Trek to ABC

ABC is Annapurna Base Camp, and this was the major activity I had planned for Nepal. Of course, you can't exactly go to Nepal and not make some attempt at the Himalayas. I booked a 10-day trip (big mistake, I should have organised it myself, and saved $200. Ah, well, now I know), and left on a Saturday with my guide, Nakul.

I admit I had expected the ascent to ABC to be quite a lot harder. I was badly sick on my first day, and throwing up. I hardly made it to Ghandruk, where we spent the first night. I don't think Nakul quite believed that I wasn't hungover, or that I am normally a fairly strong hiker. After Ghandruk though (and I credit my reaching there largely to the kindly Nepali lodge owner who gave me 2 litres of purified water (I drank 4 in total) as well as a rehydrating salt/vitamin mix when I desperately needed it), I was able to stretch my legs properly, and we ascended to ABC in just three more days, two days ahead of schedule, via nights spent at Chhomrong (the most idyllic mountain village I have ever seen) and Himalaya (a small collection of lodges).

The weather was iffy all the way up, and we got badly soaked on the second day, but mostly managed to avoid the heavy afternoon rains by finishing around 1/2 every day. At ABC I spent a whole day, apparently unusual, since I had a lot of time, and I was hoping for some good sunset views. Nothing doing. I got beautiful views, and pictures, around dawn on both days, but then the mist set in and we were lost in a cloud for the next 18 hours. I got a lot of reading done.

Finally, with 5 days to go, we started to descend. Some other travellers had told me of a lodge in Chhomrong that served delicious chocolate cake, and so we ran down to Chhomrong by 11:30 am (it took us three days to ascend from there), so I could add chocolate cake to both my lunch and dinner.

The next day, still with tons of time on my hands, we walked only about 45 mins to Jhinu, which features a natural hot spring, and is otherwise generally just very pleasant, and I spent the day there.

Finally, I spent the 8th day hiking to Dhampus, from where we would catch a 4x4 the following morning back to Pokhara. And so I finished almost two days early.

The views were stunning, and it was fantastic meeting and talking with the great variety of people on the route, of whom there was not too many. The whole trek, in fact, I felt like I was walking through a massive deserted theme park, or a computer game: lodges at regular and convenient intervals, shopkeepers manning little stalls and all selling the same list of goods at inflated prices, and a massive infrastructure set up for masses of people who simply weren't there. If you don't like crowds on your mountains, as I don't, then this is the perfect time of year to go, though the views are limited and the temperature/humidity stifling at lower altitudes.

Anyhow, pictures after the jump (many):

Macchpuchre (Fish Tail Mountain) from the bus.

And again...

Crossing the first bridge.

Nepali customs have a lot in common with Korea.
Only the body parts which are considered revealing differ.

Some traditional old houses.

There were baby critters of all sorts during the trek.

This poster should be charged with eye rape.

One of the many traditional tea houses we passed through.
They could have designed it based on the Elder Scrolls games.

Fly, tiny birdie.

My room, night one. 

We did not go this way.

After Dr. Horrible unseated him from the ELE, Bad Horse retired to a home in the country.

Room with a view. At this point, of mist.

Lodging in Chhomrong.

The dining hall.

Downstairs.

"You are here: Bamboo"

Nakul, with a pwetty flower.

Checking out the waterfall. Yup, it's water.

Amidst the immense rugged mountains were scattered millions of delicate flowers.

Looking down the valley approaching ABC.

Macchapuchre, looking stern.

View from Macchapuchre Base Camp

Made it! (technically)

Early morning view. 

The sun also rises.

Annapurna Glacier has retreated a kilometre up into the mountains, leaving this ragged scar.
A very clear reminder.

ABC, from above.

Yours truly.

Annapurna South

Some Koreans, framed against the mountain.

The whole group of Koreans, looking far from home.

View from the dining hall, during a brief clear period.

Pre-dawn behind Macchapuchre

View from my window in Chhomrong, part deux.

The cake I ran down the mountain for. It's good.

Water Buffalo, enjoying satellite television.

A well-equipped shoppe.

View from Dhampus.

Bird on a wire.

That's a poppy.

Entrance to the hot springs.

The river in flood.

Left: Raging torrent.
Right: Tranquil hot spring.

The hottest of the springs.

Pouring with rain as I eat my dinner.

The last bridge...

Some falling water.

My friend, Litchi.