Summer of Discovery - Nepal (23 September - 8 October)

Our main focus in Nepal was to complete the Annapurna Sanctuary trek (or ABC for Annapurna Base Camp), that we originally tried to do in 2015, but an earthquake had other ideas.

We had a day of downtime in Kathmandu before starting, and some things never change with scary powerlines and roads that are mad with speedsters on motorcycles.  We did however go out and revisit a couple of places from our previous visits, including Durbar Square that was extensively damaged by the earthquake.  It was nice to see the restoration moving forward, however what once felt very special now just feels like it holds less reverence for the people and is surrounded by bustling streets that are noisy and seriously overcrowded.

Day 1 ABC Trek
Pokhara (822m) to Tikhe Dhunga (1,495m)

A delayed flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara meant we arrived ~5 hours late.  We were met by our guide, Yubraj and porter Bissal.  After sorting trekking poles, transferring gear into the right bags and leaving our big bags at the hotel, we were off.  The drive saw us quickly in the countryside climbing and descending the winding roads, stopping only to register at the check point (where had our flight been on time we would have started trekking from).  

We weren’t going to be able to trek to our destination in the daylight, so the drive continued and from here deteriorated dramatically.  Our 'bucking SUV' drive', although only 30 minutes, was simply the worst road and drive we have encountered.  So bad that the driver got out to check all wheels and his wheelbase were still intact when we stopped.  We walked for less than 5 minutes to our guesthouse, Green View Lodge at Tikhe Dhunga and went for a short wander around the village, situated in a valley surrounded by rice paddies and agriculture.

 

Day 2 ABC Trek
Tikhe Dhunga (1,495m) to Ghorepani (2,850m)

We started walking officially on day two, with some 3,300 steps in front of us as well as more gentle hills, to Ghorepani. We walked through rural villages, over a couple of short suspension bridges and then the steps started up, up and up.  On the climb we saw children, all spic and span, in their school uniforms, some taking up to two hours to walk to school.  There were also farmers transporting goods and a couple of young guys training their new horses to walk up and down the stairs.

 

We encountered a bit of drizzle on our way up to Ulleri, where we stopped for a short coffee break (2,034m) thinking we must have nailed a high percentage of those stairs - how wrong we were!  There was more downhill than we would have liked, knowing we had to come up again, but we made it to Nangethani (2,530m) for lunch.

 

The final leg saw us arrive at Sunny Hotel Ghorepani (2,850m) at 2.10pm.  Definitely no views of the mountains today (that are there), with heavy rain setting in 10 minutes after we arrived. 

Today - forest, rivers, steps, clouds, villages and did we mention the steps.

13km, 6 hrs 38 mins.
1,355m higher than our starting point with total vertical metre gain of 1,605m.

 

Day 3 ABC Trek
Ghorepani (2,850m) to Chuile (2,050m)

The view from Poon Hill, the second most scenic point on this trek was not to be seen today.  The sunrise walk and 4.30am wakeup call was cancelled due to heavy rain and zero visibility, however we were still up at 6am prepared for a full day of being wet.  The first 50 minutes was all climbing with various degrees of monsoon rain, reaching the high point of the day at 3,178m.

 

Rain aside the first couple of hours went pretty quick.  It was particularly difficult to put wet and cold raincoats and packs back on after being warmed by welcome fires and hot drinks at our morning tea and lunch stops.

The walk then continued to descend, yesterday’s streams have morphed into raging rivers and the waterfalls are playing at their best.  Always an upside to rain.

The afternoon was a combination of big ups and downs, and the frustration of dropping hundreds of metres just to go back up the other side, all the time knowing today we will finish lower than where we started.  Apparently this is the flat of the Himalayas, so guessing we must get used to it.

 

We made it to our destination in good time arriving at Hotel Rainbow, Chuile at 2.25pm. We got a warm shower (gas) on arrival and a fire to attempt to dry things out before tomorrow.

If dealing with the rain, steep terrain and watching your feet wasn't enough, today was our introduction to leeches.  Lesley got her first one and Gary got several, although not his first run in with the shitty little critters.  They are like magicians - not there and then there, out of the blue.  Our guide had a bundle of salt that is used to make them let go to get them off, and as it turned out it could have been his second job for a couple of days, as we stopped every 5-10 minutes on leech watch.

Today: rain, rain, rain, clouds, waterfalls, raging rivers, leeches and no power at our hotel (normally solar powered).

13km, 6 hrs 27 mins.  
We are now 800m lower than where we started, but the vertical metre climb was still 773m.

 

Day 4 ABC Trek
Chuile (2,050m) to Lower Sinuwa (2,020m)

Monsoon rain like we have never heard before for most of the night, we awoke hoping it would ease which thankfully it did, stopping completely by our 8am departure.  We descended to the raging river (1,700m) knowing the up was looming, then crossed the suspension bridge and started the long ascent. We continued the climb and battled with about 100 leeches reaching the village of Chhomrong at 2,170m, where we stopped for lunch and got our first snippet of the mountains.

 

After shouting ourselves a Coke we left just in time for it to start raining again before heading back down to another suspension bridge (what is the definition of madness?).  At the river (1,750m) we packed away the wet weather gear and climbed for the next 30 minutes, finally stopping for the day at Kalpana Guest House in lower Sinuwa at 2,020m.  Slightly lower than last night but with welcome hot showers.

Today: raging rivers, leeches, clouds, rain, stairs, green fields, amazing farmers gardens and our first glimpse of the mountains.

11.5km, 6 hrs 45 mins.
1,164m descent and 1,134m ascent.

Day 5 ABC Trek
Lower Sinuwa (2,020m) to Deurali (3,200m)

Day 5 was perhaps the hardest of the trek, with an early departure at 7.25pm.  The climb began immediately, and it took an hour to reach Upper Sinuwa at 2,310m.  Here we were rewarded with our first real views of the mountains with Annapurna South 7,219m up to our left, Machhapuchhre 6,993m to our right and Himchuli 6,441m in the middle. After days of walking in the clouds it’s fantastic seeing these huge mountains so close, and so beautiful, albeit a snippet of what is to come.

We carried on (up and up) and reached Lower Dovan, then Upper Dovan (2,600m) before stopping for lunch.  We still had plenty of work to do and another altitude gain of 600m to knock off.

The final section proved to be spectacular with raging rivers, huge waterfalls and massive vertical cliff faces. We also encountered some rather steep steps (seriously there are tens of thousands of steps on this trek overall and thank goodness for antiflam to ease aching muscles).

 

Just after 3pm we could see Deurali (our stop for the night at 3,200m) but with multiple photo and scenery stops, and crossing what in 1992 was a glacier but is now a makeshift bridge of tree branches over a raging river, it took just over 20 more minutes to actually arrive.  The multitude of stunning waterfalls and angry rivers made the whole experience very special, as did the change from the forest to the alpine zone.

We were among the first to arrive at New Panorama Guest House, so made the most of the hot shower and then went for a wander around the small settlement of five guesthouses to see if Gary could spot the one he stayed in during his 1992 trek.  It’s colder here at 7°, feels like 4°, so time for the thermals to come out.

Today: climbing, bamboo, raging rivers, sheer walls of huge valleys, mountains, waterfalls and butterflies.

16km, 8 hrs.
Gained an additional 1,180m but to achieve this we have climbed 1,773m - a tough day.

Day 6 ABC Trek
Deurali (3,200m) to Annapurna Base Camp (4,130m)

5.45am alarm this morning so we can get away early to give us the best chance of more mountain views before the cloud rolls in (as well as get ahead of the other trekkers).  Just after 7am we started the two stage walk to gain the final 930m in altitude, now walking clearly in the alpine zone.  Not surprisingly, immediately we were climbing and winding up the valley following the river (there is next to no down today).  It was cold so thermals, beanies and gloves are on.  The morning is clear of clouds and within 30 minutes we were getting views of Machhapuchhre 6,993m and Gangapurna 7,455m, whilst walking up the immense glacial valley.

 

Pushing on into the sunshine we reached Machhapuchhre Base Camp (MBC) at 3,700m just after 9am. We stopped at Fishtail Guest House for a 30 minute break whilst enjoying the most amazing views and the warmth of the sun (temperature at 8°).

 

The final 400m vertical gain was both tough and exhilarating.  The initial hour was steep and an extreme workout for your lungs however, made bearable by the sensational views of Annapurna South 7,219m in front of us and Machhapuchhre 6,993m behind us.

Three words - wow, wow and wow!

The final 40 minutes, although still heading up, was much less strenuous (less steep), on the way watching a sheep farmers herd enjoying their freedom.  

We arrived at the ABC (Annapurna Base Camp 4,130m) welcome sign for mandatory celebratory photos at 11.15am and then Annapurna Sanctuary Lodge a few minutes later.  

We felt very fortunate for the early start and focused walk to the top as we enjoyed some sensational views of the majestic Annapurna I at 8091m (the 10th highest mountain in the world) without many people, and already the clouds are rolling in. We managed a quick wander around the site before the cloud enveloped us, with most other arrivals having to wait with bated breath to see anything tomorrow.

 

Lesley had a rest (headache setting in) while Gary went for a walk around to see if he could work out where he stayed in 1992, but so much has changed including the huge glacial gorge that’s been left behind, now a retracting glacier just behind the guest houses.

The evening was spent relaxing and chatting with fellow trekkers, but another early night as we will be up at 5.30am for sunrise (in 3°).

Today in a few words: altitude gains, sensational mountain views, beautiful rivers and waterfalls.

7.75km, 4 hrs 17 mins.
930 vertical metres gained however we have descended 200m and climbed 1,130m.

Day 7 ABC Trek
Annapurna Base Camp (4130) to Sinuwa (middle) (2070)

The longest day really started at 2.30am when we were up gazing at the millions of stars.  They looked so close you could almost touch them, very special.  The actual day began at 5.30am to catch the sunrise over ABC.  Talk about exceptionally lucky with a brilliant clear, blue sky and no wind morning.

What we see here in a 360° rotation (starting from behind the guest house) is Himchuli 6441m, Annapurna South 7219m, Annapurna I 8091m, Annapurna III 7555m and Machhapuchhre 6993m, a truly spectacular vision. 

Photo after photo it was hard to walk away from such an amazing view, so much so we had our morning drinks sitting out in 3°.  Budget, who had previously visited ABC in 1992 and not had a photo opportunity was not going to miss that chance twice.

 

After breakfast we packed and sadly said goodbye to ABC (4,130m), which was still looking amazing. We left later than planned at 7.49am, unable to help ourselves with some final photos.  It is certainly a view we won't forget in this lifetime.

 

Most of the day is downhill and we passed MBC and were back to Deurali just before 10.30am, having descended just shy of 1,000m.  It took us another hour to reach Himalaya at 2,900m where a bottle of Coke was our treat. We really only made very short stops due to how much ground we had to cover and already in four hours we had exceeded yesterday’s total walk and dropped 1,230 vertical metres. 

 

 

So, from here it was down to Upper Dovan for lunch and then more down (and starting to feel feet, knees and pressure points).  It took us just over an hour to arrive at Bamboo (2,310m), where we were originally going to stop but Yubraj wanted more.  To this point what had felt quite undulating on the way up now feels much more heavily weighted to down. That said the walk from Bamboo to Upper Sinuwa included some of the most challenging stairs we encountered on the trek and the first 30 minutes was an incredibly tough climb.

Starting to feel rather tired we had walked for over 7 hours and covered over 18km.  We finally arrived at Upper Sinuwa (2,340m) just after 4pm to find it was fully booked (there are loads of Chinese tourists on the trekking route today), so we carried on down the hill towards Lower Sinuwa.

We stopped about halfway at Sinuwa, 2,070m (what we are calling mid Sinuwa), at 4.45pm and found accommodation.  At this point we are so bodily tired we are ready to stop almost anywhere.  A little worried we may not be able to walk tomorrow we did a bit of stretching, then freshened up.  Definitely time to relax the tired and weary bodies.

21.75km, 8 hrs, 55 mins.
Altitude drop was 2,060m, but we had climbed 778m and descended 2,838m.  

Day 8 ABC Trek
Mid Sinuwa (2,070m) to Jhinu Danda (1732m)

A shorter walk today so we left at 8.35am, initially down to Lower Sinuwa where we had stayed on the way up.  Then it was down to the swing bridge and across the river (1,777m) and from here back up 2,248 stairs and 393m to Chhomrong at 2,170m.   

After a quick break, and ironically after climbing to 2,170m, as you do in these mountains, we then descended even further down (438m) on some of the steepest steps we have encountered, and steps we were happier going down than coming up.  We eventually arrived at Jhinu Danda (1,732m), to our accommodation at Hotel Evergreen & Restaurant (the use of the word hotel may be pushing the boat out just a bit, however they were the nicest people). 

 

After catching our breath, of course we walked down another 162m (25 minutes) to the Hot Springs that the area is famous for. We were meant to come here in 2015, when we trekked Mardi Himal, but the muscles in our legs had other ideas.  The pool was nice and warm, but not too hot with super clear water and having it entirely to ourselves was a bonus.  Even better we got to relax for about an hour, partly because it was relaxing and partly because we knew we still had to walk back up the hill.

Feeling very clean and relaxed we dressed and left just after 1pm walking for almost half an hour to our accommodation which left us hot, sweaty and exhausted, as the sun today is scorching.  

This afternoon for the first time on this trek it was cold showers by choice and then we had a few celebratory beers, the first of the walk.  Just a 5km walk today taking 2 hours and 44 minutes.

Day 9 ABC Trek (final)
Jhinu Danda (1,732m) to the road and drive out to Pokhara

A 5.45am start to ensure firstly we make Pokhara in time to do a few things, and second to beat the forecasted rain for the valley.  We started walking just before 7am down to the 287m long, and 135m above the river, suspension bridge (the second longest in Nepal) and then climbed up the other side initially on the trail but then on the dirt path/road that was still not suitable for 4 wheel drives.  

We got our last few glimpses of the mountain tops before reaching the 'bus station' 70 minutes later, where the 4 wheel drives were waiting.  Here we were on the wrong side of the slip (caused by the recent Monsoon rain) and extensive road works so the initial very bumpy 4 wheel drive trip, which took half an hour got us only to the problem zone.

 

We left the jeep and climbed down into, through and out of the considerable hole in the road, walking another five minutes to where the transport on the 'right' side of the slip will pick us up from.  By 9am we were heading back to Pokhara, still on a rocky road for a while and finally on to a better (but not great) surface.  There is still so much water around, crystal clear fords and waterfalls, so many crossings we lost count. Only a 3.4km walk today taking an hour and 9 minutes.

This bought our trek to an end having spent 45 hours walking on the trail completing 93.8km. 

Winding through the hills and valleys, and checking out of the National Park, we finally arrived at our hotel for the night.  It was a quick check in, collecting our big bags and then organising some express laundry (so our bags don’t smell like a trek for the remainder of our trip).

All that done the four of us were off down the road to share a final lunch together.  After saying goodbye to our trekking duo and handing over their well earned tips, it was time for a bit of relaxing in the hotel.

Around 5pm, raincoats in hand, we walked down to the main road to see what we could recall from the 2015 'earthquake' visit. Pokhara has grown up a lot with many more 4-5 story buildings, a bustling main street and although some things looked familiar it has changed substantially.  It does still hold some charm though.

The raincoats came in handy as later the rain turned torrential and our street (as we walked back up it) had transformed into a raging river with thunder and lightning adding to the dramatic scene.  

 

The next day we checked out the mountains from the 5th floor (at 6am) and it was great to see them from town, albeit not a picture perfect day.  Yubraj arrived as we headed downstairs for breakfast, and was the bearer of caps, t-shirts and completion certificates.  After a few final photos we finished packing and all headed to the airport, with good luck scarves also given to us.  The trek and final chores all now completed.

On the drive to the airport, across town, we caught great glimpses of the Annapurna range including Annapurna 2 and 4, which were the two eluding us as they are not visible from the Sanctuary.  You never get sick of looking at these views.

Nepalese Safari - Nepalganj

As an add on to our Nepal trek we decided to try our luck on a Tiger safari.  Our flight to Nepalganj was delayed, leaving ~75 minutes late, however once there we were met by staff from Babai Resort. We are now much lower at ~150m and the temperature reflects this (33° feels like 41°).  The ~2 hour drive took us through a flat rural landscape and rice fields with goats and buffalo aplenty.

On the drive we arrived at one of Bardiya National Park's checkpoints.  For the next 25 minutes we drove through it, not really expecting to see anything just yet, but we did see a Spotted Deer (stag) and two Marsh Mugger Crocodiles on the way.  Out the other side of the Park we were more into open countryside, passing through a big little village, the centre of the local community, before arriving at Babai Resort.

 

We had a familiarisation tour at 4.30pm where we drove through the simple rural homes (often mud huts) where cooking is still being done over an open fire and a luxury is to have electricity.  Lots of goats, buffalo and small children waving.

We entered the Community Forest and headed to sunset point, on the way seeing several interesting birds, including the Bee Eater, and several encounters with large herds of Spotted Deer.

At sunset point we sat for a while above the river that separates the Park and the Community Forest. The community forest is dual managed between the authorities and the community and is effectively an extension of the National Park.  We watched from a distance a group of Rhesus Macaque monkeys and just before we left a couple climbed a tree quite close to us.  The sunset, although not as large, was very reminiscent of Africa.

 

The next three days were full on Safari Drives, with our guide Keshab and driver, through the jungle and grasslands that is Bardiya National Park.  It is a protected area in Nepal that was established in 1988 as Royal Bardia National Park and covers an area of 968 km².  It's the largest and most undisturbed National Park in Nepal's Terai adjoining the eastern bank of the Karnali River and bisected by the Babai River.

We saw so much and covered a lot of ground. Day 1 was all in the jeep and we saw Rhesus Macaque monkeys (which appear to be more at home around humans than in the forest), tiny Barking Deer and Gray Langur monkeys, which are super cute with their black faces.

Before morning tea we also saw a Chestnut Crowned Bee Eater, Kingfisher and Green Woodpecker (their birds are really colourful), as well as more Spotted Deer.

 

Morning teas and lunch breaks were predominantly in a spot where we could sit and watch the surroundings in the hope of spotting the elusive Tigers that roam here, but we also enjoyed admiring the forest (mostly Saaj and Sal trees) and listening to the silence.

On the move in the afternoon we saw a Gray Langur Monkey posing in the sun, a Himalayan Flame Back Woodpecker and more Spotted Deer (apparently Dal Bhat/McDonalds for Tigers).  Then the first sign of Tigers, which was their footprints in the riverbed (a bit like the holy grail).  There were more Rhesus Macaque monkeys (in the forest this time) and a Crested Serpent Eagle.

The forest is rich and lush although is filled with dry riverbeds.  We got lucky on day 1 more than once - firstly as a Greater One Horn Rhinoceros and calf emerged at the riverside, obviously enjoying some undisturbed R&R.

The afternoon was spent at the highway waterhole (the highway that runs through the park has a 40km/hr speed limit) where we waited for about 30 minutes without any Tiger success.  So we were off again finding our second Greater One Horn Rhinoceros hiding in the long grass.  It was huge but hard to see given its location of choice in thick Elephant Grass.

 

Just after 5pm and perhaps the highlight of the day was a beautiful Common/Indian Leopard which sat in the grass for a while before walking down the path in front of us. An absolutely beautiful animal not at all bothered by our presence.

The monkey theme still well and alive we came across more Gray Langur monkeys which are worth stopping for, then getting late and needing to be out of the park by 6pm we headed back to the gate and returned to the resort for a swim and dinner.

Day 2 started with what became the usual culprits - both species of monkey, Barking Dear and birds (this time a Common Kingfisher).  You see birds everywhere, but some stand out more than others.

 

There was a bit of walking on day 2 as we found ourselves out of the jeep.  There is something about being on foot in Tiger territory that gets the heart beating a little faster!

New sightings today included a large Marsh Mugger Crocodile, Peacocks, a large Brown Fish Owl, wild Beehives, a Jungle Owlet, Changeable Hawk Eagle and a large Sambar Deer at a waterhole, where we couldn't help taking some reflection photos.

 

Continuing on we came across our strongest Tiger indication to date.  An area that smelled
like Tiger, Tiger footprints in the mud and Spotted Deer sounding a warning, yet still no actual Tiger.  

Later in the afternoon we got to see the endangered Swamp Deer, a male and female from a distance, and then heading back to the gate we came across a couple of Large Asian Bull Elephants, the first we have seen after 22 hours in the park.  They are so much larger than we imagined and some of the viewing vehicles were a little spooked by the Bull with one tusk, who apparently is extremely aggressive, although in this instance was minding his own business.

 

The sighting of animals here is sporadic to say the least.  The game driving in the forest is so different to the wide open savanna of Africa and much of what we saw was a floating glimpse or a view obstructed by trees. Very difficult to get any kind of decent photos.

Day 3 again included the usual suspects and was officially named footprint day!  It was our last day of safari and also included some walking.

The morning walk was down towards the grasslands that is off limits to the jeeps currently and all the way there were big cat territory markings.  We head into the long grass that was taller than Lesley (yes seriously) and stopped in a pretty glade by a bend in the stream to sit for a while. No Tigers but we did see an acrobatic Langur practicing his jumping.

 

We spent some time doing laps of one part of the park where a Tiger had recently been seen but still no luck there and on the drive stopped periodically to listen for tell-tale noises or to check out frequented streams and waterholes.  It seems it's not hot enough for the animals to visit these regularly at the moment, even though we are melting.  We did get to hear some sensational birdsong in our quiet times though.

In the afternoon we parked up at a dry riverbed and after 40 minutes it was decided we would walk it (heart rate up again), with our guides carrying sticks!  The walk of ~1.3km took us about 30 minutes as we stopped regularly to keep a look out for wildlife using the binoculars.  We passed large Rhinoceros footprints (mother and baby), and huge Elephant prints in the soft wet river mud (both significantly bigger than expected) and of course Tiger paw prints. Feeling in a rather compromised position we returned to the jeep, extremely hot and sweaty.

We spent the final two hours driving the complexed network of dirt roads hoping to see that illusive cat. Then just like that our three and a bit days of Tiger Safari were over (with 32+ hours in the National Park).

We are pleased we got to see some trophy species including the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros, Asian Bull Elephant and Leopard, but of course are disappointed that we have not seen a Tiger.  There is no doubting however that they are there, and the guides certainly did everything they could.

The last bit of excitement and unbelievably, after avoiding all manner of snakes in the jungle, Lesley nearly stood on one as we arrived at the airport.  Keshab assured us it was not venomous, but still a pretty good fright for both of them.

 

Nepal has been great (delayed flights the exception), and we have enjoyed our time here.  We are however ready for some R&R as we head to our final destination this trip.

Things we will remember about Alpine Nepal:
Altitude
Mountains
Waterfalls
Raging Rivers
Stairs
The monsoon rain
Leeches
Butterflies
Hot Lemon Ginger Honey drinks
The cold at ABC
Night sky and stars

In the cities:
Kathmandu madness
Seemingly reduced focus on religion
Population changes (numbers and race)
The powerlines
Pokhara down pours
Pokhara views of the mountains

And in Nepalganj Region - Bardia
Jungle
Goats
Buffalo
Rice fields
Bicycles
Tuk tuks
Game drives
One Horned Rhino
Leopard
The heat
Dry river beds
Mud homes
Simplest of life
Reliability on the jungle to survive

Nepalese words
Hello - Namaste
Thank you - Dhan yavada (Don ya vard)