Nepal – Pokhara – 4 day 50 km - Ghorepani/Poon Hill Loop Trek
After coming to
an “arrangement” whereby Luiza stayed down in Pokhara doing a nice all
inclusive Yoga & Meditation course, I decided that someone in the family
has to at least do some form of trekking. I mean how would it look coming to Nepal and
not doing any trekking?? Based on length
and ease of trek I decided to do the 4 day/3 night Ghorepani Loop trek. It’s classed as easy to medium in terms of
difficulty and maximum altitude reached is only 3200m. I had experienced some problems with altitude
in Darjeeling (2000 metres) so decided to take it easy.
DAY 1 – Pokhara to Nayapul (trail head) 1080 metres to Ulleri (well
nearly…) 1800 metres – 7:30am to 3:30pm trekking
After paying
nearly $45 for a TIMS Trekking Permit and an ACAP Permit and nearly $70 for a
guide for 4 days, I meet my guide at the hotel at 7:30 for a quick transfer to
take the local bus to the trail head.
Two hours later we arrive at Nayapul our starting point. A quick hike down to the Modi River bank and
then along the river to where the real trekking starts. Steep stone steps one after the other start
to take their toll on this little (unfit) bunny! Increasing altitude combined with the
strenuous climbing lead to some very heavy breathing and frequent stops. My guide decides to just fuck off ahead and
leave me struggling on my own. He seems
more interested in foreign female trekkers (preferably trekking solo)!! Not
impressed. He also tells me he was a
Maoist Guerilla for 6 years but not sure how true that is…
We stop for
lunch and I decide to eat my pizza and Kit Kat I had brought not knowing how
bad the food would be on the way. My
guide looked pissed off and I discovered later that wherever they take you to
eat, they get free lunch/dinner etc. Had
just opened my chockie and a little boy literally appeared from nowhere so gave
him a piece and he looked like I’d given him an Xbox. Shared some pizza with a dog who sidled up to
me from behind and gave me a nudge sort of saying – hey there new best friend,
how about a wee bit??
Anyway we head
off again and eventually arrive at Tikhedunga – 1540 metres. This was supposed to be our first overnight stay
but it was only 1:30pm and I thought what the f%^k am I going to do for the
rest of the day?? I ask about the next
day and he shows me the mountain we have to trek up and I suggest we keep on
going to make tomorrow easier. So on over a
suspension bridge and then we start the real business of trekking. After about two hours, my heart is threatening
to pound its way out of my chest so we call it quits about a half hour short of
Ulleri – 1960 metres near the top. Stay
in a really basic guest house which had hot water and a really bad Dhal Bhaat?
(rice, dal, greens and pickles).
Exhausted, I crawl into my sleeping bag and wait for sleep. Heart’s pounding so take some blood pressure
medication a doctor had given me in Darjeeling (but I’d not taken at that time
as I was sure my problem was lack of oxygen due to the altitude there). Bloody doc was right – half an hour later
feeling much better, time for sleep.
DAY 2 – Near Ulleri - 1800 metres to Ghorepani –
2874 metres – 6:30am to 3:30pm trekking
Pay the bill in
the morning (100 rupees/$1.50 for the room) but bill was 700 rupees/$10 –
charged for the hot shower and dinner and Fanta exorbitantly!! That’s how it seems to work – room is always
about $1.50 but food and drink is extortionate. Off we go and I take another BP
pill and am feeling much better than yesterday.
But no slow start today! Straight
out of guest house onto steep trail and after about 30 minutes we reach Ulleri
where I should have slept last night.
Looking down at Tikhedunga way down below, I was very happy we pushed on
yesterday. Anyway continue up to summit
and then around the hill for an uneventful but tiring trek to Ghorepani – 2874
metres.
Check in at our
hotel (100 rupees again but you know the rest…). Have possibly the best cup of noodles I have
ever had in my life (the ones I brought with me!!). Have some fried
noodles for dinner and then pinch a book to read (bloody Ipod battery has run
out already!!). About 6:00pm a hailstorm starts up and it’s really full on.
Anyway crash ready for great views and an early start in the
morning.
DAY 3 - Ghorepani – 2874 metres to Ghandruk
– 1940 metres – 6:30am to 3:00pm trekking
I wake up at
about 5:00am next morning and take some photos outside, it’s quite cloudy
though and to be honest the view was better down in Pokhara (bit pissed off
‘bout that). So decide not to hike up to
Poon Hill observatory 3200 metres and guide says we should head off due to the worsening
weather and that on the way we will have views as good as Poon Hill. Quick brekkie and then off again. Easy downhill to start with then a very steep
uphill up a muddy trail up to same height as Poon Hill but on other side of
valley. The weather suddenly turns nasty
and a booming sound of the wind comes racing up the hill and the guide says
“hurry, very danger!!!” so we get a move on.
Black clouds all around with lightning and thunder and now we get the
gift of rain & light hail and the temperature plummets to around 3-4 degrees. It’s now so cold the hail from last night is
still lying around everywhere. My best
mate (not!!) guide decides to piss off again as he doesn’t have a waterproof
jacket (smart huh??) and races off ahead leaving me to brave the muddy not so
obvious track around the hill. Make a
quick movie (Blair Witch style) for Luiza in case something happens. Sounds melodramatic but anyone who was up
there would know what I mean. All of a sudden
you realize how suddenly a nice mild trek for a tourist can turn into a bit of
an adventure.
Anyway, all my
best expectations of going downhill for the rest of the trek are dashed by the
slimy, muddy, slippery stone steps and muddy trail. Very beautiful trail around the mountain
though! Don’t get me wrong I was having
a great time – feeling much fitter after the first day and starting to get into
the solitude and the whole nature thing…
After a lunch break at Tadapani –
2595 metres, we are almost at our destination Ghandruk – 1940 metres, when it
starts pissing down!! The guide wants to
stay in this little shithole but I insist we wait a bit and sure enough ten
minutes later the sun’s out again and we push on for our final overnight
destination. Ghandruk is quite a big place and has amazing
views of the Annapurnas. Our guesthouse
was really nice and the Dhal Bhaat was great, I even had seconds!! Had a chat with some guests and then retired
for the night with my stolen (borrowed) book.
DAY 4 - Ghandruk – 1940 metres to Nayapul
and then back to Pokhara – 7:00am to 11:30am trekking
Wake up early,
cup of coffee and then have to light a fire under the guide to get him
going. At this stage I just want to get
back, see my baby and have a nice big steak, some scotch on ice and a ciggie
(decided to go smoke and booze free for the duration) back in Pokhara. Anyway, I’m pretty fit by this stage and I
charge off down the steep stone steps for about 2 hours well ahead of our
group. Stop about 9:00 for breakfast to
wait for the guide and another group.
After waiting about 35 minutes and nada, get fed up and head off
again. Feeling great and flying up and
down steps until one group of Nepali teen trekkers stop me and say my guide is
very worried and can’t find me and is asking everyone if they’ve seen me. So now
he gives a shit huh??
Eventually I
come across him waiting for me at a roadside café and we head off again. Long day’s walking (about 15 kms) but the last
half is flat walking alongside the Modi River.
We finally arrive at Nayapul and take the bus back to Pokhara (2 hours)
and when I get back to hotel there’s my lovely babe waiting for me with a
bottle of single malt whiskey and later that night we go out for a great steak!!
Great
experience and happy I did it but glad to be back home…
