Annapurna Base Camp Sanctuary Trek

We arrived to Pokhara after the strike unsure of which trek we would be able to do. When we got in, we went straight to the trekking center to get our permits and ran through the rain to the safety card permit building to get our TIMS (trekking safety) cards. We got into Pokhara after 3, which means we were walking in the rain. We found a guest house and unloaded our packs. While we were walking around that night, tentatively picking up trekking gear and sorting out which route we should take, we met two Danish guys who had just returned from completing the trek to Annapurna Base Camp in six days. We had read that it would take between 8 and 14 days, but this made us rethink our route. Never ones to turn down a challenge, we sat with them to listen to their route. They were pumped with adrenaline and encouragement. The real deal maker was when one said "And I am so sick of chocolate, you have to eat a bar every day for energy." Sold.

We gathered gear, renting ponchos and gloves from a shopkeeper and stopping through all of the local grocers stocking up on chocolate, almonds...hiking type food. We decided against anti leech oil but got a bottle of chlorine to clean our water. We woke up the next morning, bags packed (one 65 liter packed with clothes and one smaller bag packed with treats), and headed for the bus station. We arrived around 11:00am to Naya Pul to begin our unguided expedition into the Himalayas.

Naya Pul to Ulleri
The beginning of the trail was easy. Gradual gravel paths up until the first village. And then the stairs began. We spent the next four hours alternating between the occasional flat path and stairs. We arrived at Ulleri before the rain, around two or three to begin our first tea house experience. We were given a room with a view of the Himalayas and a hot shower attached. Good start to our journey.

Ulleri to Ghorepani
Our next stop was a village merely a four hour hike away, uphill, but not too difficult. We arrived around noon and settled in to a room for 50 rupees a night (roughly 50 cents each). There was a fire in the main room to keep warm. I bought a local cold remedy from a shopkeeper called Sancho, basically a mix of mint and eucalyptus oil. It became a remedy both to clear our dripping noses and mask unpleasant scents we encountered along the way.

Ghorepani to Poon Hill to Chhomrong
Our third day was very ambitious. We woke up at 4:15am armed with a headlamp and wrapped in scarves to hike 45 minutes to Poon Hill. The instant change in altitude was a little trying on the way up. But the view was worth the trek. We watched the sun rise over the Annapurna region of the Himalayas while drinking chai.

We returned to our tea house to pack up our bags and hit the trail. We went without planning too much, just knowing that we would try to make it to Annapurna Base Camp in the end. After Ghorepani and the next village, the paths all led downhill. We trekked until four in the afternoon. The rains came around three, so we nearly made it to Chhomrong, but not quite. We trekked in one day what many trek in three, so it put us quite ahead of schedule. We passed hills, valleys and jungles over the course of what was probably the most beautiful day I've seen. When we got to Chhomrong we found a room just before the buckets began to pour and we treated ourselves to what was heralded as the "best chocolate cake in Asia" by Time Magazine and the Lonely Planet guide. It wasn't, but it was alright. We had an early bed time again, probably around seven.

Chhomrong to Himalaya
The rain came early today, as did our bed time. The terrain traveled today varied from rural, steep hillsides to waterfalls to bamboo lined forests. We thought of stopping before Himalaya in a village called Dovan, but continued onward. About an hour later, the rain came. A few drops at first and then showers through a bamboo jungle. We used our rented ponchos. Mine didn't work completely. We no longer looked forward to long downhill runs, because with them came the promise of steep steps or uphill climbs. I relied on a walking stick like an old man will rely on his cane. We arrived at Himalaya dripping and freezing. The hot shower cost around 150 rupees (roughly 2 USD). We opted for cold showers to save money and spent the next hour wearing all of our remaining clothes, curled into small balls and breathing heavily into our sleep sacks in our dark, cement-walled room. We had dinner around 3:00pm and then retreated to bed.

Himalaya to Annapurna Base Camp
We woke up early, as one might expect after a 4:00pm bedtime. When we stepped outside, we were in a thick blanket of clouds and the clothes we had hung out to dry were no dryer, just much colder. We split a bowl of porridge and packed our bags, wet clothes dangling from the sides. We took it slowly on this day, taking into account the drastic change in altitude we would soon be encountering. As we passed Macchupuchare Base Camp, the final stop before ABC. Here, clear skies encouraged us to continue onward. The final stretch was our slowest yet. About an hour in thick clouds enveloped us, preventing us from seeing more than 30 meters on any side of us. About an hour out, we were able to see the final base camp. Dogs came and met us and guided us the final hour of our five day trek. We hobbled up the steps and crashed into the bed, with four blankets for warmth. We splurged on macaroni with tomato and cheese for dinner (and ate around 5:30pm for a change). The clouds lifted, giving us a short glimpse of the Annapurna range. We were awakened by rain during the night, but luckily it cleared in the morning and allowed us a clear view of the Annapurna Range. Breathtaking, hard to view our surroundings without ear to ear smiles and eyes wide with awe.

From there, we made it back to Naya Pul in two days, partially because we were driven to make it to the Jhinu Hot Springs by the evening for warmth and relaxation. The trip down was as beautiful as the trip up. We reached the town of Chhomrong around four in the afternoon, where I was determined to have Apple Crumble. We climbed nearly 3000 stairs and arrived at a tea house, where a woman told me they were out of crumble for the day. Seeing my disappointment (near tears), she made me a fresh piece. It was worth the wait and the trek.

We spent our remaining days in Pokhara riding bikes, boating and lounging. On our final day, we found out that there was a strike, so we would overstay our visas. Buses weren't running, so we stayed a final day. On to India...

beth and molly trek the himalayas from molly cathcart on Vimeo.