Sorry folks about the boring photo but since pictures speak a thousand words this could be our journal entry.
We took 20 days to complete the circuit with the aid of our energetic, singing, guide and porter, Raj. Raj carried Jenny's pack, Phil carried his own pack and Jenny had a day pack (the woos).
The scenery was fantastic (as you would expect) and incredibly varied. Our first day of bus trip and few kilometres hiking was in tropical rain. Jenny was ready to jump bus several times as the windy, narrow, hillside road was definitely unsuitable for any motorised vehicles (except maybe motorbikes). We had a one hour walk in heavy rain to Ngadi Bajaar. Once we stopped at a lodge the weather started clearing up.
The first few days we climbed up hills through terraced fields in humid weather following the fast tumbling Marsyangdi River. Our accomodation was surprisingly good as was the food. Eventually the tropical feeling merged into pine forests and we began to get our first glimpses of huge, snow covered Himals. The valley opened out at Pisang (Indonesian for banana) and the villages became flat roofed, rock, timber and concrete constructions that merged in with the colour of the hillside.
Everything is carried into this area by people or donkeys. Stay on the upside of donkey trains, otherwise the width of donkey plus load can send you down the hillside. People carry all sorts of stuff (particularly big things that need a bit of man-handling) - e.g. sheets of corrugated metal roofing, cages of live chickens, boxes of condoms...
Our rest day was spent climbing 1100m from Braka to the Ice Lake (which wasn't ice at all). Although this was a tough climb the views of the Annapurnas and sighting of Yaks made the effort worthwhile.
Phil and Raj, our guide, took a side trip to Tilicho Lake - the world's highest lake - leaving Jenny to experience her first night alone in a foreign country. She stayed behind as clambering down or across narrow paths across landslides is not her cup of tea. (Nepali chiya is though). The first day was spent walking to Tilicho Base Camp Hotel across some quite large landslide areas. The trail was just foot and hoof width across scree slopes. The next morning we got up and climbed 800m to a ridge (5000m) overlooking Tilicho Tal (4920m). It was very misty initially then it lifted to show the frozen and cracked lake and end of a glacier. Then a downhill walk back to Jenny at Kangsar. (See landslide and lake photos)
About 1100m and two days later we were at Thorung High Camp, freezingly preparing ourselves for the climax of our hike - Thorung La. Wonderfully it snowed over night so it was warmer and more beautiful the next morning for the two hour climb to the pass. We both found it harder to breath and Phil had a 'funny tummy' but it seems as if we escaped any other effects of altitude sickness.
The view was simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g darlings!
Downhill from now on!?! Very steep, knees wobbling concentration headache but finally we landed in Muktinath, 1700m down.
This valley is a total contrast to the previous one we had been ascending; dry, barren, undressed hills but more developed hotels and facilities (we could sit on a Western toilet and eat home made canneloni -not at the same time).
Travelled by a newly developed road down towards Kagbeni, on the Kali Gandaki river. Willow trees along the stream through a medieval looking town built from rocks, with narrow lanes amidst fort-like walls. This is an irrigated oasis in a wide brown valley.
The next few days were easy walking down alongside the river valley on a road (or sometimes through the river) through Jomsom, Marpha, Tukche, down to Tatopani (Hot water). Phil revelled in the hot springs then the exhilerating effects of plunging into the freezing waters of the KG river. (The hot pool is really good and the river is not as cold as I expected - I could spend a while here - Phil)
Groan! Two more days of uphill from Tatopani (1140m) to Ghorepani (horse water)(2860m) to watch the panoramic sunrise from Poon Hill (3200m). (Phil remembers all these altitude readings.) At this time of the year the air is not so clear but still the pre-dawn experience was worth the walk! (see photos)
Two more days (over 4,000 steps down on one of those) to Nayapul, a bus ride and we arrived back back 'home' in Pokhara.
Jenny says "No more hills! Up or down!"
"Have they lost any weight?" I hear you cry. Actually, probably not. The food on the trek is excellent with quite a variety of ingredients; like veg and macaroni, veg and fried rice, veg and noodles, veg and eggs, veg on pizza. We have almost become full time vegetarians. Our guide made sure we had three full meals a day and we carried stocks of Tang drink mix, biscuits and Ru-Chee noodles.
On the day we returned to Pokhara Raj invited us to his place for dinner. An unforgettable experience where our meat fast was broken with fried whole small fish (yes we sort of ate the heads too), fried pork and buff. Plus home grown salad and dhaal bhat.
