Annapurna Base Camp

I flew from Kathmandu to Pokhara on the morning of Sept. 25 with a plan to hike to Annapurna Base Camp in just 4 days. This is normally an 8-10 day trek but Gerry told me it could be done if I put in full days(10-12 hours). Full days are no problem for me since I have done so much hiking over the past year working at Second Nature. Ha...Second Nature Blue Ridge not Second Nature Himalaya! This trek turned out to challenge me more physically than anything I have ever done. I have never pushed my body so hard and for so long as the 3.5 days I spent hiking to and from ABC...
Day 1: I woke up before 5am and took taxi to Kathmandu Airport to catch Buddha Air flight to Pokhara. Upon arrival I obtained trekking permits and made a friend from Chicago and had lunch. After lunch, jumped in a taxi with a man named Tek who is the most loyal cab driver I have ever known. He took me to the trailhead, gave me his card and said, "Call when you want pick up...". I threw my boots on and confidently marched through a village and then the stairs started, and they continued, and continued. These stairs are steep and it was hot. I quickly realized that I would need to pace myself if I didn't want to pass out from heat exhaustion...and drink tons of water. I was in the clouds after an hour or so and it cooled off...and then it rained like hell. Every village I got to was strongly encouraging me to stay but I pushed on until dark and made it to the village of Tolka where I was greeted by some very sweet people who wanted me to stay, and I did. That evening I looked at my maps trying to figure out what it would take to get it done in such a short period of time. After my regular dinner of Dal Bhat (Rice and Lentils), the power went out and I hit the sack.
Day 2: I woke up at 6:00 and had porridge and black coffee, took a picture with my new friend, and took off down the trail. It was cool and the sun wasn't hitting the side of the valley I was on...I was cruisin. This was also when I got my first glimpse of the Annapurnas...what a sight to see! The first part of the day was mostly downhill and in the shade of the mountains, not the case for long. I was setting different villages as goals at different times and was ahead of schedule most of the day. My goal for lunch was a village called Chomrung at the top of a steep, hot climb and I was there before noon. I shared a cold drink with a nice couple I met from Holland, loaded up on carbs, cranked up the ipod, and took off with the goal of a village called Himalaya to end the day. I met lots of nice people this day but had to keep moving if I was going to get to base camp and back. It started raining late in the afternoon and it was cooling off as I was gaining significant altitude. When I stopped to put my rain gear on, a guy named Al from the UK came by and he was also trying to get to Himalaya. We were both running on fumes but we helped each other with the final leg to the destination. Getting to Himalaya to enjoy a nice cup of hot lemon tea was a great feeling! I had hiked from a hot and humid jungle with monkeys to a cooler climate and was nearly above the tree line. The weather cleared and the night sky was amazing in the high Himalaya. I couldn't convince anyone to wake up with me at 5 to haul ass to base camp before the daily cloud cover rolled in...
Day 3: 5am wake up and started hiking with headlamp. I stopped in the next village about 1.5 hours up the trail for porridge and coffee. There was a Korean climbing group about to attempt a new route on one of the nearby peaks. In case I haven't mentioned it, my legs are already wrecked at this point, but fortunately my energy level was awesome! I found reserves of energy I didn't know were there with the help of Snickers and Coconut Crunchies(best cookies in Nepal). Sometime around 8am I arrived at the base camp for Machupuchre which is about 1.5 hours from Annapurna Base Camp. I had a second cup of coffee, talked to some of the guys working at the guest house, and took off for the last climb to ABC while listening to LCD Soundsystem Nike 45 min endurance music...it seriously helps! Arrived at ABC around 10am. The sanctuary is amazing! I was surrounded by huge peaks on all sides and an incredible view of Annapurna(10th highest peak in the world). Being at the base of the Annapurna Glacier on a sunny day surrounded by giants and prayer flags was one of the most peaceful feelings I've ever experienced. The clouds were rolling in and it was time for my descent after a good lunch...Dal Bhat of course. I left base camp after 2 short hours and trudged my way down to a village called Bamboo, which is a couple hours past Himalaya where I had started in the dark that morning. Arrived in Bamboo just before dark, showered, ate Dal Bhat, read for a short time in the book Annapurna(Story of first ascent), and went to sleep for a solid 10 hours.
Day 4: Slept in until around 6:30 and got the day started with coffee and porrage as usual. Said goodbye to my friends at the Bamboo Guest House and headed south. It was a cool morning but warmed up quickly and I was shedding layers within an hour. My leg muscles were in rough shape and going down the stairs was brutal. I did my best to tread lightly and it probably looked like I was dancing my way down the stairs to avoid pain as much as possible. I would stop along the way for water and Coconut Crunchies. My goal today was to get to the hot springs at Jinhu and I was there by lunchtime. I made the decision that I would spend time in the hot springs even if it would cost me an extra night on the trail. The hot springs was amazing, a nicely crafted pool right next to ice cold class V whitewater...a bit out of the way but so worth it. After hot springs and Dal Bhat, back to the trail that I was told could not be finished that day...wrong! It can be finished, its just a matter of how much pain you are willing to deal with...HTFU! The rest of the day was just setting goals, getting there and setting a new goal. I arrived in Nayapul just before dark with a couple Koreans I met in the homestretch who had gotten lost that day. Tek, my loyal cab driver was waiting for me since I called him a couple hours up the trail. He drove 2 hours to pick me up for 1500 rupees (about $20), and brought me back to Pokhara to his best friend's hotel...the Buddha. I showered and limped down the street to a nice pasta dinner...what an adventure!
So, I have a day of rest here in Lakeside Pokhara and leave in the morning for the Karnali River with Equator Expeditions. The Karnali is in Western Nepal and takes a day and a half of driving to get to the put in. It is one of Nepal's classic big water rivers and we will be on it for more than a week. Thank God kayaking doesn't involve using the legs too much. A good friend of mine told me a little while ago on the phone, "You can plan an expedition, but you can't plan the outcome!"...should be a good time!
Thank you for reading...Namaste!

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