I return to Pokhara feeling triumphant and start to prepare for the Big One; ten days trekking in the Annapurna Sanctuary. After getting some truly distressing pictures taken, I spend a king's ransom on an ACAP permit - YOU MAY TREK OUR MOUNTAINS - and a TIMS permit - WE WILL TRACK YOU ON THE WAY (thanks very much). I have already got iodine tablets, a waterfproof and North Face Knock Off breathable base layer and trekking trews. I have not invested in poles, crampons, 800 types of medicine, anti leech treatment, gaiters or any of the other one hundred items you could be lured in by. Shona in Thamel was straight up and honest, throwing trousers and tops at me "Yes good fit!" and kitting me out in under 5 minutes flat. I decide on the face of it to take a guide-cum-porter after much consideration. There are two camps - porters are cheating and porters are a huge help. I'm in camp two. Annapurna Base Camp trek has many steps and I don't want to roll down them in one. So I book the porter and it turns out Dil is coming with me. I have been warned in the guide books that guides crack on to single females but since this has already happened and "I know where he lives" I figure he's a safe bet. Plus I like him and his English is good. And I can recognise his tactics now before he gets started.
So, bag packed and body ready we set off in a taxi with a freind of his and a huge tray of eggs. The firend isn't doing the walk with us. However he will yake advantage of the free ride. He's nice. I don't mind.
And so this part of my story stumps me. I won't give you a thesis length essay on my nine days trekking to Annapurna Base Camp or you'll expire with boredom so I'll just try to tell you a little.
Surprising facts about the trail .....
- The guest houses are not all cold showers and hard beds as I'd been led to believe. I slept amazingly well and had some top hot bucket and hot tap washes.
-The leeches didn't go near me.
-The menus are fixed and all identical, due to an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) committee decision. My favourite flavoursome dish they have created is veg, egg, tuna, cheese spring roll. Yummm-eee. The food was good quality.
- The trail was 50% Korean people, wearing face guards, floppy hats, sunglasses and gloves to protect from the sun. And always with poles and rain ponchos. Often in groups. Very often carrying packet noodles (to the annoyance of the restaurant owners).
- Two lads I met had walked to Macchapuchare Base Camp (1.5 hours walk from the Main Event at A nnapurna Base Camp) and then turned back as they were "short of time...?!!"
- You will see people carrying up to 100kg on their heads and backs. They will be 5ft tall. They will walk further than you in a day.
- Taking a guide is a great option if you get a good one, they find good places and good meals and rooms with double moutain views out of your front and back bedroom windows.
- Your first question to people is strangely like getting in the lift at work "Are you going up or down?"
Unsurprsing things about the trail.....
- It's super friendly and multinational
- The scenery is beautiful
- You may get altitude sickness
- If you are G free you'll eat the same meal of omlette for breakfast and dahl bhat otherwise for around 9 days....
- You get the odd weirdo
- But a lot more nice people
Other trail info.........
- I met a lovely Dutch couple who became my partners-in-trek
-You may well get blisters but a lovely Frenchman called Lauren may save your heels at the hot springs by giving you all his "Second Skin" packets. He was going down, and I was going up.
- A guy I nicknamed Doctor Canada gave me anti sickness meds, rehydration tablets and sympathy as I reeled with sickness at ABC. "You look terrible!" he exclaimed. "I'm here to make you lot look beautiful" I quipped as I fell out the door to the bathroom again
- If you are feeling sick perhaps avoid your guide's advice to take "Altitude Soup" which is solely made of garlic. Its meant to help. It doesn't help at all if you sprint to the squat toilet and projectile vomit within 5 minutes of finishing it due to aforementioned altitude sickness.
- Having your guide hold your head as this process is occuring is an ice breaker you can live without.
- The views from the top at ABC are incredible
- Mountains move. You can hear rock falls and avalanches. We are very small.
- I love mountain trekking and tucking myself up in a little lodge with a waterfall to soothe me to sleep and greenery wrapping me up all around.
For once I have no words to sum up the experience. I loved getting up every day and setting out after eggs and coffee, hopping down the trails, making jokes with Dil and gawping at the scenery. I loved the little lodges and the endless games of shithead. I even loved the constant dahl bhat. The altitude sickness at the top just reminded me how powerful these giants really are; and not everyone has the opportunity to walk down the snowy mountain at night by the light of a headtorch, while their guide holds two bags and their hand as they hallucinate periodically and sway like a drunk as the altitude decreases. Luckily the guest houses don't bat an eyelid as you reel in wildly from the darkness like its New Year's Eve.....
So, bag packed and body ready we set off in a taxi with a freind of his and a huge tray of eggs. The firend isn't doing the walk with us. However he will yake advantage of the free ride. He's nice. I don't mind.
And so this part of my story stumps me. I won't give you a thesis length essay on my nine days trekking to Annapurna Base Camp or you'll expire with boredom so I'll just try to tell you a little.
Surprising facts about the trail .....
- The guest houses are not all cold showers and hard beds as I'd been led to believe. I slept amazingly well and had some top hot bucket and hot tap washes.
-The leeches didn't go near me.
-The menus are fixed and all identical, due to an ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) committee decision. My favourite flavoursome dish they have created is veg, egg, tuna, cheese spring roll. Yummm-eee. The food was good quality.
- The trail was 50% Korean people, wearing face guards, floppy hats, sunglasses and gloves to protect from the sun. And always with poles and rain ponchos. Often in groups. Very often carrying packet noodles (to the annoyance of the restaurant owners).
- Two lads I met had walked to Macchapuchare Base Camp (1.5 hours walk from the Main Event at A nnapurna Base Camp) and then turned back as they were "short of time...?!!"
- You will see people carrying up to 100kg on their heads and backs. They will be 5ft tall. They will walk further than you in a day.
- Taking a guide is a great option if you get a good one, they find good places and good meals and rooms with double moutain views out of your front and back bedroom windows.
- Your first question to people is strangely like getting in the lift at work "Are you going up or down?"
Unsurprsing things about the trail.....
- It's super friendly and multinational
- The scenery is beautiful
- You may get altitude sickness
- If you are G free you'll eat the same meal of omlette for breakfast and dahl bhat otherwise for around 9 days....
- You get the odd weirdo
- But a lot more nice people
Other trail info.........
- I met a lovely Dutch couple who became my partners-in-trek
-You may well get blisters but a lovely Frenchman called Lauren may save your heels at the hot springs by giving you all his "Second Skin" packets. He was going down, and I was going up.
- A guy I nicknamed Doctor Canada gave me anti sickness meds, rehydration tablets and sympathy as I reeled with sickness at ABC. "You look terrible!" he exclaimed. "I'm here to make you lot look beautiful" I quipped as I fell out the door to the bathroom again
- If you are feeling sick perhaps avoid your guide's advice to take "Altitude Soup" which is solely made of garlic. Its meant to help. It doesn't help at all if you sprint to the squat toilet and projectile vomit within 5 minutes of finishing it due to aforementioned altitude sickness.
- Having your guide hold your head as this process is occuring is an ice breaker you can live without.
- The views from the top at ABC are incredible
- Mountains move. You can hear rock falls and avalanches. We are very small.
- I love mountain trekking and tucking myself up in a little lodge with a waterfall to soothe me to sleep and greenery wrapping me up all around.
For once I have no words to sum up the experience. I loved getting up every day and setting out after eggs and coffee, hopping down the trails, making jokes with Dil and gawping at the scenery. I loved the little lodges and the endless games of shithead. I even loved the constant dahl bhat. The altitude sickness at the top just reminded me how powerful these giants really are; and not everyone has the opportunity to walk down the snowy mountain at night by the light of a headtorch, while their guide holds two bags and their hand as they hallucinate periodically and sway like a drunk as the altitude decreases. Luckily the guest houses don't bat an eyelid as you reel in wildly from the darkness like its New Year's Eve.....
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