Day 5 – Koto to DharamshalaSaturday, November 7th
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Elevation: 3200m
(Christine) Today we left the main Annapurna circuit and headed north towards the Nar and Phoo region. We are told there are not many trekkers in this region and the villages are more traditional in nature instead of catering to westerners with tea houses and stores. (Left - The gates into the Nar & Phoo Region)
The trail today wound its way alongside a raging river towards Singenge Dharamshala, where we made our camp for the night at 3200 meters. The trail was an impressive feat in itself, often etched out of the cliff faces with the river rushing many feet below. (Right - Pathways etched into cliff faces).
The terrain has definitely changed to sub alpine and I imagine in the next day or two we will be above the tree line. The plants remind of BC in the fall, the pines, ferns and some deciduous trees. Perhaps the oddest thing is the bamboo which grows in amongst all the foliage.
The highlight of the day was when we came across a sign that said “Hot Springs” with an arrow pointing down a side trail. A few of us decided to follow the sign and were delighted to find an extremely hot, stinky trickle of water coming out of some rocks and running into the river. Sharon, Robin and I removed our shoes and socks and soaked our feet while the Sherpas excitedly explored a small nearby cave. The water was near boiling at the point it emerged so we had to sit near to the river so the hot would mix with the cold and would be bearable. It was very relaxing. (Left - The Sherpas exploring the nearby cave).
The other highlight was a huge waterfall where the trail was etched into the cliff face directly behind the waterfall. It was just like the movie “Last of the Mohicans” (minus the part were you jump into the waterfall to escape people hunting you). (Right - The waterfall we passed behind).
The weather is definitely chillier now, and I have taken to wearing my long johns under my trekking pants. Little did I know at this time, that I would wear the long johns for the next two weeks straight! Hovan is still in shorts of course as he overheats pretty easily and rarely gets cold.
For eating lunch and dinner we are provided with a table, chairs and a mess tent. This is extremely luxurious and the tent is great as it keeps out the wind and it is actually quite warm when you stuff in 11 people, some candles and delicious food.
Mick has indicated that tomorrow may be “the best trekking day ever” and so it is off to bed early in preparation for another great day ahead.
Day 6 – Dharamshala to Kyang
Sunday, November 8th
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Elevation: 3820m
(Hovan) Today we continued our journey up the Nar and Phoo valley, off the beaten track and well away from the Annapurna circuit. The trail is significantly more difficult and above the tree line. Along the way we passed a lot of chortens and other Buddhist prayer flags. (Right - the way to Phoo).
The area has a lot of history and we passed by a couple of Tibetan settlements that have long since been abandoned. Apparently some Tibetans were based in the valley and launching successful attacks against the Chinese in Tibet. The Chinese lobbied the Nepalese government to relocate the Tibetans to the other end of Nepal. It seems sad to walk past the abandoned villages. (Left - Old Tibetan settlements).
We passed along another village that is empty in the summer and full of people from Nar in the winter. It is only a 3 hour walk from Nar, but it functions as a slightly warmer, slightly less snowy location at 3500 meters. We ended our day trekking into the winter village of Phoo, about three hours from the actual village of Phoo. The winter location is called Kyang and sits on this beautiful plateau above a huge steep valley and below some spectacular mountains.
Above - Our camp in the village of Kyang
The day held some difficult trekking and elevation gains and losses. A number of us experienced some mild headaches due to the overall elevation gain. All in all the group is doing excellent in relation to altitude sickness because our guide Mick has been doing a great job of making sure we don’t gain too much altitude, too fast.
Day 7 – Rest Day at Kyang
Monday, November 9th
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Elevation: 3820m
(Hovan) We finally found a day that was classified as a rest day, but apparently that means a "small" acclimatization hike, since we have nothing better to do. It was another beautiful day and the extra time at this incredibly picturesque location seemed like a good idea to everyone. The porters and cook staff were also really happy that they didn't need to carry anything today.
Another bonus to the rest day is that we got to sleep in, which meant that our tea/coffee and hot water washing bowls didn't arrive until 7 am. After breakfast we set out for a 3 hour jaunt up several hundred metres. The elevation gain helps to prepare us as we go higher into the mountains and the air gets much thinner. The walk was not all that difficult, made easier because we could all leave our backpacks at the tent and travel extra light. We hiked up for a couple of hours and then took a break on the slopes. Our positioning was perfect to allow us to watch an icy waterfall break apart as the sun warmed the recently frozen water. Huge chunks of ice would break off the rock face and shatter at the bottom. We spent almost an hour relaxing and watching before heading up to a ridge top with a view and wandering back down. Just before we reached the camp we stumbled across a herd of blue sheep in short brush. We didn't realize how close we were until they bolted up the mountainside, making me envious that I couldn't trek with the same ease and grace. (Left - Ice fall).
The afternoon was spent leisurely chatting, playing games, reading and doing generally as little as physically possible. Christine and I did make a foray into the only restaurant in the village that was open with early arrivals from Phoo. We were looking to get something to drink and it turned out they actually had some Coke. Each bottle cost 200 Rupees, which is about 4 times the price in Kathmandu and about $2.50. This is actually a phenomenal deal considering that it has to be hiked in as far as we did since there are no road systems and Coke is luxury item that is really heavy. It just goes to show that you can get Coke in pretty much the most remote areas of the world, and man was it good. (Right - Rock roof in the village of Kyang).
Day 8 – Kyang to Phoo
Tuesday, November 10th
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Elevation: 4200m
(Christine) Today was a relatively easy three hour walk up a rocky, narrow valley to the village of Phoo. The weather is definitely getting colder as I wore my down jacket for the first hour and a half in the morning. Parts of the trail were exposed, etched out of the mountainsides, hundreds of years old, but wide enough to be safe. We could feel the effects of the altitude as we climbed through the valley short of breath. (Left - Hovan crossing ancient pathways in the mountains).
We approached we passed the gates of Phoo and a beautiful ancient stone structure perched high overlooking the valley. Just past the gates was a Chorten, which is a stone structure usually covered with prayer flags and ancient stone carvings which are prayers. It is customary to pass these on the left hand side as the belief is by doing this with good intention, you are respecting the prayers and intentions of the people there before you. (Right - Ancient stone carvings).
Entering into the region of Phoo was like walking back in time. In this remote Himalayan area there is no electricity or running water. There are no trees and only low shrubs on the surrounding rocky hillsides. We saw a woman who had walked hours into the valley behind us to gather firewood to ward off the cold. Phoo is built on the side of a mountain and is capped with prayer flags. Yaks are kept in the lower part of a house as the heat from the animal is used to heat the house above. Life is extremely simple in Phoo. There is one satellite phone for the entire village of 250, and this is a relatively new addition. (Left - Behind the donkey you can see the village of Phoo).
As we enter these more remote areas, there are no longer toilet facilities for us to use, so the Sherpas have taken to digging holes and erecting tents over the holes. These tents are a small step up from the squatty potties.
After another delicious lunch, a few of us headed up for a 45 minute hike to the local monastery which sits atop a hill nearby. It was quite the climb, but worth it as we crested the hilltop we were blessed to see thousands of prayer flags flapping in the wind and chortens dotting the hilltop. We met the local monks up there who happily showed us around. They took us through the monastery and showed us 400 year old scripts that held the history of the Monastery. It would be a fascinating read as no ones really seems to know the history of Phoo and each person you ask will tell you a different story. The monks are the only ones who can read the scripts, even our Buddhist Sherpa Dawa was unable to read them. (Right - Chortens at the Monastery in Phoo).
Looking across at the mountainside from the monastery, we could see an ancient pathway etched into the mountainside. We all agreed that you’d have to be completely nuts to hike on those trails as they are extremely exposed, windy and wind along mountain cliff faces. In places the trail seemed to disappear completely into cliff faces and rock screes. Little did I know that day that the very path I was looking at would be part of my story the next day.
Stay tuned for Part IV....
See more Part III pictures here
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Elevation: 3200m
(Christine) Today we left the main Annapurna circuit and headed north towards the Nar and Phoo region. We are told there are not many trekkers in this region and the villages are more traditional in nature instead of catering to westerners with tea houses and stores. (Left - The gates into the Nar & Phoo Region)
The trail today wound its way alongside a raging river towards Singenge Dharamshala, where we made our camp for the night at 3200 meters. The trail was an impressive feat in itself, often etched out of the cliff faces with the river rushing many feet below. (Right - Pathways etched into cliff faces).The terrain has definitely changed to sub alpine and I imagine in the next day or two we will be above the tree line. The plants remind of BC in the fall, the pines, ferns and some deciduous trees. Perhaps the oddest thing is the bamboo which grows in amongst all the foliage.
The highlight of the day was when we came across a sign that said “Hot Springs” with an arrow pointing down a side trail. A few of us decided to follow the sign and were delighted to find an extremely hot, stinky trickle of water coming out of some rocks and running into the river. Sharon, Robin and I removed our shoes and socks and soaked our feet while the Sherpas excitedly explored a small nearby cave. The water was near boiling at the point it emerged so we had to sit near to the river so the hot would mix with the cold and would be bearable. It was very relaxing. (Left - The Sherpas exploring the nearby cave).
The other highlight was a huge waterfall where the trail was etched into the cliff face directly behind the waterfall. It was just like the movie “Last of the Mohicans” (minus the part were you jump into the waterfall to escape people hunting you). (Right - The waterfall we passed behind).The weather is definitely chillier now, and I have taken to wearing my long johns under my trekking pants. Little did I know at this time, that I would wear the long johns for the next two weeks straight! Hovan is still in shorts of course as he overheats pretty easily and rarely gets cold.
For eating lunch and dinner we are provided with a table, chairs and a mess tent. This is extremely luxurious and the tent is great as it keeps out the wind and it is actually quite warm when you stuff in 11 people, some candles and delicious food.
Mick has indicated that tomorrow may be “the best trekking day ever” and so it is off to bed early in preparation for another great day ahead.
Day 6 – Dharamshala to KyangSunday, November 8th
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Elevation: 3820m
(Hovan) Today we continued our journey up the Nar and Phoo valley, off the beaten track and well away from the Annapurna circuit. The trail is significantly more difficult and above the tree line. Along the way we passed a lot of chortens and other Buddhist prayer flags. (Right - the way to Phoo).
The area has a lot of history and we passed by a couple of Tibetan settlements that have long since been abandoned. Apparently some Tibetans were based in the valley and launching successful attacks against the Chinese in Tibet. The Chinese lobbied the Nepalese government to relocate the Tibetans to the other end of Nepal. It seems sad to walk past the abandoned villages. (Left - Old Tibetan settlements).We passed along another village that is empty in the summer and full of people from Nar in the winter. It is only a 3 hour walk from Nar, but it functions as a slightly warmer, slightly less snowy location at 3500 meters. We ended our day trekking into the winter village of Phoo, about three hours from the actual village of Phoo. The winter location is called Kyang and sits on this beautiful plateau above a huge steep valley and below some spectacular mountains.
Above - Our camp in the village of KyangThe day held some difficult trekking and elevation gains and losses. A number of us experienced some mild headaches due to the overall elevation gain. All in all the group is doing excellent in relation to altitude sickness because our guide Mick has been doing a great job of making sure we don’t gain too much altitude, too fast.
Day 7 – Rest Day at Kyang
Monday, November 9th
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Elevation: 3820m
(Hovan) We finally found a day that was classified as a rest day, but apparently that means a "small" acclimatization hike, since we have nothing better to do. It was another beautiful day and the extra time at this incredibly picturesque location seemed like a good idea to everyone. The porters and cook staff were also really happy that they didn't need to carry anything today.
Another bonus to the rest day is that we got to sleep in, which meant that our tea/coffee and hot water washing bowls didn't arrive until 7 am. After breakfast we set out for a 3 hour jaunt up several hundred metres. The elevation gain helps to prepare us as we go higher into the mountains and the air gets much thinner. The walk was not all that difficult, made easier because we could all leave our backpacks at the tent and travel extra light. We hiked up for a couple of hours and then took a break on the slopes. Our positioning was perfect to allow us to watch an icy waterfall break apart as the sun warmed the recently frozen water. Huge chunks of ice would break off the rock face and shatter at the bottom. We spent almost an hour relaxing and watching before heading up to a ridge top with a view and wandering back down. Just before we reached the camp we stumbled across a herd of blue sheep in short brush. We didn't realize how close we were until they bolted up the mountainside, making me envious that I couldn't trek with the same ease and grace. (Left - Ice fall).
The afternoon was spent leisurely chatting, playing games, reading and doing generally as little as physically possible. Christine and I did make a foray into the only restaurant in the village that was open with early arrivals from Phoo. We were looking to get something to drink and it turned out they actually had some Coke. Each bottle cost 200 Rupees, which is about 4 times the price in Kathmandu and about $2.50. This is actually a phenomenal deal considering that it has to be hiked in as far as we did since there are no road systems and Coke is luxury item that is really heavy. It just goes to show that you can get Coke in pretty much the most remote areas of the world, and man was it good. (Right - Rock roof in the village of Kyang).Day 8 – Kyang to Phoo
Tuesday, November 10th
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Elevation: 4200m
(Christine) Today was a relatively easy three hour walk up a rocky, narrow valley to the village of Phoo. The weather is definitely getting colder as I wore my down jacket for the first hour and a half in the morning. Parts of the trail were exposed, etched out of the mountainsides, hundreds of years old, but wide enough to be safe. We could feel the effects of the altitude as we climbed through the valley short of breath. (Left - Hovan crossing ancient pathways in the mountains).
We approached we passed the gates of Phoo and a beautiful ancient stone structure perched high overlooking the valley. Just past the gates was a Chorten, which is a stone structure usually covered with prayer flags and ancient stone carvings which are prayers. It is customary to pass these on the left hand side as the belief is by doing this with good intention, you are respecting the prayers and intentions of the people there before you. (Right - Ancient stone carvings).
Entering into the region of Phoo was like walking back in time. In this remote Himalayan area there is no electricity or running water. There are no trees and only low shrubs on the surrounding rocky hillsides. We saw a woman who had walked hours into the valley behind us to gather firewood to ward off the cold. Phoo is built on the side of a mountain and is capped with prayer flags. Yaks are kept in the lower part of a house as the heat from the animal is used to heat the house above. Life is extremely simple in Phoo. There is one satellite phone for the entire village of 250, and this is a relatively new addition. (Left - Behind the donkey you can see the village of Phoo).As we enter these more remote areas, there are no longer toilet facilities for us to use, so the Sherpas have taken to digging holes and erecting tents over the holes. These tents are a small step up from the squatty potties.
After another delicious lunch, a few of us headed up for a 45 minute hike to the local monastery which sits atop a hill nearby. It was quite the climb, but worth it as we crested the hilltop we were blessed to see thousands of prayer flags flapping in the wind and chortens dotting the hilltop. We met the local monks up there who happily showed us around. They took us through the monastery and showed us 400 year old scripts that held the history of the Monastery. It would be a fascinating read as no ones really seems to know the history of Phoo and each person you ask will tell you a different story. The monks are the only ones who can read the scripts, even our Buddhist Sherpa Dawa was unable to read them. (Right - Chortens at the Monastery in Phoo).Looking across at the mountainside from the monastery, we could see an ancient pathway etched into the mountainside. We all agreed that you’d have to be completely nuts to hike on those trails as they are extremely exposed, windy and wind along mountain cliff faces. In places the trail seemed to disappear completely into cliff faces and rock screes. Little did I know that day that the very path I was looking at would be part of my story the next day.
Stay tuned for Part IV....
See more Part III pictures here
Guys!!
ReplyDeleteYour blog posts are blowing me away. You guys have done such an awesome job of capturing the trek. I may have to copy this verbatim into my journal that still remains 20 days behind!
Miss you guys tons and can't wait to hear about the rest of your amazing journey.
Hovan, as promised, I watched Saruman bring downt he mountain...under a mountain of Doritos from Costco. In hindsight it may have been a mistake...but in reality it was the greatest 3 hours ever.
Talk soon!
Cheers
Kev