Annapurna Circuit Trek - summary
Two Fridays ago (27 October) Yvette – the girl from Holland that I met in Kathmandu – and I met up with our guide, Ram, early in the morning and hopped on the bus from Kathmandu to Besi Sahar, Nepal. Our trek around the Annapurna Massif began from Besi Sahar at 760 meters (2493 ft). Actually we took another bus a bit further to Sera – same elevation – and started hiking from there. The second bus ride was one of the most crowded I’ve ever been on. Luckily I didn’t have to ride on the roof! It was already well into the afternoon by the time we started hiking that day so we hiked just an hour or so to the village of Bhulbhule at 840 meters (2755 ft).
It would take ages to write out a complete day-by-day trip report of the entire journey (and probably be pretty boring to read) so I’ll just summarize the towns, elevations, and anything of note.
Day 1 (Friday, 27 October): Sera (760 m, 2493 ft) to Bhulbhule (840 m, 2755 ft)
I was surprised by the guest house and the extensive menu that would become quite common along the trek.
Day 2 (Saturday, 28 October): Bhulbhule to Shree Chaur (1200 m, 3936 ft)
Met two American guys at the guest house who we would continue to bump into and travel with over the next week on the trail.
Day 3 (Sunday, 29 October): Shree Chaur to Dharapani (1860 m, 6101 ft)
Met another American traveling with (actually filming) two Danish girls at the guesthouse. Along with the two Americans I met the previous day (all of whom I had met briefly the first night in Bhulbhule), we all ended up basically traveling together staying at the same places each night and having a pretty damn fun time. The American ‘film producer’ was making a short film about the trek – staring the two Danes on their first hike ever – and said he would send me a copy of the DVD, since I ‘appeared’ in some of the footage. He had me fill out an official (looking) release form before being filmed; something about Americans being very litigious....
Day 4 (Monday, 30 October): Dharapani to Chame (2670 m, 8758 ft)
Went through the first Maoist check post and was forced to pay Rs 1200 (~$17). Yep, I paid money to an official terrorist organization so technically I could go to jail. At least they were nice and gave me a receipt which I later had to show at two other Maoists check posts. Great views of Manaslu (8162 m) from Dharapani and Chame.
Day 5 (Tuesday, 31 October): Chame to Bhratang (2850 m, 9348 ft)
This day I felt like shit when I woke up but decided to hike anyway (since I didn’t want to hold up Yvette). Had I been alone I would have taken a sick day. Almost immediately I knew I couldn’t hike the whole day. I felt horrible; weak, tired, and sore. But strangely those were my only symptoms; not even a headache. I was only able to hike about 2 hours before complete exhaustion. Even on flat terrain I had to take breaks. My guide eventually had to carry my pack for the second hour. Eventually we came to small village of Bhratang and I had to stop there as I could go absolutely no further. I slept for the rest of the day and had a restless night’s sleep
Day 6 (Wednesday, 1 November): Bhratang
This was a rather boring day spent around the unexciting guesthouse sleeping and reading. I felt better than the first day but still not well enough to hike. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would be able to continue the trek. The thought of turning back didn't sit well with me.
Day 7 (Thursday, 2 November): Bhratang to Manang (3540 m, 11611 ft)
When I woke up this morning I wasn’t sure which direction I was headed - up or down - I just knew I was hiking somewhere. Although I wasn’t feeling completely better, I couldn’t stay in Bhratang another day so it was either in or out. I dreaded the thought of heading out, so I made the decision to head further in and up. It turned out to be the right decision and I felt progressively better through out the day (although still not 100% better even the following morning). It was a fairly easy day and that evening I caught up with all my friends who had taken a rest day in Manang to acclimate. I combined a day and a half of hiking into one and passed through the town they had stayed in the first night I was sick. I was glad to catch up with the group, mainly to let Yvette know that I hadn’t taken the guide that she had also paid for. Silly reason I know. That evening it started snowing and we all went to see a movie (!) at one of the 4 (yep, 4) tiny cinemas in Manang. What a random thing to have in a tiny mountain village, a cinema! The seats were uncomfortable and covered with Yak skins but they served popcorn and it was heated by a fire. We watched the made for TV version of Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air'. It made me really, really not want to climb Everest!! It was a strange place to see a movie. Manang also had lots of good bakeries. That was something else I wasn't expecting to see on this trek!! Yummie....
Day 8 (Friday, 3 November): Manang to Letdar (4200 m, 13776 ft)
The previous night I had planned to spend the next day as the standard acclimatization day in Manang which would mean I would loose the group again who were continuing on. Around mid morning I decided to push on regardless because it was snowing for a second day in a row. I was concerned there would be too much snow accumulating at the pass at this rate and it would keep me from crossing over the pass when the rest of the group had succeeded because they were a day earlier (funny logic). So I hiked all day in the snow perhaps overly concerned about all my recent elevation gain without any acclimazation days. I really didn't want to get sick and have to stay put or worse, go down. One of the American guys got AMS in Letdar and the two of them had to stop there. I didn’t see them the rest of the hike but later found out that they had made it over the pass the next day. I was surprised at how little everyone else knew about AMS (acute mountain sickness) and had to tell him not to go any higher until he was completely better and to descend if he got worse. There was no debating those rules. On the hike that day I saw a porter who had gotten severely sick with AMS (or worse) being carried down the trail on the back of another porter. That really hit it home for me. Somewhat amazingly I had no effects from the altitude whatsoever the entire trek, no headache and no restless nights. Must have been all that time in Tibet…
Day 9 (Saturday, 4 November): Letdar to Thorung Phedi (4590 m, 15055 ft)
This was a short (and clear) day, so after lunch in Thorung Phedi we hiked up to Thorung ‘High Camp’ a new settlement at 4900 m (16072 ft) for an acclimazation hike. Some people stayed there and in hindsight I would have preferred to stay there too. Even that short hike was hard work at elevation. It had been getting progressively colder since Manang and it was quite cold at Thorung Phedi. Luckily all the toilets were outside and there was no heating in the rooms… I guess I should be happy there were actually clean toilets at all these places.
Day 10 (Sunday, 5 November): Thorung Phedi to Thorung La (5416 m, 17765 ft) to Muktinath (3800 m, 12464 ft)
It was fantastically clear this morning when we woke up and the star-lit mountains looked amazing. My hydration tube froze solid not too long after I started hiking and didn’t thaw out for a long, long time. But once it thawed it did so remarkably quickly. One moment it was frozen completely solid and the next time I looked down (far down the other side of the pass) it was totally thawed. The intense sun at those elevations is incredible. Luckily I was able to keep my other water bottle from freezing with careful attention. There was also a tea house at 5100 m (16728 ft) which was great for warming up and taking a break out of the wind. I was hiking in my down jacket and was still cold!!! Haven’t done that since Rainier. The views from the top of Thorung La (la = pass) were pretty incredible as you might imagine. Part of Dhaulagiri (8167 m) came into view for the first time. It was a fairly big day at altitude with the cold but it was still a rather short day. Once on the other side of the pass, we stopped for a long lunch at 11 AM at 4100 m (13448 ft) an hour from the village we stayed in that evening after departing around 5 AM that morning.
Day 11 (Monday, 6 November): Muktinath to Marpha (2670 m, 8758 ft)
Cool little village of Marpha. All the buildings and houses are connected as one down the main street/path and painted white. Noticeably warmer at these low altitudes….
Day 12 (Tuesday, 7 November): Marpha to Ghasa (2010 m, 6593 ft)
Nothing much to say about Ghasa. Good pastries at the guesthouse. Yummy!
Day 13 (Wednesday, 8 November): Ghasa to Tatopani (1190 m, 3903 ft)
Tatopani is famous for its hot springs which I got to enjoy that afternoon. They are quite clean and crowded with weary trekkers. Yvette, the two Danish girls, and therefore, my guide, decided to spend a rest day in Tatopani the next day. I would have none of that and planned to continue on the next day alone.
Day 14 (Thursday, 9 November): Tatopani to Ghorepani (2750 m, 9020 ft)
Possibly the hardest day of the trek because of the altitude gain - 1800 m (5900 feet) with ups and downs). Nevertheless I made it just a 6-hour day. Without my guide I had no idea where to stay that evening! Luckily he recommended a guesthouse to me before I left him in Tatopani.
Day 15 (Friday, 10 November): Ghorepani to Poon Hill (3210 m, 10529 ft) to Naya Pul (1070 m, 3510 ft) to Pokhara
Woke up before the sun again, which I officially hate doing, especially when its cold out, to make the 30 minute hike up to the summit of Poon Hill to watch the sunrise over some of the highest mountains in the world. I was shocked at the number of people up there with me - well over a hundred, I would guess. It was a fantastic show though seeing Dhaulagiri (8167 m), Annapurna I (8091 m), Annapurna South (7219 m) and several other incredible mountains from that vantage. Most impressive might have been Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail Mountain, 6993 m). Nice views and a nice way to end the trek. Then it was a knee jarring, thigh burning 2200-meter (7216-ft) descent down to Naya Pul, the town at the end of the Annapurna circuit trek. That may be one of the most tiring descents ever! Got to Naya Pul early enough to catch the bus to Pokhara when I had been planning to just catch the bus the next morning. The 2-hour, $.80 bus ride, to Pokhara was really slow stopping for varying lengths of time for no apparent reason but I finally arrived in Pokhara and got a nice comfortable room (with attached bath!). Now I could enjoy some much needed R&R and plan my next move...
In summary the trek took 15 days, covered over 300 km (185+ miles), starting from an altitude of 760 meters (2493 ft) climbing to 5416 meters (17765 ft) on the tenth day. By the time I arrived in Pokhara I was pretty knackered. I also learned that even on a seemingly 'easy' trek, pack weight is still critical. I carried a lot of extra stuff I shouldn’t have because I didn’t think the trek would be any big deal. It was stupid and I should have known better.
Our guide was awesome and it was great to have him along to point out the mountains and show us the best places to stay and eat. That said I saw a lot of people who had some how gotten away with a guide (the American and 2 Danes for one) which made me a bit jealous. When I do the Everest Base Camp trek I’m not going to take a guide. I’ll figure out how to get around the permit issue somehow!
It would take ages to write out a complete day-by-day trip report of the entire journey (and probably be pretty boring to read) so I’ll just summarize the towns, elevations, and anything of note.
Day 1 (Friday, 27 October): Sera (760 m, 2493 ft) to Bhulbhule (840 m, 2755 ft)
I was surprised by the guest house and the extensive menu that would become quite common along the trek.
Day 2 (Saturday, 28 October): Bhulbhule to Shree Chaur (1200 m, 3936 ft)
Met two American guys at the guest house who we would continue to bump into and travel with over the next week on the trail.
Day 3 (Sunday, 29 October): Shree Chaur to Dharapani (1860 m, 6101 ft)
Met another American traveling with (actually filming) two Danish girls at the guesthouse. Along with the two Americans I met the previous day (all of whom I had met briefly the first night in Bhulbhule), we all ended up basically traveling together staying at the same places each night and having a pretty damn fun time. The American ‘film producer’ was making a short film about the trek – staring the two Danes on their first hike ever – and said he would send me a copy of the DVD, since I ‘appeared’ in some of the footage. He had me fill out an official (looking) release form before being filmed; something about Americans being very litigious....
Day 4 (Monday, 30 October): Dharapani to Chame (2670 m, 8758 ft)
Went through the first Maoist check post and was forced to pay Rs 1200 (~$17). Yep, I paid money to an official terrorist organization so technically I could go to jail. At least they were nice and gave me a receipt which I later had to show at two other Maoists check posts. Great views of Manaslu (8162 m) from Dharapani and Chame.
Day 5 (Tuesday, 31 October): Chame to Bhratang (2850 m, 9348 ft)
This day I felt like shit when I woke up but decided to hike anyway (since I didn’t want to hold up Yvette). Had I been alone I would have taken a sick day. Almost immediately I knew I couldn’t hike the whole day. I felt horrible; weak, tired, and sore. But strangely those were my only symptoms; not even a headache. I was only able to hike about 2 hours before complete exhaustion. Even on flat terrain I had to take breaks. My guide eventually had to carry my pack for the second hour. Eventually we came to small village of Bhratang and I had to stop there as I could go absolutely no further. I slept for the rest of the day and had a restless night’s sleep
Day 6 (Wednesday, 1 November): Bhratang
This was a rather boring day spent around the unexciting guesthouse sleeping and reading. I felt better than the first day but still not well enough to hike. I wasn’t sure whether or not I would be able to continue the trek. The thought of turning back didn't sit well with me.
Day 7 (Thursday, 2 November): Bhratang to Manang (3540 m, 11611 ft)
When I woke up this morning I wasn’t sure which direction I was headed - up or down - I just knew I was hiking somewhere. Although I wasn’t feeling completely better, I couldn’t stay in Bhratang another day so it was either in or out. I dreaded the thought of heading out, so I made the decision to head further in and up. It turned out to be the right decision and I felt progressively better through out the day (although still not 100% better even the following morning). It was a fairly easy day and that evening I caught up with all my friends who had taken a rest day in Manang to acclimate. I combined a day and a half of hiking into one and passed through the town they had stayed in the first night I was sick. I was glad to catch up with the group, mainly to let Yvette know that I hadn’t taken the guide that she had also paid for. Silly reason I know. That evening it started snowing and we all went to see a movie (!) at one of the 4 (yep, 4) tiny cinemas in Manang. What a random thing to have in a tiny mountain village, a cinema! The seats were uncomfortable and covered with Yak skins but they served popcorn and it was heated by a fire. We watched the made for TV version of Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air'. It made me really, really not want to climb Everest!! It was a strange place to see a movie. Manang also had lots of good bakeries. That was something else I wasn't expecting to see on this trek!! Yummie....
Day 8 (Friday, 3 November): Manang to Letdar (4200 m, 13776 ft)
The previous night I had planned to spend the next day as the standard acclimatization day in Manang which would mean I would loose the group again who were continuing on. Around mid morning I decided to push on regardless because it was snowing for a second day in a row. I was concerned there would be too much snow accumulating at the pass at this rate and it would keep me from crossing over the pass when the rest of the group had succeeded because they were a day earlier (funny logic). So I hiked all day in the snow perhaps overly concerned about all my recent elevation gain without any acclimazation days. I really didn't want to get sick and have to stay put or worse, go down. One of the American guys got AMS in Letdar and the two of them had to stop there. I didn’t see them the rest of the hike but later found out that they had made it over the pass the next day. I was surprised at how little everyone else knew about AMS (acute mountain sickness) and had to tell him not to go any higher until he was completely better and to descend if he got worse. There was no debating those rules. On the hike that day I saw a porter who had gotten severely sick with AMS (or worse) being carried down the trail on the back of another porter. That really hit it home for me. Somewhat amazingly I had no effects from the altitude whatsoever the entire trek, no headache and no restless nights. Must have been all that time in Tibet…
Day 9 (Saturday, 4 November): Letdar to Thorung Phedi (4590 m, 15055 ft)
This was a short (and clear) day, so after lunch in Thorung Phedi we hiked up to Thorung ‘High Camp’ a new settlement at 4900 m (16072 ft) for an acclimazation hike. Some people stayed there and in hindsight I would have preferred to stay there too. Even that short hike was hard work at elevation. It had been getting progressively colder since Manang and it was quite cold at Thorung Phedi. Luckily all the toilets were outside and there was no heating in the rooms… I guess I should be happy there were actually clean toilets at all these places.
Day 10 (Sunday, 5 November): Thorung Phedi to Thorung La (5416 m, 17765 ft) to Muktinath (3800 m, 12464 ft)
It was fantastically clear this morning when we woke up and the star-lit mountains looked amazing. My hydration tube froze solid not too long after I started hiking and didn’t thaw out for a long, long time. But once it thawed it did so remarkably quickly. One moment it was frozen completely solid and the next time I looked down (far down the other side of the pass) it was totally thawed. The intense sun at those elevations is incredible. Luckily I was able to keep my other water bottle from freezing with careful attention. There was also a tea house at 5100 m (16728 ft) which was great for warming up and taking a break out of the wind. I was hiking in my down jacket and was still cold!!! Haven’t done that since Rainier. The views from the top of Thorung La (la = pass) were pretty incredible as you might imagine. Part of Dhaulagiri (8167 m) came into view for the first time. It was a fairly big day at altitude with the cold but it was still a rather short day. Once on the other side of the pass, we stopped for a long lunch at 11 AM at 4100 m (13448 ft) an hour from the village we stayed in that evening after departing around 5 AM that morning.
Day 11 (Monday, 6 November): Muktinath to Marpha (2670 m, 8758 ft)
Cool little village of Marpha. All the buildings and houses are connected as one down the main street/path and painted white. Noticeably warmer at these low altitudes….
Day 12 (Tuesday, 7 November): Marpha to Ghasa (2010 m, 6593 ft)
Nothing much to say about Ghasa. Good pastries at the guesthouse. Yummy!
Day 13 (Wednesday, 8 November): Ghasa to Tatopani (1190 m, 3903 ft)
Tatopani is famous for its hot springs which I got to enjoy that afternoon. They are quite clean and crowded with weary trekkers. Yvette, the two Danish girls, and therefore, my guide, decided to spend a rest day in Tatopani the next day. I would have none of that and planned to continue on the next day alone.
Day 14 (Thursday, 9 November): Tatopani to Ghorepani (2750 m, 9020 ft)
Possibly the hardest day of the trek because of the altitude gain - 1800 m (5900 feet) with ups and downs). Nevertheless I made it just a 6-hour day. Without my guide I had no idea where to stay that evening! Luckily he recommended a guesthouse to me before I left him in Tatopani.
Day 15 (Friday, 10 November): Ghorepani to Poon Hill (3210 m, 10529 ft) to Naya Pul (1070 m, 3510 ft) to Pokhara
Woke up before the sun again, which I officially hate doing, especially when its cold out, to make the 30 minute hike up to the summit of Poon Hill to watch the sunrise over some of the highest mountains in the world. I was shocked at the number of people up there with me - well over a hundred, I would guess. It was a fantastic show though seeing Dhaulagiri (8167 m), Annapurna I (8091 m), Annapurna South (7219 m) and several other incredible mountains from that vantage. Most impressive might have been Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail Mountain, 6993 m). Nice views and a nice way to end the trek. Then it was a knee jarring, thigh burning 2200-meter (7216-ft) descent down to Naya Pul, the town at the end of the Annapurna circuit trek. That may be one of the most tiring descents ever! Got to Naya Pul early enough to catch the bus to Pokhara when I had been planning to just catch the bus the next morning. The 2-hour, $.80 bus ride, to Pokhara was really slow stopping for varying lengths of time for no apparent reason but I finally arrived in Pokhara and got a nice comfortable room (with attached bath!). Now I could enjoy some much needed R&R and plan my next move...
In summary the trek took 15 days, covered over 300 km (185+ miles), starting from an altitude of 760 meters (2493 ft) climbing to 5416 meters (17765 ft) on the tenth day. By the time I arrived in Pokhara I was pretty knackered. I also learned that even on a seemingly 'easy' trek, pack weight is still critical. I carried a lot of extra stuff I shouldn’t have because I didn’t think the trek would be any big deal. It was stupid and I should have known better.
Our guide was awesome and it was great to have him along to point out the mountains and show us the best places to stay and eat. That said I saw a lot of people who had some how gotten away with a guide (the American and 2 Danes for one) which made me a bit jealous. When I do the Everest Base Camp trek I’m not going to take a guide. I’ll figure out how to get around the permit issue somehow!
posted by Dustin at 4:04 AM
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