30 January 2010

It Ain't Over Till the Fat Mountain Sings: Nepal Trekking Part II.

We realized that the best way to spend our remaining time in Nepal was to keep trekking. We extended our visas by a couple days and bought new permits to trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary. We were now going to hike into the center of the group of mountains we had been circling in the weeks before. Onward and upward!
Like the beginnings of our first trek, the landscape was filled with terraced rice fields, rolling rivers, and steep hills.
Machhapuchhare, pronounced MA-CHOO-POO-CHREE, is the best mountain in the world. The Annapurna Base Camp, or ABC trek leads you through into the bosom of Machhapuchhare, Annapurna I and Annapurna South. Machhapuchhare means "fish tail" in Nepali.

Kara takes pictures of mating butterflies stuck to one another early on the trek.
This trek walks through many Gurung villages. The Gurung people are another one of Nepal's many ethnic groups. The architecture, clothing and food were all very different from the Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Crossing the river on one of Nepal's old-school bridges.
Kara's feet developed serious blisters. Shortly after this photo was taken, we walked down to some hot springs near where we were stopped for the night in hopes of healing them. The hot spring was really a warm spring, but it was still wonderful to sit quietly and alone, next to the river and under the stars.
We accidentally got off the trail one day and ended up forging through massive boulders on the river banks. It is not something that should be done with large backpacks right before the sun is about to set.
The trail quickly lead us into a surreal forest. It looked like an enchanted forest from a fairytale. Most of the ABC trek is at a much lower altitude than the Annapurna Circuit, therefore the trees are more similar to the forests we were more familiar with from back home.
Something fun and inspiring on this short 1-week trek was that we were usually able to see our final destination. Above you can see Machhapuchhare poking its fish tail from behind the mountains on the right. In the center, you can see Annapurna III, which we had climbed to the base of on its other side just weeks before.
So much up and down. The ABC trek far surpasses the Annapurna Circuit in terms of "sawtooth climbing." On this day, we had to ascend 400 meters before descending 300 meters. Then we ascended again another 1000 meters. After three weeks of trekking already, we were well prepared, yet we were still completely and utterly exhausted after every day. We were in a bit of a time crunch to complete the trek before our visas would run out again, so we had to complete our journey in 6 grueling yet spectacular days. Above, Kara is tuckered out.
A school in the Chhomrong village. Chhomrong is a regional hub. One can find good deals on trail mixes and snacks here. Max and Kara ate Snickers bars consistently throughout their treks and were delighted to find them here for a steal.
The landscape changes quickly as we crossed the tree line.
For the majority of the trek, we followed the raging river up the narrow valley. There are many beautiful rocks that Max was enamored of.
Macchupuchhare peeks through the mist.
We encountered such bizarre and unexpected foliage throughout our walks. This plant was smooth like velvet and Max used it as toilet paper.
The weather had begun to change during this trek. A big monsoon had blown its winds from India while we were in Pokhara. The peaks were blanketed in clouds during most of our walk up and it was freezing cold. We heard from people coming down the mountain that they had barely gotten a glimpse of the notorious Annapurna/Machhapuchhare panorama. We pressed on, hoping the clouds would clear.
Machhapuchhare Base Camp, or MBC. Just four guesthouses on a barren glacial cliff.
We arrived in the early evening when it was relatively clear. The mountains were covered in a thin veil and the sky behind them was grey. A couple hours later, the real clouds fought their way up the valley and flooded the bowl in which the base camp resides.
The next morning we could see everything. Machhapuchhare waves its tail at 6,993 meters (22,943 feet.)

180 degrees behind us, the sun was just kissing the peaks of mighty Annapurna I and Annapurna South.
We began the walk up to Annapurna Base Camp, the final stop on the ABC trek. The walk takes about an hour. It is difficult to keep moving because the view is so stunning along the way. All around us were breathtaking mountain peaks-- a full circle of the most beautiful mountains we had ever seen.

Kara hangs out on the glacial cliff in front of Annapurna South. It looks close enough to touch. We watched a giant avalanche roll down the mountain into the glacier below. We heard a couple more but could not spot them on this massive chunk of rock and ice.

Click to expand this Hockney panorama.

Nestled in the basin of the range is a gigantic glacier. It may look like a field of dirt, but it is the accumulation of thousands of years of ice build up. On our other trek, we had taken a day trip to a glacier, but didn't realize thats what it was. Glaciers turn out to be very different from the gleaming giant ice cube we had previously imagined. They are impressive and beautiful and give insight into what the world must have been like hundreds of thousands of years ago.

The Annapurna Sanctuary Trek was a magical experience. It was the best possible way to spend our last week in Nepal. Our lungs and hearts were filled with the purest air and love of life.

Kara and Maximilian

4 comments:

rb said...

How wonderful for you to get to trek through this beautiful area. I am glad experience it through the two of you.

Unknown said...

Wonderful, wonderful and yet again wonderful! I quote of course, James Joyce on a different subject, but I am sure you will forgive me. These last entries are so gorgeous (literally and figuratively) and such an education to those of us who are following you. I love seeing where my necklaces came from too! Thank you!

オテモヤン said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek said...

ABC trek is one of the best trek for superb view relatively in low altitude comparing to other trek in Nepal