Follow the fun of Week Two on the Annapurna Circuit from Braka to Sikha. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll hug the person next to you. Week 2 has it all.
Day 8: Braka to Manang
September 29th, 2015
Starting elevation: 3480m (11,420ft)
Highest elevation: 4200m (13,776ft)
Finishing elevation: 3540m (11,610ft)
Departure time: 7:40 AM
Finishing time: 3:30 PM
Actual hiking time: 5 hours 10 min
Last night for dinner I tried “denro.” It is a traditional meal of the Mugali. It’s similar to Dhal Bat, but instead of rice the lodge owner put on my plate a polenta-like mass made out of wheat. It comes with a sauce that doesn’t seem to complement the polenta very well. The pickles were very spicy. I didn’t love it to be honest, but I ate it all because he watched carefully what I did and didn’t eat. I ate my vegetables first so he automatically assumed that I wanted more vegetables. (I eat vegetables first to get them over with!) He kept asking me if I wanted more. I had to be adamant that I didn’t. Yesterday morning at breakfast, I ate my chapati bread last and he was worried that I didn’t like it.
Six women, all dressed in the same red clothing came for dinner last night. They must have stayed the night because they were there for breakfast this morning. Every woman’s hair was buzzed real short. They chanted Buddhist prayers before eating. They watched TV, and commented constantly on the drama unfolding. After the show was over, we quickly transitioned to watching a cooking show from The Learning Channel. It was quite a juxtaposition to see female monks watching action and cooking shows.
Two side trips today. The first in the morning on the other side of the valley up to the bottom of the Annapurna III glacier at 4200 meters. On the way you pass one gompa and then another gompa higher up built inside a cave.
It was the sunniest day yet. Hardly a cloud in the sky in the morning. I crossed the river and then zigzagged my way through some agricultural fields. Pathways cut this way and that and it was hard to figure out which way to go. My companion for the morning happened to be a medium sized black dog. He turned out to be one of the happiest dogs I’ve met. He would race around the fields with tremendous enthusiasm. I had to turn around because I could not find the trail leading up into the woods on a steep slope. At that point the dog seemed to get bored of me and stopped following me. I guess he was disappointed too that we couldn’t find the trail. I found “a” trail that I caught a glimpse of some locals going up and I thought that at the very least I could get a good view even if I couldn’t find the cave. But fortunately the local trail eventually met up with the marked trail.
I met a young American woman and her guide up past the cave. She is going towards the direction of Tilcho Lake tomorrow, which I had been setting my eyes upon doing for a few days now. But I was getting nervous doing it alone and without a guide. When she invited me to join them tomorrow I was sold on going.
It was cool to walk up right to the bottom of the glacier. I sat for a little while. Some deer appeared above. Chunks of ice continually plinkoed down the side of the glacier, but I was safe to the side.
I got back to Braka just before 1 PM. I had a nice brownie from the bakery in town then continued 20 minutes up the road to Manang. Coming into Manang was like entering the big city: hotels with wifi, movie halls, a museum, a pharmacy…It takes all of five minutes to walk through the village, but it is trekker heaven.
I checked into a hotel, then went to another hotel that shows movies to enquire about movie times. While I was there I ran into the Spanish couple. They have both been feeling sick the last few days, but not from the altitude; they both have had a bug. They’ve taken it easy the last few days.
Then I went to the glacier lake. It was so beautiful. The afternoon was wonderfully sunny and I wanted to take a dip into the lake, but the water was murky and very very cold. I settled for sticking my feet in, and I worked on evening out my alpine tan.
I had a yak burger for dinner that was pretty tasty. Then I went back to the hotel where the movie was playing. I chatted with the Spanish couple for an hour as I waited for an Israeli group to show up before the movie started. They served us popcorn and tea, which must be keeping me awake right now as I write. (It’s after midnight). We watched Into The Wild – a good wanderlust movie. The movie froze near the end and they didn’t show the rest of it. I had some trouble with the guy responsible for taking our money for the show. He was obviously drunk and had the hardest time with the math.
I’ve decided not to go to Tilcho Lake. It looks too dangerous. You have to pass through a landslide area and it also looks very steep and a slip could prove to be quite troublesome. Plus I learned that contrary to what has been advertised, Tilcho Lake is not the highest lake in the world. There is so much to see and there is just no reason to put myself in a compromised position. I am just not sure I would enjoy it for that reason.
It’s late now and I think I’ll sleep in a little. I don’t intend to do too huge of a day tomorrow.
Day 13: The wide bed of the Kali Gandaki River near Kalopani
Day 13: The view from my bike in Lete
Day 9: Manang to Churi Ledar
September 30th, 2015
Starting elevation: 3540m (11,610ft)
Highest elevation: 4200m (13,775ft)
Finishing elevation: 4200m (13,775ft)
Departure time: 8:55 AM
Finishing time: 1:45 PM
Actual time hiking: 3 hours
It was really hard to not keep moving and stop early. But that’s what the guidebook says to do in order to get acclimated. My legs feel fine. My lungs even feel fine. I am not huffing and puffing and that is probably due to my two side trips the last two days to at least this height. I could probably go on and reach the next village 200 meters higher and two hours away. But no need really. Slow and steady wins the race.
Another cloudless day. Lots of sun. Lots of sunscreen. I feel like Papa Bear tonight; the bed is a little too hard. Tomorrow will be another short day followed by a long day going over the pass down to Muktinath.
Day 14: Back on foot. Ready for dinner at sunset in Sikha after a difficult afternoon climb.
Day 10: Churi Leddar to High Camp
October 1st, 2015
Starting elevation: 4200m (13,775ft)
Highest elevation: 4900m (15,836ft)
Finishing elevation: 4900m (15,836ft)
Departure time: 9:20 AM
Finishing time: 1:00 PM
Actual hiking time: 2 hours 5 min
My keyboard battery ran out today. I should have done a better job conserving the battery. I left the charger in Pokhara.
I made quick work in the morning to Thorung Phedi at 4450m. It took about an hour and a half to get there. On the way I had to pass a landslide area that can be dangerous. I was vigilant about looking up and listening for rocks and looking down to watch my step. It was about a 20 min section. It made my glad that I didn’t go to Tilicho Lake. I wonder how that young American woman did going there. She was pretty afraid of heights. I am okay with heights as long as I am not near them. I don’t do exceptionally well on the suspension bridges. some are not as scary as others.
At Thorong Phedi there were two lodges, but no village. We had reached the end of the river valley. A Great wall of rock now surrounded us on all sides, but the trail went up to the left steeply. I decided to stop for lunch at one of the lodges. I really liked the vibe there. They had great music. I thought about maybe staying there for the night. But it was so early.
I hoofed up to High Camp in 45 minutes. Then took my day pack and went up to a view point about 10 minutes up. It was my first view of Annapurna I, the highest peak in this range at 8091 meters, and also the most dangerous 8000 meter peak in the world. For every five people who have successfully reached the summit, two have died trying.
I can’t tell you exactly how high High Camp is. I’ve seen sources say 4800 meters, one say 4860, one say 4900, and one say 4925. On the way up I started to feel light headed. I felt this feeling before in Peru. When I arrived my head felt the lack of pressure. I immediately went up to the view point 10 minutes above and stayed up there for an hour hoping that that would make a difference for tonight’s sleep. Ironically, I fell asleep up there.
It’s gotten cold since the sun went behind the mountains. I’m wearing everything I brought. A lot of these lodges have sun rooms that stay nice and warm as long as the sun is out. I am sitting in this room, but it has cooled down quickly.
There are lots of people here which makes me wonder how they have room for everyone in a non-earthquake year. One Chinese woman has been recounting her trip to Everest. She was there on the day of the earthquake.
I feel a slight headache now. I am going to get some tea to warm up and some spaghetti perhaps.
Tomorrow we reach the pass. Had a bit more chance to talk to the Chinese woman. She said she was part of a five women Chinese expedition that was going to be the first Chinese women to climb Everest. She says she might climb it from the Tibet side next year if she can get sponsored. She climbed Manaslu, her first 8,000 meter peak, last year. She wants to go to both poles and do the seven summits. She’s such a sweet woman, not overly athletic, as I passed her on the way up to High Camp. I overheard her talking to a German woman earlier about how when she gets afraid she just concentrates on her step. “Any step could be your last.” She was even afraid going to Tilicho Lake. I told her she was brave. “It’s my dream,” she says. “You have to make your dreams happen. Maybe you could do it too.”
No thanks. I think I’ll stay below 6000 meters.
Day 11: The moonlike terrain heading up to Thorung La
Day 11: Pass Day
Day 11: High Camp to Ranipauwa (Muktinath)
October 2nd, 2015
Starting elevation: 4900m (15,836ft)
Finishing elevation: 3670m (12,040ft)
Highest elevation reached: 5416m (17,768ft) – Thorung La
Departure time: 7:40 AM
Finishing time: 3:30 PM
Actual hiking time: 5 hours 25 min
It was here on this pass a year ago that scores of hikers lost their lives when a freak blizzard hit, although they should have been warned since the storm was actually the tail end of a cyclone from India. The only weather report around here is that first moment in the morning when you peak out the window to look at the skies. Mountain weather, for the most part, is unpredictable.
The stars were amazing last night. You could see not thousands, but tens of thousands of stars. Maybe the most I’ve ever seen. The only thing that compares is when I saw the stars in the Peru mountains. Maine nights would be a distant third.
I swear they laced the lemon tea last night with Diamox: had to pee four times in six hours…or maybe I just drank a lot of tea.
My back bothered me through the evening and I couldn’t sleep very much. The mattress was very thin. By the middle of the night I had the mattress of the other bed and the quilts of both beds under me to try to soften things up.
I made the troubling discovery that my sleeping bag has a gaping hole, which explains why I’ve been waking up the last few mornings in a lathering of more feathers than a chicken coup. The bag kept me nice and warm, but I worry that it will lose its warmth quickly. All I have is duct tape to cover the hole. I should have brought a sewing kit. I have on past hiking trips but I’ve never used it.
It got below freezing last night as evidenced by the ice on the ground in the morning. When I woke up and went to breakfast at 6:30 everybody was gone. They had all already started up the pass. This seemed to me a little crazy.
I took my time and was off by 7:40. As is my style I made good time uphill. I reached the pass at 9:30. I had tea at the little tea shack at the pass and had a chance to speak some more Nepali. I stayed for an hour and then was all ready to go. Wait a minute. Where’s my hat? In the shack? Nope. Did I leave it somewhere on the trail? Damn it! That thing has been keeping the sun out of my face since Peru. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to get another one, after I burn my face off today. Wait. Where are my sunglasses? I just put them down on this stone wall. What happened to them? Did the trekkers that just went up that hill mistakenly grab them? Did the tea shop guy take them? They are heading back down to the lodge now. Wait why is he playing with his pocket? They are gone now. That guy took my sunglasses! Damn it! No hat and no sunglasses. I guess I’ll have to squint my eyes all afternoon…10 min from the pass – wait, what’s this? It my hat! The string has been around my neck the whole time. I just cannot believe it. Maybe those guys didn’t steal my glasses, maybe they are in my bag somewhere, but I looked! Uh! Ouch! I just rolled my ankle over a rock! I wasn’t paying attention. I was still steaming over my glasses and had my eyes half closed to protect them from the sun. Oooh! it’s pretty bad. It hurts to put weight on it. I want to cry. Better wrap it, maybe I can still walk on it. -10 min later – slow going. I’ll get down the pass but it’s going to take forever. Wait what’s this around my neck. My sunglasses!!…
Slow going but I made it down to Muktinath. Nice hot steamy shower at the hotel tonight renting a mountain bike for the next two days to go to Tatopani. Will be good to not have to worry about trekking for the next two days on a bum ankle.
Day 11
Thorung La at 5416 meters
Day 12: Ranipauwa (Mukintath) to Marpha
October 3rd, 2015
Starting elevation: 3670m (12,040ft)
Highest elevation: 3670m (12,040ft)
Finishing elevation: 2670m (8760ft)
Departure time: 8:00 AM
Finishing time: 4:35 PM
Actual riding time: 3 hours
Three flat tires later I am in Marpha for the night. The first one came less than an hour in. I’ve never changed a tube before, just watched it being done. I think I was successful but air kept coming out of it and I had to keep pumping it up.
I stopped up the hill from Kagbeni at a rarely acquainted tea shop and tried to call the guy who rented the bike to me, but neither tea shop owner’s cell or landline worked. I kept on going to Jomsom where I was pretty sure there would be bike services.
As I came into Jomsom the back tire started to go. I came to the ACAP checkpoint only to find out that I didn’t have my permit with me. When I signed on for this bike trip I thought they would bring my stuff to Marpha tonight. But no, they bring it directly to Tatopani where I hopefully will be tomorrow night. So in a rush this morning I grabbed what I thought I would need for the next two days and left the rest. My permit is probably in my other bag. So it took a while for the guy at the checkpoint to get a hold of another checkpoint on the circuit and verify that I had checked in there with a permit. He gave me a temporary permit and hopefully it will work at tomorrow’s checkpoint.
I walked to the end of town and found a motorbike shop. They let me use their phone. The first two numbers they gave me didn’t work. But someone picked up on the third. It was the guy who rented me the bike’s cousin. He said he was at a hotel and the start of town. So I walked back 25 minutes. He was nice and served me a free lunch. (Who says there is no such thing? 😉 Next, the search for the infamous yeti.
I waited 2 hours and finally they gave me a new bike. I battled strong headwinds to get to the next town, Marpha, as the sun started to go behind the mountains. Tomorrow is a long ride to Tatopani, twice as far as today. I hope the tires hold out. Unlike today, I will have no spare tube.
Day 12: On the the way down to Kagbeni. Could I get that with fries?
Day 12: Temple in Jomsom
Day 13: Marpha to Tatopani
October 4th, 2015
Starting elevation: 2670m (8760ft)
Highest elevation: 2670m (8760ft)
Finishing elevation: 1240m (4070ft)
Departure time: 8:05 AM Finishing time: 2:40 PM Actual riding time: 5 hours 10 min
The day passed without incident, my best hope come true. After three flat tires yesterday I was sure I would bust one again today.
The first half of the day had a lot of short ups, but mostly flat with a good bit of slight downhill. Does that make any sense?
The road followed the river that runs through a very wide river bed. The second half of the day provided a lot of steep down. I remained focused on not hitting a sharp rock and took it easy on the big downs. The road had a lot rocks but the further I got towards Tatopani the more dirt road I encountered without rocks. This was the most fun part because I could actually let my hands, which hurt like hell. off the brakes.
Some beautiful scenery along the way as always, but different than days passed. We went from barren landscape, to pine forest, and then jungle again. I love seeing how the climate zone changes as you go down.
I was able to get my sleeping bag sewn up here in Tatopani. Hopefully it holds for a while. I enjoyed the hot springs. When I went back to the hot springs (because I had forgotten my room key), guess who I ran into – Mike and Franny. I hadn’t seen them in a week. There are a lot of people here that I have seen along the way. In fact, this is the largest gathering that I’ve seen in one spot. The hot springs are a popular draw for sure.
Day 13: License plate collection at my lodge in Marpha.
Day 13: looking west to another 8000 meter peak: Dhaulagiri, 7th highest in the world
Day 14: Tatopani to Sikha
October 5th, 2015
Starting elevation: 1240m (4070ft)
Highest elevation: 2000m (6560ft)
Finishing elevation: 2000m (6560ft)
Departure time: 1:55 PM
Finishing time: 4:50 PM
Actual hiking time: 2 hours 35 min
I took a half day off in Tatopani, returned to the hot springs, picked up my laundry, found my stuff sack for my sleeping bag that I had left there, had lunch at the hotel, then left shorty before 2:00 PM.
Part of the plan was to get a later start to avoid the direct hot jungle sunlight overhead. The plan worked as the extreme uphill was mostly in the shade.
After what seemed like a huge reunion in Tatopani, it’s back to a more remote scene. Many if not most hikers finish their trek at or before Tatopani. Planes fly overhead up and down the valley to bring trekkers and also Indians to Jomsom. (Indians pay a visit to the holy sight of Muktinath.)
I am now on what is considered part of the Classic Annapurna Trek, which was full of trekkers when there was no road to Pokhara. I did see one other couple this afternoon.
I was going to stop in the Hindu town of Ghara with it’s many Hindu-style red houses. But I only saw a few run down lodges. I imagine many are no longer in existence. Another reason why people quit in Tatopani is because the trail goes back up almost 1700 meters! I tackled almost half of that this afternoon, although I felt slow and sluggish.
A few drops of rain fell a few minutes ago at my lodge. The first drops since Day 3. I’ve been very lucky with the weather.
Day 10: Heads up!
Um…you’re welcome?
Day 10: Solid rock wall at the end of the valley at Thorung Phedi
Day 10: Helicopter landing spot at 4200 meters…just in case.
Day 10: From just above High Camp, 4900 meters
High Camp sun room below
Day 8: Annapurna III Glacier
Day 8: Glacial lake near Manang
Below: Day 10: the view back across the landslide area from Thorung Phedi