Nepal, Annapurna Circuit – Hiking High in The Himalayas

When we got off the bus in Besi Sahar, the starting point for the Annapurna Circuit, we were completely unaware of what lay ahead. Sure, we had done ample research and planning but in the end, you can’t be prepared for a journey so epic. We checked in to a great little hotel, planned our route for the next day and went to sleep.

When we awoke the next morning at 6:30am and officially began the trek, the sky was hazy, the thermometer read 15 degrees celsius, butterflies danced in our peripheral and the sub-tropical climate sustained all sorts of jungle flora and fauna around us. This was all to change drastically as we gained altitude over the course of the next 13 days. We screwed together our hiking poles, strapped on our small backpacks, tied up our shoes and headed off into the terrific unknown.

Checking out the map to figure out our trekking plans. Besi Sahar, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Starting the Annapurna Circuit trek at Besi Sahar, Nepal

Although we mostly followed a “road” for the first three days, it was a lot more like a dirt path with the odd jeep on it and actually boasted some stunning views. lots of people skip the first couple days of the trek and take a jeep ideal up to the village of Bhulbule, but we were glad we didn’t. The slow, meandering path followed the river at the bottom of the ­­­­valley and foreshadowed the appeal of what lay ahead.

Every once in a while we would get a look of the enormous 8000 meter plus peaks of the Himalayas jutting out above the jungle clad hilltops. It didn’t take long for us to realise that this was going to end up on our list of all time best travel experiences. The low lying valleys were like a shangri-la of mountain scenery. The fog made it hard to see the distant Himalayas, but anywhere we looked there were mesmerizing waterfalls cascading off of cliffs hundreds of meters above us. tiny mountain villages, cut off from the outside world until recent road construction, clung to the hillsides like hornets nests.

We transversed some very rickety bridges that spanned 50 meters high over the rushing river below; a powerful gush which cut its way through the landscape forming watery capillaries through an otherwise impenetrable fortress of rocky cliffs and dense jungle overgrowth. At one point we came over a hill to see a massive make-shift bamboo swing at the foot of a enormous waterfall. We stopped for a snack and a few swings before carrying on to our first village of Ngadi. Ngadi was a serene place, green and lush with a great warm year round climate. Our first room was as basic as they come but after hiking for 6 hours we were delighted to just kick back and take pleasure in a dal bhat (typical Nepali all-you-can-eat lentil dish).

One of the lots of rickety bridges on the way to Bhulbule Village, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Local people along the Annapurna Circuit Trek, Nepal
Taking a break from trekking on a enormous bamboo swing with cascading waterfall in the background. Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
For the first few days a thick fog enveloped the valley but no amount of moisture in the air could take away from the spectacular scenery. Our bodies showed some signs of shock and fatigue, punishing us with sore legs and minor blisters on our feet. but our feet carried us forward. We walked through so lots of different terrains: dirt paths, jungle, rivers, rocks, bridges and dirt roads. eventually we entered some of the most picturesque villages we’ve seen, each one fringed by a jaw dropping amphitheatre of rice terraces that stretched for kilometers in every direction. Farmers harvested their grain, stopping the arduous work only to offer us a happy smile and a friendly “Namaste” as we walked by (peaceful Nepali greeting).

Local man harvesting rice. Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
The third day was my birthday and the terrific God Surya (Hindu sun God) wished me a delighted one with clear blue skies and views of the distant snow-capped peaks. It was also a very tough day, our first really hard day of the trek. We climbed 600 meters upward passing by some of the most excellent waterfalls we’ve ever seen. We finally left the drivable road behind and any jeeps we may have seen on the first 2 days were replaced by donkeys, who sauntered up and down the paths carrying anything from building supplies to weary (and lazy) trekkers.

We were huffing and puffing up the final stretch of rock cut stairs, really feeling the burn in our legs, when 6 Nepali porters passed us carrying a cell phone tower weighing nearly 500 lbs! They had the enormous maker strapped to bamboo and strung over their shoulders. only 4 could carry it at the same time so the other 2 were on a break carrying the cables.Most of them were shoeless, yet they climbed down the treacherously steep cliffside with the agility of mountain goats. Our sighs and complaints relinquished themselves as the group of 5 foot tall smiling men passed us by. We were to see hundreds of these porters on the trek. These men, with the hardest job in the world, transverse Nepal’s a lot of treacherous landscapes to deliver precious goods to a world otherwise cut off from the outside world. a lot of porters we saw were carrying an astonishing number of backpacks or boxes, but none were carrying such a heavy load as these 6 men.

Beautiful waterfalls crashing down the mountainside. Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Donkeys sauntering over a bridge, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Trekking the Annapurna Circuit, nearing Tal Village, Nepal

When we finally made it to the top of the steep hill, the sight of Tal village made it all worthwhile. The tiny collection of Tibetan style homes and guesthouses occupies a substantial plain at the foot of some of the highest mountains on Earth. Such a vast, flat, large open space nearly seemed out of place amongst the formidable behemoths of the Annapurna range that towered above us. The mountains of Manaslu, Annapurna 2 and Lamjung Himal imposed themselves aggressively on the backdrop of an impossibly blue sky. Our guesthouse here was at the foot of one of the hundreds of waterfalls that we had seen thus far and we fell asleep to the sound of water crashing into the rocks at the foot of our beds.

Arriving at Tal Village, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Waterfalls behind our guesthouse, Tal Village, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Over the next few days we really started noticing a change in temperature and landscapes. The nights became chillier, the food was less flavourful, the mountain views were a lot more amazing, and the vegetation slowly thinned out. We passed lots of wild marijuana plants, their subtle aromas filled the air with the scent of my highschool memories.

Right in the villages the plants grew like… well… weeds, sticking straight out of the path at some points. We had no choice but to indulge in the Himalayan delighted plant and surprisingly it wasn’t bad! Or maybe it seemed good because it has been so long considering that I tried it. Anyway, as we climbed higher, the views of snowcapped peaks slowly opened up and around day 5 they completely dominated the sky.

We climbed up rocky switchbacks, past herds of sheep, over our 7th suspension bridge and into the village of Chame at 2710 meters above sea level. We met up with a couple a lot more Canadians, Jordan & Susie, and two English girls, and were all forced to purchase warmer clothing as the mercury plummeted to 5 below zero before the sun even set. We stocked up on some yak wool gloves and new fleeces before setting off again the following morning.

Marijuana growing in the wild, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Pretty flowers on the Annapurna trek, Nepal

Our first look of snow-capped mountains, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Very cute Nepalese Boy, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Goats On The road on the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
It was day 6 that we first started feeling the effects of the altitude. The thin dry air chapped my throat and gave me a minor cough, but Dariece found herself becoming dizzy and slightly out of it. We were at about 3000 meters, just before crossing yet another picture best suspension bridge when Dariece needed to rest. She was acting odd and very short on breath so we both started our Diamox pills.

Diamox is an altitude medication, in pill form, that helps to rid the body of harmful carbon, or base, that the body stores in the blood as you get altitude. It does this by causing you to pee out the toxins. So although we felt much better after starting our daily dosage, we also had to stop a lot to ease ourselves, which isn’t so bad when you have such spectacular views.

We came over one hill and were rewarded with one of the best sights of the entire trek. It was generally just a giant, 1500 meter high smooth rock face that stretched for kilometers. The locals call it “Sacred Rock” and claim that the spirits of the deceased have to ascend its slippery slope before entering into the afterlife. It’s no wonder this rock was the basis for such myths; it’s sheer size and appeal could inspire one’s mind to conjure allsorts of stories. As we walked along the path we found it hard to keep our eyes off it, even tripping on stones and tree roots in our distraction.

Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Sacred Rock, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Sacred Rock, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
We tirelessly carried on additionally and with sacred rock behind us, we reached a fork in the road. We knew from our maps that one way was an easy route to lower Pisang, and one a a lot more challenging and a lot more picturesque path to upper Pisang. Recharged, we selected upper Pisang and as we approached the tiny mountain village we knew we made the ideal choice.

The small mud brick homes clung to the side of the cliff, proudly looking down at the valley below. Fences made from tree branches kept the villagers livestock close to their captivating little homes, each one with its wood-fire chimney billowing a small puff of smoke into the sky. children laughed and played, waving as we passed them on our way to the top of the village where the guesthouses were. The room was very basic with a mattress as thin as chapatti, but it boasted some astounding views of the mountains.

A combination of altitude and exhaustion left me immobile in bed for a couple hours. Dariece made a decision to go check out a monastery at the top of the hill and found herself at a nightime ceremony. dozens of monks chanted prayers while circling the sensational temple high in mountains, just as they have done for thousands or years. Dariece sat with them and drank warm tea while I was just getting out of bed in our guest house, unaware of the terrific experiences she was having above me. When she came back, we sipped a lot more tea and warmed up by the fire. Dariece told me and some other trekkers about her experiences at the monastery as we enjoyed the sun set over the snow blanketed Annapurna 2, turning its powdered peaks from white, to yellow, to orange, to blue.

The village at upper Pisang, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
The next day we woke up at 6:30am and had a hard time leaving the relative warmth of our sleeping bags, to enter the -5 degree weather on the trail. We passed a tranquil turquoise glacier lake which appeared nestled on the valley floor some 200 meters below us. The valley itself had a Marioland feel reminiscent of Turkey’s Cappadoccia.

We barely had time to warm up when a set of Tibetan prayer wheels welcomed us at the foot of a enormous hill. Rocky switchbacks carved their way up the sheer cliff face to over 300 meters above us. We spun the wheels, said our prayers and started the exhausting hike upwards. surprisingly our legs held out fine, apparently conditioned from a week of straight trekking. We made it to the top where we were greeted by a enormous Gompa (Tibetan temple) which proudly looked down on the path we had just conquered.

The views here were the best yet, the Himalayas appeared pinned to the skies in each direction, so high they seemed to be otherworldly. To put it in perspective for North Americans, the highest of the Rocky Mountains, at 4300 meters, would be absolutely dwarfed by the 8400 meter high Goliaths of Nepal. Their presence commands the sky with such power that even the sun cowers behind their jagged peaks by 4:00 in the afternoon.

Sometimes you can see enormous snowstorms break out near their summits, sending streaks of bitter cold ice and snow high into the atmosphere. At this point in the trek we had reached 3500 meters, the air had become drier and thinner with each meter gained in elevation. In the shade it felt like the dead of winter, but being so close to the sun, its intensity burned the skin as we climbed higher.

Feeling your face scorchi