The Himalayas

On top of the World! (and freezing our bits off!)
see all photos »

DAY 1

Our guide Kuman and porter Buddah picked us up early and drove us to Phedi for the start of the trek. We still hadn't seen a glimpse of a mountain due to the weather!

The first day was supposed to be an easy day walking 2-3 hours. Unfortunately my tummy troubles continue so I had to take two alfresco poo's if you know what I mean.(I will never ever complain about festival toilets again!)

We had beautiful views of the foothills which are terraced to form stable ground for planting crops. We saw lots of intersting people and animals on the way, but still no mountains.

Buddah carried both our rucksacks and sped off ahead of us most of the way! (setting the trend for the rest of the week).

We arrived in Dhampus early afternoon and spent the rest of the day playing cards (I am now an expert at Poker), drinking tea, playing chess...oh and visiting the squat toilet (nice).

It was bloody freezing and there was no electricity!

DAY 2

Kuman woke us at 7am and guess what ...we could see the mountains!!! I know it's stating the obvious but they are absolutely massive! They just didn't look real and it was such a surreal sight. Looking through the binoculars we could see massive snow drifts and huge cliffs.

We walked 5-6hours today and really enjoyed it. (No major tummy troubles).

We arrived in Landruk and Buddah had disappeared quite sharpish after we had arrived. We looked around and found him sitting in a farmers house around a campfire. He invited us in and we sat with the family eating dried, cured sheep meat (a bit like a chewy pork scratching)and drinking Raksi, the local Millet wine! That was the 1st meat we had eaten since leaving Wales!

Still freezing cold and no hot showers brrr!

DAY 3

Kuman woke us at the crack of dawn again! But he was forgiven quite quickly because he had brought a cup of tea and the view was the best yet. Clear skies and an excellent view of a couple of monstrous peaks!

We walked down one side of the valley (30 mins) and then up the other (2 hours!) It felt like hard work today.

There was a stunning turquoise river rushing through the bottom of the valley  and it was sunny and hot  for most of the day.

The valley is so steep and there are little houses perched everywhere. Children climb Snowdon just to get to school. There are no roads, so donkeys carry all the supplies up and down the mountains. We saw lots of scruffy, bare foot kids carrying masssive straw containers of supplies by strapping them onto their backs and securing them with a strap at the forehead. I felt so sorry for them at first but they are so cheerful and happy you can't help but smile. Almost everyone you pass on the mountain highway say's Namaste! In other  words "Alright".

We arrived in Ghandruk and Kuman took us for a stroll around the village. It was awwsome, we felt like we were on a film set. There was cobbled winding streets weaving in and out and up and down through stone cottages; People stripping corn using the most primitive device you've ever seen;  a woman sat on her haunches making a carpet by hand; a child having red henna hair dye applied to her jet black glossy hair; a woman sifting through millet for making Raksi; in a courtyard some freshly born twin goats (we arrived in time to see the afterbirth!) and so many more fascinating sights.

I noticed that around 50 people had gathered on open ground lower down in the valley. Buddah told me in his broken English that they were having a community meeting and that there used to be a building in the spot where they had gathered. Buddah said a couple of years ago a mouse had blown up the building. A mouse ? I replied  and he confirmed. Later I told Jim what Buddah had said thinking he must have got his English mixed up. Jim took great pleasure and hilarity in informing me that Buddah was referring to The Maoists!!!

DAY 4

Kuman woke us at 6:30am. I had felt ill all night and we had slept with our clothes on including hats due to the freezing temperatures and draughty rooms. There was a hot shower though so that was a bonus!

We were almost 3000ft today and walked through beautiful Rhododendren forests. We saw a large troop of Langur monkeys and many birds including woodpeckers. There were lots of waterfalls today and the scenery had changed a bit.

We stopped in Deurali for lunch and Jim ordered a spring roll. I had chips and egg needing familiarity after the tummy trouble. Jim and I watched the 'chef' collect green cabbages from the veg patch, and wash them under the outside water fountain. It was then that it really dawned on us that we had been eating freshly picked  and cooked organic food all week!  Even the pastry on the spring roll, that was actually more the size of a jumbo cornish pasty, was fresh!

We arrived in Tadipani at 2pm. We were so pleased because they had coal and wood heaters in the dining room and also because some other tourists turned up. We hadn't seen another tourist up to this point!

On the downside: no hot shower, freezing rooms ( we had all our clothes on in bed!) and no electricity!

DAY 5

Kuman woke us with the usual tea at daybreak (again) and we started walking. It got colder and colder throughout the day until eventually we were walking through a light covering of snow. We stopped for lunch in a lovely WARM tearoom and by the time we were ready to set off again it was snowing heavily.

We ploughed on and were walking through quite deep snow in places and it came down fast and sideways all the way to Ghorepani.

We spent the evening watching the snow fall, reading, bizarrely listening to Bob Marley...oh and having a long hot shower (bliss).

DAY 6

Kuman's round face was at our door at 5am. We walked for 45 mins to the highest point of the trek; Poon Hill, 3210m or 10'000ft as I like to say! (Two and a half times higher than Ben Nevis.) We were rewarded with a fantastic panoramic, virtually cloud free view of the Annapurna range. After  a rapid photo call we ran down the 'hill' for a well earned breakfast!

It was downhill all the way to Tikhedunga!!! Yipee! It felt warmer the lower we got and my aching limbs were ready for a bit of downhill walking.

On arrival at our final guesthouse  Kuman kindly suggested we have chicken and chips to celebrate finishing our walk (and it was on him). Graciously but apprehensively accepting after no meat (apart from the chewy dried stuff) for a couple of weeks, we looked forward to a tasty feast.

Ten minutes later we were forced to listen to the screaching and squakking death throws of a chicken having it's neck rung (far too slowly for my liking)!

I have to say the food was delicious!

DAY 7

Kuman let us lie in until 7am (how kind). We then walked the 3 hours to Bhiretani where a driver was waiting to take us back to Pokhara!

Although we were desperate for a hot shower and every muscle in our bodies ached we were really sad and choked (no pun intended) to be leaving that beautiful mountain scenery and the wonderful, happy, hardworking, "tough as old boots" people that we hd seen and met over the course of the week.

I would recommend it to anyone..it was out of this world!

Bye for now Nat xxx