After a productive week in the mountain village, it was time to move on. We spent an afternoon in Kathmandu in a cramped room finding jackets and sleeping bags that were the right size for us, and early the next morning, we loaded onto a bus to go to Pokhara.
On the way, we stopped and unloaded to raft down the Trishuli river in inflatable rafts
. From calm waters to class 4 rapids, the group floated down the river towards Pokhara, with a quick break on a sandy beach for lunch.
A day was spent in Pokhara biking around, exploring the city, and getting last minute supplies (mainly granola bars and chocolate). Early the next morning, we hopped on a bus to get to the trailhead with our guides Bishnu, Ram, and Norbu.
The first 4 days were full of sweat, groans, and thousands of stairs as we climbed up the valley towards our goal, along with a lot of egg veg fried noodles. Nights were spent huddled in down jackets and sleeping bags in small dining halls, playing cards and chatting about the days events.
On day 5, we reached Machapuchare base camp (mbc), and got our first up close and personal look at the spectacular mountains. From there, we decided as a group to wake up super early the next day to watch the sunrise from Annapurna base camp (abc), so at 4:30 am the next day, we turned on our headlamps and took off up the mountain even further
.
With an awe inspiring sunrise, we hung a prayer flag with all group members names, present and missing, and with personal prayers from each of us on a stupa at ABC.
Then, after a hot chocolate break, we began our hike back down. The way downhill was full of sunshine and laughter, and except for a moderate knee injury, everything worked out wonderfully.
On day 7, we arrived in Jhinu, where there is a hot spring, and everyone had a good soak in the hot water, which was much needed for our sore, tired bodies. Another day of hiking, and we found ourselves back in familiar territory, and celebrated the end of the trek with a big group dinner with much laughter and smiles. Early the next morning, we caught a bus back to Pokhara.
I believe that Everybody benefited from the time spent in the mountains, and the time we have spent together as a group has allowed people to grow and become happy with their lives.
Ian
To the Hills
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Kathmandu, Nepal
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2025-02-15