2017 April 11th - 13th. Annapurna Base Camp, Pokhara, Nepal 👍

Dateline: April 13th 2017, Pokhara, Nepal

ABC and back to Pokhara, a detailed trip, with lots of pix. all you have ever wanted to know about Nepalese Trekking

I guess this is as close as I'll get to god/ immortality.
Wow! It really felt like a lifetime achievement (yes, again!)

Of course, everything froze, and thawed out and got wet as we wore it, I did retire my poor socks

12th April, MBC (Machapuchare Base camp), Nepal 3700 metres
MBC to Lower Sinuwa

We have a surprisingly comfortable night. Not as cold as Deurali the previous night for some reason. We actually had a shared room. Others not so fortunate as you can see here, lots of blankets around the dining room, again, all doors open so no heat here either.

 Breakfast with a view.
Probably the last best view I'll have 

We leave about 7:45 after a basic breakfast, nothing too fancy up here, as ever, lots of carbs and eggs and funny "Tibetan Bread". The spaghetti is really good though

Meet your maker maker #1, 
note raging river below

Most folks left early, either up or down, or in some cases, both, leaving to go up to ABC at 4:30, and back down.

Below, pix to Himalaya lodge.

Heading out of MBC, 
its still totally frozen

Again, certain but not immediate death awaits, north of Deurali

South to Deurali, 3200 Metres

Spot the path here?

Glacial melt to the left

The path actually went over this

Don't forget these guys
They are your only link to
your calories up here
Dahl and Bat

Down from Deurali, less potential death here

From MBC to Deurali, it's frozen snow, ice, slippery stuff with some traction, thankfully. The river rages to our left, then a bridge, rocks etc. Totally devoid of much vegetation. There are two "Meet Your Maker Makers" down to Bamboo, The Ice slope, and the ice bridge. We negotiate both, but watching Kayla walk across the first one is very stressful. This time, we walk around the second one

As we go down toward, then past Deurali, some struggling bamboo appears

Hey!
We deserve half a Mars bar each

There are huge num
ber of groups, mainly Japanese. One guy falls in the river when he screws up jumping across the rocks, just his feet get wet..... Hmmmm.

Dovan To Bamboo,
more steps
I can't believe I navigated this
without killing myself

Every time we pass, well everyone, there's the never ending greeting; "Namaste". Somehow it takes you out of the physical effort into a more communal, shared experience, Zen kinda thing

Deurali to Himalaya, progressively more bamboo and  rhododendron plants and some trees, eventually, the  end of snow covering.


More steps, easier walking terrain as we descend

To Dovan

Beautiful forest, bamboo, much thicker, lots of shade cooling breeze coming up the valley

Lots of stream crossing s, wet paths in lots of places

A fantastic hike to Dovan Lodge for a quick break.

Pringles chips are cheaper here than in Toronto

Down to Bamboo Lodge. we see some signs of agriculture at the lodges

More undulating track, streams and much more hardwood in the forests we amble down, an absolutely fabulous walk.

We see one guy walking with no shoes,Moron!

Bamboo, heading south. Note overflow camping area

Bamboo to Sinuwa is full of beautiful rhododendron forest, many in bloom, gorgeous dark red flowers. Lots of birds all the way. An absolutely perfect stroll.

In the centre, about 150 metres vertical up lots of steps, really hard work

Bamboo: So busy, hikers are offered tents

Many steep and rocks strewn areas, as Kayla points out, certain, but not immediate death awaits

After retracing the killer steps I ran up 3 days ago, we finally arrive at lower Sinuwa, in the first place with a view, we take a room

Rhododendron forest 
south of Bamboo

Great view and warm feet

Lower Sinuwa facing south, beer and shower

At this lodge, we meet, remeet several of the groups we have been passing for days. Always individuals and couples, the large multi escorted groups always stick to themselves

Perspectives on a Rhododendron
Forest

Our own room again, Lower Sinuwa

Time to celebrate, again, with a beer and shower

It's warm here too, we can sit outside with a t shirt

Grub and early kip. Great sleep

23 Km, 34,000 Steps, maybe 1700 vertical

At the bottom of the valley. It's up there

Not just green,

But warm and green

13th

Lower Sinuwa 2190 metres

Leave about 7:15

Down and up to Chhomrong, brutal climb up, but fantastic coffee near top of the steps on the other side

And here it is, with fellow travellers, just checking out at the police post

 About 4 to 500 metres Down , then up, up 

Beasts of burden, Chhomrong style

And I'm having trouble with 5 Kg

 Down to Taulong, Jhinudanda, where we head off to "baths" about 30 mins way down to the river. What a

My standard pose every
10 minutes

fiasco. 2 tubs, work place, building site. Doors falling off, total waste of time and effort, lots of loose tiles and bit's of rock

Chhomrong, looking north

Taulung, the very top. Down from here

Your bed is nearly ready

Tomorrows lunch, somewhere

I'm still wobbling, so I use my walking stick to navigate around the crap. Kayla wrecks her ankle. 
I use my good
evening shorts which I find out are see through when wet.


 

Probably no pension with this gig

We pass an Incredible selection of porters with various items on the route. Lots of eggs, the next group of trekkers breakfast

Warm baths - A joke!

Definitely not worth the effort

Slow walk up after this debacle, with Kayla having a big twisted ankle problem having slipped on a loose tile at the "baths" - actually, converted latrines by the looks of it, for lunch Jhinudanda. I carabiner my shorts to my backpack to dry.

FYI, a clean, typical bog

slooooow walk to New Bridge, some of the worst paths we have come across, dirt and rocks down steep slopes and also a recent landslide that has wiped out about 30 metres of track.  More certain death. Kayla in a lot of pain with her ankle, and of course, this terrain being the roughest dirt track so far, so we stop here rather than carry on to Landruk, our original destination

The  sun is still hot, so we get burnt again

 New Bridge lodge. Very civilised after higher altitudes

Arriving at New Bridge and get a room there. Have a beer, fantastic hot shower, Average food

Right in the middle of the river valley, surround by hills, Chhomrong visible, way up in the distance

Kayla asks for her mirror, shit! forgot to bring it after I used in at Sinuwa

This does highlight my brain and balance problem though. I can't remember or even notice small things

These folks carry this feed for about 5 Kms

Best not to loose your
footing here either

We meet a couple at New Bridge Lodge, they are academics, living and working in UK. We start on the usual Brexit and Trump stuff and where I could have held my own on any socio political debate 2 years ago, now my intellectual stuttering are​ obviously of no consequence, and within a few topics, the bored academics resort to discussing food

I am put in my intellectual place

Time to focus on my balance issues as neurological, not physical when I return to Toronto

12 Km, 17,000 steps, maybe 800 metres vertical  

14th: New Bridge Lodge, 1340 metres

From New Bridge to Pokhara

Kayla's ankle is still troubling her, as we pass through farmland and follow the river down.

A real Indiana Jones Bridge, complete with missing boards

There's an Indiana Jones bridge leading to a marvelous track down the river, gentle agriculture area.

The real thing, just south of New Bridge

An hour later, breakfast at Landruk. We are hungry, and it is excellent, one of the best meals of the trip

Stunningly beautiful views, excellent breakfast and coffee

With real missing boards

Truly the best, whats not to Like? Landruk breakfast

The road to nowhere as it turned out,
 OOooooppps. definitely my mistake

Another 800 metres to the 
road at Dhampus

I decide to follow an unmarked road, but its a disaster.  We are lost, and finally luck out and find Pothana, a long walk to Deurali another one) and with the final police check out, we're logged out of the conservation area.

A REALLY long walk, down about 400 metres that felt like 800, a bus and taxi ride back to the hotel, shower and a beer or more.

Did we really do all of that?

Google "Fit" told me every day that I'm more active than 99% of Toronto. what idiot does 1% more exercise than we do daily? Go figure

 It's all mainly deserted pathways

24Km, 36,000 steps, maybe 700 metres vertical

Below: some notes I made, more for my own amusement than much else, for the very keen, bored or potential ABC trekkers:

Guides

Dhampus, and a bus to Pukhara

Not many people are like us. By far the most are in a guided tour, up to 20 people in a group. Two guides, 1 porter per 3 people, pre book group accommodation, as you may have noted, not an inconsiderable function. As most lodges can only handle 20 to 30 people, lodges fill up fast. we would pass maybe 5 such groups a day.

Hiking Permits
suitably updated

It was an awful night back.
Total despair for me

Next are small groups, usually 2 or a family. Some have a porter. Most couples who have a guide are either non committal about having one, or have a lot of reservations about them. 2 UK ladies told us about their guide messing up a lodge booking and had an extra 2 hour trek, significant if you are way up a mountain​, telling them where they were going, etc. Not happy. He was also condescending, which didn't help. Another guy said he had to motivate his guide to go anywhere out of the ordinary and finally went on his own, another couple said their guide restricted them to places to take pix

Looks like we got it right

Also, carrying all your gear makes the trip more wholesome. And I don't get told what to do, except by Kayla which is OK

Guides are also expected to order and serve there clients, only get to eat after all clients are fed. We did have to wait several times due to this

Porters typically carry 3 people's kit,. Probably about 20 - 25 kg. Sometimes they wear flip flops. We are incredibly challenged just carrying our own kit of 5 - 7 Kg

Glad we are not tied into that gig

We did what we liked, following the stream of guides if we want to, but occasionally got lost, sometimes badly

FYI, my kit, which has proven wonderfully complete and resilient, except for my seeing eye pills is as follows

Daily wear:

Old squash shoes, very well run in, used for many walks in Toronto

1 thickish t shirt

Standard Costco summer shorts

Drawers

Hat

1 very good collapsible walking stick
1 waterproof rain gear top, dragged through the backpack holder

Clean bag for evenings in lodges
Long pants, zippers into shorts

2 pair drawers

2 thinish t shirt

1 thick t shirt 

1 pair thick socks

Sheet sleeping bag

Bog roll

Walking bag for day wear, yep, wear it EVERY DAY, whatever condition it's in (EUGH!)

1 pair drawers 

1 thinish t shirt

1 long sleeve t shirt

Spare pair socks

Toiletries bag

Soap container, lots of soap

Shampoo

Anti crap pills (not used)

Eye drops (medication - you don't want to know)

Toothpaste and toothbrush

Body butter lotion for dry skin

Pair of cutters

Nail file (large)

Camping sharp knife (not used)

Spare batteries for headlight

Various pockets in backpack

Small pocket

Very small towel, stolen from Indian railways

Headlight

Larger pocket

Sandals for lodges

2 pairs of sunglasses (see eye stuff above)
Peanuts, standby snacks

Large pocket

Permits

Pen and paper

Flip flops

Largest

Dry bag

Walking bag

Toiletries

Side pocket, 1 litre water bottle, replenished at tea shops, (about $US1/ litre)

Small pocket, playing cards, body lotion, small

And of course, my trusty ancient backpack, lots of energy, enthusiasm and plain old luck. 

Ignorance of what you are attempting to do is, by far the most important quality you will need for this trek

From your much fitter Correspondent