Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

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ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY TREK Clare Kempster One of the first things that struck me on returning to a luxury worth indulging in. It was a shame that we had England after two and a half years away was how flat it to follow our relaxing dip with the steepest climb yet, up was! So Ijumped at the chance of meeting up with Austin the side of the Modi Valley. We finished off another long for a trekking holiday in Nepal - well, it is just about half day at the Captain's Lodge in Chhomrong. The lodge way between England and New Zealand! owner is a retired Gurkha captain from the British Army and a real character with some amusing army tales to tell. After several letters, most of which crossed in the post, The captain's special brew of garlic soup was a and Austin persuading a taxi driver at the airport that she compulsory part of the meal and is reputedly good for really didn't want to be taken to a hotel, we finally met altitude sickness prevention. up by King Pratap Malla's pillar in Durbar Square, Kathmandu. Sunrise the next morning brought our first glimpses of a mountain peeking through the clouds the snow covered Not wishing to waste any valuable trekking time (and Mt Machhapuchhare was an awesome sight. The day was being keen to leave the rat I'd been sharing a hotel room a slightly more leisurely one as we decided to call it quits with), we took the bus to Pokhara the next morning. at 3pm after a mere six hours of walking - a decision When we stopped for morning "chiyaa" we couldn't help prompted by the closing in of late monsoonal clouds just but notice air escaping from one tyre. We're not sure if as we reached the Himalayan Hotel. Not as grand a place the driver was racing to get to Pokhara before the tyre as the name implies, but who wants more than a dry bed, went flat, but we made the journey in record time. hot meal, and a hole-in-the-ground toilet in a nearby hut? As darkness falls and candles are lit, everyone soon The plan was to head straight off on the trail to the adopts trekking hours early to bed and early to rise, Annapurna Sanctuary, but we were persuaded by a Nepali mind you that's nothing new to New Zealand trampers guide to consider a couple of days exploring the Seti and even I awoke with the sun. Valley before joining the main track. All of this sounded tempting, except for his price. So we took another guide Ignoring the damp and generally miserable weather that to do the same thing for a fraction of the cost. the next morning brought, we plodded onwards and upwards, rising at last above the tree line. By lunchtime The first day was an easy one to get used to the feel of we had climbed 800m to Machhapuchhare base camp at our packs and sO provided lots of opportunities for 3480 metres. As we'd heard a few stories of people photos of the villages and paddy fields. climbing too far, too fast and getting altitude sickness, we hung around for 3 hours chatting to other trekkers The next day wasn't so cruisy turned into eight hours of and playing cards. The weather steadily improved, and more or less continuous walking, the last couple of hours the snow capped peaks drifted in and out of view. climbing steeply upwards. Karmel, our guide was Feeling fine, and convincing ourselves it was cold fingers suitably impressed. I guess not all tourists are hardened and sticky cards accounting for our lack of coordination trampers used to carrying heavy packs. Having a guide in dealing, we set off up the remaining 420 metres to the was good in that it enabled us to visit more remote, and Annapurna base camp at 3900 metres. less touristed, areas and also he could answer a lot of questions about the country and its politics and beliefs. As we climbed upwards, the clouds rolled down and just We only really appreciated how nice it was to be off the as we reached the Snowlands Lodge it started to snow! beaten track when we joined it at Pokhara and realised Apt somehow to have snow at base camp. Our lodge why it was nicknamed the "Coca Cola" trail. owner was obviously prepared for the cold and had an ingenious table for us all to sit around with blankets The scenery improved and the feeling of remoteness hanging over the edges and a kerosine stove underneath. increased as we got further from the road end, although Expecting the menu to be reduced to dhal bhaat (rice with the track remained pretty distinct. We left the paddy a lentil soup the staple Nepali diet), we were amazed to fields for the bamboo forests and leeches! Luckily for see the popularity of the trekking route being reflected in me they seemed to prefer Austin's kiwi blood, but we quite a variety of noodle and rice dishes ( the menu even both had to rip a few out of our socks and off our ankles extended to chocolate cake) all of which were expertly -yuk! produced in a tiny kitchen over a couple of kerosine stoves. We arrived at Jhiriu Danda just as the clouds burst yet another late monsoonal shower. An excellent opportunity We checked several times during the night to see if the however, to try some corn bread which tasted as good as clouds had lifted, and were rewarded at 2am by a clear it looked. The rain had also cooled the air enough to sky that was densely dotted with brightly shining stars. tempt us into trying out the local hot springs definitely A few hours of sleep and then our friendly lodge owner woke everyone up at 5:30am with the cry of "good for us and probably a week's wages for the herder) and views". It was time to leap out of bed and grab the we followed him down a remarkably well worn path to cameras for the sunrise. It was a magnificent feeling to be the correct track. I'm sure his "guiding" activities must standing at the edge of a glacier hearing avalanches make him a nice little bit of money on the side! rumble in the distance, totally surrounded by snow capped mountains not much short of 8000 metres.. A steep ascent and we were over the pass at last and into Machhapuchhare, Annapurna South, Annapurna I to IV, the next valley. Suckers for punishment, we pushed on Hiunchuli, Fluted Peak.. To make it even more perfect past Tadapani to Banthanti and were rewarded by the the weather chose this morning to clear so there was aptly named Tranquillity Lodge could've been a barely a cloud in sight to obscure the view. hunter's hut in the New Zealand bush except for the resident Nepali couple cooking up dhal bhaat, noodles We had to drag ourselves away at about 9:00am in order and chapati. to make the 1950 metre descent back to Chhomrong and the Captain's Lodge where pizza and a "real" hot shower The next day brought views of another equally (standing under a tap instead of being given a bucket of spectacular mountain range the Dhaulagiris and water) were calling. An exhausting nine hours later we Tukuche, as we crossed a pass into yet another valley and made it, the latter half being far from all downhill. The dropped down to Ghorapani. Our shortest day yet clear weather seemed set to stay for a few days and we allowed us to bag beds in the lodge with the best had a beautiful sunset and sunrise. mountain views and spend the afternoon relaxing in the sun for a change. Ghorapani is on the Jomsom and After hearing the exploits of a German trekker at the Annapurna Circuit treks, as well as being a popular side lodge who'd got lost for five hours down the side of the trip from the Annapurna Sanctuary trek. The big valley, we were glad the track was obviously going in attraction is the magnificent sunrise view from Pune Hill. our direction as we branched off to the village of Ghandruk. However, our "take it easy" day was At 4:30am we joined the crowds in the hour long climb lengthened somewhat when we tried to find a lodge to to the summit of Pune Hill and were rewarded by a very stay at in the maze of narrow alleyways Ghandruk is the photogenic sunrise panorama. After breakfast it was time second largest Gwung village in Nepal. Eventually we for our final descent a knee-cracking 1710 metre drop to found a friendly lodge with a brilliant mountain view Birethanti. We passed several mule trains, decorated with (good sunrise potential!). It was pleasant to be in a plumes of feathers and bells, carrying loads from Pokhara Nepali settlement again, instead of being in clusters of to Jomsom as the road doesn' 't extend that far yet. lodges existing solely for trekkers. At Birethanti we unwittingly added an extra three hours, Deciding that we were due another short day, we looked including a steep 485 metre climb, to our day by taking round the village and the Annapurna Conservation Area the track to the road end at Lumle. The truck to Pokhara Project Headquarters where we were educated in the local arrived (just as we were buying our first bar of chocolate effort being made to reduce the impact of the trekking of the trip) and we were consoled by the fact that those industry on the environment (we apparently missed a visit trekkers already on the truck (who'd found the 20 minute by David Bellamy by two days!). So it was late morning track to the road from Birethanti) had been waiting for before we set off for Tadapani. two and a half hours and had to pay extra for having a longer ride. I felt sorry for the Nepali family who sat All was going well until we came to a fork in the track under my armpit (we were somewhat cramped for space (totally unmarked on our contourless 1:125,000 map). in the back of the truck) as Austin and I had worn our Here I take full responsibility for persuading Austin to WT&MC tee-shirts for the entire ten days of our trek - follow me along the upper track, which seemed fine until we did wash them overnight and wear them dry the next we were confronted by a buffalo herder sitting outside his morning a few times, but even SO....! hut. "You've come the wrong way, the track is down there". We got the impression he'd used that phrase a Nepal is a fascinating country with many beautiful treks. lot! I would recommend our route to anyone with limited time in Nepal who wants to get up to the mountains as After trying to cut down to the track and failing, and then well as seeing other parts of the country. I would love to trying to retrace our steps to where we first went wrong return and explore some more remote areas. Nepal has and failing, we decided it was time for a spot of bribery definitely moved from my "places to visit" list to my before we got totally lost (or should I say "geographically "places to return to" list. displaced"?). A price was agreed upon (the cost of a meal