East Of The Sun, South Of The Sky: Annapurna

I'm back from the mountains.

The first day of the trek was along a road full of construction. They're in the process of building a road all along the Annapurna Circuit, a two sided topic. On one hand it's nice for the people living 6 days walk in the mountains to not have to carry up supplies they need on their backs, but it also removes a feeling of wild from the area, and walking on a trail that overlooks both beautiful mountain and road leaves something to be longed for. Luckily right now they haven't built to much of it, and you eventually get away from road land. But the first days are dogging diggers, and stomping gravel in the hot hot heat. Who knew Nepal could be so hot, sweaty, and constructiony.
I spent the first two days alone. Truging along from the start, Besi Sahar, while other tourists took a bus further up to begin their trek. Knowing the trek got better in the middle, and being by myself, I was able to power out some long steady days in the start. The higher the elevation got, and farther in the mountains you go, the more my heart was reminded why I love mountains so much.
On the 3rd day I met a couple of Swiss brothers and walked with them for a few days. One spoke almost fluent Nepali. Which made the locals even more happy to chat with us. As the nights grew colder and the trees more rugged, we came upon a new friend, and keeping true to this strange trend of mine, he was Danish. (I really think everything is pointing for me to move to Denmark) The four of us ate lunch in the busy (busy for a trek, but small for the rest of the world) town of Chame. And moved on to the tiny, abandon ruins of Bhratang, where there was only one guest house, as opposed to Chame where there's 20, run by two people, and two baby goats, one looking like an ewok. Other than that, there was only the ruin structures of old Bhtratang, giving an end of the world feeling. Finding nice abandoned destinations like these is easy. You just look in the Lonely Planet guide book, and avoid everywhere it tells you to go. Popular, populated treks like these for me can be diluted with too many people and too westernized, comfortable guest houses. The smaller, simpler more charming backwater places offer a rougher, more real feeling of adventure then a cushioned hot shower pizza Trekkers lodge full of 20 guests. The next day, the Swiss brothers went ahead, while David and I took it easy and stopped in a town called Upper Pising.
There's a lower Pising trail, more trekker trafficked, and an upper Pising trail, we took the road less traveled. There are three medieval towns on the upper trail, Upper Pising, Ghyru, and Ngawal. All three being my favorite. This area was a place I knew I could spend a long time in, with a CRAZY view of both Annapurna II and Annapurna IV. II being just under 8,000 meters and having not been successfully climbed since 1995. Whaaa! David and I spent days playing Go. Go is an ancient Chinese game of strategy, like chess but a lot more human. I played against only computers when I was in Middle School, and this was my first time playing against a real person. David taught me how to play, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect setting to work the brain and learn a game of strategy. We took our time slowly. Instead of trying to go as far as we could in one day, we would minder the trail and take even some 1 hour walking days to just the next village, this upper Pising area is one of the most beautiful places I've been, and there's no need to rush. Like Keroack said, "Rest and be kind, you don't have to prove anything." So we did, spending days in ancient villages that most Trekkers just walk through, I was schooled in the strategy of Go. Passing by all sorts of funny faced animals, we reach the small town of Mungi. Just 45 minuets before Manang, the "big city" of Annapurna. Easily the most developed place with a "cinema" and enough guest houses for 100s this metropolis pack with Trekkers was close, but far enough away from Mungi to be just right. David knew the son of the owner of a guest house in Mungi, so naturally that's where we stayed. And spent 3 nights. The second day in Mungi I decided to do an acclimatization side trek to an "ice lake". From 3,300 meters to 4,600 was a big day, and I tackled it solo. Waking up early I was The first one up, and the last one down. Walking up, I passed by a camp if people in Annapurna for the cordycep season. These cordyceps I had learned about on Planet Earth before. But a man in Chame explained them deeper. cordyceps are a fungus that targets certain animals. Ants or slug or in the case of this area, small worms. This fungus attacks the brain of the animal and controls it like a zombie, forcing the worms to crawl underground and die. Then out of the back of its head grows a mushroom. And this is what hundreds of Nepalese come to Annapurna for the season. They can only be found during April and May, and one sells for 1,000 Nepali Rupees. About $10. Really a crazy amount of money when you find 30 a day. So up the the ice lake I passed a bass camp of these worm hunters. From Mungi, I also did a day trip to Milarepa cave. David joined this time, and we walked up the foot of Annapurna III to see the cave where Milarepa, one of the most important figures in Buddhism meditated in solitude for years. A holy pilgrim place for Buddhists it was a special place.
David stayed in Mungi and I set off to do a several day side trek to Tilicho Lake. The highest lake in Asia. I had heard beforehand that there was a section on this side trek that was the most dangerous part of all Annapurna. A landslide area where for 45 minuets you have on either side a hundred meters steep down, and a hundred steep up of loose rock, and a trail only wide enough for one foot, so foot after foot you balance your way hoping Blue Sheep don't kick rocks down and start a landslide. Friends I had met said it was the craziest way they have ever gone. And on the first day, people I past would say, "You know, I'm just really happy I'm alive." or "I will never do that again as long as I live." or "I wouldn't recommend that way to anyone." or "All I can say is good luck and stay safe." As you can imagine, all these tales of misery and woe had me nervous. The first night of this side trip in Kangsar was the first time in a long time I was truly scared. I was doubting myself on the choice to see the highest lake in Asia. I slept riddled with fear. Really considering turning around and going back to the main trek an continuing on my way. Life is more important than adventure. But waking up the next day I decided that it couldn't be that bad, and everyone else is alive, and you can't grow without challenge. So I packed my stuff, and headed for Tilicho Lake Base Camp. All day preparing myself for death by landslide, or falling into a valley and never coming out, fear is something I haven't felt in a long time, and in a wired way, it was nice to be afraid of something again. And not just the scary movie afraid, or jumping of a cliff into water afraid, each step was a step towards fear, and I was going all alone. I took the steps anyway. Finally able to see the dreaded, feared, dangerous landslide way, I let out a sigh and a smile. It didn't look as bad as my thoughts and their stories had been. And leaving solid ground, I stepped onto what turned out to be one of my favorite paths I've taken. Sure it is the most dangerous section, but also the most fun. You have so little room for you feet, and some sections are like Mario. Where you have to take three steps really fast because the ground collapses and slides down the void. Humming Indiana Jones and jumping my way down this area I was awed at how different it was to the rest of the trek. It looked more like Tatooine than anywhere else. The big stones leftover by all the small rocks falling away gave this mountain the impression of being dead, and I was walking through it's bones. It was like walking on the edge of the world, and really not as bad as everyone says. It's mostly a good choice to face a fear, and it can turn out to be one of the best things you grow by.
Its weird how when you're with people, and you split, the first day you crave company, but after a while, you relax into solitude and love it all the more. Then you find new people you become wary of losing you're solitude, but quickly grow to enjoy company and conversation, and again, once they leave, it repeats.
After Tilicho Lake, it was time for me to start making my way to Torung La Pass. The "highlight" of the trek, the highest pass in the world and a reason most do the trek, it's an omonus pass for everyone. 5,400 meters is very high up, and low in oxygen. Moving from Tilicho to the base camp took several days, and I passed by many people going the opposite way having not made the pass due to altitude sickness. I decided to take another challenge, and sleep in the High Camp, another 500 meters above the usual place to stay. High Camp sits at 5,000 meters, as high as Tserko Ri that I climbed in Lang Tang. The climb up from the base I took slow and careful. Being by myself I had to. That high of altitude you can do half what you normally can, on twice as many breaths. So one foot after two breaths I climbed. Always waiting for a headache to kick in and have to turn around, but made it up with no problems. Staying in the high camp was exciting, the highest place I've ever slept and strangely, the busiest place I stayed. With only one place to stay up there, everyone hung out in one big sun room. It was a welcome change from quiet nights with porters and Nepalese in small homes to the busy party at high camp. Talks and cards and Dal Bhat passed the evening, and everyone went to sleep breathless and early to tackle the pass the next morning. Some leaving as early as 4:30am. Waking up at 2:00 to go pee, I strode outside into the most beautiful view I've seen. Being above the cloud line, and looking down the valley there was a perfect sheet of blankety clouds filling a sea bellow the snowy peaks. And able to see a perfect moonless milky way. The best view for a pee. Crossing the pass the next day was less intense than I was expecting. Leaving at 6 it took 2 hours to reach the top. A strange place. Quiet a few people were there from base camp and high camp, and everyone was waiting in line and taking 100,000 photos in front of the pass sign. But it felt backwards. Everyone rushed past all the nice small villages and brilliant side treks to quickly get to the pass, take photos, and get down. But this top of the pass moment, that's the highlight and the "grandest" part, I would trade 100 times for the smaller, for me more beautiful moments from before.
The decent from the pass was a knee shattering down climb of almost 2,000 meters. But if you pretend to fly, it can be really fun. Taking only 2.5 of the 4 hours I was expecting to get down. I found myself in a new valley, in Muktinath. And who should I come upon in the guest house I chose, but David again. A nice reunion and group by group the people from high camp all collected in the same place, and a really lovely completed friendly atmosphere filled the town. Sore and bent kneed everyone took a bus from Muktinath out. Their journey had finished. But for me it wasn't. I wanted to walk as far as I could. I walked the first day to Marpha, just passed Jomsom. This section had to be on the road, the reason everyone takes a bus, but I heard from Jomsom to Tatopani, there was a trail you can walk the is well off the road, and not ready to sit in buses and be back in a city, I set off alone again for the last few days out. The first road section was the most windy valley I've ever seen. So windy I was thinking of hitch hiking out from Marpha. But decided not to. And this turned out to be a wonderful choice. The last 2 days changed from being a big, rough, awed adventure, into a pleasant fairy tale. The big snowy mountains, and grand barren landscapes disappeared, and cobbled pavers, wild strawberries, blooming flowers, and lush forest replaced them. Starting on the road and seeing friends I met drive by waving from smelly, cramped buses, I ventured two days on foot through fire fly forests down to Ratopani to get a bus back to Pokhera. And what a perfect way to end in Ratopani. Just 30mins down the road from the tourist destination of Tatopani (meaning hot water in Nepali) you find Ratopani. Opposed to Tatopani's commercialized hot springs that all Trekkers and bussers go, where you pay. Ratopani is a smaller pilgrims healing hot spring for free where all the local old men and people with ailments go. The literal hottest water I've ever be in. Boiling, scolding, searing and blistering are all words to describe the heat this water had. You slowly ease in, and with the old women and old men you sit still, as moving even a little is to hot. It was sort of like meditating. Washing and soaking my Trekkers bones was a godsend. 18 days of a mountain climbing body deserves the 3 hours I gave in the healing spring of Ratopani. Rejuvinated, soothed, and partly clean, I was Endlessly glad not to have missed the final days of adventure, springs, and Dal Bhat. It's really a pleasure to have no rush, and spend all day walking outside.

Now I'm back in Pokhara. Washing and cleaning and resting, my trekking days are done for now. As is my time in Nepal. In a few days I head back to India. I've been missing India since I left, and on the first of June, Mr. Dalai Lama is giving a four day talk in Dharmasala. I can't miss that. So with just enough time, I'll make my way out the west end of Nepal and back to the craziness that is India. I've gone from the border of Tibet, to Dharmasala to learn about Tibetan Buddhism, I may as well have just gone over the border.

I think photos can do this more justice than words.