Day 4-5 The Annapurna Diaries

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. 

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. 

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.