Day 7 - Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC)

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.” Buddha

I wake early but, let Donna sleep a little longer. By 6AM she is up and wants to have some coffee and breakfast. After eating she feels much better and said I can make it to ABC. I always knew she would do it. Govinda agrees to carry her back pack to lighten her load. By 7AM we are off on the final leg to the top. Little chilly but, looks like it will be another beautiful sunny day.

Sunrise behind Fish Tail

The trail goes steadily up for the first 3.5 miles (5.6Km) gaining 1700 ft (518m) until Machhapuchhare Base Camp, elevation 12205ft (3720m). The trail turns left and takes a nice gentle slop gaining 1345ft (410m) the final 2 miles (3.2Km) to Annapurna Base Camp, elevation 13550ft (4130m).

Machhapuchhare Base Camp

The views going up this final leg are magnificent. We begin to get panorama views all around that include Annapurna I, Annapurna South, and Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail).

The view in front of me

The view behind me

Just beautiful

Trekking to ABC

Annapurna South

Our lodge under Annapurna South

By 11AM we reach ABC. We both feel that this was a pretty easy hike compared to yesterday. The day is wonderful with blue skis fairly warm, about 45F (7C), no wind.

ABC we made it!

Our lodge is in the lower left hand corner, Annapurna South left, Annapurna I right

It’s amazing to be completely surrounded by 6000m (20,000ft) peaks and the only way into this area is through the gorge we just hiked. It’s an unusual feeling, realization of being so small yet so significant and connected. An encounter with interdependency? perhaps.


I ran out of words to say

We check into our room, have some lunch, then take a lot of photos. Donna wants to sit and relax but, Govinda, Ram and I hike up along the Annapurna glacier which gives us a great view of the surrounding area.

Donna with some hot tea

Looking back at base camp

Annapurna Glacier

Annapurna High

Prayer Flags

Some people sleep in tents

Returning we sit and talk with other trekkers in the common room. All together we have people from, France, USA, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Australia. Almost like a UN. As the sun starts to set we get some beautiful red colors on the surrounding mountains. We go outside to take a few more photos. Back inside it’s starting to get very cold, freezing, inside.

What a lovely couple

Govinda

Fish Tail at sunset

To get some heat into the room they place a open flame propane heater under the table. It provides a nice bit of heat but, the fumes are terrible. Also not sure it follows any fire safety code. We have our diner, some laughs with all the people then head off to bed.

Having some fun in the common area

I set my alarm for 2AM because it’s a full moon and I may try and get a night picture, if I’m not to cold.

D & T send love and peace

Today’s hiking totals were 4 hours, 6 miles (9.6Km), elevation gain of 3100 ft (930m).

Love and Peace from D & T

 

Day 6 - Chhomrong to Deurali

 “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today Donna and I would find what lies within us. We start the day early, 6:30AM, as we always do and caught the sun rising on Annapurna south.

Sunrise on Annapurna South

The day was sunny and warm, not to hot, which made it great for trekking. From our hotel the trail goes, first through town, then heads down about 1300ft (395m) in 1 mile (1.6Km) to the Chhomrong Khola (The term "khola" means, in local (Nepali) language, river). Spanning the river is a short suspension bridge which Donna crosses with much more confidence.

Suspension Bridge crossing Chhomrong Khola

Continuing on, the trail gradually slopes up and we can look back and get some wonderful views of the morning sun rising on Chhomrong.

Going up

Village of Chhomrong

Entering the Annapurna Sanctuary

We patiently make our way on the trail as it crests along the ridge terracing the gorge. By 8:45 we stop at a small town, Sinuwa, for some refreshments. Donna gets her standard can of juice and I get my usual milk tea. The views from this vantage point are prodigious! While relaxing we greet many other trekkers who are doing the same. Some are heading up to ABC and others returning. This time also gives us a chance to remove some of our layer as it’s starting to get pretty warm.

Donna and her can of juice

Some peace from Nepal

Rested up we gear up and hit the trail. Of course the trail heads down and transitions into a beautiful bamboo forest. Inside we are only able to catch brief glimpse of fish tail.

The gorge leading to ABC

Fish Tail

I think he wants to go with us

Sheep in Bamboo

The bamboo forest is beautiful, rivaling the rhododendron forest we hiked through yesterday. By 10:30 we stop at, where else, town of Bamboo for lunch. After filling our bellies we pack and tramp up the trail.

Town of Bamboo

  

Fish Tail

As we march along around every turn I am waiting to see our destination the village of Deurali (elevation 10,500 ft, 3200m). With each hill we climb I get more and more tied and anxiously long to view our end point. What’s on top of this hill, another hill, nothing but another hill to climb. By now I am way in front of Donna who I lost sight of. Growing more tired I’m concerned how Donna is doing but, feel OK that she is with Govinda. Finally I see my destination and I arrive at about 3PM.

Deurali

Our Lodge in Deurali

I wait for about an hour and a half, maybe longer, before Donna and Govinda come up the trail. Donna softly said “I’m finished, I can’t go on, I’ll wait here for you until you return from ABC”. I just say lets rest, eat, sleep and see how things are in the morning. So we change into our sleeping cloth and sit in the common area for a while. Both Donna and I are extremely tired so off to bed by 6. Today’s hike turned out to be a very long and difficult one for both of us. We’ll wait to see how we feel in the morning to decide what our next step will be.

“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”

Today’s hiking totals, 8.5 hrs. Tom, 10 hrs. Donna, 12.5 miles (20Km). Actual total ascent and descent was 7400ft (2255m) and 4500ft (1372m). That's a lot of up and down!!!

Brother and Sister



Interesting Sign

Love and Peace D&T 

Day 5 - Tadapani to Chhomrong

“If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.” - J.M. Power

5AM already! I have been setting my alarm to wake me at 5AM everyday. Early to bed early to rise and I may just catch the sun rise. “What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?” E.M. Foster.

Sunrise in Tadapani

Our bedroom had a cold damp feeling which made it difficult to sleep, sort of like sleeping in a cave. This part of the hotel does not get much sunshine so I assume that was the reason. We’ll off to breakfast - oat porridge and apple of course. We hit the trail at our usual time 7AM and walk pass what I think looks like a scare crow. I ask one of the locals, what’s that ? It’s a monkey man. A monkey man ? I curiously respond. What’s a monkey man ? It keeps the monkeys out of the fields. OK, I get it - a scare crow, I mean scare monkey.

Monkey Man

Today’s destination is Chhomrong, elevation 7,300ft (2225m). The trail starts off by going down for about 2.5 mils (4Km) at a loss of 2700 ft (823m). It wines through some of the largest most beautiful Rhododendron trees I ever saw. To see these bloom in April must be magical. Another trip possibly?

Rhododendron Forest

We eventually pop out of the forest back into the farming style landscape seeing the occasional farm proudly displaying perfectly manicured terraced fields. We spy a little dog just sitting and watching the trekkers march by - a treat is maybe what’s he’s after ?

Nice

Mountain Dog

For the next 3 miles (5Km) the trail goes slowly up.  Passing a few more waterfalls we arrive at another suspension bridge. Donna has gotten adjusted to crossing but, is always just a little apprehensive. Maybe I shouldn’t jump up and down on the bridge as she crosses.  Na, that’s just to much fun!


One of many waterfalls



Suspension Bridge

We eventually stop for lunch at the village of Churjung - Del Bhat of course. The taste of the Del Bhat is very familiar to what we had in Banthanti. Turns out the cook is the mother of the owner of the lodge in Banthanti. He learned his craft well. During lunch our guide adorns himself with some beautiful flowers. An improvement, perhaps?


The cook

Flower Power

To cute for words

A few more miles of up and down trekking, nothings flat in Nepal, and we reach our destination, the Panorama Point Lodge in Chhomrong. From our hotel we start to get a view of the narrow gorge we must hike through to get to our final destination - ABC. After we settle into our rooms we walk through the town which has a few shops, internet and a German bakery. No sweets now but, maybe on the way back. We did a quick blog update but, the internet is still very slow and a pain to use. Finally we make our way back to our hotel, get some ginger tea and relax in the common area.

Nice farm land

Working the land

Today’s hiking totals, 5 hours, 5.6 miles (9Km),

Today’s hiking totals, 5 hours, 5.6 miles (9Km) with a net loss in elevation of 1575ft (480m). Actual total ascent and descent was 2000ft (610m) and 3500ft (1067m). Nothing is flat in Nepal, you’re either going up or down.

Keep the faith, peace and love Tom and Donna