The Annapurna Circuit.

For most Nepalis, trekking is not a sport but rather a part of their daily lives. Most treks do not take place in the untamed wilderness. Even the "less touristy" ones are paths that have linked villages for many years and have only recently been opened for recreational use. The majority of Nepal's population lives in the countryside and trekking is an opportunity to not only experience gorgeous vistas but also interact with and observe how most people of this country live. The natural beauty of Nepal can not be overstated. Home to tallest mountain range in the world, the Nepali Himalaya are epic and enthralling. We decided to trek for about a month, beginning with the classic Annapurna Circuit Trek. The trek begins just a couple of hours away from Nepal's other main city, Pokhara and circumnavigates the peaks of the Annapurna Range in a 220 kilometer circle. It typically takes 18-21 days, but could easily take months as there are numerous side trails and adventures to be had along the way. This trek was a highlight of our entire trip around Asia. We highly encourage anyone who can walk 10 kilometers uphill every day to go for it. Seen above, a Nepali woman walks across a typical suspension bridge in the foothills of the Annapurna.

Yak culture. Yaks are like a cross between a wookie and a cow. They kind of scare us, and Nepalis too. Though from a distance they look like gentle grazers, yaks have crazy eyes and really stare you down. Their fur comes in many colors and patterns and when it grows long, it can develop into dreadlocks. The noises they make sound like martian battle cries. All of this combines to create a rebellious and dangerous image of these highland creatures. Yaks live at high altitudes-- it took almost a week of walking before entering yak territory. Villages with yaks differ in culture than those without. Yak meat, cheese, and fur has long been a vital source of income for these communities. Max would like to point out that yak cheese is very delicious.

Waterfalls everywhere. It was on this trek that we fully came to understand that rivers come from mountains. These walls of rock act like cisterns, collecting and focusing millions of gallons of raindrops and snowfall a year into smaller channels that become rivers. The bigger the mountains, the greater the waterfalls.

Our trek started out deep within a valley. We followed the river deeper and deeper into the foothills. The walls of the valley were so steep that even though we were right next to the mountain peaks, we could not yet see them. A typical day would start out around 7am when we would wake up, pack, and have a light breakfast. We would walk for a couple of hours before stopping, or sometimes not stopping until dinner. Before nightfall we would settle into closest village and grub on some serious daal-baat. Every day for the first 2 weeks, we were ascending, meaning every day where we stopped was higher than where we started. This doesn't mean that we were going uphill the whole time-- usually within the day we would climb, descend, climb, descend, and then re-climb to our final destination. There is no such thing as a straight line in mountainous Nepal.

Kara walks over a suspension bridge. Last time Kara was trekking in Nepal, the bridges were mostly made out of rope and wood. These new steel and cable numbers have only recently begun to appear. Its a good thing.

Maoist propaganda from the Young Communist League of Nepal can be seen written in blue throughout the trek and the country. Slogans are spray painted on boulders, village walls and pretty much anywhere that is write-able.

Terraced rice and wheat fields cover whole mountain sides. We had seen similar terraces in Bali but Nepal's terrace builders took it to the next level, literally. Grain harvesting is labor intensive enough without the added hardship of transporting the grain up and down vertical faces.

Traffic on the trail. Most of this region is unreachable by any other means than walking. All goods, construction materials, and speciality items (such as toilet paper) must be walked in by humans or donkeys. Seen above are porters carrying a relatively light load by Nepali standards. Many tourists hire porters and guides to carry their bags for them throughout the trek. We decided not to though some days we regretted our decision. We saw porters carrying anything from eggs to Ramen noodles, from kayaks to lounge chairs. On one of the most treacherous switchbacks we encountered a man carrying a big-screened TV on his back. He passed both Max and Kara. Porters we spoke with carried loads from 30-80 kilograms, most averaging about 45. Although difficult, it is unskilled labor--competition for jobs is fierce and wages are at an all time low. We believe that once the porters are organized they will have tremendous bargaining power seeing as they are literally the backbone of the Nepali trekking industry.

Kara helps make a traditional Mustang food, Dido at a local kitchen. Dido is made from buckwheat and is like a very thick cream of wheat. Kara couldn't eat it but Max says it was great.

Best plate of daal-baat we ever had. Though daal-baat is Nepal's national cuisine, every region makes it differently. Daal-baat is always "all you can eat", and oh, we ate.

As we climbed further, we began to see peaks poking their white heads out from behind the "hills."

Wolf and Ada! A Finnish/California duo that we met half way through trekking. We immediately took a liking to one another and we joined parties for a couple weeks. They are social activists and artists and itinerant world travelers. Check out them out here. After walking with them for 2 weeks, Wolf and Max realized they knew each other from California State Summer School for the Arts, where they both attended film and drama classes as teenagers.

We were lucky enough to have had excellent weather the whole time. What made the trek so special is that we didn't just get a glimpse of a beautiful view for a couple hours. We would circle a mountain for days, viewing it in awe from every possible angle. We were able to see this mountain for 2 1/2 days and missed it once we began our descent.

Thorong La. After a couple of weeks of walking we reached the literal climax of our trek. At 5,416 meters (17,769ft) this pass is the highest point on the Annapurna circuit. We had spent several days acclimatizing at 3,500m a few days before in Manang, a charming ancient town with spectacular mountain views. While there we had taken a day hike to Milarepa's cave and to the base of Annapurna III--about 4500m (day hikes to higher altitudes are encouraged while acclimatizing) . Even so, by the morning of our final assault -er- ascent, we were still feeling minor symptoms of AMS (acute mountain sickness.) The pass must be crossed in a single day of hiking as there is no accommodation and it is dangerous to sleep at such high altitude if you aren't adjusted to it. The day begins with a vertical kilometer of switchbacks in the snow and ends with over a kilometer and a half of descent. We began early but not early enough. Kara started to show signs of AMS very early on; each breath of air was like a sharp knife in her chest. Her steps were slow and labored for many hours. Max started to feel dizzy and was very much aware that his body was not getting the oxygen that it needed. During the climb down, we both vomited in the snow, together. The views were so spectacular but it was difficult to enjoy them because our bodies were so strained. When we arrived at the pass, instead of resting and enjoying our position in between the gorgeous snow capped peaks, we took a victory photo and got out of there as quickly as possible. It took us about 9 hours to get up and over. It was the most physically challenging thing we have done on this trip, maybe ever. Both Kara and Max want to do the circuit again and have a better experience on Thorong La. We will conquer you again, you scary big mountain pass. From Left: Ada, Max, random Nepali dude porter helping Kara, Kara, and Cody. (Photo by Wolf Price: www.wanderwolf.com )

Wolf looks out towards the Mustang Valley upon crossing the pass.

After the pass, the rest of the walk was a nice gradual downhill for about a week. The Indian government has recently sponsored the building of a road to Muktinath, the first main town after the pass. Muktinath is a Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site that draws thousands of Indian and domestic tourists to the Himalaya every year. Even though this road is fairly traffic free, the occasional jeep is enough to seriously alter the trekking experience. We feel that roads are a positive development for rural communities and are necessary for progress. Without these roads, the villages would remain isolated just as they have for centuries without modern medicine, education, and information. Once we reached the road, we started to see more tractors, solar ovens and other industrial products that greatly ease the backbreaking human labor of these communities. Though it is disruptive to the trekker's idyllic Shangri-La mind-scape, it is unjust to expect a whole population to live as a kind of year-round Renaissance fair for tourists to take pictures of. The Nepali Tourism Board walks a fine line trying to encourage development while maintaining this area as a "cultural" and environmental conservation area. (Photo by Wolf Price:www.wanderwolf.com)

Wolf, Ada, Max, and a bus traverse this bumpy path.

The native culture on both sides of the pass are very distinct. On the Muktinath side, the communities largely consist of the Mustang people. Their heritage, language, and dress is more similar to Tibetans than Nepalis and the Nepali government prohibits tourists from going further into the Mustang region without special pricey permits. Again, another way that we believe the government pimps out their ethnic minorities and stunts their development for tourists looking for cultural conquest. We desperately wanted to go to the Mustang region as it is fabled to be the most beautiful in Nepal-- perhaps when the price of admission is lowered we will get there. Blog followers may notice a similarity to the buildings of Kaza, India as both these groups have deep Tibetan roots.

Looking North up the valley.

Our favorite night activity was looking at how far we walked every day, then meticulously planning how far we would walk the next day, where we would have lunch and contingency plans. (Photo by Wolf Price: www.wanderwolf.com)

Seeing the same mountains from the other side was rewarding and continued to amaze us.

Walking to Marpha, home of the best apples in the world.

Young Communist League (YCL) propaganda can be seen on the gateway of this town.

Kara washes her hair while we stop for our lunch of daal-baat. Along the three week Annapurna Circut trek we probably bathed about 5 times. Kara took this rare opportunity to wash herself while the sun was still shining so her hair wouldn't freeze to her scalp. Right after this picture was taken, we watched a funeral procession and the burning of a local man's corpse on the banks of the river in front of us. It was powerful and holy. It was the third time that Max had watched a funeral procession while eating.

Free the Pig! We did.

We loved our trek around the Annapurna Circuit so much. It was visually mind-blowing, physically challenging and culturally informative. The last few days we walked on the trail were bittersweet; leaving the mountains that had become our home was difficult. But all good things must come to an end and our visa was going to expire soon. We decided to say goodbye to the mountains and head back to Pokhara to pick up our things. Then we would determine how to spend the last week in Nepal. We're glad that we picked the Annapurna Circuit. At first we were nervous because it is the most popular trek in the country, however after walking it, we know why. It is one experience from our trip that we are certainly looking forward to repeating.

Yak On,

Kara and Max