After climbing and descending Poon Hill, which started at 4:30 AM, we had breakfast and then began our trek east to Ghandruk. All told, we spent more than nine hours on the trail that day, walking across the tops of hills with the Annapurnas to our north and the gorge we had traversed to our south. The terrain was amazing and varied: tropical grassy hilltop, mangrove forest, wet riverside jungle. We encountered a few water buffalo, several horse and donkey companies (goods are mostly transported by donkey up there) and a few leeches ("leechies" as our guide called them, as though they were cute little butterflies). Bryan seems to have the chemistry that attracts both mosquitos and leechies - which I was very grateful for. Leechie score: Bryan (2), Philip (0).
The walk across the mountainside was probably the most challenging of the trip. Rockfall and rain made the going very slippery and the footing uncertain. Adding our fatigue from the length of the journey made the risk of slips and falls uncomfortably high. So we were grateful on many levels to arrive safely in Ghandruk about dinner time on the third day. From there we were once again in the shadow of Annapurna South and Himchuli, but closer than we were at Ulleri, and with a much better view of Macchapuchre, the Fishtail mountain that is holy to Nepalis.
Once again the dawn in Ghandruk brought enough clearing to make the beautiful snow capped peaks visible. We were treated to traditional Buddhist chanting (a recording) from a house down the valley as the sun rose and lit the holy mountain on its eastern faces.
Our walk down the gorge to our starting point in Nayapul on our last day was just, well, gorgeous. We crossed raging streams and beautiful rice paddies, ate some local bananas, and relished the memories of our glorious four days in the Annapurnas.
The walk across the mountainside was probably the most challenging of the trip. Rockfall and rain made the going very slippery and the footing uncertain. Adding our fatigue from the length of the journey made the risk of slips and falls uncomfortably high. So we were grateful on many levels to arrive safely in Ghandruk about dinner time on the third day. From there we were once again in the shadow of Annapurna South and Himchuli, but closer than we were at Ulleri, and with a much better view of Macchapuchre, the Fishtail mountain that is holy to Nepalis.
Once again the dawn in Ghandruk brought enough clearing to make the beautiful snow capped peaks visible. We were treated to traditional Buddhist chanting (a recording) from a house down the valley as the sun rose and lit the holy mountain on its eastern faces.
from left, Annapurna South, Himchuli and Machhapuchre (Fishtail)
Our walk down the gorge to our starting point in Nayapul on our last day was just, well, gorgeous. We crossed raging streams and beautiful rice paddies, ate some local bananas, and relished the memories of our glorious four days in the Annapurnas.
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