'Take Cover!' on the Annapurna Circuit

Day 18 - Upper Pisang (3310 m) to Chame 4hrs Teahouse

The legs were no better in the morning and we hobbled to Pisang village, where for the first time we saw Pisang Peak from the bottom of the valley - we hadn't seen it on the route we had taken on the walk in, which was probably a good thing, as it looked intimidating.

We would now be retracing our steps to where the Annapurna and Manaslu circuits joined, but this time against the flow of Annapurna trekking traffic, which would confuse all the Annapurna trekkers.

James was in an extremely bad mood this morning. We needed to have a blazing row to clear the air but Gopal, not sensing the atmosphere, had decided that we needed especially close supervision this morning. In the end we had to insist he let us walk on our own. Once he was out of ear shot we had a massive row mainly based around James's dislike for climbing and the fact that I force him to do it. I quickly decided to change the subject to James's favourite topic of discussion - food and in particular what he was planning on eating when we got to Pokhara.

It was Easter Monday and getting to Chame gave us an opportunity to send an email home. We stayed in the same teahouse as before and watch in great amusement as a completely crazy guide had a conversation with 3 stoned Israelis.

 Me walking into Chame

Day 18 - Chame to Lower Danaque 4 hrs Teahouse

As we were now trekking against the 'traffic' we got a good idea of the main nationalities trekking the Annapurna Circuit. The overwhelming nationality was Israeli. I speculated that this is due to the fact that trekkers do not need to hire a porter or guide and therefore Israelis can walk the whole circuit without actually talking to anybody else, but just my theory. In second place came Germans and in third Koreans. Then there were French, Slovakian, Ukraine, Poles, Japanese and Danes.

We descended through villages where wild strawberry plants were in flower and then the peace was shattered by a series of huge explosions. The noise rattled around the mountains repeating it back to us again and again. It was the sound of blasting for the dogged road building which was creeping up the valley. Still must make the Israelis feel at home.

Goat jam - not for eating.

Dal Bhat power for 12 hours!

Day 19 - Lower Danaque to Syange 8 hrs Teahouse

Gopal was keen to stay in Lower Danaque again and we didn't mind too much as the we had another fantastic meal with chicken curry, but this left for a long, hot day today. We begun the day in sub-tropical forest and the strawberry plants had given way to swathes of cannabis.

The trail was fairly pleasant to Tal but afterwards it became a steep, narrow, dusty path where we had to constantly dodge oncoming locals, trekkers and mule trains. On the other side of the valley the valley side was under full attack from the road builders. The sound of pneumatic drills and generators for hours on end was not what I had in mind for a trekking holiday. We descended to the valley floor and two soldiers barred our way. We protested but soon realised when they crouched behind a boulder that it was probably for our own safety. We copied and after about half an hour several explosions ripped up the valley followed by plumes of dust.

Back down to the tropics

Day 20 - Syange to Bhulbule 5 hrs Hotel in Besi Sahar

Today was actually quite a pleasant walk. The road, in the loosest sense of the word, had been completed here so there was not road building noises. As the road was actually little more than a track there was virtually no traffic on it and the vehicles which had ventured onto it were mostly stuck anyway so we had quite a peaceful walk. It did get very hot and by the time we reached Syange Gopal said that if we didn't get the bus then he'd pay for us to get on it. We then had a very uncomfortable bus journey to Besi Sahar which only got us there 30 mins quicker than if we had walked. And there ended our Manaslu Circuit trek.

If you can't go over and can't go under and get stuck going around then you just have to make the road wider!

The end. James had 4 samosas here and another 4 later on that afternoon.

The Manaslu Circuit - Part 3

Day 10 - Bimtang (3720m) to Tilije (2300m) 7 hrs Good Teahouse

As we left Bimtang the trail soon entered the forest and with the sun warming up the pine needles it smelt a lot better than we did. The rhododendrons gave splashes of colour through the trees, red and white and every shade of pink inbetween together with the occasional liliac.

Our lunch stop was due to be Gho but the little village stretched on and I was hot, hungry and grumpy by the time we stopped at the unsurprisingly named Mt Manaslu Hotel. It did however distinguish itself by having a sign advertising its facilities with not a single spelling mistake. While waiting for lunch I managed to wash my hair for the first time in over a week. We didn't really want to move on but then Team Italia turned up and disrupted the peace as usual so we continued for another hour to Tilije. Although the hotel in Tilije had a lot less charm it did have clean sheets and duvet as well as the first western toilet we had encountered on the trek (although it didn't flush).

That evening it started to rain and this meant more snow in the mountains. Not good for our attempt to climb Pisang Peak. But more troubling that evening was that half of my tooth fell out. I didn't hurt and is thankfully a back one but I'm not too keen on seeing a dentist in Kathmandu.

Day 11 - Tilije (2300m) to The Annapurna Circuit, Dharapani and then Upper Danaque (2210m) 2 hrs Excellent teahouse

The morning dawned clear and even better my tooth wasn't hurting. Today we said goodbye to our porter Nabaraj. He had gained the experience he had needed by joining us on the Manaslu Circuit (although the pass had spooked him and he wasn't keen on guiding on it himself) and was going to return to Kathmandu to find easier and better paid work as a guide. Gopal had found us another porter from one of the camping expeditions. He was called Gakul and looked reliable - or so we thought. As we walked out of Tilije through the apple orchards the clouds began to gather. It wasn't long before it was raining again but our spirits were lifted when we saw the Annapurna Circuit cut into the valley side ahead of us. The Manaslu Circuit finishes along the well traveled Annapurna Circuit and we were looking forward to the prospect of electricty, clean toilets, soft beds, solar showers and a dinner that wasn't Dal Bhat. Besi Sahar, the start of the Annapurna Circuit and finish of the Manaslu Circuit, was another 2 days walk away if we had turned left but we turned right to continue up the Annapurna Circuit. We planned to walk to Upper Pisang from where we would climb Pisang Peak. The difference between the two areas was already striking. Dirty faced, snotty nosed children were replaced by children in school uniforms. Men rode small ponies at a fast trot up the track wide.

Ducking into a colourful teahouse just before the rain became torrential we made a beeline for the menu and started planning what to eat for the day. 40 mins after ordering a pumpkin soup the waiter-cum-kitchen hand-cum-chef returned from the kitchen to report that there was no pumpkin soup. Similarly, later that day, he managed to forget the teabag part of the tea when I ordered a cup of tea.

The rain continued and we watched soggy trekkers plod passed in dripping ponchos and brightly coloured rucksack covers. Gopal headed back down the valley to try to find our second porter and bag containing all our mountaineering equipment.

Today James and I had been together for 9 years (or at least I remembered this) so it was a good day to have a rest/eating day. We ordered a vegetable curry for dinner but when we saw a plump white chicken being apprehended outside and carried through the dining room into the kitchen, oblivious to its fate, we quickly changed our order to chicken curry. It was delicious and the first meat we'd had on the trek.

To finish the Manaslu Circuit it is another 2 day walk to Besi Sahar (or Bhulbule which is closer but a very uncomfortable bus ride to Besi) we would walk this section later and my post can be found here. Many Manaslu trekkers also continue up the Annapurna Circuit, crossing the Thorung La and finishing in Jomsom. For now we would be continuing on to Pisang Peak.

The Manaslu Circuit - Part 2

Day 8 - Samagaon (3530m) to Samdo (3860m) 3 hrs Good teahouse

We were woken up in the morning by Team National Parks of Australia getting out of there tents. Eventually dragging ourselves from our beds and looking out the window we were greeted with clear blue skies and stunning views of Manaslu. Soon the chatter outside was drowned out by the sound of a helicopter. It landed on the other side of the river and a woman from the Italian group was piggy backed out to it and whisked away. A sprained ankle probably but at this distance from the roadhead a helicopter evacuation was needed.

Apart from it being a beautiful day we also found that we had woken up in the year 2068. It was the Nepali New Year and they are a bit ahead of us.

After lots of photos we said our goodbyes to our Aussie trek-mates, as they were spending longer on the trek to do some side trips. We headed out of Samagaon along the muddy trail past an Indian Army team planning on climbing Manaslu itself. Being careful to take it slowly we crossed the Buri Gandaki for the penultimate time and were soon in the little village of Samdo for lunch.

James didn't feel that great in the afternoon so I climbed above Samdo on my own to aid acclimatisation. Samdo is close to the Tibetan border and here the passes to Tibet are still open to local trade. We were staying in the lovely Yak Hotel which had a cosy dinning room. That evening we sat around the stove with Team Europe (x4), Team Poland (x2) and half of the bossy Belgians (Lauren was sick) and chatted and laughed at our cultural differences.

James outside our room in Samagaon, the Australians tents in the foreground and the twin peak of Manaslu in the background.

Day 9 - Samdo (3860m) to Larkya Rest House (4480m) 2 1/2 hrs Resthouse tent

Still praying that the weather would hold we made a gradual ascent this morning through moraines. There was now no solitude on the trail as the many camping groups and their massive teams of porters and cooks all moved towards the one destination. We managed to get ahead of them and arrived at the ramshackled Larkya Resthouse in time to get the more comfortable tents rather than the drafty, half-derelict rooms.

Soon a sea of brightly coloured tents grew around us as the camping groups set up for the night.

James and I did a short acclimatisation walk in the afternoon where James managed to lose his warm hat luckily he had a spare as tomorrow we would have to start before dawn to cross the pass - but only if the weather held.

 Larkya Resthouse

Day 9 - Larkya Resthouse (4480m) to Bimtang (3720m) via the Larkya La (5180m) 7 1/2 hrs Very Basic Teahouse

We were very warm in our tent during the night so it was hard to get out of bed when the alarm went off at 3.30am.

Our head torches lit the way as we followed the trail through moraines and along the side of the glacier. The stars gave way to crystal blue skies with pristine mountain peaks everywhere. We gradually ascended from one false summit to the next.

At high camp we said goodbye to Team Poland who were planning to climb a peak from there. A Japanese team were already camped there. With all the different teams heading across the pass the scene resembled the retreat from Kabul. Keeping a steady, relentless pace, and despite leaving after everyone else (our guide, Gopal, doesn't like early starts), we got to near the front of the pack and could enjoy the mountains in relative peace. Finally the prayer flags which marked the pass at 5180m came into view - cue a lot of photos.

The descent was a lot more rapid, taking a route down some steep snow slopes. The porters, usually so sure on their feet, suddenly struggled in this unfamiliar terrain.

Bimtang looked idyllic from above, surrounded by crystal peaks and on a flat plain with a river running through it. This tiny settlement used to be a prominent trading post with reportedly up to 3000 pack animals in the 1950s. In the 1970s it became a hide out for Tibetan guerrillas. It hadn't seemed to have developed much since and amenities such as toilets were still absent. It was a case of lining myself up with a rock where the least amount of people could see me squat.

James, however, was very pleased with himself as we were the first team into Bimtang, and he announced that the Brits had won gold!

When the sun went behind the mountains we huddled around the fire in the kitchen. The stove had no chimney so the smoke filled the room then filtered through the roof. An Italian guide (Bronze position) who had struck up a relationship with her Nepali guide were also in the kitchen trying to have a quiet moment together.

 

Larkya La, 5180m, the high point on the Manaslu Circuit

The gold winning team, Gopal, James, myself and Nabaraj

Bimtang

Basic teahouse in Bimtang

The Manaslu Circuit - Part 1

Day 1 - Arughat (600m) to Khursane (820m) 6 hrs Basic teahouse. 

The trek begun by following a 4x4 track through Arughat and the rice paddies beyond. On the horizon was the 7000m peak of the Sringi Himal. There was little shade and we soon became hot and bothered. The trail followed the Buri Gandaki, a river which we would be walking beside for the next week. The valley narrowed during the day and we lost the views of the mountains.

Two intrepid trekkers (with silly sun hats) leave Arughat.

Day 2 - Khursane (820m) to Macha Kolna (900m) 5 hrs Good teahouse

Soon after Khursane the valley narrowed further into a gorge and the 4x4 track ended. The trail wound its way along steep forested slopes. The shade was welcome and monkeys could be seen through the undergrowth. The path climbed and dropped along the valley side eventually dropping to the river bed where we followed the sand bars for an hour or so, unprotected from the blazing sun.

In Macha Kolna a newly built teahouse awaited us and a trip to the hot springs in the afternoon was welcome.

Day 3 - Macha Kolna (900m) to Jagat (1410m) 7 hrs Basic teahouse

I felt sick all of today and could only manage a couple of mouthfuls of porridge in the morning. It was our first day of significant ascent (500m) so not a good day to feel ill. After Tatopani, which means hot water, and is named such due to the hot springs, we crossed the Buri Gandaki to its east bank for the first time. Here we got some relief from the sun.

Feeling nauseous and only being able to stomach Coke and a little water I was relieved to reach Jagat and the basic teahouse where we stayed. As I collapsed into bed the wind got up blowing clouds of dust up the valley and banging the bedroom shutters closed. After a rest I managed a light dinner, my first proper meal of the day.

Day 4 - Jagat (1410m) to Dyang (Deng) (1800m) 6hrs Teahouse under construction

Today we saw our first rhododendrons, red ones in the forest. Also plenty of monkeys. Unfortunately the teahouse we stayed in that evening was still being built (not very sympathetically) and was dusty and noisy.

Although I'd felt fine all day I started to feel ill again in the evening and couldn't manage much dinner. I had another virtually sleepless night and had just drifted off when some scrabbling woke me. A mouse had climbed onto my pillow and was watching me but soon ran off when I gave a very girly shriek - James didn't respond.

Day 5 Dyang (1800m) to Namrung (2660m) 6hrs Good teahouse

We had a great day today. I was now fully recovered and we followed the trail through a beautiful pine forest of huge mature pine trees and bamboo. We saw the summit of Manaslu for the first time and the mountain views became more and more spectacular throughout the day. We finished at an excellent, characterful and cosy teahouse, and spent the evening chatting to the 3 Australian park rangers who we had coincided with from the start of our treks and 2 bossy Belgium girls.

Other trekkers on the trail

A word about our guide and porter

So it wasn't just James and I on this trek we had employed a guide and a porter to help us. Gopal our guide was probably the tallest man in Nepal, at well over 6ft, and proved to be extremely strong and steady on his feet. He'd find everything hilarious. For example 'the French Canadians came into the dining room at 2.30am and we all had to get out of bed hahahahaha' ?! All the guides of the independent trekkers would work together to make sure we got a good bed for the night, taking it in turns to go ahead and reserve the rooms. So we were well looked after. Nabaraj was acting as our porter for this trek even though he was a guide. This was because he had not guided on the Manaslu Circuit before and wanted to take the opportunity to learn the route. Each evening he'd take notes on the days walk. He had a more normal Nepali stature and when he walked ahead of us it looked like our huge red bag just had two little legs attached to it.

Nabaraj, Gopal and porter in training, James.

Day 6 - Namrung (2660m) to Samagaon (3530m) 7hrs Basic teahouse

As we climbed today, more and more of the mountains revealed themselves, and the villages became more Tibetan. We left the 3 Aussie park rangers and 2 bossy Belgians at Lho to continue onto Samagaon and as we walked out of the gorge onto a plateau it started to rain. By the time we got to Samagaon it was pouring with thunder and lightening overhead.

Samagaon was a surprisingly large town cowering into the valley out of the elements. The paths were an inch thick in mud and yak poo and it was like stepping back into medieval times.

Our teahouse was pretty basic and we congregated around the fire in the kitchen. We joked about what energy efficiency rating our room would get as we could see light through the walls.

 James unimpressed with the weather

Day 7 - Rest day in Samagoan

It rained all night and in the morning the snowline had almost reached us. The dampness was penetrating and we still hadn't seen the mountains as the mist hung low in the valley. The Aussie park rangers and bossy Belgians had joined us by lunchtime when the rain turned to snow. We huddled closer to the fire in the kitchen. Food was of little comfort as even vegetables were running out and meals could only be described as having traces of vegetables. We had however gained yak's cheese which was delicious.

When the snow eased James and I walked up to the gompa which seemed virtually deserted.

Most worrying of all was the fact that if this weather set in it would be impossible for us to cross the pass and therefore continue on our trek. We hadn't contemplated this situation before we set out and it would be a disaster for our further plans of climbing Pisang Peak which we had already shelled out the hefty permit cost. If the weather continued we'd simply have to turn around and head back.

Samagaon in the rain / snow / slush / mud

The Manaslu Circuit - An Intro

Arughat is the start of the Manaslu trekking circuit, a 16-18 day trek which circumnavigates Manaslu, the world's 8th highest mountain. Until recently this trek was solely a camping trek, involving being completely self sufficient. Camping treks can be quite an expensive and cumbersome way to trek as the amount of porters needed seems to increase exponentially with every trekker. However teahouses have been cropping up so now it is just about possible, if you are in a small group, to complete the circuit as a teahouse trek. Developing fast, the Manaslu circuit is tipped to be the new Annapurna circuit as trekkers are deterred from Annapurna due to all the road building taking place.

Manaslu stands at 8156m and was first climbed by a Japanese team in 1956. It has therefore always been thought of as a Japanese mountain and it continues to have ties with Japan. We saw some sacks of aid in villages marked with 'gift from the Japanese people'. The sacks were clearly quite old and unopened. We wondered if Japan would like them back for the moment!

Although trekking agencies still like to sell the Manaslu circuit as a camping trip it was a blog which first made us aware of the possibility of completing the trek as a basic teahouse trek. As this circuit is developing rapidly, that blog is now quite out of date, so I'll try to write about our experiences to give some more up to date information.

The first consideration when planning a Manaslu trek is that the Manaslu area is currently a restricted zone which requires an extra permit but this is easily acquired in Kathmandu. You are also meant to have a guide but we met a few people who just had porters. To do the trek staying in teahouses I'd recommend a group with a maximum of 4 trekkers (not including guides and porters) as there are some places which currently have very little accommodation. On the accommodation front you have to be prepared for a sometimes very basic standard. The rooms can be bare and sometimes the only food is Dal Bhat - vegetables were scarce and meat nonexistent. However, I think this adds to the experience and we enjoyed sitting in the smokey kitchens watching  family life go on around us. But if you want the same experience go now as it is changing fast.

A few other practical tips are that a 3 season sleeping bag is necessary as well as a thermarest or roll mat as sometimes the beds are very hard and cold. There was electricity in every other village, so charging of cameras etc is possible (sometimes for a small fee) and there is even internet at Samagaon. Simple food supplies like biscuits and noodles can be bought along the circuit but it is best to take your own means of purifying water rather than to rely on bottled water.

In my next installment I'll given a brief description of our trek on the circuit, hopefully for some light entertainment as well as giving some useful information for those wanting to do the trek themselves.