Trekking in Nepal

Before Nepal, my longest hike was three days. Several years ago after trekking in Morocco's High Atlas mountains, by day three I was utterly exhausted and my legs were so sore I could barely walk.

Last month I trekked the Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary in the Nepalese Himalayas to raise money for British non-profit MAG (Mines Advisory Group). My friends Peter, Meg, Liam (who we met in Nepal) and I, organised the trek and paid all expenses ourselves. All money raised goes straight to MAG, to remove landmines from countries like Laos and Cambodia. Nothing like a charity counting on you to keep you going during a challenging 21 days at high-altitude. Yep, that's seven times longer than my previous treks and with an elevation of 5,416m (17,769ft) at Thorung La Pass, the highest point. Before setting off I felt anxious and extremely excited.

Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary are two separate treks and most folks do one or the other. We decided to do both. The Circuit trail connects a series of charming villages in a giant upside-down horseshoe with Thorung La Pass at the top. We began Sanctuary at the tail end of the Circuit climbing steadily up to Annapurna Base Camp (aka “ABC” - elevation 4,130m/13,549ft) and back down the same path.

Fun and Games
At high elevation, trekkers are advised to sleep no more than 500m higher each night. During the day you can hike as high as you like as the guideline only applies to sleeping altitude. The rule of thumb is, “Hike high, sleep low.” This meant on the way up to the Pass we had some very short days where we met our 500m quota after only two or three hours and had to stop. This gave us ample time for reading, journal writing, clothes washing and playing cards. Our favourites were “500” (an excellent team trumps game), “Casino”, Aussie rules rummy, “Shithead” renamed “Full Retard” and “Solitaire” with several backseat drivers. Our deck of cards was very ordinary and we were in awe of a Welsh couple's see-through plastic glow-in-the-dark set and a beautifully illustrated taro-like deck from Bavaria belonging to three German trekkers.

We played pool in a dive called, “Local Bar” and inside a garage next to racks of drying yak meat.

Thanks to Liam we found ourselves singing a great deal. We sang the full score of “The Sound of Music” through a forest and Top 40 Hits from the 80's and 90's on the way up to ABC in the snow.

You Know You're Trekking in Nepal When...
* You have to wait five minutes to let a caravan of heavily laden donkeys cross a bridge.
* The correct trail is marked with a littering of banana gum wrappers and coconut biscuit packets.
* Guesthouses advertise “hot showers” but they're solar powered so the best you're going to get is “warm”. Arrive late in the afternoon and you're looking at cold water or wetwipes.
* Dinner costs about four times more than your bed for the night. (Guesthouses make their money from meals and as it is assumed you will eat where you sleep, a token amount is charged for rooms. Our record low was US$1 for a quadruple room.)
* Apple pie, spring rolls and Mars rolls are all wrapped in dough and deep fried. My group also sampled Snickers rolls and Twix rolls (you get two).
* Apple is the only fruit you see for three weeks. You can have apple muesli, pancake, pie, juice, tangy dried apple slices, or just plain apple.
* You get breathy hiking up a mild incline. It's the altitude!

How hard was it?
The trek was challenging for me though it wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. Because we had never done this sort of thing before we hired two Nepalese porters. This provides employment and made the experience more enjoyable for me only carrying my daypack. We met a lot of trekkers who were carrying their own backpacks and a lot who weren't. Those without porters covered the same ground as us each day, they were just generally a bit slower. One of our porters didn't work out for us, so after the initial 15 day contract was up, Peter volunteered to carry one of the bags. He appreciated the added challenge.

The funny thing about altitude is you never know how it is going to affect you. You might be lucky and only experience minor symptoms (breathiness, loss of appetite, frequent urination) or you may suffer full-blown flu-like symptoms, bad headaches or worse. We met some people who were so ill they had to turn around for lower elevation until they were better. One unwell Irish woman hired a horse to carry her over the Pass.

On the way up to the Pass, Peter and Meg had trouble sleeping. Liam had headaches and wasn't hungry. Personally I fared well and other than breathiness and slower hiking speed was grateful for my good health.

On both treks there are villages all along the way. It's easy to regulate accent and the next teahouse is never more than an hour or so away. Those who fall fowl of the altitude can descend a few hundred meters and rest until acclimitised.

The duration was not the obstacle I anticipated. The trek was seven times longer than Morocco but it was certainly not seven times harder. We got into a rhythm of rising early, walking, eating lunch and walking some more. Nights were bitterly cold but during the day the sun was warm and hiking pleasant. Especially challenging were the steep climbs and decents. Hiking up then down then up again in a single afternoon can be a bit soul destroying. We kept telling ourselves it all is part of the process and was making our legs stronger. Other days were more enjoyable. I loved having endless hours to talk with my friends and other trekkers from around the world, while passing gobsmacking scenery.

Scenery
Spectacular views of the Himalayas are some of my lasting memories of the trek. The varied landscape on the Circuit was particularly rewarding. We hiked through subtropical forests, past chalky blue lakes, across vast valleys, along narrow rocky trails with gushing rivers far below and over wobbly suspension bridges. We saw yaks grazing on scrubby plains. We visited remote stone villages that are many days' walk from the nearest road. We were blessed by a 92 year-old lama in a tiny Buddhist temple built into a cliffside. We trekked in the shadow of snow covered mountains and eventually through the snow itself.

On the approach to the Pass, I was surrounded by rounded, snowy mountains. Whereas previously the mountains had towered above us, now they seemed closer and in the early morning light, smoother. I felt a surge of joy. Visually the landscape was one of the most stunning we had seen so far, but it occurred to me at this could have been the view from the top of a ski lift in the French Alps or perhaps the American Rockies. What blew me away were two things:
1) I knew I was looking at the Nepalese Himalayas, nearing the highest point of our journey. It was exotic because I knew it was exotic.
2) It had taken us nine days to walk there. In short, there was no ski lift.

I would highly recommend the Annapurna Circuit to anyone who is a reasonably fit hill walker. It's not just for young people either. We encountered many dozens of trekkers in their 50's and 60's and one incredible woman who was 72.

We are still accepting sponsorship in support for MAG. So far we have raised £318 and we would love to reach £500. All donations however small are greatly appreciated. Please visit: www.justgiving.com/riceherders Thank you!

- Panauti, Nepal