Reflections on a superb experience

Ed

World Expeditions put on a great trip. Our leader, Sanjay, and his staff were excellent. Sanjay's English was quite good and he took the time and effort to answer all of our questions. This was my third and most likely last trip to Nepal. My great friend Paul Bucca has been with me on each trip. As in the past it was great to share yet another fantastic experience with him. Paul's son, Brian, was with us on his first Himalayan experience. I had met Brian previously but this trip provided a wonderful opportunity for Susan and I to get to know him better. A big shout out to Brian's wife, Betsy, for making his  trip possible. I continue to be in awe of the Nepalese people. Nepal is the tenth poorest country in the world yet these people are very kind and friendly. There is always a smile on their faces. I marvel at their ingenuity and how hard they work. I saw only one power tool on this trip yet they are able to build and farm. In spite of the very poor sanitary conditions they do everything they can to keep themselves and their homes clean. I am having trouble deciding whether the Everest Base Camp trip or this the Annapurna Base Camp trip was the better trip. They are so different. The EBC trip had many more religious shrines and prayer wheels. We were in larger villages on the ABC trip. The mountain views were great on both trips. Of course there is only one way to see Mt. Everest up close. But in my mind being in the Annapurna Cirque rivaled anything I saw on the way to EBC. I'll not pick a favorite. Lastly it was such a joy for me to be accompanied on this trip by Susan. Sharing an experience like this with ones wife is super special. This trip had the same difficulty rating as EBC and as such I was very confident that Susan could do it despite having only moderately recovered from her hamstring tear from early July and virtually no training. However in my opinion this trip was significantly more difficult than the EBC trip. The altitude was lower but the ups and downs were more significant and thousands more rock stairs on this trip. Although at times Susan struggled she gutted it out and I know she had a marvelous adventure. ILYS.

Susan

It will take me days even months to grasp the experiences I have shared with Ed, Paul and Brian. I am grateful to Brian for making so many stops for pictures, I needed every one to rest! I will never be the same person having experienced this country, these people  and, of course, the mountains. My rose colored glasses from America have been vastly out of focus, my limited experience had not prepared me for the sights , the living conditions, the smells and the lack of order. From my perspective, some of it was gross and hard to imagine living in such conditions. But when I ignored my points of reference, these people live  simple, earth /animal based lives and seem to be very happy and family oriented. They are very resilient and resourceful. They all rely on one another. Their needs are simple and they use every resource available to it's fullest. I did not see any antagonism toward one another, no cross words and felt nothing but warmth. I will take much away with me. I have learned some things about myself and feel ever closer to Ed. I will never forget the faces of this handsome race, particularly the children, some sad , but most exuberant and smiling! I am sure they all have amazing immune systems! Some high points for me; sun  rise on the peaks, the public burials, the bells on the mule trains traveling up and down the mountain delivering everything from propane to rice to Tuborg Beer, the humongous loads the Porters carried, the long hours put in, 17 staff for 5 people, the hundreds of dogs we saw, none of which who seemed to belong to anyone, the meals put together under difficult conditions, the swift moving rivers and every variation of waterfall you could ever imagine, standing on a Glacier, and the suspension bridges, oh, and did I ever mention the steps! Imaginings I never imagined and dreams I have never dreamed have come true. Thank you Ed.

Sunday and Monday, October 15 & 16

Ed

Our flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu was delayed about an hour but we didn't care as we hade no connection to make. We were treated to great views of the mountains for most of the 35 minute flight. We got back to the hotel without a hitch and almost immediately took a very long hot shower. We took the afternoon off and had a great dinner with Paul and Brian. We are now at the airport awaiting our very long trip home.

Susan

I thought about the hotel a lot the last two days! Especially the shower, cleanliness,and a real bed! Helped get me up the mountain. I was not disappointed! It was heavenly! I am ready to be home for awhile. It has been a great adventure!

Saturday, October 14 - Pokhara

Susan

Trekking had a totally different feel today. We went through golden hued terraced fields of grain and corn. All this terracing is created by hand as it has been done for centuries. There was no way to discern where one farmers field started and ended, but they each knew. These were subsistence farmers, no tourist industry here. It was idyllic and peaceful but. Very hot and humid. Back breaking work. They are so industrious. More cows evident now and many water buffalo, and goats. The lower we get the more people we see. There is a road that ascends to these villages. Many more scooters and Range Rovers and small cars now along with Porters, villagers and us! 

Ed

Today was our final day of trekking. We walked from Grandruk to Nayapul where we boarded a bus for the 1 1/2 hour ride to Pokhara.Today we descended 2,871' both on trail and a road. The trail was mostly rock steps with the risers ranging from 2" to 16". One really needs to pay attention to each step. The last half of the walk was on a road. I use the term road loosely. The road from Nayapul to just short of Grandruk was built seven years ago and makes our Wilderness Ranch roads look like an Interstate Highway. There were vehicles of all shapes and sizes heading in both directions on the one and a half lane road. It was very hot and dusty and we were so happy to get to Nayapul. Then the "fun" began with the bus trip to Pokhara. No vehicle paid much attention to what side of the road that they should be on and passing on blind curves was the norm. Everyone should take this ride at least once as it is impossible to describe. We once again were at a permanent camp in Pokhara and upon our arrival we immediately set out to find some cold beer to celebrate the end of a grand journey.

    Building a swing 

    Susan's favorite type of toilet. Not!

    Getting ready to hand out tips

Friday, October 13 - Ghandruk

Ed

We are headed down but that doesn't mean that we are through with the uphill climbs. We began the day with another few hundred stairs to get to the top of Chhomrong and then descended 1,200' to a river valley when we crossed another hanging bridge. The descent was very steep and rocky. From there we ascended 1,485' to the village of Komrong where we had lunch. This was another very tough climb but with the knowledge that this was our last big climb we managed quite well. After lunch we descended 1,023' to the village of Ghandruk. Once in Ghandruk and before we reached our camp we visited a museum where we mainly saw some of their tools and storage vessels. Our camp was a permanent World Expeditions camp so we each had a bed and pillow although we were still in a tent. This was our final night with the entire crew so we had a little party with drums and dancing. 

Susan 

It is incredible what these people accomplish with so little in terms of modern tools. There is a hand weaved bamboo basket for every task. Their brooms are made from bamboo but they have modern dust pans. It is amazing that they are so clean and beautifully dressed living in such filthy conditions.  We saw school children dressed in uniforms very similar to what Ryan,Emily and Mark wear. The wealthier families sends their children to boarding schools in Kathmandu but most of the children living in the far reaches of the mountain have very limited schooling. They are a very resourceful, industrious and happy population.

    Crossing the hanging bridge 

    Wildflowers everywhere 

    Lunchtime company 

    Museum

    Museum

Thursday, October 12 - Chhomrong

Ed

Only 3 1/2 hours today but a long steep downhill followed by a long steep uphill that was almost entirely stairs, 1982 stairs to be exact. Yes, I had nothing better to do. We have the afternoon to wash up, do a little laundry and rest. This is the first day that I have been able to send the blogs. I am happy to be able to share the writing with Susan. This way you get more than just the facts. Two more nights then back to Kathmandu.

Susan

• It was a tough day for me, hot and up! I think all the climbing is catching up to me. I am very tired. It is amazing to see the animals, donkeys,horses, goats and sheep negotiate the same steps that we are struggling with. Yesterday we watched as a shepherd tried to get his flock across a scary log bridge which I had a hard time getting over. The first two Billy's went over the next one fell down onto the Glacier and had to be fished out. Finally they all got across. I never anticipated the heat and humidity. We have very few clean clothes left and those that are in the laundry bag have fermented! We are ready to head home but what a journey! Wondering about baseball and Presidents Cup and not missing Trump drama. Have no idea what is going on in the world. Had a wonderful lemon meringue pie last night. Peg made the best one of these that I have ever tasted but under the severely limited circumstances these guys cook under, it was great. I am completely amazed at the flowers at each village, a fustian taller than me, marigolds 4 feet by 4 feet multiple marijuana plants thrown. It is tea time. You will here from us soon.

    A visitor last evening 

    Susan and Fuschia

    A map of our journey 

    Suspension bridge and up. Yes, I rocked the boat.

Tuesday and Wednesday, October 10 & 11

Trek from Annapurna Base Camp to Himalaya at 9,636' and from Himalaya to Sinuwa at 7,788'

Susan's first today

We awoke to crystal clear skies and there are no adjectives worthy of the peaks that surrounded us. The Sky was the bluest of blues I have ever seen. Hundreds of people gathered at the top of camp over looking a deep canyon with a glacier far below. We had breakfast with the angels at around 14,000 feet and these peaks towered over us another 13,000 feet!

There was a memorial to fallen climbers and one of them was Anatoli Bourkreev. There was a quote from him that we loved; "mountains are not a stadium where I satisfy my ambition to achieve. They are the cathedrals where I practice my religion". We started our decent and it was more challenging than I had anticipated! A whole new set of muscles to wear out and train! Second day was a little better muscle wise. We climbed three to four thousand stairs, 90% up! The trail was through a jungle like setting with many river crossings, a Glacier crossing and dense foliage. Flies were a nuisance. We even saw a few monkeys in the tree tops, one with a baby clinging for dear life as they flew through the trees! Had my second shower today. Best 2 bucks ever spent! What an extraordinary adventure!

Ed

Tuesday morning we were up at 5:30 to the clearest of skies and indescribable views of the 7 & 8,000 meter peaks all around us. I took many, many pictures but not one shows what we saw. This was our first morning below freezing but we hardly noticed and as soon as the sun hit us during breakfast we all warmed quickly. After breakfast we began the 4,000'+ descent to Himalaya. As we descended it was hard to believe that we managed to do all of that climbing. Today we descended further with a lunch stop at Bamboo. From there we ascended several hundred feet via rock stairs and then the terrain roller coastered the remaining miles to Sinewa. We have a nice camp on the edge of town. 

    Annapurna Glacier 

    Breakfast in front of Annapurna 

    Mark, How's my dab

    Fishtail at a break stop

    Susan and her stairs 

Sunday and Monday, October 8&9

Trek to Machhapuchre Base Camp at 12,221' and to Annapurna Base Camp at 13,629'

Susan's going first today!

Glorious views of spectacular mountains each morning, then they play peekaboo for the rest of the day through low chilly fog. We have broken out the huge down jackets issued by the expedition. I for one am delighted with the changes in temperature. Climbing so much easier. Climb is becoming steeper. My pace even slower. These were two short days of climbing, 3-4 hours each day with relaxation time in the afternoon. Spent these doing laundry, napping and reading. Only had pin hole peeks of the peaks! I cannot say enough about the staff we are climbing with. They are so kind and attentive, anticipating our every need.   The food is very tasty and plenty of it. Lots of breads usually deep fried, always a soup for lunch and dinner and interesting vegetables. We are both avoiding the latter at this point as our guts are unhappy, especially Ed's. They made him plain rice last night! I have a new favorite drink, hot milk with sugar! Ed is fun to watch interacting with them. He has given them all nick names. He is truly at his happiest when is hiking! Of note, I have seen 5 female porters! We are following a nomadic shepherd with his herd of sheep and two guard dogs with bells on. Many new borns, so cute. Guess what, there are dandelions at 15,000 feet! Now I must share what I am most proud of, I have made it to the top! In spite of many naysayers, I had only one little slip, no feet problems,no intestinal difficulties to speak of and no altitude sickness. Ed and what seems to be my own private Sherpa have been so encouraging and helpful. I kept my mind occupied during the climb looking for heart shaped rocks and reading T-shirts! It is the most rewarding and challenging experience I have ever had. I am so grateful to Ed for providing and sharing this together.

Ed's turn

We have made it to Annapurna Base Camp! During the last two days we have gained a good bit of our total elevation gain which is 7,788'. We are directly under some of the highest mountains in the world. We are so fortunate to be able to do this and to do it together makes it all the more special. On our way up here today we once again saw Marg and Nigel from New Zealand. John, they send a special hello to you. As it does most afternoons it has clouded up and is quite breezy. I would guess the temperature to be in the mid 40s. This site was the original Base Camp for climbing Annapurna. The current climbers Base Camp is across the Glacier and higher up. Hopefully we will be able to see it in the morning when it is clear. There are many Memorials here for those that have perished climbing Annapurna. One that I'm familiar with is Anatoli Bourkreev who perished in an avalanche while descending from a successful summit, although it is said that reaching any summit is not successful if one doesn't return. Anatoli was on Everest in 1996 when there were eight deaths. He singlehandedly went out from Camp III and rescued three or four climbers. He wrote a great book about it. I'm a very happy camper.

    Sabin who really looks after Susan 

    The crew is always busy 

    One of many deep glacial gorges

    Huffing and puffing but very happy 

    We're almost there 

    Susan with some of the crew

Saturday, October 7 - Trek to Deurali at 10,240'

Today was a day to gain some altitude, 2,848' to be almost exact. Breakfast was at the usual time of 7:00. Our typical breakfast starts with porridge which we normally add sugar or honey to sweeten it up bit. We either get toast or some variation of fried bread or pancakes. Then some sort of egg dish which is an omelet, a fried or hard boiled egg. At our first stop for a break today an amazing stroke of good fortune occurred. I met Marg and Nigel whom John and I met on the Alps to Ocean bike tour in New Zealand. That gives new meaning to "small world". We lunched at Dobhan under partly cloudy skies. We were supposed to get a table at one of the Teahouses but due to the crowds we were relegated to sitting on a tarp in a grassy area near the end of town. No the most comfortable but oh well. Shortly after starting up after lunch it started to rain. We held off putting on our rain gear but it soon became apparent the we needed to put our jackets on. We gained most of the days altitude after lunch on very steep and rock strewn trail. Susan did much better today as it was much cooler and she is learning to establish a slow pace and just keep trucking. We were able to get out of the rain for a break at Hinku Cave which is a very large rock overhang. There were probably 40 people sheltering there. Just before camp we crossed a large avalanche chute. It was still mostly ice. 

Susan's take on the day.

Today's trail was my favorite kind of trail, a river and always a water fall to see. Lots of ferns,Bamboo,moss native flowers. I failed to mention in my last two entries the many suspended bridges, one so rickety that only one person at a time was allowed on it! Most are steel and quite sturdy. Some are very long and very high. The trail was very crowded, many  Koreans. The litter is everywhere. Best part about the day, was no sun. I did much better without the heat. Ed and Paul are unanimous that this trek is much harder than Everest Base Camp. Had he known, Ed says he would really have questioned my ability to do this. But here I am, slow but feeling good about my efforts so far! Worst part of day, Leeches, 1/2 to 1 inch long,skinny creatures that impale themselves and feast on your blood. Very gross. I watched one go right through my pants today. Other than everything being wet and smelling like mildew, it is a small price to pay for the privilege of being in these mountains.

    Fishtail 

    Two of many waterfalls we've seen

Wednesday thru Friday, October 4-6

Wednesday- Trek to Landruk at 5,248'

We were up at the usual time of 6:00 with hot tea followed by washing water about 10 minutes later. We have to have everything packed and ready for the Porters by 7:00 which is when breakfast is served. We had our first good view of Annapurna South as we got up. We hit the trail at 8:00 and walked through a rhododendron forest and several small villages. We had lunch at Tolka and then followed Avery bad road to Landruk. We actually lost elevation today. Total hiking time was about six hours. Our campsite was very nice although the trip to the toilet tent was a bit hairy. The typical routine when arriving in camp is to get our gear in the tent which is already set up. Washing water is brought to each tent shortly after arrival and we clean up the best we can. We have tea and crackers around 4:30 and dinner is served at 6:00. We are usually in bed by 8:00 after reading for a short time.

Thursday- Trek to Chhomrong at 6,944'

Today's trek was billed as one of our toughest days and it sure lived up to its billing. From Landruk we descended to New Bridge at 4,288' where we crossed the Modi Khola River. The descent was through meadows and forest. There were many stairs which were really hard on my knees. We had lunch at Jhinudanda and then the work really began as we climbed to Chhomrong. Susan really toughed it out as the stairs were crazy hard. I paced as best as I could which really helped. We had low clouds most of the days so our views were limited. We had another great campsite with real toilets.

Susan's turn

We are very happy to be out of the city. It was like nothing I can describe.

The mountains are stunning and grow taller the closer we get! Indeed, today was the most difficult climb,by far, that I have ever done. The heat and humidity do me in but Ed got me up the mountain by dumping cold water over my head every chance we had and making me walk very slowly. I sleep well! There are many flowers along the way, some wild and some very common to us all. Several beautiful waterfalls along the way. I never realized we would be in the tropics.

Friday - Trek to Bamboo at 6,816'

We woke this morning to crystal clear skies and an amazing view of Annapurna South and Macahhapuchhre (also known as Fishtail). We didn't even have to get out of the tent. Don't let the little change of elevation fool you as today's trek was tough. We first descended to the Chhomrong River losing around 1,500' of elevation all of it on rock stairs. We then ascended to Sinuwa at 7,552' most of it on rock stairs. We were in direct sunlight virtually the entire time and we were sure glad to get there where we stopped for lunch. It was a much needed break. After lunch we had only a two hour trek to Bamboo through mostly forest. We decided to forego washing water and paid 400 rupees ($4) for a shower. We are awaiting dinner and the cloud cover is very low.

Susan's turn 

Going down is very hard on Ed's knees,he prefers to go up where as I struggle going up. I am mad and sad at the amount of litter on this spectacular trails. It is disgusting. There seem to be very few Americans on the trail, almost all Europeans and Asians. We pass many villages in a day, all remote and subsistence living. A few of the children have been quite aggressive about asking for money. Our guide has asked us not to indulge these activities. Many water buffalo on the trail, long trains of mules carrying loads and stray dogs everywhere and amazingly they all look alike! The porters carry extraordinary loads, some weighing more than they appear to weight themselves. It all is amazing. Looking forward to cooler weather. What an experience, except for the bathrooms!

    Happy campers 

    Quite a load

    Camp

    Annapurna South from the tent

    With our guide Sanjay 

Tuesday, October 10 - Australian Camp

We got a 5:30 wake up call for breakfast at 6:00. We were picked up at 6:45 for the 20 minute trip to the airport for our 8:15 flight to Pokhara. The airport was a madhouse as has been the case each time I've flown in or out of Kathmandu. The flight to Pokhara is a short one at 25 minutes. The views of the mountains from the right side of the plane were great. Fortunately Susan had a window seat on the side and was smiling all the way.

The five of us were bused a short distance to a permanent World Expeditions camp where we had a couple of hours of free time before lunch and a one hour bus ride over very bad roads to the small hamlet of Kande. This is where we finally began our trek. We hiked uphill for two hours and I would guess we covered about three miles. The "trail" was mostly rock stairs with risers ranging from 3" to 18". It was warm and very humid and I did my trail name proud. We were in the clouds most of the hike so the views were very limited.

We arrived mid afternoon and the tents were already set up for us. We had tea and crackers and met the support team. There are 18 support personnel for the five of us. Amazing.

We started the day at 2,700' in elevation and are now at 6,592'. Our hike gained just over 1,000'

    Bamboo swing 

    Our crew

    Latrine

    Our camp

Monday, October 2 - Kathmandu

We both slept well last night and were down for the buffet breakfast at 7:00. Paul and Brian were waiting for us. 

At 9:00 we boarded a bus for a tour of the city. I had assumed it would be the same tour that Paul and I took in 2012 but it was not. We only made two stops. The first was at a large Hindu complex and Temple and the second was at a large Buddhist Stupa and associated complex.

Paul and I had driven past the Hindu complex many times during out last two visits but had not had the opportunity to enter it. The complex straddles a river(sorry but I can't remember the name) which is considered a sacred river. The river was very muddy and dirty. In the Hindu religion, within twenty four hours of death the deceased is cremated in a funeral pyre and the ashes are scattered in the river. There were several funeral services in process along with three or four pyres while we were there. I have never witnessed anything quite like it. It felt a little odd taking pictures.

We then drove through the crazy Kathmandu traffic to the Buddhist Stupa. This is the second largest Stupa in the world, the largest being in Myanmar. There were many Prayer Wheels and Prayer Flags surrounding the Stupa. This is a World Heritage site. There were also many shops of many kinds in the area. 

We leave early tomorrow morning for the short flight to Pokhara which is the second largest city in Nepal. From there we take a two hour bus ride to our first campsite and the start of our trek. We are all ready to leave the city.

    Funeral services 

    Susan with some Hindu friends 

    In front of the Stupa

    Shops around the Stupa

Sunday, October 1 - Kathmandu, Nepal

Another great adventure unfolds.

It is now 3:15 PM Sunday here in Kathmandu and we are nearly recovered from the long journey to get here. Susan and I are here with our great friend Paul Bucca and his son from Denver, Brian.

We were up at 4:00 AM on Thursday to catch a cab at 4:30 from our town house to the airport. We took a 6:00 AM one hour flight to Portland. After an hour and a half layover we took a two hour flight to Los Angles. After a fourteen hour layover (that's not a misprint) we took a fourteen and one half hour flight to Guangzhou, China crossing the International Dateline somewhere in the Pacific. After a three hour layover we took a four and one half hour flight to Kathmandu arriving here around 11:00 AM Saturday the 30th. It took about three hours to get through Customs collect our luggage and arrive at the Radisson Hotel. 

We were introduced to our guide for the trek to Annapurna Base Camp, Sanje and went with out luggage to our rooms. We were exhausted but were determined not to sleep until after dinner. After a quick shower the four of us went for a beer. We then had a two hour wait until dinner and Susan and I succumbed to temptation and took a 90 minute nap. The four of us had the buffet dinner at the Radisson and went to bed. Finally!

We met for the hotel's buffet breakfast at 8:00 and then headed out to Thamel which is the tourist shopping district in Kathmandu. The area is very hard to describe with its very narrow streets filled with tourists, cars and motorbikes. There are hundreds of small mom and pop shops selling everything imaginable with the owners standing just outside their shops trying to lure you in. 

We are now beside the hotel swimming pool enjoying a beer before the 5:00 PM trip orientation. We learned yesterday that there is only one other person on this trip with us. All I know at this point is that her name is Karen and she is from the US.

Tomorrow after breakfast we get a guided tour of the city. I'm sure it's the same on Paul and I took in 2012.

    Susan in front of our hotel 

    Thamel street

    Market area in Thamel

    You find the bad wire

    Looking east from the pool deck