My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Thanks zeke.....I appreciate the feedback.

Last night I spoke with my porter about doubling the day's trek and he was on board. After 2 days of trekking I've noticed that the estimated times in the guide book weren't even close to what we were doing. As an example the trek we did today per the guide book was 10.5 hours to 12.5 hours. It took Sandeesh and I 8 hours and we stopped for a one hour lunch. I will have to b careful with acclimatizing but so long as we feel good we will continue to push on.

So today we hiked from Tal (3,805') to Chama (8,760') which is 14.9 miles. I guess the best part of the day was when we spotted more monkeys. It was a different breed and these were not near so cautious. I think I got some great pictures this time. Another bonus today was viewing Manaslu, one of the world's tallest peaks, one of the 8,000 meter peaks.

The weather continues to be excellent although temperatures are really dropping. I'm posting from a small room with a nice fire in a metal can. It's pretty cool actually. Soon we will be at snow level.

A little about the village I'm staying in tonight......Chame......it's the district headquarters for the Manang District and it's the largest village on this side of the pass. There's some nice stupas and mani walls here. All the government buildings are here as well but it's still not much of a town. You can walk across it in 5 minutes easy. So here's some pictures......

This woman cooked my meals last night and this morning. She was so sweet and made bad *** Tibetan bread. I loved her for her great hospitality......



A little Nepali girl......



Manaslu, one of the Seven Summits.....





Another sweet Nepali woman. We stopped for lunch in Timang and she kept smiling at me while I was eating. I bought some bracelets that she made from Yak bones. Pretty cool stuff.....



Monkeys !!!!!!!!!





Mani Wall......



Nepali family working in the fields. This is everywhere along the trail.....



I love the Nepali homes. They're so colorful......

 

[ChuckingFluff]

Just finished reading most of your 49 pages. I can't wait to see how the adventure continues.

 

[Wainiha]

I think you're doing a great job with the pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Micmac]

Looks like a great adventure, I would never have been able to keep up with you. I would stay at the Buddhist temple and meditate and wait for your safe return.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Yea Ed you would not have enjoyed this trip......

Chuckingfluff........thanks......

Wainiha.....thanks.......

Just a quick update from Muktinath, Nepal (12,460). This morning we were on the trail at 4:00 a.m. with our headlamps blazing, hiking from Thorung Pedi (14,520') to the summit of the pass at Thorung La (17,768'). A blizzard moved in about 30 minutes from the summit and temperatures plummeted. I was climbing as quickly as possible but the steep terrain and thin air forced me to stop every 20 to 30 steps and rest. By the time we reached the summit I was getting very concerned with possible frostbite. I was barely able to move my fingers and no matter what I did they just got worse. Everybody on the trail was getting pretty concerned with the weather since we're in the middle of nowhere, rescue not being an option in these conditions, and conditions seriously really sucked. As I was leaving, a crowd had formed around a guy that had passed out. Earlier he complained about not being to move his legs and was asking for help for a chopper ride out. We'd already seen 2 of those this week. This is the exact location where (40) trekkers died in October, 2014 during a freak storm so it's some serious stuff. I've no idea what happened to that guy as the guides were encouraging people to get off the mountain. Kinda felt bad about it. Anyhow after 8 straight hours of grueling hiking we made into this little village. It's snowing right now and way too cold for me. I'm thinking about going south.....maybe Pokhara. But tomorrow we will be trekking again, at least in a southerly direction where it will warm a little each day. I'll update the missing days at some point down the road. I want to share my day with the Buddhist monks in Upper Pisang for sure. Here's a few pictures:

Random Himalaya mountain pictures......













Annapurna Trail......I've seen several avalanches while hiking. The power that they pack coming off the mountains is incredible. It sounds similar to jet engines to me........



A trekker on the Annapurna Trail took this picture of me.....



A Canadian from Calgary, Canada that I've been hanging out with took this picture of me on the summit. I had to beg him to do it cause he didn't want to remove his gloves. I felt like a chump but I really wanted proof of my summit.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Last night I was slipping into my sleeping bag and pulling several blankets on top, yet still shivering. It seemed as though a warm shower and several pots of lemon tea had no effect on me. As I tried to sleep (difficult to do at higher elevations) I began to think that I would hire a Jeep in the morning and go south. By the time I was asleep I had pretty much made up my mind. Then I awoke this morning and looked out the window and I saw the most beautiful mountains and blue skies. I hadn't realized what a dream world I was in due to the poor weather. I told my porter to get packed.....we're hiking today. And what a great decision that turned out ti be......nearly 11 miles of the most beautiful land in the world.

So we began our descent out of Muktinath......





Sometimes we hiked on roads and other times we switch off and hike trails. It was all outstanding. Often the Jeeps had problems with the narrow roads.....



It didn't matter which direction we looked.....the mountain views were the best I'd ever seen......we were hiking in the Mustang Valley......





We hiked through several small villages (Jharkot 11,645') and (Khingar 10,500') where the women made scarves and bracelets which I reluctantly bought.....



As we continued our descent into the valley, the village of Kagbeni (9,190') came into view. As it was near lunch time, we stopped and had a meal of rice and curry. Afterwards I explored the village while the porter waited on the outskirts of the village......

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Kagbeni was almost like storybook land. I didn't want to leave so quickly but I knew we still had over 5 miles of hiking to Jomsom, our planned destination for the day. Standing tall above the Kagbeni are the remains of an ancient castle.....



Some of the sights in Kagbeni......

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Kagbeni is located at the merging of 2 rivers, the Jheng Khola River which we followed in the morning, and the Kali Gandakl River, which we would follow for the remainder of the day. Again at times we hiked along the road, and at times we would hike along the original trail. The sights continued to surpass anything you could dream of.......









Vehicles transport goods and people along the Annapurna Jeep Trail......





And donkeys still haul goods along the trail as they have for centuries and coexist with the vehicles.....





We arrived in Jomsom (8,920') in the afternoon and I was nursing a right calf injury. This probably occurred from the descent of Thorung La Pass. The trail down was so icy and we took numerous falls. Tomorrow could be our first rest day of the trek.

As a side note I found out the sick man at tge top of Thorung La Pass was air lifted out by chopper later that afternoon. And he was a citizen of Israel. And that's all for tonight......

One last shot taken from my hotel balcony. That's Nilgiri Peak (23,165').......

 

[escadventure]

Really awesome trip! Thanks for sharing.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

escadventure.....sure thing !

So it's been a few days since I've been able to post as we've been really busy. As it turned out I awoke the following morning by the sound of twin engine prop planes and the leg felt much better. I decided that a rest day wasn't required so Sandeesh and I were back on the trail by early morning.





I think it's interesting that all flights out of Jomsom have to be completed by 11:00 a.m. due to the winds that fly up the Mustang Valley. When we were hiking that morning I noticed that the winds started to pick up significantly and I looked at my watch and it was 10:44 a.m. Really weird how predictable that is.



I noticed that the number of trekkers has dropped quite a bit now. First trekkers took Jeeps after crossing Thorung La Pass and now many of the remaining trekkers are flying out. After conversations with several guides it seems as though most trekkers aren't interested in hiking along the Jeep Trail. We decided to continue and it's been a great experience for me.





Getting ready to lose power (a common problem in Nepal) so I'll try to catch up tomorrow.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We continue descending hiking along the road and at times we can get back onto the trail but now it seems as though most portions of the trail have been replaced by the Jeep Trail. Now the air is finally becoming thicker and the breathing is noticeably easier. To be honest I'm happy to be descending and I'm looking forward to getting lower.



The Kali Gandaki River begins to widen and we see an opportunity to get off the road and take the old trail.



We follow the trail for quite sometime until we find that the ever widening river has washed out the trail. It seemed as thiugh we would have to backtrack until I spot this lone woman coming down the riverbed. We decide to follow her and fortunately she shows us a temporary log bridge which get us back to the road.







We pass through villages such as Marpha (8,760'), Tukuche (8,495'), and Kobang (8,480'). The broad river begins to constrict as we slowly descend. We've been hiking hard and fast and we have a late lunch in Larjung (8,365').

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We arrived at a small village (Sekong), crossed a foot bridge, and once again descended down the original Annapurna Trail. Our goal for the day was Kalopani (8,300') which was going to be another ten plus mile day. Luckily my legs felt pretty good and the weather was holding up......as rain was in the forecast.





Below 8,000' the mountains changed from barren to heavily forested pines. The peaks became smaller and steeper as we descended. The transformation was beautiful and found myself constantly admiring my surroundings.



We arrived at our hotel in Kalopani in the late afternoon tired and sore. Based on my guide book we had traveled 96.8 miles. Soon after arriving the skies opened and it poured through the evening. A large group of German tourists headed up the Mustang Valley showed up in multiple hired Jeeps so I chose to spend my evening in my room as I just wasn't prepared for such a large group. I've noticed that the majority of tourist here are German. I've spoke with plenty and they're a good bunch. I've met only one American and I'm told that this trek is done mostly by Europeans. That's also been my experience. It really is amazing how many nationalities I've met here.....maybe as many as 20 countries.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Thank you Kenny......it's an incredible journey and I appreciate your kind words. I wish they're was someway that I could share the scents of the mountains, the hospitality of the Nepali people, or the overall excitement that I actually feel each day. Nepal is an amazing place and I would encourage everyone to visit this country......

Well the good news about the rain is that it provides dust control when hiking down the road. We've been lucky for the most part that it has rained every 2 to 3 days. Speaking of lucky, Sandeesh (pronounced Sundays) says to me one day "Jerry (pronounced Jaireee) you a lucky man. You haven't got sick. And you climbed the pass. Many people not so lucky." He also says "Jerry you a lucky man. You from America." Sometimes I guess we (I) take things for granted......

Anyhow.....back to the trek. The following morning there's a knock on the door. Sandeesh is ready and I'm still in bed.....ugh. After a quick meal and no shower we're back on our trek.







In spite of last night's rains, the roads aren't that muddy and we can make good time. We are descending quickly and I find myself checking my altimeter every 300 to 400 feet in elevation drop. I'm really loving it and feeling happy. Traffic is minimal and I have fun with the buses that pass....shouting, waving, being stupid. The road gets a lot of bad press on the internet but I wasn't bothered by it.

I shared a pack of gum with these knuckleheads. They REALLY wanted me to have their picture....



It tears at your heart when you see how hard the old people work just to survive....





Sandeesh doesn't like these guys. He says they smoke marijuana all day and never work. They love to have their picture taken and afterwards quickly display the palm of their hand.....



Speaking of marijuana, Sandeesh says that it grows everywhere and he points to the roadside and there it is......

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We continue hiking and our plan is to overnight in Dana (4,720') and we arrive there in the afternoon. We've been hiking nonstop so it felt great to drop the packs (I would imagine it felt really great for Sandeesh since he has my expedition pack and his pack). Neither of us likes Dana so we decide that we need to move on.....we've already hiked 10 miles this day.

These hens hung out with me while I ate. I shared some rice with them and we were cool. Then the rooster came over and he wasn't too happy with me. He stared me down, started to cock a doodle do (or whatever roosters do). Seriously I was nervous with that guy so I grabbed a chair and slid it between us. He was one bad *** rooster.....





Here's another one of those guys (and another 20 Nepali Rupees wasted).....



These cactus type plants now grow along the stone walls. Banana trees and bamboo are also added to the landscape. The air has begun to feel humid. Everything that we've known so far is changing.....







Looking back to the north prior to entering Tatopani (3,900').......



So we enter Tatopani and we've just completed our longest day yet.....14.4 miles per my guide book. My feet, shins, calves, thighs, and back are all sore now. Sandeesh never complains. Tatopani is well known for it's hot springs. I didn't photograph them......to be frank they're commercialized and look pretty bad to me (probably to most westerners). That being said my fat *** was in there within 30 minutes of our arrival. Oh my......it was sooooo good. Tatopani has some cool shops and street vendors so I make a few purchases. Then it's dinner and lights out. I'm pooped.......

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We've now completed 111.2 miles of the Annapurna Circuit (based on numbers from my guide book). We have an option today to depart from the Jeep Trail and hike to Ghorepani (9,020') which would be an elevation gain of 5,030' and I'm told that the trail is very steep or we can hop on a bus and head for Pokhara (2,690'). I've heard great things about Pokhara and after 2 weeks on the trail I'm ready to relax so the choice is easy for me. Sandeesh also wants to go to his sister's wedding (which I am now invited to) so it's a no brainer now. There's a problem with the bus so we take a taxi to Beni (2,720'). It's a 2 hour ride and total fee is $10. I'm feel lucky again that the bus is broken. The road is still barely a road and we're riding in some kind of mini car that I barely fit into.

This is our taxi parked in Beni.....



My driver comes up on this thing and keeps trying to pass it but it doesn't drive in a straight line. I kept thinking he's gonna crush us as we pass. The driver is relentless with the horn and finally it moves other....



Beni is the biggest city I've seen in 2 weeks and it's total chaos when we exit the cab. There's a bus driver yelling to take his bus, and the same with another taxi driver, a Jeep driver, and even one of the pot heads yelling for a donation. Finally Sandeesh decides that the bus is the best option to get to Pokhara and in a matter of minutes we are off. I spot this cool vehicle and catch a quick picture....



Beni.....



On the way to Pokhara....