Part 1 of my 15 days in the Himalayas
I arrived to Kathmandu after 18 hours at the Bangladeshi Airport getting intimate with mosquitoes. I wanted to do the Manaslu trek but after some Google search and talking to people I decided to do Annapurna circuit trek which on its own can be done in 2 weeks if you're fast. My plan is to do it in three weeks including some side trips. And knowing myself I'm going to need that time because I'll take some weird routes, realize I'm lost and I'll spend a lot of time just trying to get back to the road.
Day 2
I woke up at 6, meditated for a little bit, ate my muesli and started walking. I did several mistakes that day. First, the worst one, was that I took a blue trail instead of the normal red one. The sign said 1 hour to the next place or 3 hours by the blue route. I expected the real difference with my speed would be 30 minutes vs 90 minutes. I was more less right. What I didn't realize was that I'm just going to go 400m straight up on stairs, then go 500m down again mostly on stairs and then go maybe 50m up to reach the path again. Unless you're not aware. Stairs on the trail are the worst. Way to high, uneven and just annoying to use.
The view was nice but definitely not worth it. Especially considering my plan to do the first and easy parts of the trek as fast as possible.
I stopped at Jagat to get coffee and chips and continued on the trail with improved mood.
Another mistake I made was that I took the motor road instead of the trail after Chamje. I simply missed it. Often this means an easier but sometimes a bit longer way. In this case it meant the same if not worse path conditions and bigger distance. I was getting a little annoyed again but after eating great vegetable curry and spectacular corn bread in Tal I was happy. I put on some music and walked easily to the next town. I felt I have enough energy to walk to the next village for about 30 minutes so I hit the road.
That's when I made the third mistake which luckily turned into a good situation.
I found a sign offering a side trip up the hill to a village called Odar. It was meant to be traditional village who offers real home stays and not a hotel. It sounded interesting so I decided to go up. It took me maybe 30 minutes but at the end I was dying. I've walked around 25km that day, often going just up and down and walking these last few stairs was just getting to me.
It was worth it though. Together with a German couple we slept in the home of a family. I even shared a room with a young guy because they had no other space left. We ate in their kitchen where we received delicious dal bhat and some tea. Dal bhat is the main (only?) food people in the mountains (or rather whole Nepal) eat. Typically it consists of rice, lentil soup, potatoes and some veggies. There are many variations of it but they're always delicious!
We hung out in the kitchen and the German woman asked a lot of interesting questions which I appreciated. First of all there was some conversation going on. These situations, I found out, often get a little awkward. Second of all, it was interesting to learn more about the way they live. Third, I took a cold shower right after hiking the stairs and I felt terrible. My whole back hurt.
All in all it was beautiful though. Very relaxed and nice atmosphere. Definitely improved my opinion on Nepali people a bit. And the view from the village was stunning as well.
I arrived to Kathmandu after 18 hours at the Bangladeshi Airport getting intimate with mosquitoes. I wanted to do the Manaslu trek but after some Google search and talking to people I decided to do Annapurna circuit trek which on its own can be done in 2 weeks if you're fast. My plan is to do it in three weeks including some side trips. And knowing myself I'm going to need that time because I'll take some weird routes, realize I'm lost and I'll spend a lot of time just trying to get back to the road.
(Two and a half days into the trek I did that several times already :)
It took me a while to prepare everything. Getting permits, finding side trips and asking people for advice.
I spend five days of slowly buying all the necessary gear. After rest and doing nothing in Pokhara I started my trip.
I spend five days of slowly buying all the necessary gear. After rest and doing nothing in Pokhara I started my trip.
Day 1
I woke up at 6, found a taxi for 500 rupees (which was too much) and in short time appeared at a bus station. I was told the bus leaves at 7 so I went to get a breakfast. I got little delayed by trying to finish hot tea and then I also had to wait a bit by people cutting line for bus tickets. That meant I didn't make the bus. I saw it getting full and ready to leave. I even tried to get in but they didn't let me. So I had to wait for 1.5 hours. Not a good start.
Even worse was the fact that I bought a ticket for local bus but there were also "tourist" micro buses which not only left earlier but are also faster. All of this made me quite annoyed and it continued for the whole bus drive. The other reason was the fact that the drive was just terrible. Bad roads, old bus and the most annoying thing was that it stopped every few minutes for people to get on and get off.
It took me around 4 hours to get to Beshishahar. I was planning to start hiking there. Because of the delays I decided to continue to Bhulebule by bus. Another hour through scary "road". I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone to continue driving after Beshishahar. I don't think it's worth it unless you're really pressed with time. I paid 280 rupees ($2.8) for the bus to Beshishahar. The driver asked for 300 rupees ($3) just to take me from there to Bhulebule. At this point I've had enough. I gave him 200 and just left. The beginning of the trip was bad but after I started walking everything was all right. I ate some snacks, put on good music and I was happy walking. Though rice fields, small villages, around animals and all in all just amazing places. I'm not good with descriptions so I'm just going to post the photos.
I walked around 14 km and spent the day at Ghermu.
I was a little disappointed with the people in Nepal. Maybe it's just the tourist areas or maybe it's because I have high standards after Myanmar but they're not that friendly. Not that they're rude but I've heard that Nepal is like laid back India and even though I haven't been to India I got similar feeling. They are sometimes pushy, they don't mind scamming you. What makes the biggest difference though is that they are not always smiling and are not immediately friendly.
I guess that's fairly normal behavior on the grand scale but I miss Myanmar!
The evening I spent in the lodge talking with other trekkers, reading and meditating.
I woke up at 6, found a taxi for 500 rupees (which was too much) and in short time appeared at a bus station. I was told the bus leaves at 7 so I went to get a breakfast. I got little delayed by trying to finish hot tea and then I also had to wait a bit by people cutting line for bus tickets. That meant I didn't make the bus. I saw it getting full and ready to leave. I even tried to get in but they didn't let me. So I had to wait for 1.5 hours. Not a good start.
Even worse was the fact that I bought a ticket for local bus but there were also "tourist" micro buses which not only left earlier but are also faster. All of this made me quite annoyed and it continued for the whole bus drive. The other reason was the fact that the drive was just terrible. Bad roads, old bus and the most annoying thing was that it stopped every few minutes for people to get on and get off.
It took me around 4 hours to get to Beshishahar. I was planning to start hiking there. Because of the delays I decided to continue to Bhulebule by bus. Another hour through scary "road". I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone to continue driving after Beshishahar. I don't think it's worth it unless you're really pressed with time. I paid 280 rupees ($2.8) for the bus to Beshishahar. The driver asked for 300 rupees ($3) just to take me from there to Bhulebule. At this point I've had enough. I gave him 200 and just left. The beginning of the trip was bad but after I started walking everything was all right. I ate some snacks, put on good music and I was happy walking. Though rice fields, small villages, around animals and all in all just amazing places. I'm not good with descriptions so I'm just going to post the photos.
I walked around 14 km and spent the day at Ghermu.
I was a little disappointed with the people in Nepal. Maybe it's just the tourist areas or maybe it's because I have high standards after Myanmar but they're not that friendly. Not that they're rude but I've heard that Nepal is like laid back India and even though I haven't been to India I got similar feeling. They are sometimes pushy, they don't mind scamming you. What makes the biggest difference though is that they are not always smiling and are not immediately friendly.
I guess that's fairly normal behavior on the grand scale but I miss Myanmar!
The evening I spent in the lodge talking with other trekkers, reading and meditating.
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| Building of the road around the whole Annapurna trek |
Day 2
I woke up at 6, meditated for a little bit, ate my muesli and started walking. I did several mistakes that day. First, the worst one, was that I took a blue trail instead of the normal red one. The sign said 1 hour to the next place or 3 hours by the blue route. I expected the real difference with my speed would be 30 minutes vs 90 minutes. I was more less right. What I didn't realize was that I'm just going to go 400m straight up on stairs, then go 500m down again mostly on stairs and then go maybe 50m up to reach the path again. Unless you're not aware. Stairs on the trail are the worst. Way to high, uneven and just annoying to use.
The view was nice but definitely not worth it. Especially considering my plan to do the first and easy parts of the trek as fast as possible.
I stopped at Jagat to get coffee and chips and continued on the trail with improved mood.
Another mistake I made was that I took the motor road instead of the trail after Chamje. I simply missed it. Often this means an easier but sometimes a bit longer way. In this case it meant the same if not worse path conditions and bigger distance. I was getting a little annoyed again but after eating great vegetable curry and spectacular corn bread in Tal I was happy. I put on some music and walked easily to the next town. I felt I have enough energy to walk to the next village for about 30 minutes so I hit the road.
That's when I made the third mistake which luckily turned into a good situation.
I found a sign offering a side trip up the hill to a village called Odar. It was meant to be traditional village who offers real home stays and not a hotel. It sounded interesting so I decided to go up. It took me maybe 30 minutes but at the end I was dying. I've walked around 25km that day, often going just up and down and walking these last few stairs was just getting to me.
It was worth it though. Together with a German couple we slept in the home of a family. I even shared a room with a young guy because they had no other space left. We ate in their kitchen where we received delicious dal bhat and some tea. Dal bhat is the main (only?) food people in the mountains (or rather whole Nepal) eat. Typically it consists of rice, lentil soup, potatoes and some veggies. There are many variations of it but they're always delicious!
We hung out in the kitchen and the German woman asked a lot of interesting questions which I appreciated. First of all there was some conversation going on. These situations, I found out, often get a little awkward. Second of all, it was interesting to learn more about the way they live. Third, I took a cold shower right after hiking the stairs and I felt terrible. My whole back hurt.
All in all it was beautiful though. Very relaxed and nice atmosphere. Definitely improved my opinion on Nepali people a bit. And the view from the village was stunning as well.
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| See the STD? It means you can make phone call from there. ISTD means international calls |
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| Odar village from a viewpoint |
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| Kitchen of your host |
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| Left bed was mine. Right bed was our host's. Young guy who luckily spoke some English |
Day 3
I woke up before 7 after almost 10 hours of sleep and went straight for breakfast. We've had omelette, tea, Tibetan bread which I loved and even some lentils and beans. Later when they asked us for money we paid 900 rupees which is great price. The food was delicious, there was plenty of it (rare sight for me) and the family environment made it simply amazing. Considering they day before I paid almost 1100 for the same cold shower, bed, worse food and no atmosphere...
When we were saying goodbye we all received a white shale. Later I found out it's apparently a Nepali welcome sign. Because of that I left them one of my last pairs of diffraction glasses. I was giving them out too freely in Myanmar and Thailand so I need to save the last for people who truly deserve them. This was definitely the occasion.
The first hour or so of walking I felt pretty tired. Luckily after I took a short break my body woke up and I could walk as fast as before.
I hiked quickly around the motorway and then through a nice forest trail with blooming rhododendrons. No photos though. I thought I'll see them again but after that I found only pine tress...
The scenery changes here at least once a day, often within several hours. I love that. It never gets boring and there's so much to see and admire.
In Timang I bought a decadent brunch. It was around 11 so I ordered data masala, coffee and most importantly an apple pie with custard. It was basically just sugar but done in such a tasty way! I needed to move fast before the sugar starts to get to my teeth and the coffein high will end so right after I finished I marched to the trail. I got to Chame with no issues, bought some Indian fast food snacks which was a nice touch from the universe. I didn't want to stop for too long and get real lunch but I also didn't want to eat my snacks. This solved it all. After Chame I stopped by the view of the river and some workers joined me. We exchanged some niceties, had a little chat, they rolled a joint, smoked it and went to work. Shortly after I went for the road. I didn't want to walk on uncomfortable rocks so I went to a little trail on the left side. I followed it for a while and enjoyed it a lot. Later I had the option to go right and up, closer to the road, or left and down. I didn't want to climb up and I thought the trail will continue along the river so I took it. Big mistake!
The trail continued but after a few minutes I was stuck. I'd have to climb up. And of course steeper and longer hill than before.
At first my situation was like a travel book, then it turned into a thriller. For a few seconds it became a nightmarish horror. After that it luckily turned to an action/adventure movie.
What happened? First I needed to cross over some rocks above the river to get to a good place to climb up. While I was doing that I lost my balance and almost fell into a water below. It was less than 2 meters but getting out of fast and freezing cold river with a backpack on me? Big no no.
Luckily I found my outer balance and started climbing. I was grateful for having my hiking poles. Sometimes they are little annoying and cumbersome but overall I'm honestly not sure how I would manage without them.
Despite the unstable rocks that got loose after I stepped on them, the plants that weren't strong enough to hold me and sliding down several times I made it. I happily joined the motor road. At the perfect spot. The forest trail was separating from the motor road after a few meters and they wouldn't meet until several kilometers ahead. Thanks universe!
I continued on the empty trail for more than an hour and eventually reached Bhratang. It looked nice at first. It was an apple orchard village which is always close to my heart. The problem is that there is only one place to sleep. And that place is super fancy and costs 800 rupees for a night. Usually you pay 0-200 rupees a night in the mountains, I was told that most people pay nothing if they get dinner and breakfast at the hotel. 800 was a price of yesterday's stay breakfast and dinner. And for what? Hot shower but no wifi?
Me and other 6 people had no other option though so we checked in. It is a fancy and nice place though, I have to admit. It has its charm. Not 800 rupees charm but all right. Sorry, no photos of the place, I'm an idiot.
I had a dal bhat for dinner, which was great (at least something) wrote this article and went to bed.
I woke up before 7 after almost 10 hours of sleep and went straight for breakfast. We've had omelette, tea, Tibetan bread which I loved and even some lentils and beans. Later when they asked us for money we paid 900 rupees which is great price. The food was delicious, there was plenty of it (rare sight for me) and the family environment made it simply amazing. Considering they day before I paid almost 1100 for the same cold shower, bed, worse food and no atmosphere...
When we were saying goodbye we all received a white shale. Later I found out it's apparently a Nepali welcome sign. Because of that I left them one of my last pairs of diffraction glasses. I was giving them out too freely in Myanmar and Thailand so I need to save the last for people who truly deserve them. This was definitely the occasion.
The first hour or so of walking I felt pretty tired. Luckily after I took a short break my body woke up and I could walk as fast as before.
I hiked quickly around the motorway and then through a nice forest trail with blooming rhododendrons. No photos though. I thought I'll see them again but after that I found only pine tress...
The scenery changes here at least once a day, often within several hours. I love that. It never gets boring and there's so much to see and admire.
In Timang I bought a decadent brunch. It was around 11 so I ordered data masala, coffee and most importantly an apple pie with custard. It was basically just sugar but done in such a tasty way! I needed to move fast before the sugar starts to get to my teeth and the coffein high will end so right after I finished I marched to the trail. I got to Chame with no issues, bought some Indian fast food snacks which was a nice touch from the universe. I didn't want to stop for too long and get real lunch but I also didn't want to eat my snacks. This solved it all. After Chame I stopped by the view of the river and some workers joined me. We exchanged some niceties, had a little chat, they rolled a joint, smoked it and went to work. Shortly after I went for the road. I didn't want to walk on uncomfortable rocks so I went to a little trail on the left side. I followed it for a while and enjoyed it a lot. Later I had the option to go right and up, closer to the road, or left and down. I didn't want to climb up and I thought the trail will continue along the river so I took it. Big mistake!
The trail continued but after a few minutes I was stuck. I'd have to climb up. And of course steeper and longer hill than before.
At first my situation was like a travel book, then it turned into a thriller. For a few seconds it became a nightmarish horror. After that it luckily turned to an action/adventure movie.
What happened? First I needed to cross over some rocks above the river to get to a good place to climb up. While I was doing that I lost my balance and almost fell into a water below. It was less than 2 meters but getting out of fast and freezing cold river with a backpack on me? Big no no.
Luckily I found my outer balance and started climbing. I was grateful for having my hiking poles. Sometimes they are little annoying and cumbersome but overall I'm honestly not sure how I would manage without them.
Despite the unstable rocks that got loose after I stepped on them, the plants that weren't strong enough to hold me and sliding down several times I made it. I happily joined the motor road. At the perfect spot. The forest trail was separating from the motor road after a few meters and they wouldn't meet until several kilometers ahead. Thanks universe!
I continued on the empty trail for more than an hour and eventually reached Bhratang. It looked nice at first. It was an apple orchard village which is always close to my heart. The problem is that there is only one place to sleep. And that place is super fancy and costs 800 rupees for a night. Usually you pay 0-200 rupees a night in the mountains, I was told that most people pay nothing if they get dinner and breakfast at the hotel. 800 was a price of yesterday's stay breakfast and dinner. And for what? Hot shower but no wifi?
Me and other 6 people had no other option though so we checked in. It is a fancy and nice place though, I have to admit. It has its charm. Not 800 rupees charm but all right. Sorry, no photos of the place, I'm an idiot.
I had a dal bhat for dinner, which was great (at least something) wrote this article and went to bed.
Day 4
I skipped breakfast and the gods punished me for it with one of the scariest experiences of my travels. Pack of maybe 6 dogs surrounded me right after I left hotel and were angrily barking at me. I kept swinging my hiking poles around me to keep them away. It worked but it didn't scare them. I tried to make some noise and kind of stupidly I hit the poles against each other. Why stupidly? Well, not only it didn't help but I also broke the poles. After that I tried barking and going after the dogs. That scared them and they walked back a little. But they were still very angry. Finally I remembered what helped in Myanmar and I threw some rocks at them. That did it and they retreated. Not a good start of the day but at the end it was the most eventful day of the trek until now. More importantly it was also one of the best days of my life.
Let's see why. Shall we?
I skipped breakfast and the gods punished me for it with one of the scariest experiences of my travels. Pack of maybe 6 dogs surrounded me right after I left hotel and were angrily barking at me. I kept swinging my hiking poles around me to keep them away. It worked but it didn't scare them. I tried to make some noise and kind of stupidly I hit the poles against each other. Why stupidly? Well, not only it didn't help but I also broke the poles. After that I tried barking and going after the dogs. That scared them and they walked back a little. But they were still very angry. Finally I remembered what helped in Myanmar and I threw some rocks at them. That did it and they retreated. Not a good start of the day but at the end it was the most eventful day of the trek until now. More importantly it was also one of the best days of my life.
Let's see why. Shall we?
The path to Upper Pisang wasn't that interesting. I just walked on a nice trail with one of the best views of my life. The usual in this place.
After Upper Pisang I met Katie on the trail and we joined our paths. We shared some stories about the horrible Czech people (she worked in Prague for a year) and happily trekked together. Before Ghyaru we spent an hour climbing upward. It was steep hill maybe 400 meters straight up. Not fun by anyone standards. We took a break around 300m to get tea, cookie and most importantly, carrot! Freaking orange, juicy, sweet carrot! Fresh vegetables are hard to find around here so my excitement about a simple carrot makes perfect sense! I'm not going to argue about this. It was delicious!
After a break we continued further and that's when things started to really improve. We spent an hour lunching, talking and being amazed. Being amazed and stunned by the huge rock in front of us. The Annapurna II which has 7937m. And the other 7km high peaks around us. It was just too much for both of us. Every few minutes of our conversation during lunch one of us looked at the view and said something like "this is just incredible". We were overflowing with shared joy and excitement. The steep climb made it so worthwhile and the restaurant right in front of the mountains was the best place to eat.
After lunch we took some obligatory photos, said our farewells and I continued on the path alone. Right after the village I put on some music and just danced along the trek. Smiling like I have a down syndrome and singing like nobody was listening.
Somebody was though. A crazy French guy I met during the climb passed by me. I met him a few minutes later at "super view restaurant" where he was having a maté break with a crazy Russian Ivan. Paul and Ivan became my companions for the evening and we had the best time. We've had music, weed and the same vibe. We also had most amazing nature around us. And we enjoyed all of it to the fullest with impro photo shoot, pissing with (not against!) the wind and watching Paul scaring cute ponies for the entertainment of the villagers. Instead of 30 minutes of walking it took us over 2 hours to reach Ngawal where we said "see you later" to Ivan and me and Paul found a place to sleep. I went to a view point put on some music and danced over 30 minutes during the sunset. Again dancing and smiling like the situation deserved. And being happy as I deserved.
After Upper Pisang I met Katie on the trail and we joined our paths. We shared some stories about the horrible Czech people (she worked in Prague for a year) and happily trekked together. Before Ghyaru we spent an hour climbing upward. It was steep hill maybe 400 meters straight up. Not fun by anyone standards. We took a break around 300m to get tea, cookie and most importantly, carrot! Freaking orange, juicy, sweet carrot! Fresh vegetables are hard to find around here so my excitement about a simple carrot makes perfect sense! I'm not going to argue about this. It was delicious!
After a break we continued further and that's when things started to really improve. We spent an hour lunching, talking and being amazed. Being amazed and stunned by the huge rock in front of us. The Annapurna II which has 7937m. And the other 7km high peaks around us. It was just too much for both of us. Every few minutes of our conversation during lunch one of us looked at the view and said something like "this is just incredible". We were overflowing with shared joy and excitement. The steep climb made it so worthwhile and the restaurant right in front of the mountains was the best place to eat.
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| View from our lunch place. Love it! |
After lunch we took some obligatory photos, said our farewells and I continued on the path alone. Right after the village I put on some music and just danced along the trek. Smiling like I have a down syndrome and singing like nobody was listening.
Somebody was though. A crazy French guy I met during the climb passed by me. I met him a few minutes later at "super view restaurant" where he was having a maté break with a crazy Russian Ivan. Paul and Ivan became my companions for the evening and we had the best time. We've had music, weed and the same vibe. We also had most amazing nature around us. And we enjoyed all of it to the fullest with impro photo shoot, pissing with (not against!) the wind and watching Paul scaring cute ponies for the entertainment of the villagers. Instead of 30 minutes of walking it took us over 2 hours to reach Ngawal where we said "see you later" to Ivan and me and Paul found a place to sleep. I went to a view point put on some music and danced over 30 minutes during the sunset. Again dancing and smiling like the situation deserved. And being happy as I deserved.
When it became too cold I went to a hotel. The usual happened. Dal bhat and talking with other trekkers.
I guess it's a little hard to see why it was such a great day. It's difficult to explain the fun I've had with the people but I think you can imagine that. It's even more difficult to make you see the views. Photos don't do it justice. Even the professional ones are nothing compared to the real stuff. And what's impossible is to make you feel the satisfaction of carrying heavy backpack up steep hills over many kilometers and then dancing and singing on top of a mountain while the sun goes down.
Yeah, this is the reason I travel. Day 4 of Annapurna circuit and it's not only a highlight of my travels which is already quite hard but it's a highlight of my life!
I guess it's a little hard to see why it was such a great day. It's difficult to explain the fun I've had with the people but I think you can imagine that. It's even more difficult to make you see the views. Photos don't do it justice. Even the professional ones are nothing compared to the real stuff. And what's impossible is to make you feel the satisfaction of carrying heavy backpack up steep hills over many kilometers and then dancing and singing on top of a mountain while the sun goes down.
Yeah, this is the reason I travel. Day 4 of Annapurna circuit and it's not only a highlight of my travels which is already quite hard but it's a highlight of my life!
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| Light Ravers glass and fun in the mountains |
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| Ngawal village |
Day 5
My plan for the day was to walk from 3600m to a nearby 5300m peak Kang LA from which I should be able to see on the other side of the mountains. New high mountains and valleys. Yay!
Too bad it didn't work. I walked up to maybe 4700m but I turned around and went back. There were clouds everywhere, it was snowing a bit and I realized it's not worth it. I wouldn't be able to see anything from the top even if I reached it.
It was worth it though. I could try the effect of altitude on my body without carrying backpack and I also helped my acclimatization.
And the views were incredible as well. And much different from the day before thanks to the clouds.
I came back for my backpack and while enjoying masala tea I met the German couple from Odar village again.
I put on some music after obligatory "take cares" and "good lucks" and hit the road. I wanted to take the upper trail to Braka but I misread the map and got a bit lost again. I'm saying lost but it's actually sidetracked. Sometimes I get "lost" on purpose like today in the morning where I knew the directions but there were many paths to take. Sometimes I get sidetracked because the markings are confusing. Sometimes I'm an idiot who doesn't think too much about the way he walks. This time it was all on me, I was just being stupid and my knees suffered for a second time today because I walked down a steep hill through bushes, trees and unstable ground.
In Julu when thinking if I should take the upper or lower trail I met Nat and together we decided to go for the lower trail. As usual we shared some travels stories and tips and maybe after 40 minutes stopped at Munchi for seabuckthorn juice (delicious), samosas (delicious) and apple pie (delicious). With refreshments and sugar in our blood we reached Braka quickly. Our first choice for a hotel was already full, our second choice had no wifi so even though we checked in, we didn't stay there and went to a bakery/hotel at the end o the town for the night. It seems like a good decision. The wifi is patchy and is good only for messaging apps (not even email) but there should be warm shower and the food was delicious and fairly cheap.
Plus they have TV in the dining area so I could watch some weird Indian dance competitions that were luckily in English and other crazy Indian television.
My plan for the day was to walk from 3600m to a nearby 5300m peak Kang LA from which I should be able to see on the other side of the mountains. New high mountains and valleys. Yay!
Too bad it didn't work. I walked up to maybe 4700m but I turned around and went back. There were clouds everywhere, it was snowing a bit and I realized it's not worth it. I wouldn't be able to see anything from the top even if I reached it.
It was worth it though. I could try the effect of altitude on my body without carrying backpack and I also helped my acclimatization.
And the views were incredible as well. And much different from the day before thanks to the clouds.
I came back for my backpack and while enjoying masala tea I met the German couple from Odar village again.
I put on some music after obligatory "take cares" and "good lucks" and hit the road. I wanted to take the upper trail to Braka but I misread the map and got a bit lost again. I'm saying lost but it's actually sidetracked. Sometimes I get "lost" on purpose like today in the morning where I knew the directions but there were many paths to take. Sometimes I get sidetracked because the markings are confusing. Sometimes I'm an idiot who doesn't think too much about the way he walks. This time it was all on me, I was just being stupid and my knees suffered for a second time today because I walked down a steep hill through bushes, trees and unstable ground.
In Julu when thinking if I should take the upper or lower trail I met Nat and together we decided to go for the lower trail. As usual we shared some travels stories and tips and maybe after 40 minutes stopped at Munchi for seabuckthorn juice (delicious), samosas (delicious) and apple pie (delicious). With refreshments and sugar in our blood we reached Braka quickly. Our first choice for a hotel was already full, our second choice had no wifi so even though we checked in, we didn't stay there and went to a bakery/hotel at the end o the town for the night. It seems like a good decision. The wifi is patchy and is good only for messaging apps (not even email) but there should be warm shower and the food was delicious and fairly cheap.
Plus they have TV in the dining area so I could watch some weird Indian dance competitions that were luckily in English and other crazy Indian television.
Day 6
After breakfast I went to climb to the Ice Lake. It took me around 2.5-3 hours to get up there through a little annoying road. I stopped for a tea at a restaurant but quickly continued. Ice lake was a little disappointing. The cool thing was that I could walk on it. Otherwise nothing too impressive. I pity the people who went there and then went down. Doesn't seem worth it. Most people did that though. I decided to continue a little further up to the west or right of the lake. I climbed up for about 30 minutes and was rewarded with an amazing view of everything. The best view possible honestly. If you're going to the Ice Lake, don't miss it.
I was listening to some music again, dancing and singing and having the usual best time in the high mountains.
It was snowing a little and the mountains behind me were covered in clouds. The other side, Annapurnas, were clear and together it made a beautiful contrast.
After a while I decided to turn back. I spent maybe 3-4 hours going down because my knee started to hurt pretty badly. Everyone was passing by me. When I reached Munchi I ordered 3 samosas which were cheap and delicious, 50 for one, and then continued to Braka. I talked to Nat and she told me that Milarepa cave is not accessible so I bought some sweet snacks and went to Manang.
After breakfast I went to climb to the Ice Lake. It took me around 2.5-3 hours to get up there through a little annoying road. I stopped for a tea at a restaurant but quickly continued. Ice lake was a little disappointing. The cool thing was that I could walk on it. Otherwise nothing too impressive. I pity the people who went there and then went down. Doesn't seem worth it. Most people did that though. I decided to continue a little further up to the west or right of the lake. I climbed up for about 30 minutes and was rewarded with an amazing view of everything. The best view possible honestly. If you're going to the Ice Lake, don't miss it.
I was listening to some music again, dancing and singing and having the usual best time in the high mountains.
It was snowing a little and the mountains behind me were covered in clouds. The other side, Annapurnas, were clear and together it made a beautiful contrast.
After a while I decided to turn back. I spent maybe 3-4 hours going down because my knee started to hurt pretty badly. Everyone was passing by me. When I reached Munchi I ordered 3 samosas which were cheap and delicious, 50 for one, and then continued to Braka. I talked to Nat and she told me that Milarepa cave is not accessible so I bought some sweet snacks and went to Manang.
Day 7
Because of my knees I decided to rest for a day. I spent the whole day reading, buying equipment and food for later, meditating, sleeping and in the evening trying to heal my knee faster. All in all nothing too interesting but I needed it.
Because of my knees I decided to rest for a day. I spent the whole day reading, buying equipment and food for later, meditating, sleeping and in the evening trying to heal my knee faster. All in all nothing too interesting but I needed it.
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| Photo of a teahouse. This one was quite fancy compared to others. |
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| The other side of the teahouse main room |
Day 8
I woke up a little later and after breakfast and buying some things I started my way to Tilicho Lake. The trail was nice. It looked like trekking trails should be. A bit tricky path along the hills. Some dangerous land slides. Free roaming animals, no cars, almost no people and most importantly, beautiful views again. On the left was a long way down to the river. On top of the river the Annapurnas covered with snow.
It was peaceful day.
In the afternoon I reached Tilicho lodge, met old friends from the days before with whom we played some games. I went to bed early. The lodge was really cold and I thought it would be good to give the knee more rest.
I woke up a little later and after breakfast and buying some things I started my way to Tilicho Lake. The trail was nice. It looked like trekking trails should be. A bit tricky path along the hills. Some dangerous land slides. Free roaming animals, no cars, almost no people and most importantly, beautiful views again. On the left was a long way down to the river. On top of the river the Annapurnas covered with snow.
It was peaceful day.
In the afternoon I reached Tilicho lodge, met old friends from the days before with whom we played some games. I went to bed early. The lodge was really cold and I thought it would be good to give the knee more rest.
Day 9
I shared breakfast with German and Spanish friends and around 7 started hike for Tilicho Lake (4919m). It took I think over 3 hours. Some parts were annoying but mostly it wasn't too bad. The end was really nice because the top of the mountains were full of snow into which we all sometimes fell. The views were stunning again and the climb to Tilicho was well worth it. It was a beautiful scenery, Especially watching roaming clouds and their shadows over the frozen lake. I spent some time hanging out with people, writing into snow but mostly just admiring the mountains.
I spent there over an hour which seems strange. Spending two days of trekking back and forth just for an hour of stay at Tilicho. It wasn't just the lake though, that was only cherry on top of the cake. The cake and the reward was the path. The whole tricky trail with many different environments and the changing views of the mountains and valleys was the reason I loved it so much.
The way up was all right, the way down was horrible. My knee was heavily protesting. I was the slowest going down because I was trying to protect my knee. It mostly worked though. I didn't hurt much, it was just annoying.
Back in the lodge I ate lunch from my own provisions. Yak cheese, yak salami and bread. All bought in Manang. Simple, cheap but still great lunch.
After lunch and some break I hit the road and went to Shree Kharka. It took me maybe three hours with several breaks for my knee, for answering questions to people who were going to Tilicho and some obligatory dancing in the mountains.
In the evening I spent tíme in the warm lodge talking to people about the horrible America, the spiritual trap of Indian yoga and the way our world is screwed. Fun! :)
This is it for now. The other part can be found here.
There are over 100 photos in my Google album if these two articles are not enough. Feel free to look.
I shared breakfast with German and Spanish friends and around 7 started hike for Tilicho Lake (4919m). It took I think over 3 hours. Some parts were annoying but mostly it wasn't too bad. The end was really nice because the top of the mountains were full of snow into which we all sometimes fell. The views were stunning again and the climb to Tilicho was well worth it. It was a beautiful scenery, Especially watching roaming clouds and their shadows over the frozen lake. I spent some time hanging out with people, writing into snow but mostly just admiring the mountains.
I spent there over an hour which seems strange. Spending two days of trekking back and forth just for an hour of stay at Tilicho. It wasn't just the lake though, that was only cherry on top of the cake. The cake and the reward was the path. The whole tricky trail with many different environments and the changing views of the mountains and valleys was the reason I loved it so much.
The way up was all right, the way down was horrible. My knee was heavily protesting. I was the slowest going down because I was trying to protect my knee. It mostly worked though. I didn't hurt much, it was just annoying.
Back in the lodge I ate lunch from my own provisions. Yak cheese, yak salami and bread. All bought in Manang. Simple, cheap but still great lunch.
After lunch and some break I hit the road and went to Shree Kharka. It took me maybe three hours with several breaks for my knee, for answering questions to people who were going to Tilicho and some obligatory dancing in the mountains.
In the evening I spent tíme in the warm lodge talking to people about the horrible America, the spiritual trap of Indian yoga and the way our world is screwed. Fun! :)
This is it for now. The other part can be found here.
There are over 100 photos in my Google album if these two articles are not enough. Feel free to look.
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