Woche 29 - Annapurna Circuit

Day 1:

Today we had another drive because we had to catch up on some distance that we couldn't walk anymore. From Besisahar to Dharapani with the shared jeep (driver plus 6 people on 4 seats). Floor, me and our long legs got the front seat again and then the wild ride began. With a pungent smell of sweat in the jeep and the loudest musical triller I have ever encountered, we drove on such bumpy roads that only my travel tablet could safely take me to my destination and my step counter app thought I had walked 13,000 steps at the end of the day. But even here the nature was impressive, even if I mainly saw the ground and all the trailers and stickers in the car through the windshield. Arrived safely at the super cute teahouse, I took a nice fat nap. You go to sleep early when hiking, so at nine it was already dark for us.

Day 2:

Finally the first trekking day! Today we hike from Dharapani (1800m) to Chame (2600m). We start fresh and early with breakfast at 7 o'clock and then we start walking directly. Puru is totally chill and more of an introverted type, which suits me well. We start at a good pace, but quickly it becomes clear that Floor walks faster than me, especially uphill. Nonetheless, this works well and I can leisurely walk at my own pace. And we don't all walk behind each other all the time, but walk a bit scattered, very relaxed. I already knew that beforehand because I generally hike very slowly, take some breathing breaks, photo breaks, and drink breaks. On this day, however, I still clearly felt the weakness from food poisoning. Especially the first serious ascent made me a little bit scared about the rest of the hike. In between, I had extremely rapid heartbeats and all the people, especially large tour groups, overwhelmed me a bit. After a break to catch my breath and an even slower pace on my part, I managed to climb up the endless ascent. Despite my snail's pace, we kept passing the same figures again and overall we were three-quarters of an hour ahead of Puru's prediction at the destination. This confirmed to me that the pace is totally fine. And you have to consider that most people have booked a porter and only hike with a mini day backpack (more on that later). When we arrived in Chame, we basically walked to the last teahouse, with an extra ascent, Puru always ahead in a sporty way. The last kilometers really exhausted us and we fell straight into bed. This room was almost the nicest so far (two double beds luxury) but it was really cold, so we immediately pulled our thermal clothes out of our backpacks. About half an hour after our arrival, an extreme rainfall started, thank god for Puru!

Day 3:

Today's tour from Chame (2600m) to Upper Pisang (3300m) went much better for me than the previous day. Of course, my legs hurt and actually all the remaining muscles too, but slowly I get into a running rhythm and other thoughts. Since we had enough time to rest the day before, we were really looking forward to walking. Although it was still below freezing in the morning, as soon as we opened the curtain and saw Mount Manaslu (8156m, the 8th highest mountain in the world), we forgot about the cold and stood straight at breakfast (veggie omelette with chapati). Thanks to the good weather with extremely clear visibility due to yesterday's rain, my mood was also at 100% and I would have liked to stop every 5 minutes for photos. Today, I also repacked my backpack accordingly so that not much was hanging outside, which had a positive effect on my walking. Generally, while hiking, you quickly learn to adapt your equipment and wear the perfect outfit, etc. Lunch came a little later after an extreme ascent and we both devoured it. For me, there are always veg momos because I simply love dumplings in all forms. The last part was not easy and in Pisang, we again had the last hotel right before leaving the village😂 But despite passing all the expensive fancy accommodations for quite a while, the last one is also totally cute and everyone has a great view of the mountains because we are in the middle of the Himalayas!

Day 4:

From Pisang (3300m) to Manang (3540m), the thin air is already noticeable today! Phew, I was immediately out of breath at the first endless ascent and already doubted my fitness, but Puru says it's because of the air. After that, it was more or less a pretty flat path, but somehow the day dragged on forever. Today we mainly shared the path with a group of porters, who walk much faster but also take numerous breaks, so we constantly overtook each other. According to Puru, the porters carry at least 25+ kilos, usually two huge duffel bags plus their own backpack strapped together, with a band across their forehead and the upper body bent forward. I have mixed feelings about this because it can't be healthy for them, but at the same time, well-paid jobs are created. In any case, we were very proud to have carried our own stuff, even though the additional weight (~10kg) made a noticeable difference, especially at high altitude. Today, my feet were really hurting, but we pushed through to a late lunch break, so afterwards, surprisingly, the teahouse appeared just an hour later. Manang seems to be a super cute little place and also the relatively large teahouse with a warm shower (!!!) for a change and the sunny rooftop terrace couldn't be more inviting. For dinner tonight, I'll have a nice garlic soup (actually very tasty) with chapatis and ginger tea (all very effective against altitude sickness). We have now also started taking half a tablet against altitude sickness because we really don't want to risk getting sick now. It makes my fingertips tingle extremely and I have to pee all the time. Exciting topics. Tomorrow is acclimatization day! That means relaxing, yeahh!

Day 5:

Acclimatization day in Manang (3540m)! We could "sleep in" and have breakfast at 8 o'clock instead of the usual 7 o'clock. In the morning, we usually have veggie omelette with chapati or porridge with apple and honey. Even though I was awake at 6, I was very happy about the relaxation day because the real challenge awaits us in the next 5 days. Today is about getting used to the thinner air, which is why the day starts with a small 2-hour hike to Gangapurna Glacier Lake. Even without a heavy backpack, you get out of breath super quickly. Back in Manang, we had a super nice and relaxed day. For lunch, we had a pizza with yak cheese and then we shopped for essentials because Manang is the last place accessible by jeep and the prices are still affordable. After that, everything is carried up by yaks and porters (incredible). I bought an extra water bottle and a woolen hat and woolen socks in Nepali style. Then we spent an hour on the roof in the sun and finally took a warm shower that we had been longing for for 4 days to finally wash our hair. That will be the last shower for the next 5 days because there will only be ice-cold water or the pipes will freeze completely. I jumped out of the shower feeling like a newborn and in the evening, I ate a really good veggie burger (only after I saw it on someone else's plate. That's enough with food poisoning!) because the restaurant here was really good. Unfortunately, the consequences of our food poisoning limit our food choices a bit, hence the Western dishes.

Day 6:

From Manang (3540m) to Tilicho Base Camp (4200m) there were 3 stages. In two hours to Khangsar, then two more hours to Sreekharka with a steep ascent, and after lunch, with an incredible view of Tilicho Mountain (7100m), another three hours to the Base Camp. The end was really a brutal path with steep ascents and descents on a narrow trail and high danger of landslides on the left and right. The view throughout the day was the best so far, as we approach the snowy peaks and suddenly the big giants look like 3-thousand-meter mountains. Upon arrival at the Base Camp, you wipe your face, armpits, and feet with baby wipes, put on your indoor clothes, devour a long-awaited Snickers, and fall into a coma-like sleep until shortly before dinner. From now on, we only appear for dinner in our XXL down jackets.

Day 7:

Tilicho Base Camp (4200m) to Tilicho Lake (4919m) and back, and after lunch back to Sreekharka. WHOA. I think this was the most challenging hike of my life and generally the most exhausting day. We massively underestimated the hike to the lake and I thought about quitting at least 20 times and in between, I was wheezing like an asthma patient due to the super thin air. Somehow, it was quite scary when you take a deep breath through your mouth and nothing reaches your lungs. The path to the lake was supposed to take 3 hours, but I took 4:15 hours because IT WAS STEEPLY UPHILL ALL THE TIME. At every turn, I thought the lake would be behind it, but it just didn't come. Floor was about 10 minutes ahead of me and our guide was in the middle. However, it reassured me when Floor also said afterwards that it was the hardest thing she had ever done. I actually only made it because, from halfway, I silently attached myself to a Russian couple who were crawling up the mountain really slowly, but steadily and without breaks. At this point, my muscles weren't really a problem anymore, it was only my poor condition and the thin air that almost knocked me out. Arriving at the lake made me feel proud and I'm glad I made it. The view was beautiful, but it had already been beautiful the whole time... The way down only took 1.5 hours, which felt almost ridiculous after this struggle. And now for the highlight: after lunch at the Base Camp, we still had to walk for three more hours to Sreekharka (with ups and downs and the creepy landslide area where you actually prefer to rush through, but simply can't). When we arrived, we were completely exhausted and a little scared of the next few days🫣 But for the nature you get to see here, it is definitely worth it!