2 weeks trekking the Annapurna circuit was an amazing
experience, my original plan was to do it in 9 days which would have been
possible but would have meant missing some great side trips and to be honest I enjoyed
myself so much I could have spent double the time exploring the villages on
this amazing walk. When I was trying to organise the trek it was quite hard to
get information on the details of the hike, I wanted to do it without a guide
and porter but most tourist agencies told me I needed take one, advice on what
gear to bring was varied and so was info on a realistic daily hiking schedule.
Here’s the lowdown from my 15 day hike, we did it as a pair without a guide and
carrying our own gear, this was my hiking partner Charlottes first multiday
hike so I’d say the daily distances are achievable for most hikers. Hopefully the information here is helpful for anybody planning this trek, another link that is definitely useful and full of relevant route information is the Annapurna Track Notes
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| Throng La Pass |
Permits: The Annapurna hiking permits were relatively easy to obtain, I applied for mine at the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu, in total it took just over an hour from arriving to walking out with the permit. You need a TIMMS and ACAP permit to enter the Annapurna Conservation Area, the cost is 2000 Nepalese Rupees for each permit, you will also need 2 passport photos, your passport (I wasn’t asked for a photocopy but it’s worth bringing a few copies just in case) and your insurance information. Application forms are available at the office and they also have free WIFI to access any info online while you’re there. There was quite a line at the tourism board so it may pay to arrive early, having said this processing was quite quick so I didn’t have to wait too long. You MUST have these permits to enter the Annapurna Conservation Area, there are check points along the way and we passed one hiker that couldn’t proceed because she didn’t have the correct permits. The link for the Nepal Tourism Board is NTB and the National Trust for Nature Conservation is NTNC click on the Entry Permit Form tab at the top left of the screen for permit info.
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| Trail to Tilcho Lake |
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| NATT trail marker |
Guest houses: Finding
guest houses along the way was never a problem, I did my hike between the 9th
and 24th November which is near the end of the peak season and there
was always plenty of rooms available. For most of the trek we were able to get
the room for free as long as we ate dinner and breakfast at the guesthouse, on
a few occasions we paid for the room, especially near Throng La Pass, however
it was never more then 200-300 Nepalese Rupees for 2 people to share the room.
Most guesthouses have fixed price menus to ensure fair prices for hikers
therefore regardless of where you stay in a village food will generally cost
the same and for that reason although you can negotiate the room price they ask
that you don’t try to negotiate the price for food, which to be honest is
already quite cheap. As we gained altitude and the temperature started dropping
the 3 things we asked when choosing a guesthouse was if they had a communal
fireplace, hot water and extra blankets, these 3 luxuries made the stay a lot
more comfortable. The fireplace would make the stay a lot friendlier, hikers
would sit around the wood fire talking or playing cards which was a lot better
than sitting in a cold room, almost everybody would be asleep by 8pm so it was
usually early to bed, early to rise.
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| Guesthouse at Tal |
Water: Bottled water along
the circuit becomes more expensive the further you get into the trek, we generally
waited until we reached the safe drinking water stations situated along the
route, the water there ranged in price from between 40 – 60 Rupees per liter
which is much cheaper than the bottled water prices. The other benefit of using
the safe drinking water stations is that you are supporting the local community
as the water stations are run by the village women’s groups and also they help
to curb the amount of rubbish on the circuit that is caused by discarded
plastic bottles. I carried a Lifestraw bottle with me along the hike and I
would also fill up water from the many streams that we passed, my hiking
partner Charlotte did the same but used water purification tablets, they give
the water a slight chlorine taste but neither of us were sick during the 2 weeks
we spent hiking. If you are planning on doing Thong La Pass or some of the
higher side treks it can get very cold and the water in our bottles would
freeze, A thermos bottle is handy to take along to stop this problem occurring and
filling it with hot tea on the really cold days will encourage you to keep
hydrated much more than sipping defrosted water.
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| Safe drinking water station at Tal |
Food: Finding a meal was
definitely not a problem during our time on the circuit, you never travel far
without passing a guest house/restaurant. Most places offer similar menus and
as mentioned earlier prices are generally the same throughout any village. On
most days during the hike I would order Dal Baht, the local Nepalese dish usually
includes free refills of dal and rice so it’s a great meal to fill you up after
a day of hiking, we would also order large pots of tea, it’s a great way to
keep hydrated in the cold and is also much cheaper than ordering by the cup. I had no idea that restaurants were so common
along the hike so I brought along quite a few snacks such as muesli bars and
biscuits thinking that food would be relatively scarce, this was totally
unnecessary, you can order scrumptious food at one of the many restaurants you
pass and if you want snacks you can buy them along the way, however they are a
little more costly than stocking up at a larger town before you begin. We would
eat breakfast at the guest house before we set off for the day, order the night
before and tell them what time you’d like to eat and the owners will have it
ready for you, my favorite was the Tsampa porridge with apple but the
omelets were also delicious. As a snack along the way we would also order
some Tibetan bread or chapatti in the morning to take with us, we would find a
nice spot during the day to sit and have a break, I brought along a large jar
of peanut butter which went very well with the local bread as we enjoyed the
views. If you decide to stop at a guesthouse for a meal during the day it pays
to order the same dish as your hiking partner especially if you’re in a large
group, this saves a lot of time, quite often we would just want a quick break
and bite to eat but we would end up stopping for over an hour waiting for the
food to be prepared, larger groups sometimes would wait for twice that long.
Gear/Equipment: There was no shortage of advice in regard to what gear to bring, the problem was that it was all different. I’ve never done a tea house trek before, the usual hikes I do require me to be self sufficient and bring everything I need for the duration of the hike so my greatest challenge with gear was not over packing. It is possible to be quite minimalist when packing for the Annapurna circuit, the accommodation and food is quite luxurious compared to what I’m used to so unless your planning on doing an expedition style side trek you can cut a lot of weight from your pack. Taking a sleeping bag or not was the biggest question, I’d heard arguments from both corners, I decided not to take one, I hiked the circuit during winter and I was never that cold at night in a guesthouse that I missed it, at worst I slept in my thermals and asked for a second blanket but I was always warm enough and happy to save the weight and space in my pack. Warm clothing is essential, I had a good down jacket, windproof jacket, beanie, neck/face warmer and 2 pairs of gloves along with a pair of icebreaker thermals, I generally only wore the thermals in the evening at the guesthouses however at Throng La Pass and Tilicho Lake I wore them for the day of hiking. General clothing is personal choice but I brought along 2 pairs of pants and t-shirts, one pair that I would wear hiking every day and a pair that I kept clean and wore in the evenings. I also brought a rain jacket with me, it didn’t rain once as winter is the dry season but it’s always handy just in case, the minute you leave a rain jacket behind it’s almost guaranteed to pour. This was my first hike using trekking poles and I am definitely converted, those bad boys made life so much easier climbing the hills and provided much needed stability as I headed down. I purchased a pair of genuine Black Diamond carbon fibre poles, they are awesome but expensive, I didn’t mind paying for the quality however as I’ll be using them for other hikes in the future. If you are looking for cheap poles there are plenty to choose from, Charlotte bought a pair of Leki brand poles at a 10th of the price of mine and they got her through the hike without any problems. There is also all the other usual hiking gear that is handy to bring with you…. Head torch with spare batteries, basic first aid kit with tape to stop blisters, anti chafe cream and gastro stop tablets, washing powder to clean your clothes on a rest day… etc etc etc, the list goes on. I brought along a map of the circuit, which was perhaps a little unnecessary but I like bringing one along for peace of mind, make sure you purchase the Annapurna Area map not the Annapurna Base Camp map though. There were often several track options and the map was handy for ensuring we didn’t take a wrong turn, every now and then we would find ourselves helping confused trekkers without a map find the trail they wanted, we also used it in the evenings to plan our next day of hiking. I met some hikers that weren’t using a map at all, some that were using basic mapping apps like maps.me and a couple that had just taken photos of sections of the map with their phone, there are plenty of options and we all finished the circuit eventually, I still prefer the old school map though. I downloaded the Annapurna track notes, they were really helpful for planning our route and they had plenty of useful information regarding the circuit, the link is Annapurna Track Notes I wasn't able to print a copy before I left so I took a screen shot of every page with my phone for reference on the hike. Bring along some good quality sunscreen, the combination of the wind and the strength of the sun at higher altitude means you get burnt a lot quicker than usual, the sun was shining most days and on many parts of the trek there isn’t any shade. You can purchase tubes of Banana Boat 50+ (my personal favorite sunscreen) at some stores along the trail but it can be expensive so it’s probably better to be prepared and purchase it at Pokhara or Kathmandu.
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| Yak on the way to Throng Phedi |
Gear/Equipment: There was no shortage of advice in regard to what gear to bring, the problem was that it was all different. I’ve never done a tea house trek before, the usual hikes I do require me to be self sufficient and bring everything I need for the duration of the hike so my greatest challenge with gear was not over packing. It is possible to be quite minimalist when packing for the Annapurna circuit, the accommodation and food is quite luxurious compared to what I’m used to so unless your planning on doing an expedition style side trek you can cut a lot of weight from your pack. Taking a sleeping bag or not was the biggest question, I’d heard arguments from both corners, I decided not to take one, I hiked the circuit during winter and I was never that cold at night in a guesthouse that I missed it, at worst I slept in my thermals and asked for a second blanket but I was always warm enough and happy to save the weight and space in my pack. Warm clothing is essential, I had a good down jacket, windproof jacket, beanie, neck/face warmer and 2 pairs of gloves along with a pair of icebreaker thermals, I generally only wore the thermals in the evening at the guesthouses however at Throng La Pass and Tilicho Lake I wore them for the day of hiking. General clothing is personal choice but I brought along 2 pairs of pants and t-shirts, one pair that I would wear hiking every day and a pair that I kept clean and wore in the evenings. I also brought a rain jacket with me, it didn’t rain once as winter is the dry season but it’s always handy just in case, the minute you leave a rain jacket behind it’s almost guaranteed to pour. This was my first hike using trekking poles and I am definitely converted, those bad boys made life so much easier climbing the hills and provided much needed stability as I headed down. I purchased a pair of genuine Black Diamond carbon fibre poles, they are awesome but expensive, I didn’t mind paying for the quality however as I’ll be using them for other hikes in the future. If you are looking for cheap poles there are plenty to choose from, Charlotte bought a pair of Leki brand poles at a 10th of the price of mine and they got her through the hike without any problems. There is also all the other usual hiking gear that is handy to bring with you…. Head torch with spare batteries, basic first aid kit with tape to stop blisters, anti chafe cream and gastro stop tablets, washing powder to clean your clothes on a rest day… etc etc etc, the list goes on. I brought along a map of the circuit, which was perhaps a little unnecessary but I like bringing one along for peace of mind, make sure you purchase the Annapurna Area map not the Annapurna Base Camp map though. There were often several track options and the map was handy for ensuring we didn’t take a wrong turn, every now and then we would find ourselves helping confused trekkers without a map find the trail they wanted, we also used it in the evenings to plan our next day of hiking. I met some hikers that weren’t using a map at all, some that were using basic mapping apps like maps.me and a couple that had just taken photos of sections of the map with their phone, there are plenty of options and we all finished the circuit eventually, I still prefer the old school map though. I downloaded the Annapurna track notes, they were really helpful for planning our route and they had plenty of useful information regarding the circuit, the link is Annapurna Track Notes I wasn't able to print a copy before I left so I took a screen shot of every page with my phone for reference on the hike. Bring along some good quality sunscreen, the combination of the wind and the strength of the sun at higher altitude means you get burnt a lot quicker than usual, the sun was shining most days and on many parts of the trek there isn’t any shade. You can purchase tubes of Banana Boat 50+ (my personal favorite sunscreen) at some stores along the trail but it can be expensive so it’s probably better to be prepared and purchase it at Pokhara or Kathmandu.
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| The trail leading out of Ghyaru |
Daily Costs: Once we were
on the trail the daily costs were quite low, we had a rough allowance of 2000 Nepalese Rupee a day and were always
well under budget, the cost of food gets progressively more expensive as you
climb in Altitude but we would generally spend between 1000 and 1500 NR each
per day on food and accommodation. I didn’t drink many beers on the circuit but
when I did indulge in a brew each bottle would add approximately another 500 NR
to the daily expenditure, we also took a liking to the local apple brandy,
cider and juice in Martha which added a little to our daily expenditure while
we stayed in that village, well worth it though. There are
plenty of ATM’s available in Jomsom if you start running low on cash.
Altitude Sickness: As you
ascend altitude sickness is something to be very aware of, in a worst case
scenario symptoms of altitude sickness can develop into Cerebral Oedema or
Pulmonary Oedema, both potentially life threatening conditions. Early symptoms
can include headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, shortness of breath and
difficulty sleeping. More severe signs can include persistent and irritating
cough, bubbling sound in the chest, coughing up pink or white frothy liquid,
irrational behaviour, fits, drowsiness and confusion. The best way to combat
altitude sickness is to take your time acclimatising, I did 2 side treks for
acclimatisation (the Ice Lake 4600m and Tilicho Lake 4949m) we also spent 1
night at Ghyaru (3650 m), 1 night at Braga (3470 m), 2 nights at Shree Kharka
(3900m) and 1 night at Throng Phedi (4420m). Once you reach 3000 meters it is
advised that you don’t ascend more than 500 – 600 meters of altitude gain in a day
(depending on what source you read), better to plan an extra day than push too
far at these heights. It is also
important to keep well hydrated, this means drinking plenty of water and tea at
least 3-4 days before the pass, I saw guys sculling water at Throng Phedi
because they were dehydrated the day before the pass, pure madness and piss
poor preparation, if you’re not stopping to pee a lot during a day of hiking
you’re not hydrated enough. Last but not least stay warm, altitude sickness is
related to a drop in body temperature so cover up with blankets at night and
rug up if it’s cold when your hiking, it’s easier to take off a layer or two of
clothing than it is to warm up someone suffering from Hypothermia. Monitor
yourself and your hiking buddies for any of the signs of altitude sickness as
you ascend, pay close attention for signs of confusion, dizziness and pink
liquid that is coughed up. Neither of us had any signs of altitude sickness, I
think our acclimatisation was well planned and we kept very well hydrated
throughout the trek, Charlotte took a course of altitude sickness tablets before
the pass but I didn’t, it can’t hurt to take them so it’s worth bringing them
along. As you ascend you will find it harder to get a good night sleep and you
may have a slight cough, everything gets a little harder when you reach over
4000 meters so you will also feel more fatigued as you climb, these symptoms don’t
necessarily mean you are going to drop dead from altitude sickness and don’t
mean you need to rush straight back down, keep an eye on early symptoms, be
safe but be realistic when monitoring your symptoms.
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| View from the Guesthouse at Ghyaru |
Hiking Route/Daily Hiking Schedule
Day 1:
Pokhara/Besisahar to Bahundanda
We were hoping to get the bus from
Pokhara to Besisahar in the evening and begin our hike early the next morning
however we were only able to get a morning bus to Besisahar. The Bus left
Pokhara at 6:30 am and after a cramped and bumpy 5 hour bus trip we arrived,
the bus stops right in front of the ACAP check post so you can get your permits
stamped as soon as you get off the bus. We had lost half a day of hiking so we
decided to get the local bus to the village of Ngadi and begin walking from
there, this was a pretty good option as the hiking trail followed the road for
much of the way and there was a lot of buses and jeeps on this section of road
causing it to be quite dusty. We had lunch at one of the guesthouses at Ngadi
and eased into the first day of hiking with a few hours of walking to the
village of Bahundanda. The village is located on top of a sizable hill that requires
working up a sweat to get to the top but once you are there the view is amazing
and it’s a great place to spend your first night on the circuit. There are a
few guesthouses to choose from when you reach the top, most of which have
wonderful views of the valleys to either side of the village, we were told that
many hikers bypass Bahundanda now that the road is in place but personally I
think this is a village that is well worth visiting.
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| Prayer wheels welcome you to most villages |
Day 2: Bahundanda to
Tal
The trekking trail
notes and the map itineraries both had this as a two day hike, we left
Bahundanda at about 7:30am and arrived in Tal at around 4:00 pm, we weren’t
rushing our pace and we had a few rest stops along the way. This was a really
enjoyable day of hiking, there was an option to do a steep 130 meter climb
between the villages of Jagat and Chamje that took you to the rainbow waterfall
hotel, the view of the waterfall is spectacular and yes it has rainbow, this is
where we stopped for lunch and with a view like this we weren’t in a hurry to
leave. The trail leading into Tal turned into steps that ascend quite steeply
and it was a bit of a challenge at the end of the day but arriving at the
village was a wonderful feeling. Tal sits right on the river and the track that
passes through the village is lined with quaint guesthouses, it is a village
that is full of character and is a popular stop for trekkers, Tal also has a
safe drinking water station.
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| The entry gate to Tal |
Day 3: Tal to Koto
The track left Tal and followed its way along the river, there was
once again some beautiful scenery on this day of hiking and our anticipation
grew with every step closer to the large snow capped mountains that we could
see in the distance. There was quite a bit of elevation in this day of hiking,
Tal (1675 meters) to Koto (2630 meters), the hardest section being the climb to
Temang/Thanchouk which was a solid 1.5 hours climbing 350 meters, the good news
was that from there it was relatively flat until the village of Koto. We made the decision to stay in Koto
to avoid the “larger” village of Chame which was a more popular place for
hikers to stay, there were only a handful of guesthouses in Koto and we
discovered our first guest house with a communal fireplace, from then on it was
a must have for anywhere we stayed.
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| Charlotte crossing the suspension bridge leaving Tal |
Day 4: Koto to Ghyaru
The first half of this day was very enjoyable and the village of
Upper Pisang was very picturesque but be warned the climb from Upper Pisang up
to Ghyaru, although worth every drop of sweat, was an absolute killer. There
are a few options you can take from here… 1. The low road via Lower Pisang, a
walk along a dusty road devoid of any stunning scenery… 2. The low road via
Upper Pisang, the same road that was just mentioned but you get to visit the
beautiful village of Upper Pisang… 3. The high road via Ghyaru, a very steep
climb but by far the most stunning views
of the 3 options and worth evry step. It was a long day of walking and a
tough way to finish the day but we decided to do the long climb to Ghyaru in
the afternoon, many people choose to stay in Upper Pisang but I was happier to
tackle the climb at the end of the day and then resting rather than having to
deal with it first thing in the morning. We stayed at the Annapurna guesthouse,
this place is as genuine as it gets, to keep warm we were invited to sit around
the cooking stove as dinner was being prepared, the cook had spent 5 years
living in a monastery and was generous in handing out samples of homemade Raksi
(a local spirit that will put hairs on your chest but warms you up), the
ceiling of the kitchen was also full of hanging dried buffalo meat, this was
extra funny as Charlotte is a vegetarian.
In the morning I sat on the roof of our guest house, wrapped in a
blanket watching the sun rays hit Annapurna II, III and IV as it made its way
over the horizon, truly spectacular!!! Another benefit of spending the night in
Ghyaru is that at 3650 meters it gets you an extra day of acclimatisation at a
decent elevation.
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| The Gate to Ghyaru |
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| Viewpoint at Ghyaru |
Day 5: Ghyaru to
Braga
Many people
will choose to stay in the town of Manang for up to 3 days to acclimatise, we
chose to spend a night in the village of Braga to avoid the “crowds” of the
larger town. I had planned this to be an easy day for us, Ghyaru was actually
higher than Braga so in theory it was all downhill and was only half a day of
hiking. The day started out great, the scenery was once again amazing with
views of the Annapurna range and valley below, the trail took us past some old
Gompas and a monastery and then wound its way quite steeply down through a
beautiful pine forest. At this point we could have taken a low road to Braga
which in hindsight would have been far easier, however we decided to take the
scenic high road which meant climbing up the other side of the pine tree
valley, after the climb to Ghyaru the day before this really took it out of us.
The good news was that from the top of the valley it really was all downhill to
Braga and we arrived in the early afternoon, about 1:30 pm after a late start
of 8:30 am. We stayed at the New Yak hotel, it was a nice place to stay, they
had a fireplace, hot shower and they also had a bakery that made delicious
cinnamon scrolls…… yummm!!!
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| On the trail from Ghyaru |
Day 6: Ice Lake/
Braga to Shree Kharka
I decided to do the side
trip to the ice lake from Braga while Charlotte chilled out at the hotel and
had a recovery morning, the ice lake is situated at 4600 meters elevation and
is a perfect place to visit for acclimatisation. I left at 6:30 am, I was
hiking light today, just my Camelbak and camera, I was feeling great and was on
a mission to reach the lake as soon as I could, I definitely noticed the change
in elevation, everything gets harder as the air gets thinner however I managed
to reach the lake in just under 2 hours. There are actually 2 lakes at the top,
a small one and a large one that are only 10 minutes apart. It was cold at the
top, my water froze in my Camelbak and my fingers were hurting while I used my
camera, I stuck around long enough to get some photos and then I headed back
down. I was still feeling surprisingly good so I decided to let gravity do the
work and ran down, there was a restaurant ¾ of the way up (1/4 of the way down)
so I stopped for a pot of tea, I was happy to support this place as it was run
by the village women’s group and the manager was the only person that had made
the trek up the mountain earlier than me that morning. The trip down took an
hour to run and with photo stops and tea breaks included the return trip took
about 3 ½ hours, if you’re not rushing the guide books say to allow 6 hours
return. I arrived back at the guesthouse in Braga in great spirits, I ate 2
cinnamon scrolls for lunch and we were soon making our way to Manang. We
stopped at Manang long enough to buy a second pair of gloves and fleece pants
for the Throng La Pass crossing, get our permits stamped and fill up at the
safe drinking water station. Although Manang was a little larger than the other
villages in the area it still seemed very nice and even had a cinema that
played cool English movies like 7 years in Tibet, Into thin air and Blood
diamond. From Manang we followed the trail to Tilcho Lake, we took the advice
of a well meaning Australian expat which lead us the wrong way, after half an
hour of going in the wrong direction we consulted the map and found our way to
the correct trail heading to Khangsar. This had been a pretty long day for me
and when we reached Khangsar I was quite tired, however we pushed on to Shree
Kharka in the hope of doing Tilcho Lake as a 1 day return trip and saving an
extra day. Shree Karka is situated at 3900 meters elevation so 2 nights here
was also much better acclimatisation than spending a few extra nights at Manang
(3530 meters)
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| Ice Lake |
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| View looking back over the small lake |
Day 7: Shree Kharka to Tilicho Lake/ return
Shree Karka to Tilicho Lake
and return with just a small day bag and camera was definitely doable, in total
it took around 7 hours and it saved us a day on the circuit by not staying at
Tilicho base camp. We weren’t carrying our heavier packs so our shoulders had a
nice rest and we were able to keep up a faster pace while being more relaxed.
Once again I was expecting an easy day, at least to Tilcho base camp and then
start the hard climb, however once again the trail took me by surprise. The
trail was quite pleasant until we reached the landslide area, from there it was
a stressful walk along a narrow path cut into a very steep wall of loose rocks.
In some places the tack was covered in ice, which made it very precarious to
negotiate and at other times we had to jump sections of stones that had covered
the track from an earlier landslide. This section of track was slow going, both
Charlotte and I aren’t the biggest fans of heights so we were very relieved to
eventually round the corner and be greeted by Tilicho base camp. The climb to
the lake was exhausting, between the altitude and the fatigue from doing the
ice lake the day before I have to admit I was suffering. I was trying to make
the lake reasonably quickly as the winds tended to pick up in the afternoon and
they warn against crossing the landslide area in high winds, if I wanted to
make it back to Shree Kharka that day I couldn’t afford to dawdle. Tilicho Lake
was definitely worth the effort, depending on what source you read it’s the world’s
highest lake but regardless of that it was an amazing sight and at 4949 meters
it was a nice achievement as well as being great acclimatisation for Throng La
Pass. I rushed down from the lake in the hope of catching one of the groups
that were heading back to Shree Kharka from Tilcho base camp, we managed to tag
along with some other trekkers and the wind hadn’t yet picked up so the return
trip across the landslide area seemed a lot easier than the way here. We arrived
back at Shree Kharka at 2:30 pm after leaving at 7:00 am that morning.
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| Tilicho Lake |
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| View from Tilicho Lake |
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| Landslide area on the way to Tilicho Base Camp |
Day 8: Shree Kharka
to Throng Phedi
leaving for Throng la Pass
from Shree Kharka was great, there was an alternate trail that went directly to
Yak Kharka, it was a beautiful trail with some amazing scenery and the
elevation increase was much less than starting from Manang. We were in no rush
today and took our time, stopping for some photo opportunities and taking the
odd break for Tibeten bread and the last of my jar of peanut butter. Our plan
was to stop at Ledar, spend the night and then spend the next night in Throng
La high camp, this would have shaved an hour off our Thong La Pass day. We
reached Ledar at lunch time, much earlier than expected, we had been taking it
easy and were feeling good so we had the option of pushing on to Throng Phedi,
this would save us a day but add an hour to the Throng La Pass crossing. There
were a few things to consider here… 1. Had we had enough acclimatisation? The
answer there was yes, we had spent much more time at height than the trekkers
who opted for a prolonged Manang stay… 2. Are we exceeding our daily elevation
gain? Advice varies slightly but they say you shouldn’t ascend more than 500
-600 meters a day when you’re above 3000 meters, reaching Throng Phedi put us
at 520 meters that day which is at the higher end but still within a safe
limit. We decided to push on to Throng Phedi, we kept an eye on each other to
ensure there were no symptoms of altitude sickness and we made it without any
worries. Throng Phedi guest house is very large and has been around since 1984,
there was a smaller guesthouse 10 minutes further up the hill, we decided to
stay there as it felt a little more quaint, the owners were very nice and
chatted with us around the fire in the evening, plus it was 10 minutes less climbing
the next morning. It was definitely cold at Throng Phedi and I struggled to
sleep quite a bit which is generally related to the altitude, it turns out
staying here was a winning idea though, I talked to the trekkers who stayed at
high camp and they said it was extremely cold up there, actually you couldn’t
even use the toilets as they were frozen and because there were quite a few
hikers staying in the guesthouse the area surrounding the outside toilet was
littered with frozen turds….lovely! Everyone has their own opinion in regard to
whether staying at high camp is a good idea or not, I actually think it makes
sense however we weren’t able to make it there due to our daily altitude gain,
having said that we passed quite a few hikers from high camp the next morning
and many of them really seemed to be struggling with the cold.
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| Viewpoint overlooking Manang on the trail from Shree Kharka |
I was expecting
a tough day today and I wasn’t disappointed, the climb to Throng la Pass was
definitely challenging but at 5416 meters it was a great feeling of achievement
to reach the top. Charlotte and myself decided to make our way up very slowly,
take small steps and conserve as much energy as possible, this actually worked
really well as we passed many people on the ascent. We left the guesthouse at
6am and reached the pass around 10am,
it was a very cold climb although I was quite comfortable with a few layers of
warm clothes on. The water we had with us froze but luckily I had a small
thermos with hot tea, there was a tea house half way to the pass where we were
able to order a pot of tea and refill the thermos. The Pass offered
some great photo opportunities and after spending 30 minutes at the top taking
some happy snaps we set off down the hill. The track notes mentioned that it
was a steep path down however it started of quite nicely, it was a reasonably
steep but steady downhill until we reached a grassy camping spot, we stopped
here to change out of our warm clothes and take in the view. The trail got a
lot steeper from here and we came close to slipping on our butts a few times,
it took a lot longer to reach Muktinath than we expected, we could see the town
from a long way away so we know we still had a long way to go, luckily there
were some teahouses along the way and we were able to stop for a lunch break.
Our enthusiasm from the pass had well and truly left us when we finally reached
Muktinath, the temples on the outskirts gave the impression that it was a
beautiful little town but as we entered the town centre it was dirty, dusty,
filled with half built guesthouses and for the first time on the circuit the
locals seemed a little rude. I really didn’t want to stay here and all the
other hikers we met felt the same way, luckily we found the Bob Marley
guesthouse, I was tentative about staying here at first thinking it was just
another Rasta bar but it turned out to be an oasis of awesomeness in this otherwise
depressing town. The shower was hot, they had a huge open fire, the staff were
friendly and the cook was amazing, the yak steak was to die for and the apple
pie was mouth watering.
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| Throng La Pass |
Day 10: Muktinath to
Marpha
We chose to take the
marked hiking trail to Jomsom, this meant doing some more climbing and another
steep decent but it gave us some great views of the harsh countryside in this
pocket of the circuit, it also meant we would avoid much of the dusty road to
Jomsom. After walking along some very dry countryside, the trail took us
through the little village of Lubra, this was the nicest village we had seen so
far, the stone buildings were surrounded by fruit orchids and vegetable
gardens, if I had the time I would have stayed here for a night. Soon after
Lubra the trail met up with the main road to Jomsom, we walked out of a
sheltered canyon and walked into a wind tunnel of dust. The hour we spent on
the main road to Jomsom was the most unpleasant hour on the journey, we had a
very strong head wind and a storm of dust was being blown into our faces, I was
glad we took the high road and hadn’t had to put up with this all day. I had high
expectations for Jomsom, we were planning on spending 2 nights here to recover
but when we arrived we were very disappointed, the town was windy, dusty and
seemed to have no character, once again the people didn’t seem very pleasant
and we decided to move on to the smaller village of Marpha. It took another
hour of walking into the wind on the dusty main road but when we arrived in
Marpha we realised it was a great decision, this was a really lovely town, and
we liked it so much we stayed for an extra recovery day.
Day 11: Marpha
Marpha
is well known for its apples, it is also well known for its apple brandy, apple
cider, apple juice and dried fruit, we sampled plenty of all previously
mentioned as we explored the streets of the village. The white washed stone
buildings create alleyways that just beg to be explored and a short climb up
the hill provides an excellent view of the village. With our apple brandy in
hand we found a rock that overlooked the village and surrounding valley and hung
out here long enough for it to turn into an excellent view of the stars in the
night sky before we headed back to the warm fire place at our guesthouse.
Marpha really was a sensational place to stay, anybody thinking of catching a
bus or flying out from Jomsom should definitely think twice as the hike from
here to Tatopani is absolutely magical.
 |
| Overlooking Marpha |
Day 12: Marpha to
Ghasa
This was one of the most
beautiful days of hiking yet, I had been told that the trail here isn’t worth
doing because it follows the dusty road, that just isn’t true. Once you cross
the suspension bridge just outside of Marpha the trail turns into single track
and winds its way through some breathtaking forest, it’s also generally
downhill so it’s pretty easy going. We were thinking of stopping in Kalopani
overnight but after having lunch here we decided the town didn’t have the right
feel for us and we decided to push on to Ghasa. We followed the road from
Kalopani to Ghasa which was the only dampener on an amazing day of hiking, when
we arrived we were shocked to find only a few guesthouses in very poor
condition. Ghasa is actually split up into 3 sections upper, middle and lower,
we were currently in upper and after consulting the track notes we moved on,
middle Ghasa had a few new guesthouses but they lacked character and the prices
were ridiculously high. We’d wasted an hour trying to find a place to stay, it
was starting to get dark but we walked on down the road to lower Ghasa, luckily
for us it was here that we found the Eagles Nest guest house, by far the nicest
place in the town and a very good place to stay.
The hike today matched
yesterday for sheer beauty, the pine forest gave way to rain forest and we
passed through some very beautiful villages. Once again it was mostly downhill
and because we pushed that little bit further to Ghasa the day before it was a
short day of hiking, we arrived in Tatopani around lunchtime. Tatopani is a
nice little town, it has some hot springs but they were pretty much just a
concrete pool packed with hikers, not the natural setting I was expecting, we
chose to relax on a rock next to the river with a bottle of Marpha apple brandy
instead. We stayed at the Dhaulagiri guesthouse, it was extremely popular with
hikers and was a great place to catch up with many of the people we had met
along the circuit. The food here was quite good but a little expensive, they
expect you to order dinner and breakfast if you stay here but if you’re on a
budget you can get a dal baht for lunch from one of the tea houses down the road
for a quarter of the price.
Day 14: Tatopani to Ghorapani
Just when I
thought the climbing was over we decided to pay a visit to Poon Hill, this
meant having to ascend another 2000 meters. The climb from Tatopani to
Ghorapani was very hard indeed, we passed through some stunning little villages
but by the second half of the day my only interest was getting to our endpoint.
Much of the trail had stone steps, which were actually more exhausting to climb
than the dirt tracks, we finally made it to the village at the top of the hill,
found a nice guest house and relaxed for the afternoon.
Day
15: Ghorapani/Poon Hill to Nayapul/Pokhara  |
| Poon Hill sunrise |
 |
| Poon Hill Sunrise |
This was our last day on the circuit and what a way to finish it, sunrise over the Annapurna range from the viewpoint at Poon Hill. We left the guesthouse at 5:00am with just a camera and head torch, it didn’t take long to reach the lookout, about 45 mins, along the way you have to pay an entrance fee of 25 NR so it pays to bring a few Rupees along with you. There is a small shop where you can buy a cup of tea to warm you up at the top, if you’re there early enough you can get a good position on the tower at the top of the hill, it’s a great place to get photos of the sun coming over the horizon. It’s worth being at the viewpoint by at least 6:00 am, you can then see the sun coming over the horizon and then if you wait 20 minutes longer you will see the sun rays lighting up the Annapurna range….. A spectacular sight. After heading down from poon hill we took our time having breakfast, the trail from here was all downhill but not necessarily easy, it was a long day of descending to Nayapul and the steps were very steep at some points, this really takes it out of your quads and I also saw a few people slip, luckily with no injuries. There were some really nice villages along the way, it wasn’t difficult to find a nice guesthouse for a lunch break. The last few km’s to the village of Birethanti was relatively flat and quite enjoyable to walk, once we arrived there we got our permits stamped for the last time and then walked along the road to the town of Nayapul. From Nayapul we took the local bus back to Pokhara, the cost was 100 NR each and was a 4 hour trip, although it was a bit bumpy it wasn’t much slower than taking a taxi. There were plenty of jeeps and taxis looking for business in Nayapul, we arrived alone but if you had a group you could probably get back to Pokhara in a car quite cheaply, the drivers were happy to negotiate their prices. That was it, now we were done, back in Pokhara and time for a beer, steak and shisha with some of the awesome hikers we met along the way, this was an unforgettable 2 week adventure.
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