Rain, rain, rain...

Day 6 Dharapani to Chame

Elevation Change:  2657 ft.

Elevation of Chame:  8891 ft.

Distance:  10 miles

Time:  7 ½ hrs.

Some bad weather started to move in today.  A light drizzle was present throughout todays hike and  dark clouds obscured the horizon.  I’m a little worried about the coming rain.  Rain down here means snow and ice up on Thorung La.  We came across at least 5 or 6 groups that could not get across the pass due to either weather conditions or altitude sickness.  I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit unnerving.  However, our guide reassures us that the weather will clear up by the time we attempt our crossing.  I hope so.  I would hate to come all this way just to be turned back at the top.  It’s starting to get colder now and our guide says that we should expect snow in the next day or two.  Physically, me and the wife are really feeling it.  We’ve come to accept the fact that the aching muscles and blistered feet aren’t going to get better until we’ve completed the trek.  It’s no longer “if” we’re sore, it’s how bad and whether we can deal.

Day 7 Chame to Lower Pisang

Elevation Change:  1772 ft.

Elevation of Lower Pisang:  10663 ft.

Distance:  12 miles

Time:  7 hrs

The rain came today, and towards the end of our hike it was coming down at a pretty good clip.  We were pretty much drenched by the time we got to Lower Pisang.  It was really cold out there on the mountain, especially when that wind started blowing.  That wind cut right through our clothes and seemed to chill our very bones.  We also came across the first patches of snow and ice today.  Wasn’t I complaining about the heat just a few days ago?  I sure could use some of that sun right about now. 

On a brighter note, I think my body is finally starting to adapt to the trekking.  I mean, I’m still constantly sore and my feet hurt but it’s getting easier to deal with.  We’re also starting to reach some pretty good elevation now.  The vegetation is starting to thin and its noticeably cooler.  The clouds appear much closer than before, obscuring the mountains in a gloomy moody gray haze.  The settlements are also shrinking.  Some of these “towns” are only 4 or 5 buildings now.  Although, I have to admit that when I’m hiking, and I see one of these "settlements" off in the distance, perched up on a high mountain ridge, I feel a sense of relief and jubilation because these towns represent shelter, food, and help. 

The views continue to impress.  I do not have the words to describe the beauty and magnificence of the Himalayas.  We continue to cross one stunning valley after the next.  Each mountain seems larger and more pristine than the one before.  The rain may suck but it gives the land a moody brooding feeling which I particularly enjoy.  Life stops in the Himalayas when it rains.  Everybody runs for cover and a warm fire except those foolish foreigners who, like idiots, choose to continue their journey.  I still hate the hiking but I have to admit, I love the adventure.

 

Chamche to Dharapani

Day 5 Chamche to Dharapani

Elevation Change:  1690 ft.

Elevation of Dharapani:  6234 ft

Distance:  7 miles

Time:  6 hrs.

Oh my god I’m so sore!  Feet, thighs, lower back.  It all hurts.  I can’t believe it’s only day 5.  Ughh!  This is supposed to be vacation right?  Well, I guess you have to suffer through all the physical problems in order to see the truly remarkable aspects of this country, and despite all the complaining, me and Chantra are having a great time.  My favorite part of this whole experience is meeting the locals, and let me tell you, they’re truly amazing.  Life out here in the mountains is incredibly difficult.  Electricity is spotty at best.  Equipment and supplies are carried in by foot or on the backs of mules and other beasts of burden.  The terraces needed for farming have to be carved into the side of the mountain by hand, and the soil yields little.  Life out here is a daily struggle to survive and yet, the locals are universally warm and welcoming.  A simple “Namaste” from us typically elicits a broad smile and polite bow.  They laugh at my poor attempts to communicate and graciously allow me to take pictures of their adorable kids.  Sometimes they're a little more shy and all you see as you pass by are dark smoky eyes following you from the shadows of a dimly lit room.  Never the less, these people are as tough and as beautiful as the mountains they live in. 

Blisters, chafing, and sore feet

Day 4 Bahundanda to Chamche

Elevation Change:  247 ft.

Elevation of Chamche:  4544 ft.

Distance:  8 miles

Time:  6 hrs.

Blisters, chafing, and sore feet.  That’s what day 4 brings.  Man these hikes are hard and they seem to never end.  Although today did seem a bit easier than yesterday.  Unfortunately the ease of the hike still produced two huge blisters on my foot, heel and sole to be exact.  Oh well, nothing to do but tape it up and continue hiking.  I mean what am I supposed to do?  Turn around?  Not an option.  On a brighter note, the views are incredible.  We’re still pretty low in terms of elevation but the landscape is beautiful.  Deep mountain valleys framed by, for lack of a better word, HUGE snowcapped peaks.  It is impossible to describe the sheer size of these mountains.  Their majesty and grandeur defy definition.  I hate the hike but every so often when I get a chance to rest and look around, I’m reminded of why I’m here.  The mountains leave me not only breathless but speechless as well.  This country is truly stunning. 

Uhhh... Can I really do this?

Day 3 Besisahar to Bahundanda

Elevation Change:  1608 ft.

Elevation of Bahundanda:  4298 ft.

Distance:  11 miles

Time:  7 hrs.

So the first day of trekking...  Man if this is how it’s going to be for the next 3 weeks, I’m going to have a heart attack and die.  Seriously, I’ve got some major concerns about my fitness level and my ability to complete this trek.   Our guide, Arjun Nepal, told us that we can expect to hike an average of 6 to 7 hours every day.  6 to 7 hours?   Are you kidding me?  The most exercise I’ve done in the past 4 years is getting up from the couch to the refrigerator to get myself a beer!  Oh and another thing, I thought Nepal was going to be cold, well apparently at the lower elevations it’s hot as hell.  I was so tired and hot that I couldn’t even appreciate the beautiful scenery around me.  And I’m so embarrassed that my wife actually made it up the final incline before me.  Damn I should have prepared better for this trek. 

Anyways we finally make it to our tea house.  It’s a very modest building.  A small room and two twin sized beds.  No luxuries of any kind.  The town of Bahundanda itself is quite small, just a handful of buildings and people.  Up here the people are known as the Gurung.  My guide tells me that their origins are in Tibet and that most of them are Buddhist.  The one thing that I did enjoy during this first difficult day was the hospitality of the people.  Although they tend to stare quite a bit they are actually very friendly, especially the children.  They’re adorable and love posing for pictures. 

Anyways its time to wash off the days grime and try to get some rest.  How am I ever going to make it through another 20 days of this...

Day 2 Kathmandu to Besisahar

So we’ve rented our equipment and met our guide and porter.  Time to get out of the dirty congested madness that is Kathmandu and head out to the sublime beauty of the Himalayas.  Except there’s one little problem.  We have to take a local bus to Besisahar where our trek starts.  Can everyone say cramped, hot, dirty, and crowded?  Oh and by the way it was a 6 hour bus ride across some of the worse roads I’ve ever been on.  At one point we hit a pot hole so large that the impact literally launched me off me seat!  And I’m 200+ lbs!  Not to mention another bus blew a tire in front of us on a narrow mountain road and minivan got stuck in a ditch while trying to go around.   So yeah… fun, fun, fun. 

So after 6 of the longest hours of my life we finally get to Besisahar.  It’s a nice little mountain town. One main strip.  Lots of people staring.  You know the usual.  Although, I am very surprised at how poor Nepal is.  I thought that money garnered from tourism would have provided the means to create a country with better infrastructure.  Nepal has a major infrastructure problem.  It's not so bad in the mountains but in the cities it's become a major issue.  They have an average of 4 hours of electricity a day and most of the time the power comes on in the middle of the night.  Garbage is literally everywhere and the sewage system is non existent.  And of course there is the requisite squatty potties, which I actually don’t mind because it kind of feels natural to squat and poop.  Anyways, tomorrow we’re heading out.  Tired, excited, anxious but can’t wait.

Am I getting scammed?

O.K.  So things in Nepal didn’t start like I had hoped.  We make it through customs and immigration without a problem, but then we reach the curb.  There was supposed to be a local guide waiting for us at the airport.  I mean we wired him $500 dollars as a deposit for this whole trekking through Annpurna thing right?  He said he was supposed to meet us at the airport right?  So where the hell is he?!  No  guide, no sign, and a ton of taxi drivers hassling us about a ride into the city.  So I’m thinking: we totally got scammed.  Bye bye $500.  Then a random guy asks us what hotel we’re staying at and I tell him, “Hotel Tradition, but we’re waiting for someone to meet us.”  He asks, “who?”  I say, “Babu.”  And wouldn’t you know it?  This guy says that Babu is his uncle and that he’ll take us to meet him.  Riiiiiiggggghhhhht.  Of the millions of people in Kathmandu we just happen to meet our guides "cousin", who just happens to be chillin at the airport.  Total scam right?  He then proceeds to beg to go with him for like 30 minutes!  At this point I’m thinking:  fuck it.  We got no guide and no ride, we might as well go to the hotel and see what the situation is there.  So we go, and you know what?  The last thing that I thought would happen actually happens.  Our guide is at the hotel!  He apologizes, profusely, for getting our flight information mixed up and takes us out for a welcome meal on him.  I’m so relieved.  I can’t believe things actually worked out.  Well... Game on.

We're finally here. Nepal!

I can’t believe I’m finally heading to Nepal.  This is a country that's haunted my dreams for years.  It all started when my friend Karlo showed me pictures and told me stories about his adventures in this landlocked Himalayan country.  Stories of snow encrusted mountains that reached for the heavens.  Ever since then images of a snowy shangrila have danced in my head. 

A few years ago, me and two of my best friends tried to make a trip happen but life got in the way (i.e. nursing school, babies, marriage, you know the usual).  But now, I'm finally going to Nepal, and I'm going with the best travel companion possible, my wife.  As I first glimpse of these amazing mountains from the plane, my mind races with thoughts of all the possible adventures me and the wife might have while travelling through this rough and tumble landscape... Touch down we’re finally here.