climb up to Ice Lake for my first acclimatisation day, withouth rucksack it felt like flying. For the first half the path was clear, but the amount of snow over 4000 m covered the track and we had to improvise our way. After some failed attempts we found it, and reached first the lake then the stupa looking into the valley and to the Annapurna range, in 3h. What a show! But low clouds were quickly approaching and pushed us down.

I was feeling great, the stunning views compensated the lack of oxygen, endorphins were high, it was a great run down, with the company of a group of eagles flying over me, fantastic day!

Once back at the New Yak hostel I got a seabuckthorne juice and, although delicious and supposedly energetic, it would take my guts a few days to get over it.

After lunch it was a short walk to Manang, we booked in a Guesthouse that was full of people, mostly groups. Although it was pick season, we hardly met people in the guesthouses we have been before. Not sure if people were put off from the blizzard news, or if it's always like this, but we never had problem to find space. 

 

At 3pm the Medical Center was running a talk on acclimatisation. The medical volunteer staff provided some good information on the track, and how to approach the following days. Most people attending the talk were mature people trekking in groups, and I somehow perceived some scornful feeling against unprepared and unequipped backpackers that put themselves into trouble, as if the only way to experience those places was a smiling bank account. I understand that being prepared minimise risks and avoid trouble to other people, but I'm sure that most backpackers attempting the cross, have in attitude what they lack in money, and sometimes that makes the difference. That said, after the talk I went straight to a shop and bought trekking poles. I've never used them in my life but thought it would be good to have them, just in case, and just to minimise the chances of me saying “if only I had them” or “they were damn right!”

Manang is the last place where to get stock and equipment. It consists mainly of shops and guesthouses, and it's the last village reached by the road. In the evening we went to the cinema to watch Into thin Air. I already read the book and knew what to expect (won't spoil the plot but don't expect a good ending...). Not sure that was a good choice to raise the mood, but it certainly put some questions in my head, what drives people to such crazy, inhuman challenges? Why putting yourself at such risk? What are you expecting in return?

Day 7 - Manang (3500m) to Khangsar (3700m) - 2h + 2h acclimatisation walk to 4500m

This was meant to be an easy day, just a stroll to next village, but it gave some complications.

First I (intentionally?) lost Long, then I started walking toward what I thought was Khangsar end ended climbing the fields to another village. After realising it was not the one I turned back and followed the main road, unsure it was the right one. There were no people to ask around so that I stopped for a smoke and decided to wait for someone to assure me it was the right way.

Kory was the one. He was a Canadian volunteer at the Manang Medical practice, and, funny enough, the day before he was the one directing me to the right room where the talk was taking place as I arrived late. He was going the same direction so that we walked together. His volunteering stay would finish the week after, so that he was checking out an alternative trak via Khangsar that would have joined the main one later on, but nobody would have bet on the bridge conditions.

Kory gave me his first hand version of the tragedy that occurred a few weeks before, and some critical remarks on the approach taken by the Israeli government who apparently sent an helicopter to evacuate the Israeli citizens stranded in the High Camp, but ordered not to take on any other person, not even the sick. Kory said he talked to the pilot and told him he had to take the injured and sick, which he eventually did, but returned from a 3^rd trip empty as any other person would not enter in the group. If true, I found this outrageous. As for the accident, it seems that when the storm stroke, those who didn't reach the pass and turned back to High Camp were safe. Those who decided to go down from the other side from the Pass died out of hypothermia. Still many question marks are left.

We had lunch in Khangsar and then went up the mountain to check out this track. The ascent was steep but having no rucksack added some extra gears. After an hour Kory turned back to Manang as he was getting late, while I kept going hoping to reach the top and have a good look at the other side. All I saw was snow, cows, and a myriad of paths leading everywhere and nowhere. At least I knew that way was not easily passable, and decided that the day after I would go back to Manang and continue the ascent following the usual route.

The way down was a dream run. Wild running downhill at 4000 m feels great. The Annapurna range facing you, eagles to keep you company, the moment of perfection.

I recently read Annapurna by Maurice Herzog and was fresh of the adventure of the French expedition, who, starving, walked down to this very Manang looking for food, only to be met by starving villagers. I wondered what they must have felt when facing the Great Barrier. Again, why? What for?

I met Long back in the guesthouse, and he didn't have a good day. He took completely the wrong track and had to cross a river, and snow and walk for hours, his boots were soaked wet and he didn't look much better, but, at least he was safe and warm by the time I saw him.

We decided that we would continue the hike separately and wished the best to each other for crossing the Pass.

Day 8 - Khangsar (3700m) to Ledar (4200m) - 5 hours

I knew the next few days would be a short walk, so that I started late, waiting for the sun to warm up the way. Then I understood why so many civilization worshipped the Sun.

On the way up to Ledar I met a French girl on her way back, and for the first time since I started the trek, she was not turning back, she was coming from the other side! I bombarded her of questions on the snow level, the condition of the track, do I need crampon? How dangerous was it?

She assured me that the path was fine, some point had still a lot of snow but nothing extreme or dangerous. That was the news I wanted to hear. Now I just had to hope for the weather to keep sunny and good. I knew that the pass has to be crossed before 12am due to the strong afternoon winds, and was crossing fingers for a sunny and calm morning.

I arrived in Ledar very early. The view from the window was spectacular, and saw my first Yak heavily loaded with stocks. I just couldn't wait for the big day to arrive. The cold, nervousness and boredom started to feel unbearable.



Day 9 - Ledar (4200) to High Camp (4600m) – 3h
Today walk was really short, 3h in total. The air was getting thinner and I was not in a good day. I had no motivation nor reason to push and I took it very easy. The last bit to High Camp was steep and snowy, and the view of the Camp was welcoming. I arrived at around midday and enjoyed a very caloric lunch, and the sun, so strong up there.

I then went up a short walk to the viewpoint. Nobody was there yet and enjoyed the peace, the blue sky, and the company of the eagles flying by. The High Camp was packed but not full. I was given a dormitory of 4 all for myself. When I discover that up there lighters won't work, it was serious panic. I got to know every porter, the same guys I met along the way te previous days, and trade cigarettes for matches and a good chat. We were all glad to be up there healthy and smiley, and the weather was holding and promising.

I gave up on finishing my book before crossing, and resigned to carry it all along the circuit. Naomi proved to be a good company and gave me some good advise “we need a new imagination to reinvent the world. An imagination that has an altogether different understanding of what constitute happiness and fulfilment”. I thought this could apply to my life too, and thought of this while trying to get some sleep.

It was freezing, really. I don't know how many degrees were at night but it must have been less than -10. I wore everything, plus sleeping bag, plus fleece liner, blus the 4 heavy blankets left on the beds, and I was shivering. I set the alarm clock at 4.45 am and hoped those hours would pass quickly.


Day 10 - High camp (4600m) to Kagbeni (2800m), passing through... THORUNG LA PASS! (5416m) 7.30am - 8h
The big day finally arrived. My pyjama was my trekking outfit too, which speeded up the getting ready process. I miraculously managed to light up a cigarette and had the best good morning smoke of my life.


Sitting at the entrance step of my dorm, I found myself in a parallel universe. In the silence and darkness I saw a procession of people starting the ascent in line, in religious silence, with their headlamp dotting the way. And then looking up, the sky was a sea of bright and sparkling stars dancing in the night. Apart from being a good sign, that was truly magical.


After this moment of aesthetic ecstasy, I pulled myself together and went to have a quick breakfast. I then spent a good 15 min looking for a match for the after breakfast smoke, panic, everyone was gone already! I finally managed to find one, had my nicotine dose and then got my rucksack and myself ready.


At 6am I finally got started: headlamp, brand new trekking poles, mp3 player, ready, go! It was one of those days that you can walk forever, I felt strong, connected to every inch of my body, I was in the zone. I passed all the groups I met at the camp the night before and speeded up singing out loud the Vetusta Morla tracks I was listening. I was sceptical but I must admit the trekking poles turned out to be very useful and handy...pity I'd lose them in a few hours.


I was told it'd take 3 hours, and many false passes, to reach the true pass, and set my mind for a good walk. Walking in the snow and feeling strong on it raised my mood, and singing helped too. After 1h 30'' walk, it came to my surprise (and a bit of disappointment) the view of the prayers flags...was that it? With disbelief I was approaching the Pass, until I read Thorong-La Pass (541m) 7.30am. I made it. The feeling of fulfilment and joy was overwhelming, the best day of my life.

I met a couple of porters that I knew from the night before, we all congratulated each other and had a celebrating smoke together. My face was anaesthetised by the freezing air and it took some time to be able to speak properly...that was weird! The camera was dead too but after some warming up, it got back working.


On top of the circuit I met Rick, a very nice guy from England. We took each other some pictures and then started the 3h descent to Muktinath. The snow was deep but overall the track was fine. We passed through the point where the people got struck by the storm, and parts of equipment were still scattered around. We felt lucky and fragile, and kept going in silence. Our thought went to all those people, who like us just wanted to experience the overwhelming joy of passing through the sun, but sometimes things just don't go as planned.


We arrived in Muktinath (3800 m) at around 12am had lunch together (I had a salad, like true lettuce, amazing! Some other trekkers even came to me asking where I found it!). We found ourselves in tshirt and shorts while everybody else would be wearing down jackets and trousers, looked at each other and realised what we just came through. The landscapes were arid and dry down there, and that was only a 3h walk from the heavenly view we just passed.

It was early, we were feeling fresh and good and decided to keep going. He would go to Jomson to catch a flight, and I decided to keep going until Kagbeni. We realised we would be in Kathmandu around the same days, and agreed to meet there for a last celebration night. I'd later find out that in Jomson he would meet Jonty and the Australian guys, who at the end managed to get through the Pass too, the world is small!


After lunch I started my 3h 30'' walk down to Kagbeni, one of the prettiest villages on the way. The landscapes were very arid, and and afternoon headwind wouldn't give me a break, but endorphins were still high in my body, nobody was in sight for miles and miles, I felt good and privileges to be out there, and kept smiling like an idiot all the way down, life felt beautiful!

I finally made it to Kagbeni, dead tired and very very hungry. Booked in a guesthouse (with hot running water!!) I went hunting for food, any food, I was just starving. I entered a small shop, one of those selling everything, asked for some bread, told them I walked from High camp that day, the man offered me a chair and told me “sit down!” I had a good chat with him and his family and thanked him for his kindness.


That night I went to sleep early, but was so tired I slept nothing.



Day 11 - Kagbeni (2800m) to Tukuche (2590), 6h
All the excitement accumulated the previous days left space to tiredness. Slept badly, and woke up even worse.


That day has to be forgotten. Past were the snowy peaks, now only a dusty road and headwind, no good, not fun. Or maybe it was just my mood painting everything gray.


The first 2h 30' on the main road to Jomson were terrible. The road was busy with Jeeps and had to cover all my face from the raised dust. I then followed the track up to the villages of Tini and Dhumba, the sky was gray and sad, and I found the walk monotonous.

When I finally got to Tukuche after 6h of road I was so pissed off with all the dust of the road and the nostopping wind, and thought of getting a Jeep to go back, but I realised I better sleep over it. 
 


Day 12 (last) - Tukuche (2590) to Ghasa (2010)- 7h
1^st November - I woke up with a stiff neck and a spider in my bed, not a good start but in Halloween style at least.


I decided that would be the last day of the trek as couldn't be bothered with more dust and road. I was ready for more road and dust but this day brought pleasant side walks up and down woods and mountains, a nice way to put an end to the trip


After 4h 30' I reached Kalopani where I had a nice lunch in a sunny garden. The view were supposed to be good from there but the sky was misty. I found out only afterwords that the Pass was closed in those days for bad weather. I realised how lucky I had been in crossing it.

Back on the road I saw a white sign and followed it up a steep hill to get to Butharchho Lake (2683m), I then followed the path to get to the other lake, pity the path disappeared in the tons of debris brought by the monsoon. I thus had to go further up to be able to cross the river, and then improvise a path down in the middle of bushes. Reached Sekong Lake (2725m) and went down a super steep descent. The last bit was a nice track in the forest leading to Ghasa. That was my last night in the Annapurna region, the day after I would take the bus to Pokhara. And, most important, I finally finished the book! Ready to start the second one I was carrying around, Edwar Abbey's Desert Solitaire. 
 


Pokhara

Getting to Pokhara was an adventure in itself. The minibus ride to Beni was a 4h of magic mountains. In Bani I got the bus to Pokhara, but had to leave it 1h to destination as a wheel broke down. We were all transferred in another bus overcrowded with people and animals.

In Pokhara I knew Jonty would have stayed in the Avocado hostel so that I headed there hoping to find him. It took a couple of days before we eventually met, even tough our rooms were facing each other.


Finally back to civilization. I was planning a few relaxing days before going back to Katmandu and get the flight back, but ended walking all the possible hills nearby.


Day 1 - World Peace Pagoda
Looking at the map I though I could try running around the lake. I woke up early heading to the World Peace Pagoda. I was lucky to meet a local farmer who offered to walk up with me for a tip, as the forest part is badly known for robberies in early hours and to solo walkers. The view from the top was blurred by a layer of mist, but still I got a glimpse of the beauty of the mountain layout behind the town. 

 

I kept on until I reached a tower, and kept asking people if they knew of a path around the lake, but nobody had any clue. It was a fail, I had to turn and go back the same way.



Day 2 - Sarangkat 

 
I enjoyed this walk much more than the World Peace Pagoda one. It was a 2h steep ascent of steps over steps, but I was gaining elevation very quickly and reached the top breathless and happy. The track was clear and easy to follow, and the top view on the lake rewarding. I stopped half way down playing the lizard on a flat rock, and finally got back strolling around the lake and the tourist shops. That night I finally met Jonty and we had some catch up to do in front of some good beer.


Day 3 – Sarangkat, again
I liked this walk so much that I persuaded Jonty to come over with me. We got half way up but his foot was giving him problems so we went down, grabbed a taxi and went to the Mountain museum, where I met again the Czeck /Slovak group, who I met again by chance on the bus to Pokhara 2 days before, the world is small indeed!


Not sure what to make of the Mountain Museum. Some parts were really interesting, all the literature behind the big expeditions, and the display of equipment and local traditional life, but I'm still not entirely convinced about some peaces on display...

Well, for sure we had a good laugh at them!


Back in the madness and traffic of Kathmandu, I went up the Monkey Temple for my farewell to Nepal, and met Rick later on for a few beers, to celebrate the end of a great holiday. Rick had an early flight the day after, while mine - back to China, then Amsterdam and Edinburgh (why making things easy when you can easily complicate them?) was later on in the evening. 

 


Out of the thousand of taxi drivers that work in Kathmandu, I stopped one who said he was tired as he had to wake up early to drive a British guy (who showed up late and drunk) to the airport...guess who he was? Haha, I left with a final smile, Nepal is magic indeed.