Annapurna Base Camp- Well worth the pain, rain and amount of huge stone steps we encountered! Here we are with Ganesh and Igor, our adopted guides and new friends!
We left the busy Kathmandu with all our newly acquired fake polyester clothing and got a bus to Pokhara, about 7 hours west of the capital. It should have been 7 hours, but after about 4 hours driving and a brief stop for lunch, we stopped in a huge queue of traffic... nothing unusual until we looked about 200 metres up the road to discover that there had been a landslide overnight and the road was blocked by a boulder. It looks just like the boulder in Indiana Jones and 2 large JCB's were trying to break it down to clear the road. After about 4 hours stuck in the midday sun we finally started to get going.
Pokhara is a huge contrast to Kathmandu. Its next to a lake, mountains in the distance (you can only see them if you're up at 6am as the cloud comes in..) and a very chilled out atmosphere with a mixture of trekkers and hippy types.
We'd planned to start trekking the day after we arrived, but poor Sadie was sick for a few days so we just chilled. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as people we met that went said they didn't see much because of the cloud, but we had perfect weather.... well for most of it!
Day 1 - The WET day....
The trek started in a small village (a couple of wooden shelters) call Phedi and started with a 2 hour climb up some stone steps. This is when the rain started and our loving relationship with stone steps started. The rest of the day was a mixture of paddy fields, forests with monkeys in the trees and more wet and perilous stone steps! Despite the bad weather we got to our first teahouse in Tolka 8 hours later.
Day 2 - Steps....
Probably the hardest day on the trek. It started with us having to put on damp clothes and boots as nothing had dried overnight. Our spirits were raised when the sun eventually came out and we could see further than 20 metres into the valley. We had a pleasant walk along the river to a the next village Jhinu Danda for tea and food. Behind us we could see our destination Chhromrong... To get there, we had a 1-2 hour climb up some very steep steps. I met with a Nepali guy and I think the talking helped the time pass and my mind not concentrate on my burning legs. It was very tough and even he was struggling towards the top.
Pokhara is a huge contrast to Kathmandu. Its next to a lake, mountains in the distance (you can only see them if you're up at 6am as the cloud comes in..) and a very chilled out atmosphere with a mixture of trekkers and hippy types.
We'd planned to start trekking the day after we arrived, but poor Sadie was sick for a few days so we just chilled. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as people we met that went said they didn't see much because of the cloud, but we had perfect weather.... well for most of it!
Day 1 - The WET day....
The trek started in a small village (a couple of wooden shelters) call Phedi and started with a 2 hour climb up some stone steps. This is when the rain started and our loving relationship with stone steps started. The rest of the day was a mixture of paddy fields, forests with monkeys in the trees and more wet and perilous stone steps! Despite the bad weather we got to our first teahouse in Tolka 8 hours later.
Day 2 - Steps....
Probably the hardest day on the trek. It started with us having to put on damp clothes and boots as nothing had dried overnight. Our spirits were raised when the sun eventually came out and we could see further than 20 metres into the valley. We had a pleasant walk along the river to a the next village Jhinu Danda for tea and food. Behind us we could see our destination Chhromrong... To get there, we had a 1-2 hour climb up some very steep steps. I met with a Nepali guy and I think the talking helped the time pass and my mind not concentrate on my burning legs. It was very tough and even he was struggling towards the top.
Day 3 and 4
We were up and 6am and was greeted by our first clear morning and some amazing mountain views. For the next 2 days we followed the valley to a small place called Bamboo (it has a bamboo plantation) where we stopped for one night. The lady in the teahouse we stopped in was a great cook and i had the tastiest dhal bhat i have had in Nepal! This is also were we met our new trekking partners, Igor from Slovenia and his Nepali guide Ganesh. We all trekked together for the next 4 days and would spend the evening talking and playing cards. Our next stop was a place called Deurali at 3200m above see level. Stopping in the guest house with us was a South Korean expedition who were going to be climbing one of the 6500m peaks.
We were up and 6am and was greeted by our first clear morning and some amazing mountain views. For the next 2 days we followed the valley to a small place called Bamboo (it has a bamboo plantation) where we stopped for one night. The lady in the teahouse we stopped in was a great cook and i had the tastiest dhal bhat i have had in Nepal! This is also were we met our new trekking partners, Igor from Slovenia and his Nepali guide Ganesh. We all trekked together for the next 4 days and would spend the evening talking and playing cards. Our next stop was a place called Deurali at 3200m above see level. Stopping in the guest house with us was a South Korean expedition who were going to be climbing one of the 6500m peaks.
Day 5 - Annapurna Base Camp
Today was what we had been waiting for. We had about a 3 hour climb to Machhapuchhare Base Camp (3800m). It is just a collection of hotels and technically not a basecamp as climbing the mountain has been prohibited since so many people died trying. We had a rest to ensure none of us were suffering from the early signs of mountain sickness, and were soon on our way for another 2 hour walk up to 4130 m and Annapurna Basecamp. It was such a great sense of achievement to get to basecamp and we were rewarded with some great views... but nothing compared to the morning.
Today was what we had been waiting for. We had about a 3 hour climb to Machhapuchhare Base Camp (3800m). It is just a collection of hotels and technically not a basecamp as climbing the mountain has been prohibited since so many people died trying. We had a rest to ensure none of us were suffering from the early signs of mountain sickness, and were soon on our way for another 2 hour walk up to 4130 m and Annapurna Basecamp. It was such a great sense of achievement to get to basecamp and we were rewarded with some great views... but nothing compared to the morning.
Day 6 - 9 We were at 05:30 and climbed a short distance to wait for the sun rise. It was the most beautiful sunrise and the mountains changed to an orangey-pink colour. The photo really doesn't do it justice. It was so cold but we were mesmerised as we watched the sun touch each of the peaks in turn and gradually light up the whole surface of the Annapurna range.
The next 3 days were retracing our steps back down the valley to Bamboo and Chhromrong, where we said goodbye to Igor and Ganesh who were going a slightly different route to us. On the way to our final stop off, Ghandruk, we came across a couple of cows. On earlier parts of the trail we had been stuck for a while because the cow would just stand in the middle of the path and refuse to move. We carefully walked past the first 2 and carried on our way... or so we thought. The largest and craziest one then started to snort and run towards us every time we we moved. Usually, I'm not afraid of cows, but having something that big with huge horns (they are a cross between a cow and yak) snort angrily at you is quite a frightening experience! We only got past it as a line of laden horses came past and blocked the cow's path.
The final day was an easy 4 hour descent to our destination Naya Pul, where we had a taxi back to Pokhara for a sleep and more importantly a shower!
The final day was an easy 4 hour descent to our destination Naya Pul, where we had a taxi back to Pokhara for a sleep and more importantly a shower!
It was an experience I don't think any of us will ever forget! 
wow! it seems like you enjoyed lot..those pictures look amazing..I am planning to visit nepal on coming November for 14 days Everest base camp trek..hope the altitude won't affect me!!
ReplyDeleteamazing view, gutted again that my nepal trip was cancelled! you have to go back with me redmond! miss ya xxxx Kwok x
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