An impromptu weekend getaway with the family to Nagarhole found us staying at the Jungle Lodges and Resorts near the forest entry gates. Two safari drives hoping to sight the resident big cats left us wanting. To think that Nagarhole has the highest density of Tigers with 125 of approximately 750 in the Nilgiri Biosphere reserves and we didn’t spot a single one. But as they say, you have to give a park its time to reveal its secrets to you. One night does not hack it.
White Socked Gaur, a few Elephant, Spotted deer, Sambar, Langurs, and a host of birds were what we had to be content with. Even a Mongoose that crossed the road in front of us, contrary to popular belief, did not change our luck.
We did have one exciting moment when after driving around for about an hour in the Core, we were back on the main road and we had reports of movement spotted on the western side of the road. Together with about 6 other jeeps we all rushed off to that spot and waited patiently for the Tiger to appear. It seemed to from the alarm calls we could hear and movement in the brush that it intended to cross the road somewhere in that area but, after 30 minutes of waiting, the alarm calls diminished, and the forest became silent once again. The sighting was set to be only a teaser for the next trip.
Enjoy a few pictures of A Crested Serpent Eagle, A Crested Hawk Eagle, White Bellied Woodpecker, Indian Black turtles sunning themselves and some magnificent views of the sun peeking into the forest early in the morning
A short 2.5 hour drive from Bangalore via Kanakapura Road is the Galibore Nature Camp along the banks of the Cauvery. Galibore was once one of best places for fishing the famous Mahseer. After the Cauvery and the area around was converted to a protected sanctuary, angling of any form has now been banned.
The Galibore Nature camp however still boasts a fantastic retreat from the madness and the chaos of the city. Tented accommodations with en-suite facilities fronted by the Cauvery river, excellent food, a warm and friendly staff and knowledgeable naturalists to help afford fantastic options at birding.
While wildlife sightings are usually restricted to Wild boar, Buffalo, Spotted deer, Giant Malabar squirrels, Smooth Coated otters, Crocodiles, Common Macaque there are very rare sightings of Elephant or Leopard. Birds are however plentiful and a few days at this camp is a haven.
Opportunities to take a coracle ride along the river to spot Otters, Crocodiles and birds or to take a nature walk in the morning, a jeep safari in the evening are plentiful. Or just curl up with a book in a hammock by the river side while the kids go crazy playing badminton, volleyball or just running around and having fun. Aberlour on ice in the evening with barbecued chicken hits the right spot at the end of the day.
This post is a reproduction of my quick daily log composed at the end of each day. Click on the link below or any of the images to see the entire Kruger Gallery.
Drove from Johannesburg to Biyamiti via Malelane. Got scammed with 2 lakhs plus on credit card at petrol station. A good welcome to South Africa
Bought Provisions at spar and lunched at Galitos
Ready for our 1st game drive through Kruger. Hope to see something to make up for the terrible start.
What a fantastic drive!! The Trip just started looking up
We’re running terribly low on fuel. It’s late and we’re hoping to get to Biyamiti Bush camp before we become part of the game drives.
A lone Giraffe standing sentinel at the gates. A sign board that says “Get out of the car and open the gates yourself”
Cottage in the woods serene and silent. Only the calls of wildlife and the crackling of Braais around to break the silence.
Forgot water and had to melt ice as the only product sold at the camp.
A yum simple dinner of spaghetti, with ham, boiled eggs and toasted buns made by Sumita. E & I boiled the ice.
Antelope
Warthog
Hippopotamus
Banded Mongoose – a whole pack
Lions – 1 male and 2 Females with cubs
Black Rhino – 1
Wild dogs – pack of juveniles attacking a lone Hyena
Hyena – 1 followed by 3 more to the rescue
African Buffalo – a herd
Giraffe – 1
Monkeys
Day 2
Driving with a prayer to get gas.
Another car stopped not 1/2 a km from our camp. Stopped behind him and kept looking for the bird sighting till we saw the Lion staring at us out of the bushes not 6ft from us at the edge of the road camouflaged by the grass.
Was reminded of the sign at the camp where we had to get out of the car to open the gates by ourselves.
Coasting at optimum RPM for fuel economy, pulled up by a ranger for excessive speed on the gravel roads.
Reached the Petrol station at Croc Bridge – the most welcome sighting on this drive.
Second morning drive of the day with a full gas tank via the S28 from Croc Bridge to Lower Sabie
An hour at sunset dam watching hippos, crocs and birds while our room was being made ready
Checked into Lower Sabie. Beautiful river facing cottage.
A good afternoon siesta followed by a smoky Braai with venison and beef steaks followed by some toasted marshmallows.
Part 1 to Biyamiti to Croc bridge.
Giraffes-2
Lion in the bush
Antelope
Wildebeest
Warthogs
Part 2 to Lower Sabie via S28 gravel road
Elephants crossing the road
African Buffalo
Hippos
Crocodiles
Kingfisher and other birds (TBC)
Night spotting by the cottage inside the camp.
Bush buck
Bush baby
Day 3
Bush walk.
Early start at 4:45 AM. 2 rifle toting Rangers leading 6 of us through the bush on foot searching for game.
Elephants
Hippos
Warthogs
Buffalo
Impala
Steinbokke
Zebra
Abandoned utensils and tools by early settlers and displaced indigenous people including graves
Back home. Breakfast at Mugg & Bean and then watching Elephants and Hippos by the river in front of the cottage.
Afternoon nap and a short and cold but welcome swim.
Guided sunset drive on an OSV on the way to dinner in the bush.
Mock charged by a baby elephant learning the art of intimidation.
Delicious Braai dinner in the bush. Mashed tapioca with a tomato stew, beef steak, roasted chicken, sausage, potato salad, Malva pudding and custard.
A thousand stars and two thieving, mocking Hyenas in a standoff who wanted the food from our Braai.
Elephants
Zebra
Hippo
Crocodiles
Steinbok
Impala
Water bokke
Jackal
Shrub Hare
Giraffes
Hyenas
White faced owl
Day 4
Drove along the Lower Sabie Skukuza tar road
Searching for the last of the Big 5 – The Leopard and the elusive cheetah.
A glimpse of a leopard tantalised us as it walked among the shrub near the banks of the Sabie.
A hazy photograph at 750mm Equivalent the only evidence that we had actually seen it.
No Cheetah!!
Back at camp, brunch at the riverside restaurant watching baby and mother elephants enjoying a mud bath.
A Tequila sunrise for Sumita signalled her sunset as she slept and I was unceremoniously dragged out to the pool by E.
Braai and beer in the evening to celebrate our last evening at Kruger.
Giraffe
Baboons
Hippo
Elephant
Impala
Steinbok
Roan Antelope
Warthog
Blu Wildebeest
Eagles nest with babies
Buzzard
Leopard
Day 5
A last minute check on the sighting board confirmed cheetah sightings on the S28 towards Croc bridge
Last drive today on our way out to Muldersdrift.
Cheetah!!! Quick glimpse in the distance
Cheetah!! Another one. It’s brother. And what a show it had on for us. Catcalls (literally) and a ramp walk for almost 30 minutes.
Time to leave finally. Escorted out by an elephant that stalked us and walked us out quite firmly.
Long drive broken by delicious Trout at Millys on the way to Muldersdrift
Checked in to the Kloofzicht Lodge and spa. What a treat. Cottage with a meadow and a lake full of fishing out in front. Baboons, Wildebeest and Warthogs roaming free in front of our cottage
Antelope
Buzzard
Hyena
Cheetah-2 brothers of a coalition of 3
Stalking elephant
Blu Wildebeest
Ducks and other miscellaneous water birds
Day 6 and Day 7
Two very relaxed days at the KloofZicht lodge and Spa at Muldersdrift.
Cottage overlooking the lake. Warthogs, Blue Wildebeest roaming freely in front of our patio
Horse riding, fishing and birding by the lake.
A hot air balloon ride and safari spotted us some White Rhino, Ostrich, Zebra, Giraffe and various deer.
Now it’s back to the city.
A flight tomorrow to Cape Town for some beaches, shopping, sharks, seals and Penguins.
We grew up hearing the name Bombay for all my formative years. Of going there or living there we could only hope.
Bombay was always the Big City. The place ruled by fashion; of big names and bigger stars. The only place that competed with my native Bangalore for clubs, music and fun. A city of skyscrapers and slums jostling each other for ocean vistas. Of stories of the Underworld and of Bollywood. Local trains and double decker buses, the autorickshaws that couldn’t travel south to the Black and Yellows that had seen better days. Vada pavs and burgers. A city of dichotomies that we could neither comprehend nor wanted to.
It was a land of fantasy that we had only heard of but never seen. It wasn’t to be till my 19th year that I would actually set foot in this city. A common entrance test for Architecture school sent me to Bombay for a few days before sending me on to study in Baroda. The fascination with Bombay only increased with repeated visits from Baroda as we took overnight unreserved 3rd class coach train tickets on a hopeful journey to the city of dreams.
Our dreams were humble. A visit to Rythm House to buy the latest Floyd Album on tape, scouring the streets of Colaba’s Flora Fountain to buy books that made us the envy of our school. Books piled higher than we were tall. Crossing over to Fashion street to buy 2nd copies of Nike (we couldn’t afford even the 1st copies) and fashionable jackets. An English movie at Regal followed by the inevitable beer at Cafe Mondegar fighting over Waters and Slash on the only working jukebox our generation had ever known.
Many years later I returned to Bombay to live and work for almost 2 years with my wife.
Last week almost 16 years after we packed our bags in Bombay I made a trip back. This time with my son in tow as well. Old haunts were visited, the fights over the jukebox continued albeit this time with someone 35 years younger than me. Progress was demonstrated by the 1st Copies of Nike that were bought. Chowpati Pani Puri, dirty sand of the Girgaon Beach on Marine drive, late night street shopping culminating with the inevitable midnight visit to Bade Miya for the best kebabs were all a part of this homage to our youth.
It was a small effort to show a portion of my youth to my child. Whether his little mind will retain the wonder of these simple joys is yet to be seen.
Krishnarajendra market or KR Market also known as City market or Flower Market can be overwhelming if you’re not a frequent visitor. Screams of hawkers, hooting of Auto’s buses and tempos, the strains of hand pulled carts, the push and pull of the people make you feel almost like a leaf caught in a whirling, angry eddy.
And yet, in this maelstrom of humanity there exists an opportunity to see individuals within the chaos. This series of Black & Whites chooses to look at a few of them from Hawkers to the Homeless.
I deliberately chose to ignore the colours of the market, as vibrant as they were to focus more on a raw, real set of people undistracted from the melange of colours, textures and backdrops as integral as they are to this setting.
Thorong Phedi – Thorong La – Muktinath 13th April 2023
Where do I start? The day had finally come. Months of preparation, gear to be bought, a fitness regimen to be followed, tickets, guides, the encouragement of my friends and my family. It all came down to this one day.
Would I emerge victorious in this war with the mountains?
The last 2 days were trying. I was left confused and with a sense of trepidation. Not fully confident in my ability to make the final push. A 1000m climb to Thorong La at 5416m followed by a 1700 mtr descent in a single day. I woke up at 2:30am and packed by torchlight. It was dark, bitterly cold and silent.
The only other noises were that of the quiet movements and whispers all the other journeymen preparing to set off on their own quests. A hastily consumed breakfast, and garbed in 4 layers, torches on our foreheads we set off.
The 1st – 1km is a steep dark ascent by torch light to the Thorong High camp about 450mtrs above us. All you could see were flickering lights below and above of the other hopefuls. No sound but that of my own breathing, my heart pounding in my ears as I greedily sucked oxygen for each step. It was bitterly cold. My finger tips were going numb. Cold winds buffeted you once in a while.
PC – Else De Vries
It was like Thorong La was whispering in your ears to stop this madness and go back down.
She told me I couldn’t do this. I had no business attempting something so far out of my zone.
She sent horses past me tempting me to give up and take the easy way out.
Whispers in the darkness…
I was cold, fatigued and desperate.
Another whisper…
I stopped. I turned around to go back down.
There was no way down. The path was single track and there were others climbing. I had not the energy to move to one side of the dark slopes to make way for them.
I turned back up.
I tried to stop listening to her.
It was 25 minutes, then 45, then one hour. My mind, like my hands were going numb.
1.5 hours later I saw High Camp under the warm glow of the rising sun.
I wearily walked in to the tea house, stripped off the gloves from my numb hands and wrapped them around a hot mug of water.
I was told the worst was over.
A good 30 minutes later, I was ready to start the next phase – High Camp to Thorong La.
Another 550 mtrs and 4.5 km to go.
The air was thinner yet and the breathing tougher.
I saw some trekkers racing by at a fast clip but, could hardly move at a crawl myself.
I saw some getting onto horses.
I saw some turning back
I saw some with bleeding noses
She whispered again.
I went on
We were on an exposed side of the mountain. Footprints in the snow, the only way to tell you where the path was. The number of people on the mountain, like the oxygen, was thinning. Those who were able, had gone ahead to claim their victories. Those who couldn’t had turned back to fight another day. Very soon I was the only one I could see on the mountainside apart from my guide. The winds were picking up.
The source of the Marsyangadi – Frozen over
It was 9:00am and I had a km or so to go. 2 hours at least at my pace. 10:30 – I saw far in the distance, a string of prayer flags. The whispers had stopped – Defeated I walked up to the top of the pass to claim my victory.
A hot tea and some biscuits would be my prize.
As we left the pass and started our long descent down through icy moraines and steep snow drifts, I thought of everything that had gotten me here. As my throat welled up and the tears came, the emotions of the day finally rushing out, it finally struck me.
The whispers were not Thorong La. The whispers were mine. My fears amplified – Defeated
I had won
Epilogue
After 10 days of fabulous trekking, challenges, the making of new friends along the way, it was now time to head back home. A quick visit to the Muktinath temple and then jeeped down to Jomsom for a flight to Pokhara and Kathmandu. A great night of celebrating the pass, and the Nepali new year with some potent Rakshi and with great friends (Chris Fawcett and Lucia, Jesper and Annique Boonen, Jos and Else) we made along the way
Chris Fawcett and Lucia, Jesper and Annique Boonen, Jos and Else.
The next morning we woke to cancelled flights and had to requisition some jeeps to take us to Pokhara along some very sketchy mountain jeep tracks. The adventure continued…14 hours and 1 change of vehicle later I finally reached Kathmandu at 1:30am in time for a hot shower, a quick nap before heading to the airport back to India.
This was a fantastic trip and the experience of a lifetime. I would be remiss if I didn’t make a mention of my guide Yam Bahadur and Porter Hari from Himalayan Wonders that went above and beyond in the last 12 days.
Disclaimer – The Annapurna Circuit, while a very challenging trek is not technically very difficult for most. For me, as a novice trekker in high altitudes – in fact my first trek ever was demanding in multiple ways. These thoughts and feelings are entirely my own and my response to what was my biggest challenge to date. I hope to be back again soon, stronger and a little more experienced. Cheers.
Today for the 1st time in 8 days on a solo trip do I really know what it means to be truly alone.
We reached Yak Kharka, 10Kms away at about 4000m at 12:30 after 4.5 hours of walking.As we left Upper Manang via the ceremonial arch towards Tanki Manang (Little Manang), we had the locals sitting on their terraces watching all of us pilgrims off on our journey. Past Tanki Manang and we are truly in the wild. No connectivity, no jeep tracks, no motor vehicles.
Just raw, wild and sheer wilderness.
It’s like even the trees have given up at this altitude giving way to shrub and brush. The climbing is steep but steady with most of the elevation gain in the 1st 4 kms to Gunsang. On the trail, we meet the regulars, we huff and puff our way through our pleasantries, a few breathless jokes as we can start to feel the lack of oxygen in every step. The sharp and windless sunny day is welcome as our bodies warm up. At last, after 2 hours we reach Gunsang for tea and yak cheese. Sitting on the roof of the tea shop, sipping my tea, I’m truly lost. There is no wifi to distract me, no messages, no emails.
Just me and the mountains – a harsh teacher.
I’m still.
It’s been 30 minutes and I can’t remember what I was thinking about staring at the vast emptiness of the snow clad peaks and open brush lands. We head on to Yak Kharka along the “Nepali flats” to gain another 150m in altitude. It’s now scrub and brush only. Herds of Yak and Himalayan Blue sheep abound. We’re leaving behind the Annapurna and the Gangapurna and can see in the distance the triangular top of the Thorong Ri towards whose skirts we are destined to go.
It’s 6:30 in the evening. I’m sipping on hot water. Trekkers, guides, porters, all drifting into the warm common room – laughter, games, a guitar solo.
A shared goal amongst strangers.
I’m on my own and yet I’m not.
Yak kharka – Thorong Phedi 12th April 2023
I enter the dining room at 7:00am. Gone are all the previous nights revellers. The wood fired stove lies cold.
It’s quiet
I sit as close to the cold stove as possible hoping that the memories of yesterdays warm fires will seep into my bones. Slowly the dining room starts to fill up. Most people are talking it easy because it’s a shortish climb. Only 7 odd kms today. We start at 8:30. I can feel the effects if the altitude now clearly in the effort it takes to put one foot in front of another. Deep ping breaths accompany each step. Climbing slow, real slow.
If you’re reading this, try and take long deep breaths with your mouth.
Inhale – Left foot Forward
Exhale – Right foot Forward
It’s a step per breath. That’s how slowly, I was climbing.
More Yak, more blue sheep and a few Himalayan Eagles dot the mountainside. With 3 kms to go, I am exhausted. I have serious doubts about my capability to climb the final ascent tomorrow. I’m playing various scenarios in my mind. We come in the last 1.5 kms to a sign that says “Step Lightly – landslide zone”. It’s a narrow, very narrow contour path stubbled with loose rocks. Walking very carefully, we finish that tricky 1km section and can see Thorong Phedi up ahead.
We’ve reached base camp.
Base Camp is not just a physical space but a mental zone
In every epic war there is that one decisive battle that changes the course of the events that follow. The decisions made, the strategies applied, the outcome of that one day are all precursors to the end. For me, today was that day.
From Upper Pisang to Manang, there are two routes. Go down to Lower Pisang and use the jeep track or use the high trail via Ghyaru. I was fatigued and tired. Sorely tempted to take the easy route but, something told me to take the fight to the mountain. So up we went to climb the path to Ghyaru. Around 3.5kms from Upper Pisang, we crossed yet one more of the ubiquitous suspension bridges and there started my battle. A distance of a mere 1.65kms took me close to 1.5 hours. It was brutal and relentless. I cursed and I screamed. I looked longingly towards where the jeep track should have been but, I kept going up a step at a time till we finally reached the Ghyaru Monastery for a much needed break. The opening salvo had been fired and I was still standing.
Ghyaru – A much needed break
Beyond Ghyaru lies the path to Ngawal which continues to climb albeit a little more gently. We were treated for our persistence to the most magnificent views of Annapurna 2, Annapurna 3, Annapurna 4, Pisang Peak and Gangapurna. Ngawal was a real surprise. It was like a high hidden pastoral valley with meadows, mountain sheep, the sound of cow bells everywhere. Such a different vista altogether. We stopped for lunch here. As we were waiting to be served it started to get bone chillingly cold and the winds picked up howling at us almost in anger that we dared to tread these lands. Hints of snow threatened.
At this point we again had a choice to make – The low path back to the jeep trail or take the higher path. Well, we had pushed this far, we weren’t going to cede the fight at this point so we took the higher ground and climbed further up and out of the valley till we reached an insanely steep descent to Julu. Baby steps with great trepidation it was. I was filled with doubt if I could make it down that precipitous single track not more than a foot and a half wide. A few timorous steps later, it hit me that the only thing really holding me back was my fear. So I let go. I decided to trust myself.
I came down quick, comfortably and without a misstep.
From Julu it was back on the jeep track for the next 7 kms to Manang.
I was spent
I had been on the road for 10.5 hours
I had walked 23 kms
But, I had won the battle.
And that is a precursor for the days to come.
Tomorrow is a rest day. I’ve found a wonderful cafe called Gyalu Bakery opposite the Alpine Home that makes the best Cappuccinos.
Enough said.
Manang – Rest and Acclimatisation April 10th 2023
Manang is the base for everyone doing The Thorong La.
Cafés with espresso machines, Pizzas, Burgers, carrot cakes etc are on display here apart from the Circuit staples.
I woke up early to see the moon setting over Gangapurna and the sun rising above the streets of Manang slowly waking up. Toast, ham and eggs for breakfast got me ready to climb to the Chong Kor Viewpoint in front of the Gangapurna icefall as a short acclimation walk.
Sunrise over Manang
We passed the Gangapurna Glacial lake which is now dry because a recent landslide cut off access between the Glacial run off and the lake.
We spent almost 45 minutes on the top just soaking up the views on all sides and basking in the sun, catching up with almost all the others we had met on the trail so far. We heard a deep rumbling sound like massive continuous thunder. Great big chunks of ice were falling off the Gangapurna glacier. It was awe inspiring to watch from a great safe distance away.
In the evening, after a short nap I took a walk around town, watched the local kids drum up a friendly game of Volleyball, exchanged notes with others who were also setting out tomorrow morning. I’m feeling good, altitude wise, so we’re heading out to Yak Kharka tomorrow morning. This is the 1st phase of the 3 phase trek to the pass from Manang. We will finally be breaching the 4000m mark tomorrow and heading into Yak country. From all accounts, there is very limited connectivity from here on.
I attempt the pass on the 13th and should reach Muktinath that evening.
For now, I’m off to the cozy wood fire warmed common room for dinner.
Today was cold in the morning with the weather widget saying -5 but it didn’t seem that cold.
Nevertheless I needed 2 layers when we started walking at 7am or so.
As we walked along the steep jeep track and we hit a switchback pointing directly to the skies I just out my head down and plodded 1 foot in from of the other. In a bit I raised my head to see how much more there was of this and I caught the most amazing views of the distant peaks covered in snow, surrounded below by dense alpine forests, clouds and haze from the sun like a gigantic Halo. The sun was out and bright.
It was the most amazing sight I’ve seen, so much so that I just stopped and burst out laughing and I went on laughing uncontrollably. Photos do not do that sight justice so, though I have some I’m not sharing. In fact I’m deleting it to keep that sight safe in my memory.
What the mountains give, the mountains take. Soon after that we had a deathly steep climb on the trekking trails off the jeep track for the next 2 kms till Timang that took the best part of an hour.
This section was hard but I just went slow, real slow till we hit the top of that climb.
Tanchok at 11:00 and 8.5kms is our pit stop for lunch.
Steep ascents on the jeep track
Lunch breaks are always long breaks in these little villages because they take at least 45 mins to get your food ready. So it’s a good halfway rest stop as well.
With the last 1.5 hours of the trail left to walk we set off at a comfortable pace. We turned a corner and some clouds cleared and in front of us were two giants – Lamjung Himal (6983m) and Annapurna II ( 7937m).
I had this unrelenting need to giggle again like a 6 year old in a candy shop.
There’s a sharp warm sun at Chame with the temp at 9C with strong winds and expected to go down to -4 by early morning.
Today was all about torturous ascents but so much more joy. I don’t know any other way of describing it in spite of my legs being a quivering mass of flesh.
Annapurna II is not visible anymore but Lamjung Himal is. I’m now lying on my bed, eating some well deserved chocolate, looking out the window at that beautiful peak willing the Gods to clear the skies.
Chame – Upper Pisang April 8th 2023
I’m writing this at 4:45 in the afternoon in the dining room of Hotel Tukuche in Upper Pisang at 3350m. We have people sketching the mountains, some playing cards, drinking tea, swapping tales of the road, some lamenting the failure of the internet.
Outside, the wind is howling, prayer flags everywhere flapping and threatening to fly off. The thin wooden walls of our hotel inspiring scant confidence. The wood fire heated dining room seems to be losing the fight against the all pervasive cold seeping in through the thin walls. It’s just started raining with some snow. Previously green topped mountains around us now bearing white caps. The wind still angry.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.
The day started off easy enough at 7:30. A little later than usual. We walked with the Lamjung Himal behind us and The Annapurna II in the front.
Every time we walked a little further, turned a corner, more of the Annapurna was revealed and it just kept getting taller and taller. Each time we thought that was the highest peak, we turned another corner and there was another in view. Somewhere here, there’s a life lesson to be learnt.
The days walk probably had the most varied diversity so far. From rocky river valleys, narrow paths cut into the exposed hillsides, the most pretty Alpine forests, apple orchards and a bakery that served the most divine apple pie and cold pressed apple juice.
Bhratang where the apple farms and bakery are is exactly 6 kms from the start point so makes a welcome halfway break.
Take a photograph here and you’d be hard pressed to tell whether this was in Nepal or the Swiss Alps.
Reaching here was a bittersweet battle. For every 100m we climbed we descended 50. With all the hard ascents by the time we reached Bhratang, we had gained only 200m from where we started.
The fresh “Deep Fried” apple pie, the only consolation.
Moving on we finally reached DhukurPokhari for lunch at 12pm at an altitude of 3060m and 10Kms
10kms and 300m done – 4kms and 300m to go. We knew what we were in for.
Another hour and a half with amazing views of the Annapurna ranges towering over us, we reached Upper Pisang just in time to see a regional archery completion.
Checked in, unpacked, and went out to explore a really pretty Namgyal Buddhist Monastery. Just as I finished I felt a few drops of rain, charged back down to the hotel and like a demon on my tail, I could hear the howls.
I’m now on my 2nd cup of hot chocolate, the storm has passed.
Finally, the 1st day of trekking. After a breakfast for champions, we sat down for an interminable wait to get a shared jeep to take us to the trailhead at Syange.
Got in the jeep, packed like sardines only to get off again because of a jeep owners association fracas.
Escalated quickly enough with the police being called in force and a jeep being seized. (Ours actually)
2 hours now. Waiting to see if this will get resolved.
Ok, so it’s 4 hours now so we will need to leapfrog Syange and head direct to Chamje foregoing the 1st trek day because if afternoon rain predictions.
Luckily I had the company of a lovely couple from UK, John and Margo, stuck in the same pickle and can of sardines as I. If you guys read this, then, thank you for a morning of fun.
The jeeps finally back in service we boarded to go on a 2.5 hour Jeep Track trip, if you could even call it that, to Chamje and checked in.
Wonder of wonders I still have a western WC.
This place is beautiful, surrounded by the tallest rock formations on both sides with the roar of the Marsyangadi, the only noise to be heard. At the moment, I seem to be the only trekker here and am content to curl up outside with my Kindle and truly relax. It’s 4:30 in the evening and the temperature has dropped to 5C. Finally beginning to feel the mountain weather.
So, on retrospect – Not the 1st day of trekking after all.
It’s going to be an early dinner and off to bed for an early start tomorrow to Bagarchhap.
Chamje – Bagarchchap April 6th 2023
Early start today with breakfast at 6:15 and out the doors at 7:00am.
Walked straight down the gorge to the Marsyangadi river and crossed over to the eastern side via a bouncy suspension bridge. Then the climbing began, and in earnest. It just didn’t seem to end but finally we hit some Nepali Flats (A little bit up and a little bit down). After 2.5 hours of walking and 6kms done we reached the Manang district arch and then Tal. We had now moved from Hindu territory to Buddhist regions.
At Tal permits were checked, tea was consumed and off we went toward Dharapani for lunch.
Walking along the sides of the gorge was unlike anything I can describe. Steep drops along one side, tall cliffs reaching for the skies on the other, lesser hills towering above them capped with snow from yesterdays rain. These snow capped peaks were too small and insignificant to warrant a name.
Back home these pedestrian Nepali hills would have been mythical giants.
3 hours and 7 kms later of which only the 1st 500 m was on the trail, (a steep rough cut path to get us out of the gorge and onto the jeep track), we finally reached Dharapani for a welcome break and hot food. 13kms and 5.5 hours so far. The road from Tal to Dharapani was swelteringly hot and all I could think of was cold orange juice. Lunch break was a long one and a half hours post which we set off for the last one hour (4km) of the walk to Bagarchhap.
It’s now cold and threatening to rain. Out came the jacket again as I trudged wearily along with just one objective – to finish.
Today was my first day of trekking on the circuit and a trial by fire, so to speak with an 18 km long trek, with varied pathways, rough cut stairs, rocky ascents and muddy descents, jeep tracks, the sun, the cold and mostly beautiful vistas all around.
