Annapurna Circuit Trek (part 2 of 2)
Day 5 – Upper Pisang (3370m)
Heading towards Upper Pisang, the snowy peaks seem closer than ever and the higher we get, the more beautiful everything becomes (and the hairier too; cows are starting to look like yaks). At one point we walked through a pine forest, and it looked – and smelled – remarkably similar to Canada. After the forest and tea house stop, we came across a valley that had many mountain goats and a couple of very hairy cows. A bit ahead we crossed a rickety old wooden bridge over an aqua blue glacier river.
After stopping for a bit by the river, we went up a steep path and finally arrived at Upper Pisang, which seemed almost deserted. The village was full of seemingly abandoned stone houses and new Tibetan prayer flags, making it kind of eery.
It was here in Upper Pisang that I first felt some effects from the altitude. It was a very weird feeling. A slight dizziness, very slight headache, but more of an ‘out of it’ kind of feeling, as if you smoked some really crummy pot and were not sure if you were high or not, but knew you weren’t sober either. Strange. We had dhal bhat for 280 rupees and called it a night, but sleeping was tough as I kept waking up (another effect of the altitude).
Day 6&7 – Braka (3480m)
After leaving Upper Pisang, it was easy going up until we crossed a suspension bridge and up a very steep upper path to the village of Grayu. Grayu village had the best views; completely unreal. Unfortunately though, shortly after we arrived a French tour group of about 30 people plus their porters and guides arrived, so the tranquility was gone. It was also pretty damn difficult to take any pictures without getting a Gortex sleeve or ski-pole in shot. Even more frustrating was when we left – they took up the whole trail! I’d take the goat traffic any day. That aside, the views were amazing and Grayu village – scenery wise – was the highlight of the trek for me.
We chilled out in Braka for an extra day as Ellen wasn’t feeling well. It was a good place to hang out, although most head to Manang which is bigger and only 25 minutes away. We stayed at the “New Yak Hotel” which was the best hotel and restaurant of the trek by far. Their veggie burgers and yak cheese ‘special’ sandwiches were incredible. Even their dal bhat (at 300 rupees) is legendary!
Day 8 – Acclimatization Day @ Braka – Caves day trek (4310m)
At Manang/Braka it’s recommended to do a day trek to help acclimatize by getting some altitude in the day and resting at a lower altitude at night to trick your body into handling it. We chose to visit the ‘caves’ where legend has it a Buddhist monk lived for a long time meditating and living off a prickly shrub that grew outside the cave that turned his body green. It was steep going up (very easy without a backpack!), but the views were nice although the ‘cave’ was more an enclave…
Day 9 – Letdar (4200m)
We decided to pass on another day trip in Manang and go on to Letdar. Before leaving, we stopped off at a bakery in Manang to pick up some yak cheese and fresh bread for the road.
After we left Manang, it was very tiring. 3 days without carrying a backpack, and all the great food at New Yak Hotel and their “Happy Yak Bakery” had made me very lazy and I felt the burn almost immediately. As we ascended, the wind became much stronger and the weather much colder.
At Letdar, we settled at the last hotel in town, which was very basic and seemed like it was more catered to porters than tourists. We sat around the kitchen fire with a bunch of locals as the lady/owner cooked. Here I started feeling very woozy, again from the altitude. Slept well though!
Day 10 – Thorong High Camp (4800m)
After leaving Letdar, we head off towards Thorong Phedi. Thorong Phedi is the last ‘town’ before the dreaded Thorong Pass which is about 5400m, very steep going up, and the highest point in the circuit. Thorong High Camp is a steep 45 min. 400m up from Thorong Phedi, and many opt to stay there as it’s closer to the top and getting there is getting past the hardest part of the trek.
We made our way to Phedi and stopped for tea. On the way there, it got colder and the scenery became much more barren. I felt a bit ‘out of it’ from the altitude, but otherwise very good and ready to go. After tea we made it up the steep 400m to High Camp with no trouble at all; I actually felt great on arrival.
High Camp is the highest (guest house) and most expensive place in the circuit. It’s only one hotel, you have to pay for rooms, menu prices are outrageous (dal bhat was 420 rupees!!), and there is absolutely no bargaining.
In the afternoon at High Camp, I decided to take a quick run up another 100m or so hill because I thought the view would be amazing (see pics). It was, but doing this was a big mistake. I had energy, no bag, and did not pace myself. Once I got to the top I started feeling very dizzy and looking down gave me vertigo. After hanging out up there for a bit, I made my way down and started feeling very ‘out of it’ again (like some weird drug trip mixed with ill feeling), this time more than ever.
I started getting a headache that gradually increased. I decided to rest for a bit in the room but when I went to lie down, that’s when things went from bad to worse. The headache came on stronger, I had absolutely no appetite, sleep was impossible, and most troubling, I was out of breath, gasping for air and panting like a dog even though I was laying in bed doing nothing. I knew I had AMS in a bad way. I kept thinking “Not now!! I’m only 600m away from the top! I should have just kept going this afternoon when I felt good and I’d have made it!!” The frustration just added to my feeling shitty.
When Ellen saw the rough shape I was in, she asked around and got some Diamox, an anti-altitude sickness drug, and it helped me breathe normally. Unfortunately, Diamox also makes you piss like crazy so I couldn’t sleep as I was going to the outdoor toilet every hour. At least I got to enjoy the beautiful starry night during my many cold bathroom trips.
In the morning, I was still feeling horrible and knew I had to descend or I would get worse. We went down to Phedi and after some hot lemon tea I felt a little better. We stayed there a night, and the next morning I felt I was ready to tackle the pass again. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Less than 100m up on the way to High Camp – an altitude I handled the previous day without a sweat – I was gasping for air, exhausted and nauseous. I had to descend again.
It sucks, because I know if I had more time I could just have spent a couple of days back in Letdar or somewhere at a lower altitude and taken it slower, but unfortunately time was not on my side.
So, we walked back to the village of Humde and decided to catch a flight with “Royal Nepal Airlines” back to Pokhara, which was a pretty cool experience in itself. The flight was only 20 minutes, but gave some pretty incredible Himalayan views, and we had seats right next to the (open) cockpit. So it wasn’t all a loss!
Overall, despite the altitude sickness, it was a great experience. The Himalayan mountain ranges are breathtaking and it’s amazing to be so high up, especially looking down. I hope to come back again some day with more time and maybe more Diamox!
