A lifelong dream of trekking the Himalayas finally came true
When I was 11 years old, my father came back from a business trip with a brand new DVD player and the movie Seven Years in Tibet. Since the first time I watched that film, I’ve had an obsession with visiting the Himalayas. Two years ago, I decided that it was time to full fill this childhood dream.
After careful research, I decided to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Intrepid Travel. I chose the Annapurna Circuit due to its change in scenery as you trekked along. I went with Intrepid because of its reputation and how well its itinerary fit my schedule.
I arrived in Kathmandu on October 14th, 2016 and spent two days discovering this magical city with my sister. You can read all about it here. Early on October 17th, the adventure began.
Day 1: Kathmandu to Bandipur — October 17th, 2016
We woke up early and boarded a bus heading west on one of the most important transportation arteries of Nepal. After leaving the Kathmandu Valley, we entered a valley that reminded me of the valleys of Santander, my home in Colombia. After three hours of driving alongside the Trishuli river, we stopped to have a nice lunch on the riverside.
After a nice, relaxing lunch in 30 degree weather, we headed to Bandipur. Bandipur is a small town 700 meters above the Marshyangdi valley. It has a very old time feel to it, which made it a very pleasant place to walk around and explore. It reminded me of Barichara, Colombia, a small town a couple of hours from home which also kept its historic architecture.
After a nice relaxing walk around town, we settled into our nice cozy guest were we ate, drank,and got to know each other more. My companions would end up being my family for the next thirteen days.
Day 2: Bandipur to Bahundanda — October 18th, 2016
We boarded the bus at 8:00am and headed to Besisahar, where we would begin our walk. It was a clear day, and while driving down to the valley we got a glimpse of our first Himalayan peak: Manaslu. At 8,163 meters, Manaslu would be the second highest mountain we would see on our trip.
At Besisahar, we met the rest of our guides and we went our way. It was very humid, sunny, and hot. It never crossed my mind while preparing that we would be trekking in jungle weather.
The majority of our trek would be going up the Marshyangdi Valley, crossing the Marshyangdi river numerous times. As we started heading up the valley, part of our walk was alongside rice fields. Agriculture is still the principal economic activity of Nepal, accounting for 31% of its GDP. Rice is one of the main food crops.
After three and a half hours of trekking through rice fields and alongside the river, we arrived at Ngadi for lunch. After lunch, we continued our way up the valley. At this point the valley narrows and becomes steeper.
As the valley got steeper, the waterfalls started to appear. On both sides of the valley, of many sizes and shapes, these waterfalls made this a very picturesque landscape.
After two hours of trekking, we arrived at Bahundanda (1,310 meters). Bahundanda is a small village that sits on the shoulder of a small hill. Our guest house sat near the top of the village, allowing for 270 degree views of the valley. After dinner, our guide took me to the village’s square and we found that the entire village was watching an Indian movie on a projector screen. It dawned on me that the majority of the villagers do not have TVs, and this was their only source of media entertainment.
I was happy to get some rest after 16 kilometers of trekking.
Day 3: Bahundanda to Chamje — October 19th, 2016
We began our trek first thing in the morning up this gorgeous valley. The day was beautiful and hot. At our first stop in the village of Lili Bhir, I got my first glimpse of a rural Nepalese kitchen. It was extremely simple: just a small oven and a couple of pots.
We continued our trek up the valley and had lunch at Jagat. After lunch, the valley got really narrow. The river below rushed to India very powerfully. The forest surrounding us was vibrant with sounds of critters. Waterfalls on both sides of the valley continued to come crashing down into the river.
After 13 kilometers of trekking, we arrived in Chamje (1,430 meters). Our guest house was perched on a cliff directly across a waterfall, which provided a serene, soothing sound to the area. It really helped me sleep that night.
Day 4: Chamje to Dharapani — October 20th, 2016
We continued our trek up the Marshyangdi valley through deep gorges and surrounded by beautiful waterfalls. Vegetation started to slowly change: we were now moving towards coniferous trees, similar to the vegetation in Canada. Shortly before lunch, we finally arrived to the Manang district. The Himalayas were close!
We had lunch at Tal, where several of us decided for the first time to eat Dal Bhat with our hands, the common way of having Dal Bhat. It was interesting eating rice and curry with your hands. In a way, you had more control on how flavorful each bite would be.
Walking around Tal, I started to notice that the local villagers look more Tibetan than the villagers of the Lamjung district. It is fascinating to me that even today where all the districts of Nepal are connected, the distinction between ethnicity somewhat continues.
We continued our trek up the valley, crossing the river several times using suspension bridges. After seven hours of trekking and 14 kilometers,we arrived at Dharapani (1,860 meters), a village nested in a fork were the valley splits in two: The east side heads to Manaslu, the west side to Annapurna. Our guest house at Dharapani was the best guest house of the trip: Indoor washrooms, hot showers, great food, and comfortable beds. We ate, drank, and played cards late into the night.
Day 5: Dharapani to Chame — October 21st, 2016
We left Dharapani at 8:30 am and continued up the Marshyangdi valley. The vegetation at this point reminded me of the interior of British Columbia: gorges, pine trees, and rivers everywhere. After an hour of walking, Annapurna II (7,937 meters) appeared in front of us.
As the day went on, it got cloudier. We stopped for tea at Timang, where through the clouds we got to see Manaslu and its sub-peaks. We continued our hike towards Thanchowk for lunch. Many of us agreed that this part of the trek was very similar to walking in the Swiss or Austrian alps.
From Thanchowk, we had a nice downhill trek towards Chame (2,670 meters), our final destination for the day. Chame is the headquarters of the Manang district. A larger village, the majority of trekkers stop there for a night. It is also the place where we paid for our permits to enter the Annapurna Conservation Area.
In Chame, the excitement felt in the air. My companions and I were stoked that the next day, we would be trekking surrounded by Himalayan peaks. After a nice dinner and some card games, we all headed to bed. We had hiked 15 kilometers that day.
Day 6: Chame to Lower Pisang — October 22nd, 2016
I woke up at 5:45 am and to my delight, the skies were clear. I sat in our guest house’s courtyard and enjoyed the view of Manaslu to the east and Annapurna II to the west. At this time, it was still quite dark in the valley, but the sun was already hitting the peaks, giving them a golden glow.
We had breakfast and went our way. Our pace slowed down as we admired the magnificent views. We continued up the valley, which narrowed down considerably. We stopped at a nice apple farm for tea and apples, then continued our way up the valley. After an hour walking, we got a glimpse of Swargadwari Danda, also known as heaven’s hill. A unique mountain, heaven’s hill is a slanted mountain that looks like a half bowl. It was one of the most beautiful geological features we would see.
We had lunch in Dhikur Pokhari, with incredible views of Annapurna II from the patio where we were eating. I was very happy that we had a beautiful day that allowed us to admire this magnificent scenery.
We continued our way though the valley towards Pisang, our destination for the day. At this point, we were walking on flat grounds and the valley widened considerably. In this area, there was more grazing than farming, and we got to walk in between beautiful, primitive horse ranches. As we entered town, we headed to the Gumba monastery in Upper Pisang. The monastery is the highest building in town, and as we entered the gate we were received by an unforgettable scenery: Annapurna II in all its glory. Annapurna II is the 16th highest mountain in the world, and it rises steeply from almost any direction. We marveled at the incredible scenery in front of us. I could not believe how large this mountain was.
After many photos, we headed down to our guest house in Lower Pisang (3,200 meters). We had hiked 16 kilometers that day much slower than the previous day due to the many stops. Having surpassed the 3,000 meters above sea level mark, we started monitoring our oxygen levels. My levels were at 92% of what they would be at sea level, a healthy level for the elevation.
After a delicious dinner, I walked out to the courtyard and realized that for the first time on this trip, we had a clear night sky. I convinced four of my companions to join me across the river to do some star gazing. I was very excited for this, as I had brought my tripod along to do some astrophotography. After a handful of practice shots, we all went back to the guest house to rest.
Day 7: Lower Pisang to Manang — October 23rd, 2016
It was not an easy task to pick my favorite day of the trip, but after much pondering, October 23rd won the cake.
I had told my guides and companions that I would be waking up in the dark to watch the sunrise from the Gumba monastery in Upper Pisang, a 25 minute hike from our guest house. At 4:42 am, my roommate and I headed up to the monastery. What we saw once we were up there was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the half moon shined directly above. The moonlight shined so bright in such a clear sky that the light reflected directly on the snow covered mountain. Everywhere else was dark, save for some lights coming from the houses below us. Despite the moonlight, many starts were still visible. I tried capturing with my camera what I was seeing, but the photo will never do justice.
At one point, we both sat quietly and took in what was going on in front of us. There was no wind, so it was very quiet. The sun rays faintly came out from the east, very slowly changing the colors of the landscape. I am not a particularly spiritual person, but that moment was without a doubt an spiritual experience for me. I am not a good enough writer to describe what I saw that morning…only poets could describe what I was seeing.
At 6:00 am, a young monk came up, banged the gong, and lit up a fire with fresh pine to created heavy white smoke. I am not sure yet why he lit that fire but I welcomed it, as I was getting quite cold at this point. After spending 75 minutes outside the monastery, we headed down to the guest house, had breakfast, and headed west towards Manang.
The first part of the trail was flat, but once we reached a set of praying wheels, the trail got considerably steeper. It wasn’t quite Upper Yosemite falls steep, but close. I counted over 50 switchbacks on this trail. The view got better and better as we went up. After two hours of trekking, we reached Ghyaru for a tea stop. The view was spectacular.
Our break at Ghyaru was over. We continued our trek traversing the north hills of the valley. The perfect weather and the mountains in front of us made the pace very slow. The vegetation was now alpine: dust and small bushes everywhere. We had our first encounters with Yaks, the furry animals which are quite aggressive and love the color red.
After two hours of trekking, we arrived at Ngawal for lunch. We had garlic noodle soup, as garlic can help with potential altitude issues. After lunch, we continued our way down towards the valley on our way to Manang.
After eight hours and 19 kilometers of trekking, we arrived at Manang (3,540 meters). We could not have asked for a better day of trekking. It was cool and sunny the entire trek, with breathtaking views all around us. We settled in our guest house, checked our oxygen levels (Mine was at 87%, still healthy) and had dinner. I tried Yak steak for the first time. It was a little tough, but nonetheless good. After dinner, I went to the rooftop of our guest house to enjoy the spectacular star show. The milky way was shining bright crossing the valley from south to north.
After one and a half hours of astrophotography, My favorite day of the trip was over.
Day 8: Manang — October 24th, 2016
Day 8 was our acclimatization day in Manang. We woke up a little later than usual, had a delicious breakfast, and headed out for a day hike. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. I could not believe my luck; two straight days of no clouds in the Himalayas?
Our hike was a fairly difficult hike up the east flank of the Gangapurna glacier, towards the north face of Annapurna III. Our summit was Cinnamon Peak, warmly named by our group after the delicious cinnamon rolls from Manang’s bakery.
The hike was very steep. After almost four hours of hiking and 700 meters in elevation gain, we reached our destination. Cinnamon Peak stood at 4,220 meters above sea level, officially the highest point on land I’ve ever been up to that point. Prior to that, I had been at Pico del Aguila in Merida, Venezuela,which stands at an altitude of 4,118 meters.
We headed down back to town to rest for the rest of the day. I decided that I wanted to check out Gangapurna lake, a glacial lake that sits on the base of the glacier. As we approached the shore, the stream leading to the Marshyangdi river was loud and powerful. Once we got to the shore, we had absolute silence. I sat and contemplated the beauty upon my eyes. Here I am sitting at 3,600 meters above sea level, staring at a mighty 7,000 meter Himalayan Peak, on a beautiful of October day. Moments like this make me realize how lucky I am.
This place is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Unfortunately, Gangapurna lake is shrinking due to the retreat of the glacier, and it might disappear in the near future.
After spending some time on the shores of the lake, we headed to the guest house, to rest, read, and relax for the rest of the day. In our “rest day”, we ended up hiking 12 kilometers. My oxygen level was at 88%, still very good considering the altitude.
Day 9: Manang to Yak Kharka — October 25th, 2016
We rose early and to our delight, the skies were perfect again. At 8:15 am, we started our hike up to Yak Kharka.
Our trek was slow due to the altitude and the marvelous views all around us. Annapurna III, Gangapurna, and Tilicho peak looked mightier than ever the more we went up. About two hours in we stopped for tea at Gunsang. I decided to try warm Seabuckthorn juice, a specialty of the upper Marshyangdi valley. The juice had hints of apricot, carrot, and cherry tomato. It was very delicious and gave me a much needed boost of energy.
We arrived at Yak Kharka (4,050 meters) at 1:00 pm. After lunch and some rest, we went on an afternoon acclimatization hike. At the highest point of our hike, we sat and watched our porters dance to Nepalese music. Summit storms in Annapurna III and Gangapurna raged in the distance.
We went back, had dinner, checked our oxygen levels (Mine stood at 87%) and went to bed. We hiked 14 kilometers that day.
Day 10: Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi — October 26th, 2016
Fourth straight day of perfect skies. I had hope for two or maybe three days of blue skies in the Himalayas, but four days was unheard of. By 8:00 am, we were on our way to Thorong Phedi.
The trek was fairly easy that day. It was a gradual climb for the most part. After stopping for tea, we crossed what was the most dangerous part of the trip: a landslide area that was still very vulnerable at the time.
We crossed the landside area without incident and made it to Thorong Phedi (4,450 meters) at 11:45 am. Being the most remote settlement of the trip, the accomodations were extremely basic. Only three toilets in the whole guest house and no showers.
After lunch, a couple of us decided to go on a acclimatization trip up the path we would take the next day. It was very steep; perhaps the steepest part of our trip. The goal was to climb to Thorong High Camp but we decided to get to its peak, about 100 meters higher in elevation than the camp. It was tough to get there, but it was worth every ounce of energy. It was one of the most beautiful views of the trip. Like I’ve said many times, the pictures do not give it justice.
We went down to camp, had dinner, checked our oxygen levels (Mine were at 85%) and promptly went to bed. We hiked 13 kilometers that day. It was hard to sleep that night knowing the next day would be the biggest day of the trek.
Day 11: Thorong Phedi to Muktinath — October 27th, 2016
We were woken up at 3:00 am by our guides and by 4:00 am, we were on our way to the pass. Several other groups also decided to hike at this time. The scene created was beautiful: no wind, perfect night skies, and tens of headlamps slowly moving up the hill.
After about an hour of uphill hiking, we made it to Thorong High Camp. Despite being around minus eight degrees Celsius, I was feeling great. I felt a little thirsty as my CamelBak tube was frozen. We continued up slowly as the sun started rising. The sunrise at 5,000 meters is something I will never forget. I am not sure if it was because of how high we were or the atmospheric conditions, but it was a purple sunrise. The silhouette of the horizon behind the Chulu range was white, with the sky colors going from a faint lavender to black as your eyes moved up the sky. Unfortunately, I could not capture the moment as it was too cold to take my gloves off.
After our last tea stop, four of us and a guide decided to go towards the pass. I slowly started to stay behind. After hiking for two and half hours uphill, in high altitude, in minus five to minus ten degree weather, I was spent. The last 500 meters hike to the summit was one of the hardest things I have ever done. After a long struggle, I finally made it. I had achieved the goal of making it to Thorong La Pass (5,416 meters above sea level), a goal I dreamed of two years ago.
After receiving the congratulations of my companions, I suddenly realized that there was a DJ spinning house music at the top of the pass. It was such a surreal scene! Props to the porter who had to carry on his back a large speaker and a diesel generator.
More of my companions started arriving. When the last one showed up with our head guide, we all rejoiced. We had all made it! We completed this accomplishment together! An accomplishment which has a ~25% failure rate!
After some celebratory drinks, dancing to the beats of Nepalese house music, and taking some photographs, we started heading down.
The hike down was steep. It is no wonder we do the circuit counter-clockwise. Doing this hike up would be brutal.
After a quick beer stop at Chaharu Phedi, we arrived at Muktinath (3,760 meters) at around 12:30 pm.
Muktinath is one of the holiest towns for both Hindus and Buddhists. There are a plethora of temples, statues, and sites sacred for both religions. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the town every year.
After visiting most of the sites, we settled in our hotel. It was a relief knowing that we completed the hardest part of the trip. There was also a sad realization that the trip was coming to an end. After hiking 19 kilometers with 2,600 meters in elevation change, I was extremely tired. We ate, drank, and rested for the remainder of the day.
Day 12: Muktinath to Jomsom — October 28th, 2016
Our group felt great, so we decided that for the last day of hiking, we were going to take a longer route to Jomsom. We headed north to Jhong, then to Kagbeni, the gateway to Upper Mustang. The scenery in this region is completely different than in previous days. As the rains move north from the Indian Ocean, the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Massifs block them from ever reaching this area. The result is a very arid climate, also known as Tibetan Plateau climate.
The hike was slightly downhill as we headed towards the Kali Gandaki river. It was very enjoyable, as the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. This was the sixth day in a row of perfect blue skies, something not even our guides had seen before.
After two hours of hiking, we reached Kagbeni, on the shores of the Kali Gandaki river. Kagbeni is one of the most beautiful villages of the trek in my opinion. It is still very medieval and it has a warm feel to it. I wish we would have stayed there longer.
After lunch, we headed towards Jomsom walking on the river bed of the Kali Gandaki river. Our guides had warned us that the area gets a “little windy” in the afternoon. I don’t think we were prepared for what was coming. We faced head winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour for what felt like forever. This wind picked up large amounts of dust, making the walk incredibly difficult. Some even said that it was harder that climbing up to the pass. It felt as if we were in the film Mad Max.
After three hours of battling the winds and the dust, we arrived at Jomsom (2,700 meters). Our last day of hiking was also the longest. We finished this epic trek with a 22 kilometer hike that took us seven hours.
That night we had a big party to celebrate our accomplishments and to say goodbye to our porters and assistant guides. Myself and a few others bought a couple of bottles of Khukri Rum, very similar to cheap Venezuelan rum. We drank, laughed, and danced late into the night.
Day 13: Jomsom to Phokara — October 28th, 2016
We woke up very early to catch a 20 minute flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. Having faced the winds the day before, many of us wondered how the heck an airplane was going to land or take off in that kind of weather. What we did not know was that the weather of the Kali Gandaki Gorge is quite predictable this time of the year: from 5:00 am to 10:00am, there is no wind. The plane leaves Pokhara at 5:00am sharp and then tries to do as many trips as it can until 10:00 am. After 10:00 am, it is too windy to fly.
We said our goodbyes to the porters and the guides while we waited for the plane to come from Pokhara. As soon as the plane landed we saw what had to be one of the fastest plane turnarounds in the history of aviation. These Tara Air guys would give the McLaren formula 1 pit crew a run for their money. It all happened so fast that before I realized it, we were on our way.
The Jomsom — Pokhara flight is known to be one of the scariest flights in the world. The plane never rises above the terrain, so on both sides all you see is mountains upon mountains. The plane twists itself following the Kali Gandaki river as it approaches the city of Phokara. Luckily, we faced no turbulence as this was the seventh straight day of perfect weather. We also got to see some of the most famous Himalayan peaks in all their glory.
We landed in Pokhara, had breakfast and settled in our hotel. Pokhara (827 meters) is a city that I will go back to in the future. It sits on the east shore of Phewa lake, and on the foot of the Annapurna Conservation Area. It is an outdoorperson’s dream city. You can do virtually any outdoor sport you can think of.
After settling in, myself and three others decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and go paragliding. It was great to see the city and its surroundings from above.
After paragliding, we headed back to the hotel to rest. That night we had a great dinner and drinks, as it was the last time we would all be together. Some were staying in Pokhara while the rest of us headed to Kathmandu the next day. It was a very sad night, as our trip was over. We went from 327 meters above sea level to 5,416 meters. We walked 173 kilometers. We trekked jungles, rise paddies, forests, deserts, and the Himalayan alpine. I saw and experienced things I will never forget.
To our guides and porters: Thank you for being so patient, courteous, and kind. You guys went out of your way to make this trip as comfortable as possible for us. Thank you for showing us your culture by opening up your lives to us.
To my companions: Thank you making this trip much more enjoyable that I could have ever hoped. We tackled this challenge together and we all suceeded. Despite coming from different backgrounds, we went together better than fried egg and Tibetan bread. I hope to see all of you some time in the future.
