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Parker and I rested 10 days after our Everest Region adventure. After 7 days in Kathmandu and 3 in Pokhara we were ready for another walk. This time we were walking around the Annapurnas. The Annapurna Mountains are a ridge of some the most challenging summits, reaching over 26,000 ft. The Annapurna Circuit which travels around this ridge for over 200 kilometers has long been considered one of the Worlds Greatest Treks.
The Circuit can take anywhere from two weeks to three weeks. It begins in the lower altitudes of the farming villages. The walk is relatively gentle with only a couple of days at altitude when trekkers climb Thorong-La, claimed to be the World’s Biggest Pass at 17,872 ft (5416 meters). The massive views of the Annapurnas, lower elevation and gentle terrain attract tens of thousands of trekkers every year.We started our trek at Besi Sahar on the 6th of December. In December it’s starting to get cold and marks the end of trekking season. December, however, offers the clearest skies for the best views of the mountains. We asked around and were told that there was no snow yet on the pass. No trekkers and no snow. We decided to go for it.
The beginning of the circuit was nice and gentle. Our plan was to take it easy and enjoy the mountains. But the Annapurna is going through major change. A controversial road is being built around the whole circuit. The first few days of our walk we walked through the dust of passing jeeps, buses and motor bikes. On our second day we were dodging donkeys loaded with dynamite. A major part of the road ended and they were transporting the dynamite by trail. We saw the road workers blasting chunks off the mountains. We stepped over freshly blasted rock piles, tons of det-cord and a broken down Caterpiller Earth Mover.
After a few days we were able to breathe once the dust cleared. It was the last harvest before winter. We passed fields where the entire village gathered, harvesting the last of the crops before winter set in. It was a festive sight. The Nepali were also busy chopping wood for winter.
The days were warm, however, as soon as the sun was down it was instantly freezing. Even though we were at a lower elevation than the Everest region, it was already colder. Fortunately, the lodges in this area are well built. They are built out of stone instead of plywood. Most came with attached baths and solar showers which was a treat at the end of the day.
As we walked around the mountain range the Annapurnas began to reveal themselves. These mountains are extraordinary. The river valley is beautiful and the waterfalls impossibly high. We have been in Nepal two months and became used to seeing such massive views. We had to occasionally remind ourselves that this was not an everyday sight.
We eventually ran into a few trekkers. There was a bottle neck at Thorong Pedi, a tiny village at the foot of the pass. We arrived on the last day that electricity was going to be available. There were 20 of us huddled in the lodge anxious about our 3,500 ft. climb the next day. There was the usual nervous talk of altitude sickness and everything associated with it: headache, lack of appetite, lack of sleep, and nausea. A couple of donkeys were arranged for one of the groups. Each donkey charged $300(21,000 Nrs) for their services.
Everyone got started at 6am to avoid the high winds on the pass in the afternoon. Freezing cold does not begin to describe the conditions. We carried extra water for the long day of climbing and long decent ahead of us. Of course our water froze as soon as it was exposed to the air. Parker’s beard was layered with chunks of ice. Freezing and dehydrated, we made it up 3,500 ft in three hours. It was a beautiful moment when the sun shined over the mountains.
The pass is festive with a giant sign surrounded by thousands of Buddhist flags. Printed on the flags are prayers and mantras that are will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into space. Prayer flags a strung all over Nepal and all over the mountains. After a few obligatory victory shots we ran down to the warmth of lower elevation. Parker and I were happy to find out that we were still acclimatized from our first trek. It was a six-hour day for us when it took many of the trekkers ten to twelve hours.
There is a lot of mixed feeling about the road. It will be complete by 2012. It will bring more tourist but at what cost? The road has left a tragic scar on the mountains. Even more lodges are being built in anticipation of the traffic once it is complete. One day, tour buses will be a norm on the Circuit. It makes us sad to know that we are indirectly part of this demand. We are in the Himalayas to get away, not to dodge tourist buses and donkeys with dynamite.
Regardless, the Annapurna Circuit is still one of the world’s best treks. Where the altitude of our Everest trek was a challenge, the Circuit was a pleasant walk with a challenging pass. We walked past tiny farming communities and medieval stone villages. It was bloody cold but there was not a cloud in the sky. The snow covered peaks of the Annapurnas were splendid.
Trekking around the Annapurnas and the Everest Region has been a dream for Parker and me. We are two lucky and happy trekkers. We are also two trekkers who are ready to gain a little weight, take our boots off and thaw out in the sun.
After a few days we were able to breathe once the dust cleared. It was the last harvest before winter. We passed fields where the entire village gathered, harvesting the last of the crops before winter set in. It was a festive sight. The Nepali were also busy chopping wood for winter.The days were warm, however, as soon as the sun was down it was instantly freezing. Even though we were at a lower elevation than the Everest region, it was already colder. Fortunately, the lodges in this area are well built. They are built out of stone instead of plywood. Most came with attached baths and solar showers which was a treat at the end of the day.
As we walked around the mountain range the Annapurnas began to reveal themselves. These mountains are extraordinary. The river valley is beautiful and the waterfalls impossibly high. We have been in Nepal two months and became used to seeing such massive views. We had to occasionally remind ourselves that this was not an everyday sight.We eventually ran into a few trekkers. There was a bottle neck at Thorong Pedi, a tiny village at the foot of the pass. We arrived on the last day that electricity was going to be available. There were 20 of us huddled in the lodge anxious about our 3,500 ft. climb the next day. There was the usual nervous talk of altitude sickness and everything associated with it: headache, lack of appetite, lack of sleep, and nausea. A couple of donkeys were arranged for one of the groups. Each donkey charged $300(21,000 Nrs) for their services.
Everyone got started at 6am to avoid the high winds on the pass in the afternoon. Freezing cold does not begin to describe the conditions. We carried extra water for the long day of climbing and long decent ahead of us. Of course our water froze as soon as it was exposed to the air. Parker’s beard was layered with chunks of ice. Freezing and dehydrated, we made it up 3,500 ft in three hours. It was a beautiful moment when the sun shined over the mountains.The pass is festive with a giant sign surrounded by thousands of Buddhist flags. Printed on the flags are prayers and mantras that are will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into space. Prayer flags a strung all over Nepal and all over the mountains. After a few obligatory victory shots we ran down to the warmth of lower elevation. Parker and I were happy to find out that we were still acclimatized from our first trek. It was a six-hour day for us when it took many of the trekkers ten to twelve hours.
There is a lot of mixed feeling about the road. It will be complete by 2012. It will bring more tourist but at what cost? The road has left a tragic scar on the mountains. Even more lodges are being built in anticipation of the traffic once it is complete. One day, tour buses will be a norm on the Circuit. It makes us sad to know that we are indirectly part of this demand. We are in the Himalayas to get away, not to dodge tourist buses and donkeys with dynamite.
Regardless, the Annapurna Circuit is still one of the world’s best treks. Where the altitude of our Everest trek was a challenge, the Circuit was a pleasant walk with a challenging pass. We walked past tiny farming communities and medieval stone villages. It was bloody cold but there was not a cloud in the sky. The snow covered peaks of the Annapurnas were splendid.Trekking around the Annapurnas and the Everest Region has been a dream for Parker and me. We are two lucky and happy trekkers. We are also two trekkers who are ready to gain a little weight, take our boots off and thaw out in the sun.
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