The Annapurna Circuit

Thirty-One Days! The entire month of October, covering around 175 miles (that's about like walking from SF to Lake Tahoe!), with nothing and no one else to rely on to get from one place to another but my own two legs. Not a motorized vehicle to be seen (except a small stretch with tractor + motorcyle taxis), nor even a bicycle - Just good, old-fashioned foot power! And these mountains + valleys are indeed made for walking. In fact, a large part of the circuit lies on a historic trade route where up until ONLY 50 years ago wool, salt + turquoise came down from Tibet and grain, rice, cloth, cigarettes + European goods from the south. Someone spent ALOT of time laying down these beautiful stone roads + stairs (of which any landscaper would be envious), as well as the chautaras by wealthy business owners - Stone benches along roads or encircling trees at perfect height for a standing person with pack to rest their load. The fact that this infrastructure, including water stations, wasn't done for tourists, but has only BECOME touristed with the decline of trade lends to your overall sense of "rightness" with it all. The sense of "belonging" in the scene, not just being an observer.

There ARE modern conveniences - Electricity, though sporadic; Solar hot showers; Indoor squat toilets; Cold beer, though we opted for the local wine/Rak shi; Western fare - But, even having NONE of the above beats the comforts of what we'd be doing trekking at home. First, you're sleeping on the ground in tents, and second, you can reasonably only carry enough food for up to 2 weeks. Here, even in the most RUSTIC lodge you're GUARANTEED a padded bed with plenty of blankets in your OWN room, and sometimes even with an ASTOUNDING view from your BED! Not only that - Villages and/or teahouses are spaced so that within an hour or so you're assured of a place to eat. This certainly makes "trekking" infinitely more cushy!

Don't get me wrong, this isn't an EASY trek by any stretch. Even after a SHORT 5-6 hour day you're bound to be sore + tired, and expect a few 9 hour ones too. I'll speak for myself in saying though that this was one of THE most rewarding + memorable treks I've ever done, and may ever do in my lifetime. The culture, people, varied landscape, varied religions with their beautiful iconography, sunrises + sunsets, apples, grain harvesting... SO many impressions forever imprinted.

We had NO idea, as my previous post will indicate. We figured a quick in and out, then off to other things... Like Tibet, which is now in the "to do later" category. About a week into it though, we got it! And when we realized the magical opportunity we had right in FRONT of us, we just couldn't rush it. We KNEW that sometimes you're lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time, and if you ARE then you've just gotta slow WAY down and savor that thing for all it's worth. For us, that happened at the end of a long, gruelling day (Day 4 to be exact) and we had just arrived in the very small village of Bhratang - Just two guesthouses, half a dozen homes and ORCHARDS of apples. We were tired + hungry and Darin enquired about the possibility of an apple tasting. Shortly, us + our two Aussie companions were walking the orchards, going from tree to tree and quartering apples. During the next hour, we had some of THE finest heirloom apples we've ever had in our lives! Followed by a tasty dinner at one of the quaint, little lodges with not another tourist around. After this memorable experience we began spending 2-3 nights in several small villages that struck our fancy and doing day hikes up into the hills above for even MORE spectacular views + without the burden of our packs. We got to know + befriend a few different lodge-owners who then invited us in to private family meals + celebrations, gave us gifts upon departing + offered to exchange knowledge upon future return. We were treated with hospitality, particularly in the Thakali region, as if visiting relations.

Now back, I long for these giving people - Their friendly smiles + good cooking. Our morning favorites - Local buckwheat, corn or Kagbeni breads. Virtually non-stop views of some of the highest peaks in the World in all their glacial splendor - Annapurna 2 (26,040'/7,937M), Annapurna 4 (24,688'/7,525M), Gangapurna (24,458'/7,455M), Nilgiri (23,161'/7,060M), Dhaulagiri (26,794'/8,167m), Annapurna 1 (26,545'/8,091M ), Machhapuchhre (22,942'/6,993M). What makes this trek so special is the sum of all of these parts. It's about the opportunity to experience an ancient, vital culture that survives and thrives amidst growing, modern-day influences, AND amidst this majestic scenery. That's what makes the Annapurna Circuit SO much more than JUST a trek.

Only one month, and now I've fallen in love with the deeper beauty of Nepal. Still here, and yet I'm already longing to return. This passage from "The Snow Leopard", written about this region and which we both read on the trek, eloquently sums up how I feel -

And so I, too, prepare to go, though I try hard to remain. The part of me that is bothered by the unopened letters in my rucksack, that longs to see my children, to drink wine, make love, be clean and comfortable again - That part is already facing South, over the mountains. This makes me sad, and so I stare about me, trying to etch into this journal the sense of Shey that is so precious. Aware that all such effort is in vain; The beauty of this place must be cheerfully abandoned, like the wild rocks in the bright waters of its streams. Frustration at the paltriness of words drives me to write, but there is more of Shey in a single sheep hair, in one withered sprig of everlasting, than in all these notes; to strive for permanence in what I think I have perceived is to miss the point.

Check the "link" for photos + check Darin's blog for a more detailed description