Days 9 - 11: Annapurna Circuit

Day 9: Yak Kharka to High Camp

The morning started off with a heated relationship argument but once that was out of the way things settled down and we got hiking. We walked high above the river making our way higher and higher in elevation towards High Camp where we'd stay the night. So far we've all had very little effect to the altitude and have kept moving fairly quickley but today was a different story. The pace was about normal however we all could feel the beginning effects of going higher up. At lunch in Thorong Phedi Nic was mentioning she had a pretty bad headache so she went right onto Diamox, the altitude drug that balances out the body's pH levels to minimize the effects of altitude. In an hour or so things were feeling much better and the group decided to make the trek higher up one more hour to the circuit's High Camp, lodging at 4800 meters (15,744 feet) to spend the night. At a moment's notice if someone from the group were to show major signs of high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) or high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) we would pack up and hike back down to the village below and stay the night.

At the High Camp, I began to feel nauseated and had a wicked-bad headache, something that I hadn't experienced in a long time. Nic and I had an agreement that for this trip there were to be no 'tough guys' who would try to baby their symptoms if shown so I was up front in telling the group how felt and was honest in my emotions. Bill gave me some Diamox and we set a deadline as to how I was feeling and whether or not to stay or go. At 7pm that night I made the decision to stay at high camp as my symptoms were fading and I was feeling much better.  I still don't know how bad I really was feeling but reading my journal excerpt from that night today it was clear that I wasn't feeling good and that I was showing signs of the HACE. None-the-less, the drugs worked very well and I got a well-rested night.

Day 10: Thorong-La Pass to Muktinath (Elevation at pass: 17, 764 feet)

What a day! I will remember this one for the rest of my life! We woke up at 4:30am practically dressed in our hiking gear from the night before as it was just too cold through the night to stay in normal sleeping gear. The temperature inside our rooms read -11 on Dave's barometer and we knew that it was going to get colder at the pass. A quick breakfast and check that all parties were feeling good enough for a 10 hour day and we were off. It took us 2 1/2 hours to make the 616 meter elevation gain to the pass. The trail was icy for part of the way and the wind really made for a cold face. We wore down jackets, gloves, hoods and scarfs to block as much of the wind as possible but it still sent chills down through our bones! Hiking to the pass was tough as there were a lot of false summits. This means that you continuously make it up to a clearing atop a hill and think that it's the end only to find more trail in front of you.  None of the group members had looked online to see what the summit looks like so none of us had a clue what to expect.

We finally made it to the summit and were welcomed by a barrage of prayer flags and a plaque that congrtulated us on the accomplishment. The sun was shining, skies were totally clear, wind HOWLING and temperature was as close to rediculous as I've ever experienced (must have been -20 with the wind!).  The feeling of making this pass was amazing and was made that much better because I was with the girl I love and some great friends to share the moment! Never had I ever thought of hiking this high so to check this one off my bucket list was a really cool thing. Lots of photos were taken (and are shared on my PICASA webpage) and around 9:30am we were ready to leave. Just at the moment another few hikers arrived and we welcomed them and cheered them on. Unfortunatly, one of the guys totally had some bad luck, slipped and twisted his leg on a sheet of ice. Right away Bill concluded that this guy showed signs of a spiral fracture of the fibula! Crap! A fractured leg on an icy summit pass where there's no chance of getting a helicopter to pick you up - AND an 1800 metre decent to the next village. On the brighter side, this guy couldn't have been luckier in the fact that he just fractured his leg in the presence of an ER doctor with other strong men around to help him down the mountain! The next few hours for me were grueling as I helped carry this guy partially down the trail. It was very icy in some sections and the grade of decent was unforgiving. I had on a pair of "Yak Trax" (strap on metal and rubber coils the to souls of shoes to give better traction in icy and snowy conditions) and had I not had them, my decent with this guy could have been much worse.  Because of the blisters on my heels I was luckily carrying a roll of duct tape and with the tea hut beside us, there was enough wood to make a splint.

We were able to move our broken-leg friend Costa down nearly 600 vertical meters in just over 2 hours. By now it's around 12:30pm and sunny but all of us moving him were totally exhausted! Try moving someone down very technical terrain at altitude and let me know how you feel!

It was decided upon to send for help and leave Costa with warm sleeping gear, an emergency blanket, some food and water. Nic and Bill went to the village and set up help to come back up the mountain to rescue Costa. They did a great job doing this and were able to get the help we needed. As I arrived in the next village close to 4:30pm I was starving and ready to just lay flat out and go to bed. I got some food in me and recharged for the next hour before moving to Muktinath. Just as we all were leaving, we saw the Nepali Army running (yes, running!) up the trail towards us, then past us and up the trail towards the summit. In our brief conversation with them, they said they would get Costa and bring him down by stretcher. What a day! At dinner that night we all looked back on what had happened that day and knew that it would be a lasting experience for all us of.

Day 11: Muktinath to Kagbeni

We needed to do our 'rounds' in the village to make sure all of Bill's patients were alive and well. We checked in on Costa and heard that he and his mates got to the village around midnight, were very cold and very hungry but were alive and well. There was a Korean man, about 25 years old, that had a seriously bad case of neumonia that Bill had diagnosed the night before and thought he might not make it through the night - he was  alive and had an increased breathing rate and was being sent to Jomsom's hospital and eventually home to recover. Then his last patient was a British woman who Bill gave Diamox to as the altitude was really affecting her on the hike. She was good and was smiling. So, with the medical rounds done and our belly's full from breakfast, the hike must go on - so on we went!

Kagbeni is one of those villages that we thought would be just another place to see and another place to rest our heads for the night but as we got closer and more into the 'guts' of the village, all of us were very surprised and excited to explore more of its streets. The streets were amazing, the buildings from a few hundred years ago and the people very humble and helpful.  There were rock terraces on each property and cows just roaming the streets in the middle of the day. Women were roasting seeds on an open fire in the road and monks were chanting in their monestaries above the houses, all giving the village a truely unique experience. Out of all of the villages so far, Kagbeni has been my favourite.

Days 5-8 - Annapurna Circuit

Day 5: Chame to Lower Pisang (Distance:  (Elevation 3250m))

After a great sleep last night the brisk morning woke us up right away. Temperatures were now starting our day around the minus 5 mark and soon will be dropping lower as we climb higher. Breakfasts were now taking a regular menu and each of us were ordering the same things - muesli, porridge and a buckwheat pancake instead of toast.  The terrain today wasn't super steep but we always were climbing. It was a slog of a walk today and for the 6-7 hours we went, things just pressed on and on.

As we made our way parallel to the river, the mountains grew larger and became more spectacular every step of the way.  Before we stopped for lunch, I looked at my GPS and it was reading over the 10,000 foot mark - hooray! Almost at the same landmark, we were passing a Japanese memorial paid to those who've lost their lives climbing for their country in Nepal's mountain. The memorials seemed to just have sprung up and were in a peaceful area surrounded by trees as the sunshine cast shadows over their memorials. As a tribute, passer-bye's would stop and give a moment of silence to pay their respects. So many people have lost their lives on these mountains and they've paved the way to new explorations so we can follow in their paths.

Continuing on to our destination for the night, the paths were totally clear and were like walking on a park trail in Stanley Park. Our tea hut this night was great - we had a great view of Upper Pisang, this medieval-style village that scaled the hillside and offered centuries worth of history from those living there. It would be part of our walk the next day...

Day 6: Lower Pisang to Manang (Distance: 19.75km (Elevation 3540m))

Today was by far our hardest day as right from the get go we were climbing. With frost on the tin roofs and jackets zipped up to stay warm, we made off for the hike. We went up through Upper Pisang to see all the ancient architecture and prayer wheels that sprung up through much of the village. What a gorgeous place, something that none of of had expected from this hike! After passing through Upper Pisang we continued up the hill so a series of switchbacks that moved us from the Marsyandi River all the way up to a monestary at Ghyaru, 11,500 feet. We had been climbing straight up for almost 2 hours on a trail similar to the one that takes you up to Garibaldi and Black Tusk. Stopping for dude chhia (milk tea) at the monestary, we got some great photos.

After our tea we pressed on, up and up and up - and more up, then some down, then some flats, right into Manang. There was this one area where we both saw a vulture and got a great shot of Nic (and might I add it's now her Blog backdrop photo...haha).  Passing bye views of Gangapurna, Tilcho Peak and both Annapurna 2 & 3 we rolled into Ngawal where Surya and Nic helped make the momo's they'd ordered for lunch. This is unlike many Nepali families to offer guests into their kitchen but this time they did and it was with gratitude they accepted and went for it.  

7 hours after we started for the day, we rolled into Manang and called it a day (for 2). Here we would spend the next 48 hours acclimatizing for the push over the next 2 1/2 days. With a good rest and hike planned for tomorrow Day 6 ends...

Day 7: Acclimatization Day in Manang:

A morning sunrise at 5:30 with my tripod and SLR camera started my day. We had a local hike planned today to get used to hiking at altitude and exerting lots of effort. There was a gompa behind the tea hut and it took us just over 30 minutes to climb to it.  The whole team made it with no problems and we even had some energy left over for some laughs! Ya, that's right... Bill IS wearing his face mask as a thong.

We came back down to have a bite to eat then set off for another walk around Manang to see what it's all about and we came across a great lake called Gangapurna Lake. It was obviously glacier-fed and had a pristine aqua colour to it. On one side there were huge hulu's formed from years of erosion giving this small puddle some real character. To give the area some perspective, you can see how small we are in the photo compared to all that was around us...

Day 8: Manang to Yak Kharka (Distance: not much (Elevation: LOTS - 4022m)).

The wind was howling today and I still can't understand WHY generators aren't used here to foster power from it... it is a developing country so in a few years I hope they get it straight! Today's hike wasn't too bad - a little up, a little down - you know. You can really feel the drop in temperature now as we're well above the 10,000 ft mark and as we make our way further up into alpine territory the down jackets and tuques come out.  Nothing too exciting here except for I saw my first YAK. I heard stories of how large they are and until you see one face to face you can't fathom their size (and how much hair they have). Not only did we see the yaks, we say Blue Sheep and spotted deer, all of which are specific to these altitudes and climate.  So with a warm fire, good company and more card games, Day 8 finished and the real fun begins tomorrow where we climb to Thorong Phedi or possible to High Camp, depending on how we all feel with the altitude...

Days 1-4 - Annapurna Circuit

Day 1: Bhule Bhule (Elevation 840m)

It took us 6 hours by private bus to drive from Kathmandu to Beshishar, our launch point for the start of this trip. Once we were dropped off, we then switched all our gear onto a local bus where we drove on a dirt road for another hour. The road was narrow, very bumpy and had steep cliffs on one side - no mistakes were wanted here!

Tonight we stayed at the Everest Guest House and it was just us and one other guest. During peak trekking season, on any given day there might be 300 to 350 registered hikers going into the Annapurna Region for the circuit - the day we registered there were 13 plus us... needless to say, we felt as if we were the only ones out there which was awesome!

Day 2: Bhule Bhule to Jagot (20km - Elevation (1260m)

We got up at 6am, warm, well-rested and HUNGRY! We were served black tea and continuously offered more food, as it's the Nepali way to be as studious as possible. Now let the hike begin - we crossed our first supension bridge and started walking.  The village of Bhule Bhule was very cool as it was both our first glance at mountain-side Nepali living, and showed us the stonework used to build their homes and walkways. Everything was very old and the villagers were always working on something.

For the next 2 hours we walked along the hillside where there had been a landslide, it took out one of the roads and made for some tricky passings us. The workers were throwing rocks from above and whistling to each other to stop when hikers were close by. I'm guessing that the landslide took out the main bridge for hikers and that this makeshift one was put up. We crossed it then made our way back up an insane hour-long hill climb.  Strolling into our tea hut in the late afternoon, we wound down with a game of cribbage, a Gorkha beer and discussed how we were going to do the next few days where the elevation gain gets increased!

Day 3: Jagot to Dharapani (18 km - Elevation 1800m)

Our guide Surya must have been playing a joke on us with the route as we would climb for hours, have a break, then decend for an hour of steep terrain, another break for lunch then haul ourselves back up another hill... Today was no exception. After switchbacking ourselves down the route, we came to a riverside village called Tal Phedi and had some lunch. Nic had been carrying balloons with her since the beginning and brought one out for a child at lunch. He was so happy and played with it for all of our lunch with his grandfather.

It really is amazing to watch something so minor to us be given to another person that wouldn't normally get something like a balloon and see their reaction. This boy had a big smile on his face and the grandfather was just as happy!

So back onto the trail on into our last few hours of hiking this day. Was crossed this spectacular suspension bridge that had mindblowing views of the mountains from the valley that we were in and set itself up as just a very nice spot to stop and take a minute to soak it all in.  Arriving at the tea house for the night, Bill and I ate Dal Bhat then the group played a mean game of "O Hell." Bill scored 153, Nic scored 138, Dave 116... and me, well, lets just say I was learning tonight!

Day 4: Dharapani to Chame (16.5km - Elevation 2688m)

What a hike today...wow! Not too technical but we got our first real closeup view of an 8000'er - Manasalu (8,156m (8th highest in the world)). To see one of these mountains so close put so many things into perspective. Forget that we're standing at nearly 8500 feet ourselves, this behemouth of a mountain just stared at us and called out greatness. Imagine being in the centre of a valley and having the sun shine right onto the snow cap of Manasalu's peak at a quarter past 6 in the morning... what a sight to wake up to! Check out the picture below!

Chame was a beautiful spot to call home for the one night. Bill and I tried a local rice wine called Chhangy, which is equivillant to some homemade moonshine but stronger! One cup and I was slurring my speech and feeling great. The other part that made for such a great night was that the owners offered each of us FRESH yak momo's (like dumplings). These baby's were fresh as two yaks had been 'relived' of their duties earlier that day and prepared for dinner that night. SOOOO GOOD! More Dal Bhat for dinner then off to Pisang tomorrow....

My Nepal Journey Ends and my Vancouver One Begins!

Phew... I haven't blogged in a while and I've been getting rather ancy to tell YOU all about what's been going on these past few weeks.

So first off, I'm back in Vancouver, have settled into my new home in West Van and am piecing together the life that I had prior to leaving and getting going for 2010 with a BANG! I am very excited to see what happens this year as Nepal gave me a chance to really think about what I've done, where I am and where I want to be. It was an experience of a lifetime that I am so incredibly thankful for!

So what's next:

I'm going to tell you all about our trek through the Annapurna Circuit and the last 6 weeks in Nepal - the protests, political situation, having to fly out early from Kathmandu, photos and so on... I'm going to break the trek down into a few different parts so you don't have blogs that are too 'heavy' to digest.

Where I stand for 2010 - what some of my goals are (so YOU can keep me accountable) and how I see the year playing out.  After spending 109 days travelling in totally foreign cities than what I'm used to, I have gained a completely new perspective on personal values and thoughts on day-to-day living, helping me carry myself as a much more well-rounded person (eliminating a lot of the BS that goes on (and has gone on) in my life).

I would love all of YOUR feedback on these blogs as I'm going to give the straight goods and tell things how I saw them.  It's all about learning isn't it, so your honest feedback is very welcomed!

Until then....