The Annapuren trek is one of the most beautiful treks in the world. And I think rightly so. I would recommend anyone who likes mountains to go to Nepal. I would say that Nepal is like India. It either gets under your skin or you decide never to come back. This trek exceeded all my expectations. I thought it was all about mountains and nature. It is, but it’s also mostly about the people. It’s the local people that get under your skin.
Watching all the news from around the world, I seem to forget that there are nations where people treat each other decently. They are friendly, selfless, always smiling and fun to be with. And their optimism is so contagious. I was very impressed by their character and their way of life. If I were to take only one thing away from Nepal, it would be the Nepali perception of the world. And that is why I would like to dedicate this article to all the nice people we met along the way! ♥
And especially to Sasi, our guide, who taught me to think positive during the trip.
And believe me, teaching a Czech to be optimistic is not an easy task! ♥ 🙂
I went to Nepal with my husband (Josef), who had already done this trek once. I had never trekked to a higher altitude than 1962 meters above sea level. However, the official website said that a guide was mandatory. And this is the information we decided to work with. I also said I would go with someone experienced (sorry Josef 🙂 ♥). Because the idea of having a heart attack somewhere in the mountains and having Jozhan dragging me on his back was a bit discouraging. I thought that two of them could carry me with a little effort. And let’s face it, nobody believed I would make it to the end.
In the end we didn’t go with three, but four, because Thomas from Holland joined us. We found out two days before the trek. We didn’t know until the last minute who it was going to be. Jožan assured me that it would be 100% someone old and walking slowly. Someone like me, semi-retired. So the exact opposite. 🙂 It was a young man over 190 cm and if he took one step, I took three. I’m sure by now you can guess the order in which we walked. Thomas became our scout, who was still at least half a kilometer ahead of us.
DAY 1 – DEPARTURE TO NGADI
FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH NEPALESE TRANSPORT
In the morning we meet at 6 o’clock and we all go to the bus station. There we have already reserved seats on one of the buses. The bus looks quite comfortable, but it’s clear to me from the start that it’s going to be an interesting ride. A young man who acts as a conductor hangs out the door and tries to lure as many people as possible onto the bus. He shouts loudly, and at some stops he jumps out and round potential passengers as he goes. The word bus stop has a slightly different meaning in Nepal because buses stop wherever someone waves. It’s a total “jerk”. Drivers honk their horns and overtake without thinking, people walk everywhere on the road. It seems like an endless ride because we’ve been driving for an hour and we’re unable to get out of town. Eventually the landscape gradually starts to turn green and it’s nice to just watch it from the bus window.
MAN MEANS LIFE CHANGING
After a while of driving, a Slovak man our age starts talking to us. He was surprised that we speak Czech. He tells us that this is the third time he has done this ride. He and his dad decided to make their dream come true. They spent a year preparing for this trip and Daddy sprained his leg on the third day. It was raining a lot that day and they couldn’t walk properly. Dad’s psyche started to work and he decided, due to his age and injury, to end his journey. His son went with him back to Kathmandu where he put him on a plane. Now he is sitting on the bus again and going to the place where they last left off. “We are approaching the place where we waited for 2 hours last time because the ground caved in,” he points out. I am immediately calmer. 🙂 I’m already wondering when the ride will end. The road is getting more and more broken, all around you can see that a few days ago there was a late monsoon.
We’re driving on a crumbled road and wading our way through the mud. Fortunately, we’re getting through it just fine. I have to admit that the drivers here are really great and they pass everything with ease. “If this happened in Slovakia, they’d be cleaning it up for a month,” he continues. “Well, if this happened in the Czech Republic, they’d be fixing it for two years,” I add my bit to the mill. We all laugh out loud.
We have two stops in total. In Besisahar, we say goodbye to the tourists we met and change to another bus, this time a much smaller bus that will take us to our final destination – NGADI. It is located near Bhulbhule. Here we enter the Annapurna Conservation Area. After 9 hours of travel, we are all broken up, so we just wait for dinner, make quick Whatsupp calls with our family and go to sleep.
DAY 2 – FROM NGADI TO CHYAMJE
(1400m; 5/6 hour trek)
LIKE IN JURASSIC PARK
Our first day of trekking leads along a dirt road around the bank of a wild river. The scenery here is really beautiful. I’ve never seen so many shades of green in one place. I’m enjoying the interesting plants and the views of the hills with rice terraces. It seems to me that the journey passes quickly. Along the way we pass many waterfalls surrounded by pandanus trees that resemble palm trees. Nature here is like Jurassic Park. It’s getting hotter and hotter on the way and it feels like 40°C. And it’s a massacre! It’s pouring out of me.
On the way we pass jeeps, which take the lazy people to higher places. It’s kind of demotivating, because pedalling in the heat doesn’t add much to your stride. But I console myself with the fact that at least when I finish the journey, it will be well deserved. The sun is shining, the waterfalls on either side of us are sparkling, the river is roaring below us and everything is playing with beautiful colours. I am actually very happy! ♥
For today our destination is the village of Chyamje. In total we have covered 19 km. And as a bonus, we have a waterfall right next to our house. Who’s got it? 🙂
DAY 3 – FROM CHYAMJE TO DANAGY
(2200m; 5/6 hour trek)
THE FABLE OF THE TURTLE AND THE HARE
I wake up in the morning to a waterfall, but it’s raining. We wait an hour for the rain to stop. In the village of Chyamje, the roads divide and there are two choices. Either continue still on the jeep road on the left side of the valley or go down to the river and cross the bridge to the other side of the river where a hiking trail leads. As it is still raining, we choose the first option. We don’t have to climb and descend so much, we have panoramic views of the whole valley, the terrain is much easier. In fact, one could say that the whole time the valley offers us wonderful views. Especially when we pass by the village of Tal, which is on the other side of the river and just beyond it two fabulous waterfalls fall. But waterfalls also fall on our side of the river and quite often water the road. The beginning is cruel, however, as we climb 400 meters. In the end, we do it with honour. Then it was just a slow climb.
The sun is shining on the road and it’s hot as hell. We meet locals, but most importantly, we pass jeeps full of tourists again. We pass an elderly couple from Prague who are in much better shape than us. They walk quite fast and then rest for an hour. And so on and on.
On the way, Josef tells me a fable about a hare and a tortoise. It’s one of his unsolicited comments or advice he always tries to get me to finish. 🙂
In one forest lived a hare and a tortoise. The hare boasted that he was the fastest animal in the whole forest. The tortoise was known as the slowest animal. The hare often taunted the tortoise. The tortoise was annoyed, but continued to crawl along at his tortoise pace. The hare thought that perhaps the tortoise thought that if he wanted to, he could outrun him. He decided to show her who was the fastest. And as far as she was concerned. He’d show the whole forest so no one would doubt it. Finally, they decide to have a race. All the animals from all over the forest come to see how the rabbit wins. He was really fast. But he made one crucial mistake. He lay down in the grass and rested. He had a sweet carrot to go with it, and enjoyed having loads of time before the slow-motion tortoise came to roost. But he fell asleep. And so the turtle eventually overtook him. The turtle won because of his persistence and discretion. She didn’t give up at the start, even though it might have seemed impossible. Well, Sylva, you’re the turtle…
And as Joža said, so it happened. Sylva (the turtle) won and overtook the Pragueers. 🙂
Gradually we reach the village of Dharapani. Here we have our first proper check-point where they check if we have all the necessary permits including Tims cards.
ÓM MANI PADME HÚM
Finally, we check in at the village of Danagyu. Before entering the village we meet the first prayer mills. They are called Mani khorlo. They are basically hollow cylinders of any size fixed so that they can rotate. They are made of metal and some of wood.
The mantra Om mani padme húm is decoratively carved or sculpted on the surface according to the material. Sasi often repeats this mantra and I also recite it after his example. This mantra transforms negative emotions. Om transforms pride and egoism, ma jealousy and envy, ni attachment and egoistic desires, pad ignorance and confusion, mani greed and avarice and finally húm hatred and anger.
DAY 4 – FROM DANAGYU TO CHAME
(2630m; 6/7 hour trek)
BRIDGE OVER THE ABYSS
Right from the start we will have some interesting climbs. At the beginning of the road we split up. Thomas and Sasi will take the stairs and the upper part. Me and Josef will go down the bottom. We choose a quieter route. At least I think so. 🙂 Ahead of us is a bridge over the abyss. I close my eyes, but I open them again, what if I get off the path. That would be the end! My legs are shaking. Finally Josef has to take my hand and we cross together.
This march is quite long and we have to cross the river several times over suspension bridges. They are fine wide now, though, because jeeps have to cross them.
We meet Thomas and Sasi in Timang. Sasi has promised us that we will have apple pie on the way, and I can’t wait. We continue a little further to the next village where we decide to have the promised sweet.
APPLE CAKE
We just don’t realize one important thing. It takes quite a long time to prepare a meal in Nepal. We originally thought the cake would be baked. Oh, how deeply mistaken we were. 🙂 Thomas, Josef and I sit on the terrace while Sasi arranges the food. Suddenly we realize the reality of Nepalese days and laugh out loud. How could we have been so naive? We don’t want to cancel our order, so we dutifully wait.
In Nepal, everything just takes time. As the Nepalese say, “You have the watch, we have the time.”
I’m beginning to understand. Time passes differently here. It’s as if it suddenly lost its meaning and ceased to exist. Maybe it has even stopped a little bit, and the only way to know that it is still passing is that it alternates between day and night. The real flow of the world is beyond us. The people here are very nice, but when you say food, you have to allow for at least one hour. They don’t make things in advance, maybe in season they do, but here you simply don’t waste, you save with food. That’s why they don’t prepare food until someone orders. At least you’re guaranteed it’s fresh.
NEPALESE FLAT
The second part of the trip was at ease. Going up and down the hill and around and around. We call it the “Nepalese flat”. Suddenly we start meeting the first tourists who are actually walking. They’re not taking a car, like really? That’s encouraging.
On the way we stop at the village of KOTA (2640 m). There is a police station and an ACAP checkpoint. I take pictures of the horses and the cops.
CHAME, CITY OF SMILING PEOPLE
Our destination today is the town of CHAME. We check in and do a quick wash to dry our laundry. It’s not so hot here, but the sun is still shining in places. Joža is giving me a sniff of his things to see if he has to wash everything or if something will still last. This situation seems like something out of a joke.
The main difference between a man and a woman is that when a woman says, “Smell this,” it usually smells nice. 🙂
What I really like about Nepalese people is that they are smiling, good-hearted, in short fine. Here it is confirmed that smiling heals.
I was bewitched by Chame. It’s full of smiling people, but also, unfortunately, full of tourists. A lot of them came here again in jeeps. On the way, we used to see them jumping out of the car and taking selfies. There are different groups of people meeting in the cafeteria to motivate each other. I find it comical and funny. Why would I create a salute when I drove more than half the way? It’s terribly demotivating because I’m totally tired, out of energy and smelly. And they’re full of energy.
We like the town a lot when we arrive, so we set out to explore it. Finally, we can buy some chocolate. Even a little thing like that makes me happy. It makes you appreciate ordinary things. You realize that more than half the people in Nepal can’t afford it. “Here’s your Kit Kat, take a break.” Oh, how funny. But I have Christmas. “Oh, and don’t eat it, it’s for later,” he adds.
We meet Thomas on the way and he tells us that there is a bank in town. You can exchange money for Nepalese rupees (albeit at a worse exchange rate and with an extra exchange fee). He said he had to fill out a lot of paperwork, as if he were applying for asylum. There were men with machine guns watching over everything, so he actually felt very safe. 🙂
There are also colourful prayer flags waving in the mountain air, which I admire again. Flying in that peculiar way. I make it a point to buy them when we get to the end of the trip, so I can hang them in my kitchen.
DAY 5 – FROM CHAME TO UPPER PISANG
(3300m; 5/6 hour trek)
APPLE KINGDOM
In the morning, the Sherpas are standing right below our window, performing their morning hygiene, which apparently includes blowing out all the cavities. They’re sniffling and snorting loudly in all directions. It sounds like they’re standing right next to your head. So the good mood is taken care of first thing in the morning, and then there’s Jožin with his snoring. What a day. 🙂
Just after the Chame border we enter the forest and slowly climb up the right bank of the river. We walk through a forest of pine, spruce and oak trees. At times I feel like I am in Europe.
MY TIP:
Along the way, a saying was once again confirmed: ‘A husband is the best person to share your secrets with. He won’t tell anyone because he won’t even listen to you.” So don’t be afraid to go with your sweetheart! 🙂
Gradually, more and more tourists are coming here by jeep. All of them have only small backpacks on their backs. The rest of their luggage is carried on their backs by porters. Some are wearing only sandals, which is comical. We stop at Bratang Farm. I can’t resist a cappuccino and a cinnamon roll. We take a break here for a while. There are a lot of people here and some people are outside sunning themselves with a view of the surrounding hills over 6000m high and a coffee in hand. The farm is surrounded by apple orchards, which adds a beautiful authenticity to the place.
After crossing the river to the other side, the biggest climb of the day awaits us. It is only 150 meters above sea level, but we are getting to 3200 above sea level, so it is going to be tough. I’m walking like a turtle the whole time. At some points, Chinese tourists are trying to overtake me. They look like they’re on some kind of life-enhancer and are trying to overtake us with selfie sticks and cameras in hand. They’re having a great time when they don’t have to carry anything. 🙂
I’m also crossing my first suspension bridge in my life. The bridge is swaying, so I’m quite scared. Finally, Josef gives me his hand again and we walk together.
Little did I know that crossing that bridge was a piece of cake, compared to what we were about to do. Climbing uphill like crazy. It’s quite a slog and we have to stop several times to catch our breath. The road goes through the woods, so at least the sun isn’t shining on us.
We stop for lunch in a nearby village. Buckwheat is grown all around and yak cheese is dried on the balconies.
The rest of today’s route to the village of Lower Pisang is a leisurely one, through a breathtaking landscape that is nothing short of magical.
We’re deciding whether to go to “Lower” or “Upper” Pisang. But the choice is clear. We go up because we want to see Annapurna in the morning.
However, it starts to rain in the evening in Upper Pisang, so hopefully we will be lucky and see the famous peak in the morning. It’s now shrouded in clouds and fog.
We’re going to Chanel tonight, who can tell? 🙂 We’re looking forward to a hot shower. Well, not everything is as rosy as it looks. We shower in a room that’s the same temperature as outside. The hot water is about 5 – 6 liters in total, which is not a big hit either. So before we get into the covers, we wash as soon as we get in, because as it starts to rain, it gets colder and colder.
DAY 6 – FROM UPPER PISANG TO MANANGU
(3500m; 6/8 hour trek)
RAINING DAY
There are two roads to Manang. The easier route is the lower one, which follows the valley floor road through Hongde. The upper one takes 3 hours longer and you can see Annapurna II and III. Unfortunately it is raining so we choose the safer one, which is the road.
We make only a short stop along the way to warm up at least a little. I’m soaked. I’m a little surprised because the lady who sold me the pants in Kathmandu claimed they were 100% waterproof. Even in the store, they seemed kind of suspicious to me. I thought maybe a miracle would happen and I would come out dry. Miracle didn’t happen, at least in this case. Anyway, I bought a pair of wind pants.
We arrive in Manang soaking wet. It’s the last place the jeeps go.
DAY 7 – MANANG – ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
SNOWING! REALLY?
It’s morning and I go to look out the window to see if the rain has stopped. But I’m shocked. It’s snowing! Really? I’m thinking about the end of the trek. When our trek started, I thought it might get ugly and we’d have to end our trek. It would cover up my inability to walk it. And now it’s really snowing and I’m starting to feel sorry for myself.
We go to breakfast and there we learn that many people have already left in the morning despite the bad weather. Fools! They had to go because they had been in Manang long enough and another acclimatization day would ruin their whole trip. They don’t have enough leave to stay here. Sasi reassures us not to panic and just enjoy the rest. It is a rest day, isn’t it? 🙂 It stops snowing around lunchtime and we go exploring the village. At least I can finally pull out my hat, which I’ve been carrying with me all the time.
Manang is a very nice village. I feel like I’m back in the Middle Ages. You walk through the narrow stone streets. It’s Josef’s birthday, so we’re going to the bakery. It’s a Western-style bakery. The whole room smells of apple pies, croissants and other sweet treats. The smell of coffee wafts through the room. And I can never pass that up!
The surrounding landscape is quite dramatic, you can see the snow-capped mountain peaks and we finally get a good look at one of the Annapurnas.
In the afternoon we choose an acclimatization hike to the adjacent hill. We are wearing raincoats, because it is raining a bit for a change. It’s quite slippery, so I’m going quite slowly, because I don’t want to fall and get covered in mud. I watch myself a bit to see if I have any symptoms of altitude sickness. Rumor has it that some people are starting to have problems around here. Luckily, I’m fine.
DAY 8 – FROM MANANG TO YAK KHARKA
(4110m; 4/5 hour trek)
FINALLY MOUNTAINS
Fortunately, it’s not raining in the morning. From Manang we continue on a slight climb through the village of Gunsang (3960m.). The panoramic views keep us company all the way. The trail is quite good. On the way we pass more tourists. They always quickly overtake me and then rest, tired. Again, like a good turtle, I catch up and overtake them.
We slowly walk 10 km to the small village of YAK KHARA (4020m)from the start with an elevation gain of about 600m. It has finally turned nice, so I am enjoying it. The area is really beautiful. Sasi declares, “Finally mountains!” I’m enjoying it, because I have no idea what awaits me the next day.
There are only two lodges in the village of YAK KHARA and we are staying in one of them. Both lodges are full of people, but it’s still quiet. The downside of arriving early is that there is not much to do then. Everyone is crammed into the common room because it’s warm and especially the wifi.
DAY 9 – FROM YAK KHARKA TO THORONG PHEDI
(4,600m; 3/4 hour trek)
DANGEROUS AVALANCHE
Today we have a 7 km stretch. The road here ascends or descends. The route then follows a narrow path through an open slope and climbs to THORONG PHEDI (4540 m). Phedi means “heel of the mountain”. I think that sounds pretty cool, but the reality is different. I found this section the most dangerous. On the way we have to cross an avalanche of rocks and snow. Although it looks like a piece of cake at first, the opposite is true. Sasi goes first and maps the path ahead of us. The disadvantage of going with someone is that you want to arrive all safe. That’s the collective guilt. So when Sasi goes first, I worry about him. For a moment, I stop being selfish and worry about all three of us. Thomas took the upper route, which seemed worse at first, and turned out to be the opposite. No one seems to be maintaining the path. I’m pretty stressed out about it and I realize that all it takes is a little bit and we could fly down the cliff like potatoes. There’s not even time for the self-pity I tend to practice in such situations. Fortunately, we manage to cross it. There are more avalanches on the way. The road is totally filled with rocks and every now and then a rock comes loose and rolls down over us into the valley. So I’m trying to pick up my pace so none of us get hurt.
Eventually we manage to arrive safely at THORONG PHEDI, which is the last place before our big climb. Here we will meet almost everyone we have passed on the way. Those who have decided to give it a go! And I know we will! We have to! The thought of not giving it a go doesn’t even cross my mind right now. I really don’t want to go back. We also meet Thomas, who doesn’t want to stay here and wants to move on.
BIG DECISION
There are actually two ways to complete the trek. Either you can take a relatively short day and walk only to Thorong Phedi (4450m), or you can walk up to High Camp (4880m). The problem is not the distance between the two – it’s only about 1km and 1.5 hours of walking – but the altitude. You’d exceed the recommended elevation gain of 500 metres per day, and regardless of the option you choose, this will be the highest place you’ll stay on the trek. That is, if you manage to get any sleep at all! At first it seems like a pretty good idea to go higher, but Sasi talks us all out of it.
It is important to remember that at these altitudes you only get about 55% of the oxygen you would get at sea level. It is normal to feel more breathless than usual and your resting heart rate will also be higher. This is another reason why acclimatisation is so important at this stage of the trek. So while on paper today’s walk is not particularly strenuous, you will tire faster than usual, which is important to keep in mind. The next day is summit day – you’ll be crossing the Thorong La Pass – and where you stay will also determine how long your day is and how early you start.
FIRST DATE WITH ANOTHER WORLD
In the afternoon we are going to make our way to the “High camp“. There’s snow and ice on it. We already have an idea of what’s to come. It scares me a little, but I don’t let it discourage me. I don’t want to allow myself any negative thoughts. Someone wise once said that “the words we use today shape our tomorrow”. The way we talk about what we do, who we are and why we do it shapes our identity to some extent. This outcome is like a “first date” with another world. Considering how much time it takes just to get under one hill. Nights in poor and cold teahouses, litres of ginger or masala tea, meagre food. But I’m not really complaining about anything. I’m fine. Kind of ordinary good. I’ve gradually acclimatised to the altitude, to everything.
I’m ready! I can feel it! ♥
The views here are straight out of a catalogue. We go back to the room and it’s a bit partisan. We have our own toilet, but it’s Turkish. It smells so bad, we have to wear a veil to go in it. The thought of going in there to brush our teeth scares me. The room is as cold as a freezer. Luckily, there are blankets, so we put on everything in the room. We don’t take the sleeping bag out.
DAY 10 – FROM THORONG PHEDI –
CLIMBING TO THARONG LA – THAN TO MUKTINATHU
(3,710m; 8.5 hour trek)
DAY D
We get up at 2:45 and leave after 3:30. For the first 1,5 km we go uphill with an elevation gain of 400 meters by headlamp light. And the first problem! Jozhan’s headlamp is dead. Especially since I had a lecture in the evening about how dark and cold it would be in the morning. He puts it on his handbag and connects it to the power bank, which he slips into the hood of his jacket. Is that really how he’s gonna go? 🙂 The hill is really steep and it’s a real slog. Some places are frozen and covered in snow. We made it to the beginning with an asterisk. The same cannot be said about the rest of the way.
We have about 5 km to go to the pass and I’m starting to go slow. Like the turtle again. It’s hard to breathe in places. The views are beautiful, though. The sun is shining so intensely and I know we’re going to get burnt. “Put on your sunglasses! The sun is intense and you’re going to get sunburned! I’m serious. This is not fun!” Sasi advises me. I listen to him, but I’m not happy about it. My glasses are also dioptric, but somehow they’ve loosened up so they don’t fit me properly.
I’m moving awfully slow. “Are we there yet?” I ask curiously. “In about two hours,” Sasi replies. Poor guy! I think I must have asked him that 20 times in the whole time. It amuses me how he keeps changing his answer. And what’s most interesting is that instead of the hours getting shorter, his answers get longer. That’s impossible. We’re not going away, are we? 🙂
Snow is falling in places along the way. Snowballs. These snow slides, like when an avalanche starts. Really? Now? Fortunately, it’s a false alarm, but it scared us all a little. I’m followed by the young girls from the Israeli expedition. They’re trying to get ahead of me. Once they overtake me, they stop because they can’t breathe. So I’m overtaking them again with my snail’s pace. And so it repeats itself several times. It’s like something out of a slapstick sketch.
I ACTUALLY GAVE IT!
“I can see him now,” I want to shout out loud, but my breath won’t let me. We’re coming to the wide THARONG LA saddle, where prayer flags are already fluttering in the distance. We’re at an altitude of 5416 m. It’s a beautiful azure and the sun is shining like crazy. I want to cry. I really did it! To be sure, I pinch myself if I’m not imagining it. “You’ll make a video later. Go! You’re staying here,” I hear Joža’s voice behind me. It’s confirmed, I don’t imagine it. So I try to walk quickly so as not to hold up the others. I look back and there’s only Joža and the sherpa behind me. He just smiles at me. I pick up my pace, but somehow I can’t. As if I’ve run out of strength. I start to approach the stone mound, on which there is a sign congratulating me on reaching the highest trekking saddle in the world.
We are welcomed by Thomas, who has been waiting for us here for two hours. Or rather, to take a picture with Sasim. We sit on one of the chairs that have been set up and Thomas takes a picture of us. “Here’s one for you to remember. So you know what you looked like immediately after arriving,” Thomas adds. I think to myself that I must look fantastic after this climb. 🙂
Sasi walks straight to me and says: “Congratulations! We’re here!” We hug and I start to feel more and more moved. After a while, he brings me tea to warm me up. It’s incomprehensible to me how the local guys can survive in a frozen tin shed with a diesel generator, nicknamed the teahouse. But I don’t despise a hot drink.
I’m recording a video message for my brother and taking at least one selfie. As proof that I was really here. My face is burned, especially my lips. And I’ve been exceptionally greasy.
DOWN IS A WORSE WAY THAN UP
However, we don’t enjoy the good feeling of reaching the saddle for long and start descending. I’ll tell you straight away. I had a better time going up! The 1600 m descent is much harder for me than the ascent. I walk like in slow motion because I’m afraid that my foot will slip on the snow or ice. The idea of a helicopter rescuing me at the end after conquering the saddle is terrible. It’s slippery and I manage to fall several times. I feel clumsy, dancing on the ice with my poles in places.
It takes us a long time. We stop for an hour’s lunch in CHABARB (4190 m). There are about three restaurants here and there are a lot of people everywhere. And suddenly one of them starts clapping and shouting at me: “You did it! You’re so clever!” And I’m so moved that tears come to my eyes. So I return the favor and clap for him too. From there it’s about 1 hour to MUKTINATH (3800 m). In my opinion, two hours. And I try to walk really fast. We walk into town past a large temple complex. MUKTINATH is a small Indian town full of Indians and of course Nepalese. Holistic Indian men, whom I know from Kathmandu, are sitting on the sides. I don’t dare take out my camera, because Sasi and Joža would probably do something to me.
It was a tough day. We agree that we are all tired and we will go the next day. I would probably miss it, but I actually really like the idea of driving. We would be the only ones going, everyone else is leaving for Pokhara. Sasi still runs to buy bus tickets so we can go. As a reward for having made it, we have a yak steak for dinner. And surprisingly, it is very tasty.
DAY 11 – FROM MUKINATHU TO TATOPANI
A BUS WHEELING OVER THE SERPENTINES
There is a lot of noise in MUKINATH in the morning. On the way to the bus station we meet a lot of people. Some walk and some ride on donkeys. It’s so relaxing when you know you’ll be getting a ride in a moment.
Our destination is clear – the village of TATOPANI. We are driving very slowly and the pace is clearly set. And it doesn’t seem safe to me. The bus winds its way in serpentines above the river. On one side of the road is a slope with loose stones. On the other side is a hole down. Along the way we pick up a lot of goods, which the driver’s assistants try to cram into the bus at any cost.
The bus fills up with other passengers who cross this goods. Several times during the ride, deep potholes throw us out of our seats. So I don’t know if it would really be better if we walked. We get off in Tatopani completely broken and glad to be done with it.
HOT WATER
TATOPANI (1190 m) means “hot water” in Nepali and the village got its name from the hot springs below the village. There are two stone pools. The water is around 37 degrees. The village is located on a plateau above the hot springs and the road. After settling in, we go to try these famous thermal springs for 150 rs per person. Only Joža goes to try them and Thomas will come in a little while. I look after their things. There are two hot pools. I don’t feel like swimming here because it seems like the whole village comes here to wash. However, the boys praise it very much.
DAY 12 – FROM TATOPANI TO SHIKHA
DRAMA QUEEN
So I naively thought that by overcoming the saddle my suffering would end and I had won. But I had no idea what else awaited me. For me, the hardest climb. We head towards Ghorepani and decide to divide this climb into two days. It is 1800 vertical meters. Now I understand why most tourists did not even stop in TATOPNANI and went straight to Pokhara.
Not everyone has the desire to climb such a steep hill at the end of the trek. Along the way, there are also views of hills with cascading grain fields. I am tired and all irritated because my strength is running out. The main thing that demotivates me is the thought that everyone took the bus and I have to trudge up the hill with my bag. It pours out of me like a watering can. A total drama queen!
Yes, it’s quite a massacre, because the path leads a lot of the time on stone steps, for a while on a path and sometimes you go through a village. However, the path seems endless to me. Although the surrounding green nature is beautiful, it doesn’t go by at all.
FAREWELL
I don’t talk to anyone and I go alone with my depression. I’m starting to get allergic to Jožin’s comments when he says for about the tenth time that we’ll be there. I let him eat it up and I’m annoyed. My legs hurt from the stairs and I’d rather sit down and not go anywhere. Finally, we arrive at the village of SHIKHA. Thomas tells us that he won’t go with us anymore. He wants to be with his old friends, whom he met on the way. They’ve been in Pokhara for a long time and are having fun there. I feel guilty that it’s because of me. Because I was angry and negative the whole time. It’s about 1 p.m., but I know that I couldn’t go any further. So Thomas and I say goodbye and see him for the last time.
DAY 13 – FROM SHIKHA TO GHOREPANI
(2850m; 7/8 hour trek)
HELL HILL
The next day is the same. Stairs again. I try to keep a cool head and not be negative. I don’t want to upset Sasi any more. However, I’m feeling worse because I think I caught a cold overnight. I might have muscle fever, but I think it’s more like angina because my throat hurts.
he reason we are climbing these harsh hills is so that we can enjoy the sunrise on the lookout point of Poon Hill (3210 m) the next day. I am getting worse and worse, I have a fever, I can hardly swallow and I decide not to go to the lookout in the morning. We have a long way to go down the hill and that will also be a lot of hard work. I know I wouldn’t be able to handle it. It is damp and cold in the room. But I try to be optimistic that I will feel better in the morning.
DAY 14 POONHILL – BACK FROM GHOREPANI
FROM THERE BY JEEP TO POKHARA
A VERY DESERVING DESCENT TO THE FINAL
In the morning, Joža gets up at 5 am and goes with Sasim to see Poonhill.
When he returns, I realize I haven’t missed anything. “Look out the window. It looks the same,” he reports. Phew! I’m relieved.
Now we are almost done with the Annapurna trek. All that remains is to go down to the jeep station. It is clear to me that the mountains are not giving me anything for free and it will still hurt. Right after leaving the village of Ghorepani we descend into the jungle. And lo and behold, we are walking up the stairs again. I am still sick, but I try not to show it. Around us there are probably all kinds of green and lots of interesting plants. I don’t understand at all how anyone can walk here, let alone carry things on their backs.
In the village of Ban Thanti we get out of the forest and start passing a lot of tourists heading in the opposite direction. Sasi tells us that he has already found someone to join us so that we can rent a jeep. Josef claims that it is a mother and daughter. However, I think they are more like friends. We have had enough of descending so we all stop for lunch. Little do we know that the worst is yet to come.
About 450 vertical meters of descent in less than a kilometer on steep stairs. Every step hurts me and I’m doing much worse than before lunch. There are landslides in places and there are no stairs. Along the way we meet a lot of sweaty tourists who are tired and exhausted. I’m not surprised at all, because I’ve been experiencing this for two days. Some smile at us, others don’t even look up from exhaustion.
After noon we finally arrive at the village of Tikhe Dhunga, where a jeep is waiting for us. I sit next to the driver, but there are no seat belts. The driver looks at me, smiles mischievously and just adds: “Seat belts are useless, you won’t need them! If we fall, none of us will survive anyway.” Well, I’m calmer now. 🙂 He laughs, probably some local joke. The road goes by quite quickly. We drive like on a racetrack along a dusty, rocky road over the peaks, passing herds of goats and tourist expeditions going in the opposite direction. Halfway through we join a normal road and we’re already whizzing towards Pokhara.
After 14 days (including the journey) and 186 km of pedaling, we have completed the trek around Annapurna.
We did it with honor!
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