My Gap Year

We satrted with two..by Saturday evening we were four as two other volunteers had a week off for school holiday, and by Sunday morning we were 5 as Sarah decided to join us.

By 1pm we had eventually sorted out all of our permits and headed out in the heat. We were all a little shocked as the taxi driver droped us off and we were faced with steep stone steps that seemed to go on forever. It was extreamly hot and we had a lot of catching up to do because of our late start. James’ story of the purple princess kept us going, although laughing throughout a one and half hour story while out of breath was very difficult. As the thunder and rain came in we stopped for a mo-mo break! And then carreid on till nearly 7pm. Our first stop was a tinny place called Tolka, made up of about three small guest houses. Here our group became 6 as we met an American man who joined us.

On Monday we had an early start and the whole day marced up and down steep stone steps. Realising there seemed to be a pattern to the weather we stopped for lunch in perfect timing just as the heavens opened, and crossed the last valley after our Mo-mos. Reaching Sinuwa at a more reasonable time of 5pm. Tonight our group had the lodage to ourselves.

Another early start and a much nicer path…alot of down hill, although this was not always so nice as you knew what you went down you would only have to go back up! We were beging to be able to se the mountains more clearly as we crossed jungel like paths. Again our lunch stop was right on que, although the rain and hail did not stop, so for the first time the waterproffs  went on. Totaly unplanned  the two of us had matching outfits and rucksack covers, after the restof the group and finished laughing at us we moved on through the rain. The rain soon turned to snow and the path was very slippery butwe reached Deorali in good time, another comfy lodge.

With only three and a half hours of walking to do today we slept in! So when we headed off in the fresh snow there were some footprints ahead to follow. By mid morning we reached Machapuchre base camp, there were increible views down the valley and of the mountain nick named fish tale. As there weather began to close in we carried on up to Annapurna base camp, and arrived in time for lunch despite the snow being knee deep in places. We picked a lodge and joined the other trekkers in the dinning hall for lots of games of cards, avoiding the blizzard outside. The best invention of the lodges is the whole in the ground underneath the table with a cerasine heater in. This warms you up and drys out your boots. We shared out the Percy Pigs that we have carried aound and resisted for the last two and half months. The food they create at altitude was pretty impressive…the pizza’s cost just 3 pounds and you would see the porters carrying the food up the mountain on their head and practicaly running up somtimes just wearing flip flops.

We woke up early to see the sunrise but unfortuanatly its was a bit cloudy so we hung around waiting for it to clear, passing the time with a snowball fight. The view became a little better, but the top of Annapurna (the 10th highest mountain in the world) was still covered in clouds. At ten we began the callenge of making it down in two days. We slid down and with James pushing us on made it all the way back to Sinuwa by 7. When all we wanted to do was eat and sleep, the local children came up and sung for us and the guides and porters made us dance. Althogh very painfull on the legs we had a good time and were all given flower necklaces.

Our last day of trekking was possibly the most challenging. For the first part Anna the dog joined us. Then the rain and thunder came in as we batteled up the last stretch of steep stone steps. After lunch we carried on down, we came to a larger village called Ghandruk. As we entered we were faced by an army of young children, who were covered head to foot in red paint (beacause of the Holi colour festival). Each of us were given a tika on our forehead and we moved on only to get round the corned to meet a larger army of older boys who covered our faces in the red powder. This carried on for the rest of the afternoon, we were even given our own bag to throw at each other and the other trekkers coming up (though they didn’t sem so keen to join in). Some children would throw water bombs too. Eventualy we made it down just as it was getting dark and pilled in to a Jeep that took us back to our hotel.

So we proved that it is posible to reach ABC and return in 5 and a half days rather than the 7-12 that trekking companies advertise. There is no need for a guide…just take a map or ask the locals along the way. We all and alot of fun and spent the entire time laughing!

Before heading back to Katmandu on Sunday we spent Saturday relaxing taking a rickety wooded boat out on the lake in Pokhara. There was a lack of wind and we managed to lose one of our ores. All the same we all ahd a good time despite not making it back dry!

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