Annapurna Circuit Days 4 – 6

The terrain changes quite fast and soon we are seeing more and more snow capped peaks. The trails have now become steeper and that once lush green has now been replaced. There are still trees and vegetation but they become scarcer and scarcer. Most of the trees now are conifers and pine needles litter the ground.

We have now become accustomed to all the various trekking groups that are doing the trek within our same time frame. There is a large group of 20 or so Irish couples that are in their 40-50’s. They are doing the typical package tourist trek where there is a guide and a group of porters carrying all their gear. Their itinerary has already been planned out and they know exactly which village and lodge they will be staying in. There is a group of 4 or 5 Isrealis who have two porters between them. They keep to themselves and keep a slow pace. We are usually at the same pace as their two porters who speak amazingly good English. They both carry 20kg of weight on their backs with a group tied across their forehead for additional support. This method of carrying packs is seen throughout the trek as we come across locals moving cargo up and down the mountain.

Joe and I have acquired some walking sticks. They help quite a bit during uphill and downhill grade changes. They are especially helpful when the surfaces are slick and weight distribution is crucial. Besides that they are also great fun during an impromptu stick fight or some random quick game of baseball with pinecones. I am able to use this walking stick comfortably, but I lose about a half inch every day.

The higher we go the longer it takes for our food to get prepared. Water takes sometimes hours to boils at this altitude so dinner and breakfast have to be ordered well ahead of time. The local food of choice here is Dal Bhat. Dal Bhat is basically rice, lentil soup, and a spicy vegetable curry dish. This is the Nepalese bread and butter and is usually eaten for all meals. One of the guesthouse owners told us he has eat Dal Bhat for every meal and every day since he was little. The reason I eat Dal Bhat for dinner is for multiple reasons. One, the western dishes go up in price exponentially the higher up we go and usually go down in quality. Two, Dal Bhat is served buffet style. After a long day’s hike I need my carbs and I am guaranteed to be full with this choice. And third, probably the most important reason, Dal Bhat is the staple of the locales, which means it will be made regardless of whether we order it. If I were to order say a Spaghetti Bolognese, the locals would have to work extraordinary harder to boil more water and make an extra type of food and use up what little lumber they have. As we move higher up in altitude the lumber has be brought up via donkeys. As simple of Dal Bhat is, it is not made equally and the quality varies from guesthouse to guesthouse.

Sometimes our days are super short and we arrive in the town extra early. During these occasions I like to wander around town and see what the local way of life is. Sometimes I’ll see kids on their way to and from school. It is amazing how poor these rural areas are and yet the people here are all content with what they have. The children especially here are all extremely happy. They are always smiling and always wave at the foreigners. Since I look Nepalese most of them will greet me in their native tongue, which is always confusing when I try to convey the fact that I don’t speak Nepalese. Speaking of being mistaken for Nepalese, it has actually happened quite a bit. Sometimes when we all site down at the restaurant they owners will automatically bring out Nepalese tea and Dal Bhat. The locales here mistake me for a porter or guide and porters and guides eat/drink free.

The natural beauty of Nepal is amazing. I cannot describe it in words and the pictures do not do it justice. The sheer size of the mountains and the tiny little trails that web throughout these ranges make me infinity small. The natural beauty of the snow covered peaks, the water as it carves through the mountains and the blue expansive skies accompany me every step of the way.

In the last few nights, we have seen snowfall which makes the landscape completely baron with a white blanket of snow. There are no footprints outside of the trails and the beauty of the untouched virgin snow is amazing. There is a compacting crunching sound with each step over the snow and it reminds of playing out in the snow as a child. The wind blows snowflakes from the collected mounds on the mountain top and it provides a nice chill during trekking. The last day we reach Manang, at roughly  3,519 meters or 11, 545 feet. It is here that we first learn about the dangers of altitude

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