The more friends and travellers I talked to, the more Nepal came up as the place to go trekking. So why not pay the Himalayas a visit while on that side of the world?
Kathmandu is the starting point for nearly all trekkers, and it must have one of the highest concentrations of outdoor stores. Here was my $133 haul, all "authentic" of course:
I also hired a -10C sleeping bag for $0.50/day, and a pair of trekking poles for $0.20/day.
With that, two trekking permits, and the fattest stack of cash I've ever held (no reliable ATMs high up in the Himalayas), I boarded a local bus to Besisahar, the official start of the Annapurna Circuit. I was fortunate to have a seat, but for the first two hours we crawled through dusty Kathmandu traffic, and for the remaining six, made our way into the mountains.
The Annapurna Circuit is a roughly 220km almost-full circle, typically travelled counterclockwise from Besisahar (el. 760m) in the southeast to Nayapul (el. 1,070m) in the southwest. The trail makes its way up and north, cresting at Thorung La mountain pass at elevation 5,416m. Recent years have seen the construction of roads along much of the circuit to increase accessibility, but dedicated trails have also been built to avoid traffic. In the middle of the loop are a number of peaks, including Annapurna I, the tenth highest in the world. I was advised the first stretch is a dusty affair walking along a road, so I grabbed a ride a little further up to Syange. And that's where my trek began.
Accommodation along the route is in the form of tea houses. These guesthouses usually have 2-bed rooms, sometimes more, and occasionally dorm room setups, with a common dining room and shared toilets. There's electricity and plumbing that might sort of work. Lodges were drafty and not heated, with exposed wood that gave them a cabin-like feel, and it usually wasn't "cold enough" to light dining room fireplaces. While basic, they usually impressed with fresh, colorfully painted exteriors and clean interiors with friendly families as hosts. There was one $80/night lodge (discounted to $60) that wouldn't look out of place in Lake Tahoe. Otherwise, these were simple and nice, but not luxury.
I never paid more than $3 for a room, and sometimes they were free if I ate both dinner and breakfast there. Conversely, I saw surcharges of up to $15 if guests ate elsewhere. Sometimes at billing the room rate would be halved or even removed without me asking. The money was in the food. Upon check in a tab would be started for each guest's room. That's where I ordered food off the menu with a requested dinner and breakfast time. Bigger lodges had over 100 guests, which resulted in longer waits and poorer service. Some of the best were ten room lodges run by sweet locals who treated guests like family.
Most villages are basic without much in the way of sightseeing except a temple, lookout, or hot springs, but I usually didn't feel much like walking by the time I checked in at 2pm or so. Smaller villages had as few as three guesthouses, while bigger hubs had dozens. There were usually plenty to choose from, each advertising best food, fast food, great view, friendly service, and so on. Sometimes all we had to go off was how friendly and welcoming the owner seemed. One morning we stopped to catch our breath at a lookout. While not ready to eat, the woman handed us a business card of her son's guesthouse further up the trail. That's where we had lunch. After lunch we asked for a recommendation for a place to sleep; he delivered another business card for the town we planned on staying in.
As remote as we were, this was no bland, pre-packaged camp food. Hearty, hot meals were the perfect start and end to a hard day of trekking. Menus offered a wide selection of western and Asian dishes, but I usually went straight for a Nepalese staple: dal bhat. Delivered on a large plate, it consists of a pile of rice in the center surrounded by a bowl of dal (lentil soup) and potato curry. They might also include a dollop of jam, a chip/cracker, a pickle, a couple raw vegetables, a spicy tomato sauce. The best part is, this dish comes with free refills. Service varied, but sometimes after just three bites I was asked if I'd like more rice. They'd bring over rice and shovel it on. They'd refill that bowl of dal. And they'd plop down some more potato curry, too. It's your own fault if you're not full after this meal. Some hosts would stand outside, saying "lunch? Dal bhat power, 24 hour!" Two servings was always enough to really fill me up, and I had this every lunch, and some dinners, too. I can honestly say I never tired of it in two weeks, with each one a bit different than others. One in particular was so good I overate, and paid for it with an uncomfortable afternoon hike on an overstuffed stomach.
Looking back, some dal bhat on the trail topped even the best I had in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
I also ate delicious fresh baked bread near 5,000m, fresh apple pie from local orchards, some incredible pumpkin soup from the garden out back, and mo mo's packed with fresh veggies. Everything was so fresh, and it was all cooked to order. Dinner could be as long as an hour wait, but definitely worth it.
Dinner time in the bigger guesthouses reminded me of ski lodges. Everyone in their winter gear and ski (trekking) poles, warming up over hot food and drink, trading war stories from the day.
Understandably, the cost of food rises with elevation. Dal bhat can be had for $2 (includes refills) in Kathmandu, but peaks at $6 at the highest elevations of the circuit.
In Manang I picked up some delicious yak cheese for fuel along the way. Higher altitude menus also included yak meat (my burger was just ok). Trailside stalls would be selling everything from gloves to toilet paper, Snickers to handicrafts.
Bottled water was readily available, but I packed chlorine tablets so I could drink from any source. Mountainside spigot, waterfall, or guesthouse tap--it was all fair game. Himalayan water has got to be some of the best in the world.
As food prices increased, luxuries like WiFi, power outlets, and hot showers became scarce or costly. Showers cost a dollar or two, but were often solar heated and luke warm at best, or gas heated that might provide some warmth to a trickle of water. Or so I'm told, I waited 14 days for a wonderful hot shower at the end. Only some places had working outlets in each room, otherwise you could pay $1 for a phone charge or $2 to charge a battery pack. Some places had free WiFi, others charged $1/day, but often so many users bogged networks down to barely usable speeds. But I had no desire to connect. When else could I so easily go offline for two weeks?
I always liked getting an early start. A good morning would see breakfast shortly after 6 and on the trail by 7. After tough days of trekking, I could hardly stay awake much past 8:30, so it was no problem getting up early. Near freezing temps had me starting the day with a wool hat and down jacket, but those quickly came off, especially when the first few steps were a tough uphill climb.
The Himalayas brought to mind images of snow capped peaks, but there's so much more to be seen on the way up. Day 1 started with rice terraces and humid rainforest that had me drenched in sweat. Mountainsides were covered in waterfalls. Moving higher, deciduous forests burned bright with autumn colors. The mercury dropped and pine forests with views of snow capped peaks brought me back to Lake Tahoe. Open ranch land felt like the western US, and high desert brought dry, cold air. Near the tree line, flora diminished to scraggly alpine plants, then grey landscapes that might be found on the moon. A real treat was a roaring river below me for most of the circuit, occasionally within earshot as I fell asleep, and crossed often by pedestrian suspension bridges. And each bend of the trail offered new perspectives of the Annapurna peaks we were circling. I can't imagine where else this level of diversity can be found in such a small area. Despite knowing photos wouldn't do any sort of justice, it was hard to put my camera down.
What also never got old were pure blue skies that lasted from morning till late afternoon. Some days spotting just one cloud above us was remarkable.
A common sight throughout the whole trip were colorful prayer flags. Strung from balconies, at lookouts, across valleys, over entrances...
Each village also had one or more rows of prayer wheels trekkers would give a spin as they passed by. Most were about 20cm in diameter, but a few temples had 2m wide cylinders. Colorful buildings on distant mountainsides would pop out, these turned out to be Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries with incredible views.
The trail is very well marked out with red and white striped blazes and occasional maps and signs with distances and hours. There are also the handmade advertisements for guesthouses in upcoming towns. And locals are never far off to ask for confirmation or times to the next village. Over dinner or tea, more than once a guide sauntered over to my map to chat about next moves and shared tips and stories. Many have been doing this for years.
Trekkers can choose to go with or without a porter, and with or without a guide. Porters carry up to 30kg to ease a trekker's burden. They balance huge packs, partially supported by a band around their forehead. I don't know how these guys do it, sometimes with flimsy sneakers or flip flops. I opted to forego a porter and pack light.
I also went without a guide as it is a straightforward route and especially well travelled on the east side. Not traffic jam levels, but another trekker, porter, guide, or local was never too far off. On my bus to Besisahar, I made a couple new friends from the Bay Area and the three of us set off the next morning. We stuck together until Manang when our itineraries diverged.
Manang is one of the busier villages (with a range of hotels, shops, and "cinemas") on the circuit for a couple of reasons. First, this is where the road on the east side of the circuit ends, so those looking to shorten their trek can hitch a ride up to here. The second reason has to do with altitude. Manang is a good place to acclimatize to lower oxygen levels, so many take a rest day here before heading higher.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can set in after 3,000m or so, if one ascends too high, too fast. The key is to watch out for symptoms and take it slow. "Walk high, sleep low," they say, meaning higher day hikes are ok, but don't sleep more than 500m higher than the night before. AMS has nothing to do with fitness, it just happens to affect some more than others. In fact, fit trekkers may be more susceptible in that they are more likely to over-ascend in a day. I watched my elevation and fortunately felt nothing but a brief slight headache one night in Manang. I hardly knew how many kilometers I walked each day; the talk was all in elevation gain and hours of trekking. I packed some chocolate and slurped a couple bowls of garlic soup as they say those help avoid altitude sickness.
"Rest days" of just hanging out or lesser ascents also help in acclimatization, and Manang is a popular place for that. I chose a side trek from Manang to an alpine lake, Tilicho Tal. Due to its elevation, there is a lower Tilicho Base Camp (el. 4,150m) which serves as a jumping off point for day trips to the lake itself. On the way to base camp I chatted with other trekkers, including quite a few Nepalese. This was the busiest weekend for visiting, and a Nepalese movie recently featured the lake, making it even more popular. Base camp has three lodges, and by early afternoon all rooms were full. This is typical and they allow sleeping in the dining room at no charge. The hardest part was not having a place to hang out for the afternoon, but a few friends I made along the way and I snagged a table and held onto it through dinner. From there we ended up sticking together for the rest of the circuit. Finally, at 8:30, staff cleared chairs and tables and hauled in piles of mattresses to cover the floor. It was a chilly night but once everyone (over 40 trekkers) settled down, I got a few winks of sleep.
Guides and locals all said a 4am departure was the way to do Tilicho Tal. So, at 3:30 we rose, layered up, and headed out. A bit cloudy but some stars still visible. It must've been below freezing as the circle of my headlight shined on a few snow flurries. Step by step, this was a tough climb in cold thin air. Scores of headlamps lined the path in the distance. Nearly three hours later, under cloudy skies at 4,920m, I stepped into a small lodge that provided some shelter from the bitter wind. Thick clouds would blow by outside, obstructing any hint of lake, and clear away seconds later to provide some stellar views.
With that it was time to head down. The wind didn't let up but the draw of hot breakfast at the bottom kept me going. After coffee and muesli at base camp, we headed back towards the main circuit, just north of Manang. The sun was now shining and provided welcome warmth. After a ten hour day, dal bhat was exactly what I needed. By 7:30pm I was ready for bed.
Thorung La is the highest point of the circuit, and it was just a couple days away. After a night in Khangsar, we moved on up to Thorung Phedi. All rooms were full by early afternoon but the "dorm" housed about 40 sleeping pads on two levels of plywood. This was another chilly night at 4,450m, falling asleep to a room of heavy breathing. 3am saw most of the house rise for an early start (this kitchen opened at 3:30am). We slept in and hit the trail at 5:30 on Day 8 of trekking. The steepest part was a 45min, 475m climb up to High Camp, and a couple more hours from there to the pass. Along the way I saw mountain bikers carrying their bikes because it was that steep. I spoke with them earlier and they were planning to bike the entire circuit in eight days. After the pass on the downhill stretch they were in much higher spirits.
I expected a hard climb through cold, windy, thin air, and nice views at the top of the pass before quickly heading down the other side. But upon arrival at the pile of prayer flags, there was cause for celebration. Everyone up there had conquered cold nights and steep climbs through thin air to make it. The cold was momentarily forgotten as the air was filled with whoops, hollers, hugs, and high fives. 5,416 meters. We made it!
Reality then hit that we still had a week left to walk down to normal oxygen levels, and going down hill can almost be harder than the way up. Down down down we went out on loose gravel for three hours before stopping to take in our victory over mint tea and a plate of mo mos. Food prices began to drop and breathing became a bit easier.
Muktinath (el. 3,760m) was the place to sleep, a tough 1,656m descent from the pass. This was the first real town since I started low down. Street vendors, motorbikes, and buses or jeeps to take trekkers on a grueling 10hr trip down the west side of the circuit for those out of time or energy. I kept on trekking, and am glad I did. Most trails avoided the road and were noticeably less travelled than the east side. The scenery continued to change and impress, with new views around each bend. Nine days in, and still not repetitive. Incredible. Something really different was a wide river shown on the map. In person, I found it was a dry, rocky riverbed with a narrow river travelling through it. We walked over this grey, rocky landscape through a towering canyon.
On the way down, I was missing the color green. But as we left yak country and entered the land of goats and cows again, the green slowly reappeared and temperatures returned to comfortable levels.
Either just in passing or for an evening, it was interesting to take in daily life. I happened to be treking through Tihar (Deepavali), the five day festival of lights I understood to be the Nepalese equivalent of Indian Diwali. I saw flower necklaces being made and strung overhead, and where electricity was more prevalent, "Christmas lights" adorned buildings. In the evening, drumming, song, and dance filled the air. Children went door to door performing to collect money.
In Marpha, our host tipped us to a lama (as in Dalai Lama) dance festival at the local monastary. Hundreds of locals came to have their feet blessed, and an apparently popular lama made an appearance. The evening concluded with a procession of masked characters with music and dancing through the village's single street.
One big attraction near the end of the circuit brings in quite a few weekend trekkers from Nayapul. Poon Hill is a steep 30min climb over 300m above Ghorepani, known for its panoramic views of the Annapurna range. We checked into Ghorepani before noon and had time to take in the views and copious amounts of dal bhat. While most popular for sunrise, we checked out Poon Hill for sunset and were the only ones. From the guesthouse, heavy clouds rolled in, obstructing views in all directions and discouraging anyone else from spending the calories. But up top, it was a peaceful retreat above the clouds with a blue opening overhead. Just a few colors shone through the surrounding clouds. The next morning, my final, 13th day of trekking, up we went again by headlight at 5:30, this time with hundreds of others. Skies had cleared overnight, and as the sun crested the horizon, the Annapurna peaks came to life.
After a quick break for breakfast, it was time for the final trek down to Nayapul. This was a longer than expected endeavor, descending 2,123m down thousands of odd shaped rock steps. This, and Tilicho Tal, were the toughest days. Finally in the unremarkable village of Nayapul with not even a sign, despite the holiday we were fortunate to flag down a local bus to carry us the two hours to Pokhara, the lakeside retreat where trekkers go to recover.
As diverse as the scenery of the circuit were the people encountered along the way. Trekking the circuit really was a league of nations. I met others from: Israel, Spain, United States, Canada, India, Nepal, Australia, Germany, England, Iran, Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, France, Egypt...
Often just over a cup of tea or a chat at dinner, we'd share stories and itineraries and then wish each other well. 12 hours, two days, or a week later, we'd run into each other again, and piece together where it was we first met.
And at the end of it all, resting my weary legs in Pokhara, I encountered a Spaniard I had first met in my Kathmandu hostel over two weeks earlier. He trekked a different route but arrived in Pokhara within minutes of me. Along with a few others, we went out for a celebratory dinner. Walking around town the next few days, I continued to spot others I had crossed on the trail.
I can't pinpoint one specific view, meal, or moment as a highlight of this 13 day trek. Instead, it was the ever-changing scenery, the whole teahouse experience, and especially the people along the way that made it such an unforgettable trip.
Kathmandu is the starting point for nearly all trekkers, and it must have one of the highest concentrations of outdoor stores. Here was my $133 haul, all "authentic" of course:
- (2) pair wool socks
- (1) pair sock liners
- Patagonia fleece
- Synthetic down jacket
- UnderArmor long sleeve base layer
- Mountain Hardwear winter gloves with liners
- 30L North Face backpack
- Wool hat
I also hired a -10C sleeping bag for $0.50/day, and a pair of trekking poles for $0.20/day.
With that, two trekking permits, and the fattest stack of cash I've ever held (no reliable ATMs high up in the Himalayas), I boarded a local bus to Besisahar, the official start of the Annapurna Circuit. I was fortunate to have a seat, but for the first two hours we crawled through dusty Kathmandu traffic, and for the remaining six, made our way into the mountains.
The Annapurna Circuit is a roughly 220km almost-full circle, typically travelled counterclockwise from Besisahar (el. 760m) in the southeast to Nayapul (el. 1,070m) in the southwest. The trail makes its way up and north, cresting at Thorung La mountain pass at elevation 5,416m. Recent years have seen the construction of roads along much of the circuit to increase accessibility, but dedicated trails have also been built to avoid traffic. In the middle of the loop are a number of peaks, including Annapurna I, the tenth highest in the world. I was advised the first stretch is a dusty affair walking along a road, so I grabbed a ride a little further up to Syange. And that's where my trek began.
Accommodation along the route is in the form of tea houses. These guesthouses usually have 2-bed rooms, sometimes more, and occasionally dorm room setups, with a common dining room and shared toilets. There's electricity and plumbing that might sort of work. Lodges were drafty and not heated, with exposed wood that gave them a cabin-like feel, and it usually wasn't "cold enough" to light dining room fireplaces. While basic, they usually impressed with fresh, colorfully painted exteriors and clean interiors with friendly families as hosts. There was one $80/night lodge (discounted to $60) that wouldn't look out of place in Lake Tahoe. Otherwise, these were simple and nice, but not luxury.
I never paid more than $3 for a room, and sometimes they were free if I ate both dinner and breakfast there. Conversely, I saw surcharges of up to $15 if guests ate elsewhere. Sometimes at billing the room rate would be halved or even removed without me asking. The money was in the food. Upon check in a tab would be started for each guest's room. That's where I ordered food off the menu with a requested dinner and breakfast time. Bigger lodges had over 100 guests, which resulted in longer waits and poorer service. Some of the best were ten room lodges run by sweet locals who treated guests like family.
Looking back, some dal bhat on the trail topped even the best I had in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
I also ate delicious fresh baked bread near 5,000m, fresh apple pie from local orchards, some incredible pumpkin soup from the garden out back, and mo mo's packed with fresh veggies. Everything was so fresh, and it was all cooked to order. Dinner could be as long as an hour wait, but definitely worth it.
Dinner time in the bigger guesthouses reminded me of ski lodges. Everyone in their winter gear and ski (trekking) poles, warming up over hot food and drink, trading war stories from the day.
Understandably, the cost of food rises with elevation. Dal bhat can be had for $2 (includes refills) in Kathmandu, but peaks at $6 at the highest elevations of the circuit.
In Manang I picked up some delicious yak cheese for fuel along the way. Higher altitude menus also included yak meat (my burger was just ok). Trailside stalls would be selling everything from gloves to toilet paper, Snickers to handicrafts.
Bottled water was readily available, but I packed chlorine tablets so I could drink from any source. Mountainside spigot, waterfall, or guesthouse tap--it was all fair game. Himalayan water has got to be some of the best in the world.
As food prices increased, luxuries like WiFi, power outlets, and hot showers became scarce or costly. Showers cost a dollar or two, but were often solar heated and luke warm at best, or gas heated that might provide some warmth to a trickle of water. Or so I'm told, I waited 14 days for a wonderful hot shower at the end. Only some places had working outlets in each room, otherwise you could pay $1 for a phone charge or $2 to charge a battery pack. Some places had free WiFi, others charged $1/day, but often so many users bogged networks down to barely usable speeds. But I had no desire to connect. When else could I so easily go offline for two weeks?
I always liked getting an early start. A good morning would see breakfast shortly after 6 and on the trail by 7. After tough days of trekking, I could hardly stay awake much past 8:30, so it was no problem getting up early. Near freezing temps had me starting the day with a wool hat and down jacket, but those quickly came off, especially when the first few steps were a tough uphill climb.
The Himalayas brought to mind images of snow capped peaks, but there's so much more to be seen on the way up. Day 1 started with rice terraces and humid rainforest that had me drenched in sweat. Mountainsides were covered in waterfalls. Moving higher, deciduous forests burned bright with autumn colors. The mercury dropped and pine forests with views of snow capped peaks brought me back to Lake Tahoe. Open ranch land felt like the western US, and high desert brought dry, cold air. Near the tree line, flora diminished to scraggly alpine plants, then grey landscapes that might be found on the moon. A real treat was a roaring river below me for most of the circuit, occasionally within earshot as I fell asleep, and crossed often by pedestrian suspension bridges. And each bend of the trail offered new perspectives of the Annapurna peaks we were circling. I can't imagine where else this level of diversity can be found in such a small area. Despite knowing photos wouldn't do any sort of justice, it was hard to put my camera down.
What also never got old were pure blue skies that lasted from morning till late afternoon. Some days spotting just one cloud above us was remarkable.
A common sight throughout the whole trip were colorful prayer flags. Strung from balconies, at lookouts, across valleys, over entrances...
Each village also had one or more rows of prayer wheels trekkers would give a spin as they passed by. Most were about 20cm in diameter, but a few temples had 2m wide cylinders. Colorful buildings on distant mountainsides would pop out, these turned out to be Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries with incredible views.
The trail is very well marked out with red and white striped blazes and occasional maps and signs with distances and hours. There are also the handmade advertisements for guesthouses in upcoming towns. And locals are never far off to ask for confirmation or times to the next village. Over dinner or tea, more than once a guide sauntered over to my map to chat about next moves and shared tips and stories. Many have been doing this for years.
Trekkers can choose to go with or without a porter, and with or without a guide. Porters carry up to 30kg to ease a trekker's burden. They balance huge packs, partially supported by a band around their forehead. I don't know how these guys do it, sometimes with flimsy sneakers or flip flops. I opted to forego a porter and pack light.
I also went without a guide as it is a straightforward route and especially well travelled on the east side. Not traffic jam levels, but another trekker, porter, guide, or local was never too far off. On my bus to Besisahar, I made a couple new friends from the Bay Area and the three of us set off the next morning. We stuck together until Manang when our itineraries diverged.
Manang is one of the busier villages (with a range of hotels, shops, and "cinemas") on the circuit for a couple of reasons. First, this is where the road on the east side of the circuit ends, so those looking to shorten their trek can hitch a ride up to here. The second reason has to do with altitude. Manang is a good place to acclimatize to lower oxygen levels, so many take a rest day here before heading higher.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can set in after 3,000m or so, if one ascends too high, too fast. The key is to watch out for symptoms and take it slow. "Walk high, sleep low," they say, meaning higher day hikes are ok, but don't sleep more than 500m higher than the night before. AMS has nothing to do with fitness, it just happens to affect some more than others. In fact, fit trekkers may be more susceptible in that they are more likely to over-ascend in a day. I watched my elevation and fortunately felt nothing but a brief slight headache one night in Manang. I hardly knew how many kilometers I walked each day; the talk was all in elevation gain and hours of trekking. I packed some chocolate and slurped a couple bowls of garlic soup as they say those help avoid altitude sickness.
Guides and locals all said a 4am departure was the way to do Tilicho Tal. So, at 3:30 we rose, layered up, and headed out. A bit cloudy but some stars still visible. It must've been below freezing as the circle of my headlight shined on a few snow flurries. Step by step, this was a tough climb in cold thin air. Scores of headlamps lined the path in the distance. Nearly three hours later, under cloudy skies at 4,920m, I stepped into a small lodge that provided some shelter from the bitter wind. Thick clouds would blow by outside, obstructing any hint of lake, and clear away seconds later to provide some stellar views.
With that it was time to head down. The wind didn't let up but the draw of hot breakfast at the bottom kept me going. After coffee and muesli at base camp, we headed back towards the main circuit, just north of Manang. The sun was now shining and provided welcome warmth. After a ten hour day, dal bhat was exactly what I needed. By 7:30pm I was ready for bed.
Thorung La is the highest point of the circuit, and it was just a couple days away. After a night in Khangsar, we moved on up to Thorung Phedi. All rooms were full by early afternoon but the "dorm" housed about 40 sleeping pads on two levels of plywood. This was another chilly night at 4,450m, falling asleep to a room of heavy breathing. 3am saw most of the house rise for an early start (this kitchen opened at 3:30am). We slept in and hit the trail at 5:30 on Day 8 of trekking. The steepest part was a 45min, 475m climb up to High Camp, and a couple more hours from there to the pass. Along the way I saw mountain bikers carrying their bikes because it was that steep. I spoke with them earlier and they were planning to bike the entire circuit in eight days. After the pass on the downhill stretch they were in much higher spirits.
I expected a hard climb through cold, windy, thin air, and nice views at the top of the pass before quickly heading down the other side. But upon arrival at the pile of prayer flags, there was cause for celebration. Everyone up there had conquered cold nights and steep climbs through thin air to make it. The cold was momentarily forgotten as the air was filled with whoops, hollers, hugs, and high fives. 5,416 meters. We made it!
On the way down, I was missing the color green. But as we left yak country and entered the land of goats and cows again, the green slowly reappeared and temperatures returned to comfortable levels.
In Marpha, our host tipped us to a lama (as in Dalai Lama) dance festival at the local monastary. Hundreds of locals came to have their feet blessed, and an apparently popular lama made an appearance. The evening concluded with a procession of masked characters with music and dancing through the village's single street.
One big attraction near the end of the circuit brings in quite a few weekend trekkers from Nayapul. Poon Hill is a steep 30min climb over 300m above Ghorepani, known for its panoramic views of the Annapurna range. We checked into Ghorepani before noon and had time to take in the views and copious amounts of dal bhat. While most popular for sunrise, we checked out Poon Hill for sunset and were the only ones. From the guesthouse, heavy clouds rolled in, obstructing views in all directions and discouraging anyone else from spending the calories. But up top, it was a peaceful retreat above the clouds with a blue opening overhead. Just a few colors shone through the surrounding clouds. The next morning, my final, 13th day of trekking, up we went again by headlight at 5:30, this time with hundreds of others. Skies had cleared overnight, and as the sun crested the horizon, the Annapurna peaks came to life.
After a quick break for breakfast, it was time for the final trek down to Nayapul. This was a longer than expected endeavor, descending 2,123m down thousands of odd shaped rock steps. This, and Tilicho Tal, were the toughest days. Finally in the unremarkable village of Nayapul with not even a sign, despite the holiday we were fortunate to flag down a local bus to carry us the two hours to Pokhara, the lakeside retreat where trekkers go to recover.
As diverse as the scenery of the circuit were the people encountered along the way. Trekking the circuit really was a league of nations. I met others from: Israel, Spain, United States, Canada, India, Nepal, Australia, Germany, England, Iran, Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, France, Egypt...
Often just over a cup of tea or a chat at dinner, we'd share stories and itineraries and then wish each other well. 12 hours, two days, or a week later, we'd run into each other again, and piece together where it was we first met.
And at the end of it all, resting my weary legs in Pokhara, I encountered a Spaniard I had first met in my Kathmandu hostel over two weeks earlier. He trekked a different route but arrived in Pokhara within minutes of me. Along with a few others, we went out for a celebratory dinner. Walking around town the next few days, I continued to spot others I had crossed on the trail.
I can't pinpoint one specific view, meal, or moment as a highlight of this 13 day trek. Instead, it was the ever-changing scenery, the whole teahouse experience, and especially the people along the way that made it such an unforgettable trip.