Trying Again On… Trekking in Nepal in 2008

In 2008, I used to be on an eight month journey around the globe. After working in Australia for just a few months, I met up with some associates in Thailand for just a few weeks. 

As we have been having dinner one night time, they satisfied me to affix them in Nepal for a month of trekking and adventures within the Himalayas. I had beforehand deliberate to move to Bangladesh and India, however the considered heading into the mountains with my associates made the choice to vary my plans fairly simple.

It turned out to be one of many higher decisions I’ve made, as our time in Nepal was magical. Right here’s a fast look again at our time in Nepal, means again in 2008.

Yak Steaks and Momos in Kathmandu

I arrived in Kathmandu after an in a single day connection in Dhaka on Biman Bangladesh Airways. My associates had flown in on Thai Airways earlier that day, and we deliberate to by some means meet on the airport.

After waltzing via immigration with out getting a visa (the border officers have been on a tea break), I grabbed my backpack and walked out right into a crowd of individuals on the exit. A stunning Nepalese man was holding an indication with my nickname on it, which instructed my associates had arrived safely earlier than me.

Our driver navigated via to the Shangri La Visitor Home in Thamel, which served as our dwelling base for the subsequent few days. There was an fascinating mishmash of characters on the visitor home, and the 4 of us crammed right into a small room to economize.

Thamel is the center of the tourism sector in Kathmandu, full of outlets with trekking gear and packed pubs with native musicians taking part in Western classics. You’ll additionally discover retailers promoting stunning wool items, and a unusually massive assortment of Tintin memorabilia in each retailer.

As we ready to move into the mountains, we loved strolling the streets, consuming momos, consuming chai, and having fun with the occasional yak steak for a candlelight dinner. The facility would typically exit, and we’d have candles introduced out to gentle up the dinner desk whereas another person ran to the rooftop to fireplace up a generator.

Our trekking firm, First Environmental Trekking, organized for our permits and ensured that we had adequate gear. We saved some further clothes with them that we wouldn’t want on the trek, despite the fact that we determined that packing just a few pints of Guiness for our buddy’s birthday was mandatory.

The day earlier than we left for the mountains, we have been advised to move to the Pashupatinath Temple for a particular vacation. It seems we have been in Kathmandu throughout Maha Shivaratri, one of many greatest festivals of the yr.

As we approached, the streets have been full of folks. From time to time, crowds would make means for one of many many Sadhus (Hindu holy males) who was making his solution to the temple. 

All the expertise was fascinating, and we have been in awe of the crowds of individuals across the temple, the cremation ghats on the Bagmati River, and the Sadhus being revered as if they have been celebrities. 

As we completed packing our luggage again at our visitor home afterward that night, we have been teeming with pleasure concerning the journey that was forward of us.  

Heading As much as the Thorong La Cross

A bus took us on a nerve-wracking journey from Kathmandu to Besisahar. Our bus driver navigated alongside winding roads and previous vertigo-inducing cliffsides mere inches from the aspect of the highway.

I felt that we’d narrowly escaped loss of life quite a few instances earlier than the trek had even begun. 

Armed with a map and a easy guidebook, the 4 of us hit the path and thus begun our 215km journey by foot into the Himalayas.

I wasn’t actually positive of what to anticipate on this trek. I’d by no means executed one thing of this magnitude earlier than, and since I hadn’t executed any planning, I used to be actually simply tagging alongside for the journey.

The primary few days of the trek introduced us via forests and lots of small villages. Our legs and lungs obtained loads of work, as we’d summit a big hill solely to lose all of the altitude we’d gained, earlier than gaining all of it again once more by the tip of the day.

We aimed to cowl round 15km every day, though we knew that our tempo must sluggish as soon as we reached greater altitudes to keep away from getting altitude illness.

The paths various in width and footing. At one level, our path narrowed and we needed to rigorously stroll throughout with out a railing to keep away from falling a pair hundred metres to our loss of life. 

These elements of the trek have been as mentally difficult as they have been bodily demanding. Whereas it wasn’t a really far distance to cowl, it felt like ages as we every took turns slowly stepping alongside the trail, staying quiet in order to let every individual concentrate on the duty at hand.

We settled right into a every day routine of climbing, stopping in a village for lunch, after which trekking till the late afternoon. Utilizing our map, we’d approximate our vacation spot for the day, though that modified relying on how far we made it. 

The tea homes the place we stayed weren’t reserved upfront. In every village, we merely selected one which appeared first rate, or whose household corralled us in first. 

Our lodging normally price between 50 cents and $1 per night time, which was an absolute discount. Every guesthouse cooked meals that once more price just a few {dollars} at most, together with a bottle of Everest beer and a chocolate bar for dessert. 

As we gained altitude, our environment modified as we approached the alpine line. In the course of the day, we’d stroll previous herds of yak heading to seek out some greenery. As we encountered locals and porters heading the other way, we have been greeted warmly with “namaste” every time. 

Sun shades have been key to avoiding snow blindness, because the highly effective solar mirrored off of the snow. As a fair-skinned particular person, I additionally used zinc cream to stop nasty sunburns on my face.

As we gained altitude, the air turned thinner and our trekking days have been shortened. We took a day in Manang, at 3,500m, to regulate to the altitude, rigorously monitoring for signs of altitude illness and in addition having fun with a little bit of relaxation. 

By this level, we’d come to know that it’s mainly unimaginable to take a nasty image in Nepal. All over the place we went, the backdrop was completely gorgeous.

We stopped for a snack at a tiny shack sooner or later and took a bunch image, solely to understand later that it was some of the gorgeous views we had throughout the entire journey.

Thorong Phedi was our final cease earlier than heading over the Thorong La move, which was the very best elevation we’d attain on our trek. We spent an evening below wool blankets making an attempt to remain heat, because it was pretty freezing at 4,500m. 

We have been blessed with excellent climate on probably the most troublesome day of our trek. From Thorong Phedi, we gained nearly a vertical kilometre of altitude to succeed in the Thorong La move at 5,416m. 

It took just a few hours of steadily climbing up an enormous hill earlier than we reached the move. It felt as if we have been on the highest of the world as we gazed out into the huge mountain expanse within the Himalayas. 

On the finish of the day, we dropped all the way down to round 3,750m once we arrived in Muktinath. At our visitor home, we celebrated the day with a few bottles of Everest beer as we sat round a desk with an oven beneath to maintain us heat.

Cruising Down by the Kali Gandaki

The rest of the trek was extra leisurely than the primary half. Understanding that the toughest half was over, we slowed down the tempo and loved ourselves alongside the best way.

In Jomsom, we lastly cracked open the pints of Guinness that we cursed at on the finish of every day, as we celebrated our buddy’s birthday. After a scrumptious meal of yak steaks and French fries, we performed playing cards and listened to music earlier than nodding off to sleep.

Our trekking days took us previous waterfalls, alongside lake beds, and throughout bridges that spanned valleys. The Kali Gandaki river ran alongside a lot of the path on this aspect of the move.

Our backpacks paled compared to the hundreds some locals have been carrying on their backs. There may be now a highway that runs all the best way as much as Muktinath, which might make transporting massive portions of heavy items a lot simpler.

The panorama round us reworked with every day, however it was attractive all over the place we went. We additionally loved seeing animals with CDs as a ornament.

There was a sizzling spring close to our visitor home in Tatopani, and we opted to spend just a few days soaking our sore muscle groups within the sizzling spring, consuming sea buckthorn juice, and consuming chocolate bars to construct up some energy. 

Our final style of altitude acquire got here once we awoke on the morning time to observe the dawn at Poon Hill. After a headlight lit hike as much as the height, we have been handled with an image excellent dawn over the Annapurna and Dhaulgiri ranges. 

Our journey within the Annapurnas got here to an finish as we reached a highway close to Birethanti. We’d all survived the trek, and had an absolute blast doing so. 

We loaded our luggage right into a taxi and headed for Pokhara to get some a lot wanted haircuts and continued the celebration.

Conclusion

I typically suppose again to this trek, and it’s top-of-the-line experiences I’ve had travelling. Nepal is an enchanting nation, and I’ve been longing to return ever since my final journey 14 years in the past. 

I think about that lots has modified within the nation since 2008, however I’m positive that the nation is simply as charming and magical now because it was again then. 

In fact, there’s much more that goes into planning for a trek in Nepal than what’s within the above article. In case you’ve ever dreamed of heading to Nepal, I’d strongly encourage you to plan that journey and make it occur – you actually gained’t be dissatisfied.