Michelle writes:
We started the trek on May 6. Left at 7:15 am amidst the choir of cicadas and birds singing their morning songs. Around 80 degrees, cloud wisps clinging to the top of the hills, as the mountains here are anything over 16,500 feet. There are 14 peaks over 8000 meters (or 26,300 feet) in the world and 8 of those 14 are in Nepal.
Following a stream of crystal clear, glacier-fed water, we walk along a well-worn path traveled by trekkers, local folk, and ponies carrying supplies. This is part of the Annapurna conservation area, so all trekkers are required to have a permit, paying the fee to maintain and preserve this region in the middle of Nepal. I was expecting less, not a developed 3-abreast limestone walk. This particular stretch is heavily used by those on the 21-day circuit as well as those having only a day to catch a closer glimpse of these impressive peaks. We are out for 10-12 days. It's easily accessible from Kathmandu, a 6-7 hour bus ride to Pokhara, then a 1.5 hour taxi ride to the end of the navigable road (by car). Motorbikes can go a bit farther.
A verdant landscape surrounds us. Warm, perfect temperatures this morning, as I recall the snow and cold I left back in the States one month ago. With hiking poles and knee brace, I'm prepared for an assault, and here I have a walk in the park (but I'm not complaining). I am accompanied by Greg, a friend I met in Colorado while working at the YMCA. Greg's a fellow hiker and outdoorsman who also was interested in the Himalayan treks. Sujan, our guide, also works with the volunteer agency I've lined up for after the trek. He is a part-time guide, and after contacting his references, I felt it was a wise choice to have a knowledgeable local navigate. Bibek, the porter, in his later 30s, speaks very little English but smiles all the time!
Following a stream of crystal clear, glacier-fed water, we walk along a well-worn path traveled by trekkers, local folk, and ponies carrying supplies. This is part of the Annapurna conservation area, so all trekkers are required to have a permit, paying the fee to maintain and preserve this region in the middle of Nepal. I was expecting less, not a developed 3-abreast limestone walk. This particular stretch is heavily used by those on the 21-day circuit as well as those having only a day to catch a closer glimpse of these impressive peaks. We are out for 10-12 days. It's easily accessible from Kathmandu, a 6-7 hour bus ride to Pokhara, then a 1.5 hour taxi ride to the end of the navigable road (by car). Motorbikes can go a bit farther.
A verdant landscape surrounds us. Warm, perfect temperatures this morning, as I recall the snow and cold I left back in the States one month ago. With hiking poles and knee brace, I'm prepared for an assault, and here I have a walk in the park (but I'm not complaining). I am accompanied by Greg, a friend I met in Colorado while working at the YMCA. Greg's a fellow hiker and outdoorsman who also was interested in the Himalayan treks. Sujan, our guide, also works with the volunteer agency I've lined up for after the trek. He is a part-time guide, and after contacting his references, I felt it was a wise choice to have a knowledgeable local navigate. Bibek, the porter, in his later 30s, speaks very little English but smiles all the time!
As we start out, it seems to be one village after another, with little shops with the same junk food: potato chips, crackers, Coke, catering to Western tastes...
...but swinging wooden suspension foot bridges,
log sections used for a bee hives,
fields being plowed by water buffalo or cattle,
and loads being carried in woven baskets suspended from the heads of these strong, agile people are the real world here.
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