Teaching done, all 15 of us met up in Pokhara on March 31 to prepare for a then go on the safari portion of the trip. The year it's a trek up to Annapurna Base Camp.
The Annapurna range is comprised of four peaks; Annapurna I was the first peak above 8000m to be summitted, in 1950. The trek to base camp is known as the Annapurna Sanctuary, as the Annapurnas have a few other mountains around them so the only way there is to walk along a valley, up into the mountains.
Caitlin, Kirsten, Amy and I left Laxmi on the 6am bus that morning. We were ready to go by 5:30, and so had 20 mins to sit on the roof and reflect on the past 3 months. It was the perfect way to end our time there.
In Pokhara that night we celebrated Pippa's birthday, and the next day headed to the Immigration Office to extend our Nepali visas, which were set to expire on April 4. The pre-trekking brief was that evening, and we headed out the next morning, April 2.
As far as trekking goes we were a huge group. 16 people (15 volunteers plus Gaurav), plus three guides and seven porters. Everyday we ate lunch all together and slept at the same lodge. When walking we spread out into various smaller groups based on how fast you wanted to walk that day.
The days were all pretty much the same, with a few things that changed it up a little. The scenery changed too, going from green fields to being above the treeline with only rocks and mountain goats around. - on a side note, apparently Himalayan tar, or mountain goat, are fascinating to see. There were several times when about 6-8 men were standing in a group all pointing in the same direction, trying to show each other where the goat was. Quite amusing for those of us watching. Probably more amusing than the goat itself! - We were up for breakfast around 6:30, and headed out around 7:30-8. Lunch was usually around 11:30, and for me was always dal bhat - easier to make for a large group - There were some really good ones along this trek, among the best I've had.
Because the group spread so much, there was inevitably waiting involved at lunchtime so everyone could eat together. It provided a chance to really sit back a relax after walking all morning, although it did sometimes mean lunch breaks that were as long as the morning walk! The rest was always welcome though. Walking for the day was usually done by about 3:30, so we had the rest of the day to shower and relax. Mostly relax, cold showers aren't that welcome when it's already almost freezing outside.
In terms of walking the days felt mostly the same, but there were a few exceptions. The third morning we were close to a viewpoint called Poon Hill, so at 3:30 (!) am Magnus, Julia and I got up to walk up this hill by moonlight. It was super early, but well worth it once the sun came up. Together with a few of our guides we were the first ones there, and it was pretty magical, albeit cold. We had a perfect view of the Annapurnas, and were able to watch the first rays of sun hit each mountain. They were far enough away to get a good view of the whole range at once, but still close enough they felt like they were almost right there. The only negative thing about the morning was the huge throngs of people that showed up. I swear there must have been about 150 people by the end. It was funny to watch them walk up in full light with torches though, having come up by moonlight ourselves.
The way up to base camp is along a valley, with mountains on both sides, until you eventually reach the end of the valley, and that is base camp. There's a left turn just past Macchapuchhre Base Camp, so by the time you reach ABC the valley itself has been obscured and it feels like you're standing in the middle of a circle of mountains. Really awesome. There wasn't enough space for everyone to stay at either MBC or ABC, so Caitlin, Magnus, Julia and I opted to stay at ABC, while the rest of the group went back down to MBC (about an hour's difference). Staying there that night really made the whole trek worthwhile, as we were able to chat with some other trekkers and watch the sunrise. This one was even better than Poon Hill, as the mountains were so close. If I though I could touch them at Poon Hill it was nothing compared to ABC. They were RIGHT there. In fact, they were so close they almost didn't look real. Weird as that may be.
Fittingly, the sun hit Annapurna I first, and slowly crept over to the others before finally breaking into sight. It did have to rise high enough to be above Macchapucchre to be seen though.
On the way down we stopped at Jhinu, a town close to another river, where a hot springs has been constructed. It was our last full day, of nine, and basking in the warm water next to a raging river with lots of beautiful trees all around was wonderful. To get there we followed a few of the porters down; with no packs on their backs they're FAST, we were practically running to keep up!
The porters along the treks (Annapurna and Everest Base Camp, which I did next) were invaluable. Most are several inches shorter than I am, and small in stature, but are they ever strong. They carry huge heavy loads up and down the trails, and make it look easy. Mules were also used to about halfway to ABC, but from there it was either helicopter ($$$) or humans to get any and all supplies higher. Food, fuel, building materials, you name it, they carry it. On EBC it was yaks instead of mules, and again tons of people.
For us the porters were so invaluable as they carried our large bags. There were 8 porters for 16 people, so Caitlin and I put our stuff in one bag and just carried daysacks. It made a huge difference on the hills.
After 9 days of walking, six up and three down, we finished. A bus picked us up in Naya Pul and drove the hour to Pokhara. Once there everyone split to various guesthouses to prepare for dinner. I didn't realize how dirty I was until I saw Hari and Ed (Hari got acute gastroenteritis halfway up and had to come down early) who were clean. Then I realized just how much of my tan was actually dirt!
After a farewell dinner of dal bhat from the trekking company and some drinks at the bar afterwards (thanks Gaurav!) everyone split into our respective free travel groups and said the first (although we didn't know it at the time) of what would become several goodbyes. The AV planned potion of this trip is over, and now we're on our own!
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