Trekking in the Himalayas

We succumbed to pressure from a trekking agent in Kathmandu, and booked a 7 day trek through the mountains in the Annapurna region, beginning from Pokhara. On the first morning, we were driven to the little village of Nayapool, where many people begin their hike. We had an easy start of only a few hours walking, and our first taste of local mountain superfood Dal bhat. "Dal bhat power 24 hour"

The mountains were shrouded in mysterious cloud that first day, but a torrential downpour, conveniently timed as we arrived at our first teahouse, cleared the air and we were lucky for the rest of the trek. Our first stop, in Tikadunga (1,540m), was a beautiful little guesthouse, with very simple rooms, but lovely owners and lots of blankets (a perk of low season).
Our second day consisted of endless steep stone steps, which we climbed for 6 or 7 hours, gaining an impressive 1,400 metres.

Somewhere around lunchtime, we hit the snowline, which is apparently unusual at this altitude even in winter..more global warming effects.

We were plunged into a magical winter wonderland, as our path led us through rhododendron forest, which, when in beautiful red bloom, typifies the Annapurna region. I was just chuffed to finally have some Christmas snow.

We finally arrived at Ghorepani (2,860m) to a room with a rather acceptable view, and a warm fire over which I could dry my wet socks. That evening we indulged in heaps of food as usual, and also the famous apple pie..an idea introduced by European trekkers long ago that seems to have stuck.
The next morning, we left the lodge before dawn, and climbed steep and stupidly slippery icy steps for 45 minutes to reach Poon Hill, a very popular viewing point for sunrise over the Himalayas. It was a dizzy and slightly nauseous ascent for me, but totally worth it at the top. We froze to death waiting for the sun to appear, but the sky was a stunning clear blue, and the colours on the peaks were beautiful.

Annapurna South (7,219m) 

We returned to the teahouse for breakfast, and then began another long day of walking, made far more difficult by the amount of snow. Walking through fresh snow is one thing, but along a well trodden path of packed down snow/ice, which is also steep or used to be steps, is pretty hellish. I swear I had less grip on my boots than others, as I spent a considerable amount of time on my bum that day.

There was a bit of ascent, some incredible views, then mostly downhill struggle until we eventually broke free of the snow some 7 or 8 hours later.

The next few nights were spent in beautiful teahouses, with stunning views, as we gradually descended into a different valley from the one we climbed up through. The above photo is Machhapuchchhre (6,993m), Nepalese for Fishtail, due to the shape of its peak.

Even the riverbeds were beautiful with shiny rock

The path for the next few days was relatively easy, which was welcome news for my aching muscles.

Stopping at a little village called Jhinudanda (1,780m) we spent a lovely afternoon in the natural hot springs, contained in very fancy stone pools at the side of the freezing cold river. As we came down further into the valley, the temperature increased steadily, and the perspective made the snow covered mountains look bigger and feel closer.

Fried vege momos..the delicious unofficial national dish

The food on the trails was amazing and very reasonably priced, even though it got more expensive with altitude. We always began the day with hot ginger, lemon and honey tea, and a breakfast of omelette, spicy potatoes and onion, and either chapatti or Tibetan bread. Lunch or dinner would always be carbohydrate rich with rice or potatoes, and very delicious. Metosa! 

Trekking through valleys meant a lot of dodgy bridge crossings, the kind where you just walk as fast as you can and celebrate when you reach the other end. The rivers weren't as high as they are around monsoon season, but wouldn't like to fall into one nonetheless. 

The main traffic on the trails were the odd other trekkers and their guides (not as many as in high season), local people usually carrying a huge wicker basket of wood or grass on their backs, or big groups of ponies with bells round their necks and followed by their shepherd. They were mostly transporting bags of cement or other trade items between the little mountain villages, that are connected only by the trails. 

It was always a little disconcerting when you were steadily ploughing away at the relentless steep winding path, and porters from some big group would rush past you, each carrying a ridiculously oversized bag weighing more than ten times our own. 

 

We'd also quite often run into groups of grazing goat and buffalo, or a friendly stray dog. 

One long and beautiful week later, we descended to the small town of Phedi, where our trek ended and we were picked up. To say the least, we were very excited for a well earned hot shower, comfy bed and a few days of rest and relaxation in Pokhara. 

Us and our lovely guide Raj