An Experience: Trekking Around Annapurna, Nepal
In late February 2020 I did a great six day trek up Mardi Himal, a mountain in the Annapurna Range of Nepal.
Three days in to our trek and we are five trekkers, our Nepali guide and four other Nepalis sat huddled round a metal stove with a fire burning inside. Two large metal kettles sit on top & boots are scattered around, drying off. This fire, these four plaster board walls and corrugated iron roof is a wonderful shelter from the cold and snow which falls constantly outside. It's been almost 4 hours now - we arrived at 9:30am.
For the past 3 days we've been climbing up and up through varying forests in the Annapurna Conservation Area (& doing some litter-picking as we go too!) and have now reached 3300 metres. We left villages behind on day one, passing them as they tended to their crops and ploughed the fields using cows or the old British tractors.
A few minutes ago there was a huge rumbling sound like thunder...that was an avalanche, our guide tells us. Recently an avalanche killed a trekking group and cut off the path.
A group of donkeys pass by, the bells around their necks announcing their arrival. They're weighed down with gas cylinders, two each, which have been brought up from the villages below. All the supplies are brought up this way, everything from vegetables to chocolate bars, from the mattresses we sleep on to the concrete which holds the brick foundations together.
It's an incredible thought and I'm intrigued by the life that is lived up here so find out more from the owners of this guesthouse.
People actually only live up here in order to make money from the trekking trade by providing accommodation and food. They have to get permission to build from the Conservation Park authorities. Whilst they've got the freshest air and some of the most amazing views, I don't envy their lifestyle.
The owners of this guesthouse opened it up just 6 months ago. It was expensive to open - the cement cost six times as much as down in the town! Due to the cold temperatures they have running water for only three months of the year; the rest of the time the water pipes are frozen and melting snow is the way to get water. Energy is generated via solar power so it's only on sunny days when you can charge anything or get Wi-Fi. There's no central heating - there isn't anywhere in Nepal - so the way to keep warm is the fire but of course this requires fuel and someone to go collect the wood.
As the snow came down outside it was obvious that we wouldn't be moving on until tomorrow when, our guide said, we'd have some clear sky and wonderful views, hopefully!
I asked how long they'd had weather like this before...5 days, but they had enough food and supplies for 15 days just in case. And yaks too...
The follow morning we woke early and had the most breathtaking views. We were surrounded by snow covered peaks and we couldn't have been more delighted. The three hour walk along a ridge and up 300metres more was like being in a winter wonderland. A dream come true after the days of cloud and snow storm we'd had!
The trek was six days in total, made longer by the snow days which we chose to sit out. I was glad to drop down to 1200metres when we did and appreciated the pleasant temperatures in the valleys. No more toes that feel like ice and sleeping in all the layers!
The trek had reminded me of all those things I take for granted and I made a list:
- running water
- hot water
- water drinkable straight from the tap
- consistent and reliable energy supply
- access to fresh food and such a variety of food pretty much whenever I like
- being able to be a comfortable temperature!
- health, money and time to do a trek like this.
I've had this before and I think it's one of the great things about heading out into nature for a while or stepping into another culture and leaving behind my normal comforts. It reminds me, even if it's just for a few minutes, how great those comforts are! Like sinking into a comfy sofa with a cup of tea...it's underrated!
It can also show me what I don't need in my life or alternative ways of doing things. I'm sure I've heard of people who return home after several months of travelling and exclaim at how many clothes they have! Some delight in it, other despair. Either way, it makes you look at what you have in a different way and I this can only be a good thing.
Three days in to our trek and we are five trekkers, our Nepali guide and four other Nepalis sat huddled round a metal stove with a fire burning inside. Two large metal kettles sit on top & boots are scattered around, drying off. This fire, these four plaster board walls and corrugated iron roof is a wonderful shelter from the cold and snow which falls constantly outside. It's been almost 4 hours now - we arrived at 9:30am.
For the past 3 days we've been climbing up and up through varying forests in the Annapurna Conservation Area (& doing some litter-picking as we go too!) and have now reached 3300 metres. We left villages behind on day one, passing them as they tended to their crops and ploughed the fields using cows or the old British tractors.
A few minutes ago there was a huge rumbling sound like thunder...that was an avalanche, our guide tells us. Recently an avalanche killed a trekking group and cut off the path.
A group of donkeys pass by, the bells around their necks announcing their arrival. They're weighed down with gas cylinders, two each, which have been brought up from the villages below. All the supplies are brought up this way, everything from vegetables to chocolate bars, from the mattresses we sleep on to the concrete which holds the brick foundations together.
It's an incredible thought and I'm intrigued by the life that is lived up here so find out more from the owners of this guesthouse.
People actually only live up here in order to make money from the trekking trade by providing accommodation and food. They have to get permission to build from the Conservation Park authorities. Whilst they've got the freshest air and some of the most amazing views, I don't envy their lifestyle.
The owners of this guesthouse opened it up just 6 months ago. It was expensive to open - the cement cost six times as much as down in the town! Due to the cold temperatures they have running water for only three months of the year; the rest of the time the water pipes are frozen and melting snow is the way to get water. Energy is generated via solar power so it's only on sunny days when you can charge anything or get Wi-Fi. There's no central heating - there isn't anywhere in Nepal - so the way to keep warm is the fire but of course this requires fuel and someone to go collect the wood.
As the snow came down outside it was obvious that we wouldn't be moving on until tomorrow when, our guide said, we'd have some clear sky and wonderful views, hopefully!
I asked how long they'd had weather like this before...5 days, but they had enough food and supplies for 15 days just in case. And yaks too...
The follow morning we woke early and had the most breathtaking views. We were surrounded by snow covered peaks and we couldn't have been more delighted. The three hour walk along a ridge and up 300metres more was like being in a winter wonderland. A dream come true after the days of cloud and snow storm we'd had!
The trek was six days in total, made longer by the snow days which we chose to sit out. I was glad to drop down to 1200metres when we did and appreciated the pleasant temperatures in the valleys. No more toes that feel like ice and sleeping in all the layers!
The trek had reminded me of all those things I take for granted and I made a list:
- running water
- hot water
- water drinkable straight from the tap
- consistent and reliable energy supply
- access to fresh food and such a variety of food pretty much whenever I like
- being able to be a comfortable temperature!
- health, money and time to do a trek like this.
I've had this before and I think it's one of the great things about heading out into nature for a while or stepping into another culture and leaving behind my normal comforts. It reminds me, even if it's just for a few minutes, how great those comforts are! Like sinking into a comfy sofa with a cup of tea...it's underrated!
It can also show me what I don't need in my life or alternative ways of doing things. I'm sure I've heard of people who return home after several months of travelling and exclaim at how many clothes they have! Some delight in it, other despair. Either way, it makes you look at what you have in a different way and I this can only be a good thing.
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