Nepal - A Himalayan Trekking Detour

Once we learned that we needed to leave Sri Lanka before we reached 6 months in the country and we decided that a one-day trip to India or the Maldives wasn't appealing, we started hatching a plan to go trekking in Nepal.  So, come mid March, we set off to spend 3 weeks in Nepal! We had enough time to hike one of the world's most phenomenal trails and by right, the most popular in this small, but majestic country. The timing was such that we could expect a reasonably pleasant trip weather-wise, barring any big storms. We landed in the capital, Kathmandu, where we stocked up on cold weather gear (coming from the tropics, we felt drastically unprepared for the temperatures we were seeing predicted on our smartphone). A couple of down jackets, some phenomenal western meals, tons of inhaled dust, and a 3 hour wait in traffic later... we were on our way to the beginning of the trek. 

The Annapurna Circuit is over 100 miles long in total, depending on where you start and end. We hiked approximately 70 miles of it and added on a side trip of about 20 miles over the course of 13 days. The trek passes through dozens of small villages, some of which we would choose for meals and sleeping. We climbed from 800 m (2,625 ft) to 5416 m (17,769 ft) in elevation where the early morning temperature reached less than 20 degrees Farheinheit and the atmospheric oxygen was only 50% of that at sea level! It was the highest either of us have ever been and perhaps will ever be on foot. We took a lot of precaution to avoid getting altitude sickness by progressing up in elevation only a little each day, got a lot of rest, and stayed hydrated. Logan experienced a mild headache on the day of the pass and I didn't sleep very well at the high altitudes, but other than that, we both acclimated very well. We were surprised to see several helicopters flying climbers down that had gotten very ill. 

Our first day in the lowlands after a few rain showers              

One of many beautiful waterfalls along our trek

 

This circuit has been lauded by many as the world’s best long distance hike partially due to its varied terrain and scenic landscapes. It winds through subtropical jungle, agricultural terraced hillsides, and a deep gorge before ascending into pine forests and across the snow-laden pass. Finally, the descent reveals a desert-like region that was once a bustling trade route for salt from Tibet and rice and barley from Nepal before China closed the border in the 1960s. One of the reasons this trek is so popular is its relative comfort over conventional hiking and camping. Every night, we would arrive at a town and find a “teahouse,” where we would be given a simple, but nice room for free or very cheap, provided we eat dinner and breakfast there. The rooms generally had two twin beds with clean sheets and often had a connected bathroom. Most guesthouses now have hot showers and some even have wood stoves. In addition to the amazing opportunity to sleep on a mattress each night, the food at these establishments is incredible, especially compared to what you might expect on a camping trip. The traditional meal was dhal bhat – a set menu of rice, soupy lentils and a vegetable dish at minimum. This always proved to be a good choice - all you can eat, warming, and tasty. We ate this frequently, but having come from Sri Lanka, we felt it was a little too similar to the rice and curry we have been eating for the past 5 months (basically it was the same, but without coconut milk), so we often ordered western foods from the menus. We were astonished by some of the options available. We had pizza, banana pancakes, omelets, burritos, veggie fajitas, pumpkin soup, and even a deep-fried snickers bar. Some of the more traditional offerings were also exceptional – we particularly liked the momos, a steamed dumpling filled with veggies and sometimes the very tasty yak cheese. At Tibetan guesthouses, we enjoyed tsampa porridge (made from the locally grown barley) and Tibetan butter tea (made with yak butter and a little salt – very warming!). While the food was inexpensive by western standards, it was expensive given the local economy. Our expenses including meals, lodging, and transportation (buses on the first and last day) on the trekking days averaged about $35 per day for the two of us together.

Dhal bhat, momos, pumpkin soup, & a deep fried snickers bar (not pictured)                 

The walk had a lot of variety and interesting terrain      

Each village had a Buddhist gateway, usually with 3 towers on top      

Three days in, we were still seeing a lot of people descending who were unable to pass, so when we arrived to Dharapani and saw a sign advertising a beautiful and quiet side trip for a couple of days, we thought that the delay might give the snow a little more time to clear. We are so glad we took this little detour! It was easily our favorite part of the hike. The trail ascended to another pass, which was also snowed in, but we just went part way to the tiny town of Gho, where we stayed the night. The next day, we backtracked until we found a smaller side-trail that winded through the back hills to a seldom visited monastery (and by seldom, I mean we were the second set of foreigners that had gone there in the past 5 years!). From there, we crossed the highest suspension bridge in Nepal into the most remote village of our trip, Nache, perched on the steep peak of a mountain (8,202 ft elevation). Then we descended the steep mountain back to a village that we had passed on our way to Dharapani. At the monastery, we very much enjoyed the two hours we passed talking with a monk we met there. He showed us around and we asked him questions about Buddhism and his life, while he asked us questions about our lives. His master also lived there (93 years old!), along with two nuns. He invited us back to stay with him at the monastery in the future. We enjoyed this segment of the hike largely because of its seclusion. Unlike the main Annapurna Circuit, a vehicular road has not yet been built to access these villages, so all traffic was either foot traffic or on animals. This key difference makes the villages quieter and less visited. We found that the people we passed along this route were much more likely to talk with us and to inquire about where we were going. While we very much enjoy this type of trekking over the now jeep-trafficked road of the main circuit, we recognized that given the opportunity a road is probably what the villagers most desired, being so far from the cities and most modern supplies. The association that oversees the Annapurna Conservation Area has started to build alternate routes away from the road, which we took whenever possible. I suspect that as other more remote treks in Nepal become more popular, and unless most of this trek gets off the road, the Circuit will wane in popularity. 

Vehicles don't journey this path (yet), so many people port their loads                

 

We visited a remote monastery where we spent the afternoon with a friendly monk                

Logan crosses the highest bridge to a tiny, not frequently visited village topping the mountain                

 

The view looking down from the highest bridge in Nepal      

Nepal is home to 60 or more ethnic and caste groups speaking 24-123 languages, depending on how finely the distinctions are made. Along our trek, it was hard to distinguish whom we came across, but our perception was that the areas were largely Buddhist and there was a significant amount of Tibetans and Tibetan influence. Over 80% of Nepal’s 30 million plus people live in the countryside and are generally quite poor. Trekking has provided an opportunity to these small villages beyond anything that they can do within the local economy. Nepal used to be closed to foreigners, but the first trekkers were admitted to the country in 1949 and with that, an industry was born that has since become a substantial part of the country’s economy.       

Some of the Buddhist gateways have magnificent paintings to assist in meditation              

We loved hiking in the cold fresh mountain air with spectacular views around every corner!              

 

A festive and intricate prayer monument              

 We found many similarities between Sri Lanka and Nepal. The people in the villages of both countries are extremely friendly – by far the most friendly people overall we have ever encountered, going well out of their way to be helpful without any expectation of repayment from us (although, they do believe in karma). They are always quick to smile and are exceedingly tolerant of varying religious views, while they take their own views as the framework for every aspect of their lives. Nepali people display these beliefs through even the simplest expression – their greeting, Namaste, means “I honor the divine within you” and is always done with hands in prayer position and a small bow. Buddhism in Sri Lanka seems to be more of a personal affair. Each family has a small shrine in their homes and visits the temple either regularly or on special occasions, but the public monuments are fewer outside of the temples, at least in the villages near where we live. In Nepal, each village had meditative prayer gates on each end, stupas to mark sacred sites (nearly each village had at least one), and prayer stones and flags were ubiquitous throughout the hike. These things were in addition to the monasteries, temples, and Buddhist schools scattered across the mountains. I’ve read that prayer and ritual are a large part of daily life in the villages and that people believe that the gods affect their lives in very direct ways. My understanding of the Buddhism in Sri Lanka is that it is more of a philosophy about how to live and how to reach enlightenment. They believe in gods as well, but the primary message is one of personal transformation and transcendence.  

High above the clouds at Ghyaru village - this was the beautiful view from our guesthouse  

 

Prayer stones are ubiquitous in the mountain villages and passes with engraved mantras                  

Looking south across a forested valley at the Annapurna Massif              

A view from the hill above the town of Manang, with a glacial lake in the background                

The largest town on the trail, Manang, had an old traditional area where the villagers live                

We made it to the high mountain country and were loving it                

Yaks are still used in the high passes to carry loads and break through fresh snow            

Our side trip worked out great and we reached the pass with perfect weather and timing. Another smaller storm would be hitting after we crossed 😊

         

A panoramic view of the pass      

Celebrating at 17,769 ft high with an awesome couple we met from Michigan              

 

Looking down the valley from the pass towards Muktinath and the arid Mustang region              

 

Prayer wheels could be found at the entrance and exit of most villages              

A lovely lake high in the mountains              

 In the cities (Kathmandu and Pokhara), before and after the hike, we feasted on an assortment of delicious foods including mostly Italian, but also some Indian, Mexican, and American (burgers). Hotels in the cities were obviously more expensive and so was the food, but it was still a really good deal by western standards at $65 a day for hotel and meals. In Pokhara, we visited an interesting museum about trekking in Nepal (International Mountain Museum) and the World Peace Stupa, commemorating Nepal’s importance in the life of Buddha. We really enjoyed our trip and when it was time to return to Sri Lanka, it seemed Nepal wasn’t ready to let us go... We arrived at the airport and although our tickets confirmed a flight at that time, no such flight existed and no staff from our airline was there to assist us. Apparently, the day after we arrived to Nepal, our airline had suspended all further flights to and from Sri Lanka and the travel agent in Sri Lanka that owned the website where we bought the tickets didn’t bother to let us knowLOnce we finally were able to talk with the airline, they were not willing to help us and said we should talk to the travel agent. I tried, but communication was difficult and we didn’t get anywhere. In the end, the airline (perhaps being reimbursed through the travel agent – unclear) paid for a new flight for us the following day, a hotel, and meals. It was a stressful departure, but in the end it went well enough. When we arrived back to our peaceful refuge in the rainforest, we felt the stresses of world travel again melt away, like arriving home.