Hiking the Annapurna Circuit

2 weeks in mountainous paradise

This is my recount of my fantastic experience hiking through the Himalayas in Nepal, October 2019. I wrote most of the journal at the end of each day during the hike, while the details were still vivid in my mind, in the hope of preserving them so the whole experience didn't become a distant blur. Photography was a big part of the adventure for me so I wanted to present the journal alongside imagery to give context to the words and vice-versa. Not really sure who I expect to read this but figured it would be valuable for my own sake either way :)

Day 1

The expedition got off to an embarrassing start due to my phone still being in UAE timezone (2 hours behind), and so I was woken by Suman our guide, who'd tracked me down to the hostel because I didn't show up to the 6:30 meetup. We frantically got a taxi from the street and managed to chase down the bus, which we were meant to get at 7. Onboard I met Sam, my Dutch hiking buddy, and began getting to know each other. He'd just finished his undergraduate degree in Utrecht, currently lives in The Hague, and is having a travel break before finding work. He's really nice and laid back and we got along well. I also met Mandep, my porter.

The bus ride was slow, long and hot, with Nepalese pop style music blasting obnoxiously. The first segment was winding mountain roads which made progress incredibly slow. I listened to podcasts to kill time (about 7 hours) until we changed to another bus, which was full so I had to sit on some bags of rice on the floor. After about 10 hours total bus time to travel 190km, we arrived at Bhulbhule and walked about 1.5 hours to Suman hotel & restaurant in Ngadi. On the way we passed a Chinese sponsored hydro power station and tunnel though a mountain, which was a very noticeable step up from the normal standard of infrastructure in the area. There the 4 of us had dinner and played card games, including a Nepalese one which was basically the same as the Israeli game 'Yaniv' I was familiar with.

Day 2

We got up fresh and early at 6:30, had veg omelette for breakfast and hit the road. We hiked for 4.5 hours until lunch at Rainbow Restaurant in Ghermu. On the way we crossed paths with some people Sam had met at his hostel; Anna from Germany, Sophia from Netherlands and Benjamin from Singapore. They'd also teamed up with Ryan from Melbourne and a French couple, Alex and Guilain.

After lunch, during a steep climb, Sam spotted a baby mouse on a rock step. I poked it to see if it was still alive, and it made some feeble movements. It's eyes were still closed and it looked helpless. Initially I just moved it off the path into some grass, then realised there's no way it would survive on its own so I picked it up and took it with me. I presented it to some kids in a village up ahead, and a small boy immediately plucked it out of my hat I was holding it in. The poor thing's fate will forever be a mystery but I felt somewhat vindicated.

That night we stayed at Chamje (1400m), and went to visit the other group at their hostel to play card games. I caught a firefly on the way there and showed it to them. Back at our guesthouse we talked to Suman some more and got to know him better, he plays cricket (the team's star all-rounder apparently), follows soccer closely (has impressively detailed knowledge of matches over 10 years ago), and got a gold medal for being in the top 3 out of 850(?) participants in the hiking guide certification course. Super sweet and cool guy and very impressive considering he's only 21.

Day 3

I started the day with a heartier breakfast than before (omelette, toast, fruit, fried potatoes, porridge and coffee) then we hit the road. We soon came across the other group, and it was good to have a bit more company for the strenuous uphill section at the beginning. I talked to Ben, Ryan and Anna on the way to Nache (1800m) where we stopped for lunch. Ben is friendly and adventurous, he's been alternating between working and traveling for a while and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

Ryan seems to be doing the same, he's done Everest base camp trek before and is heading to Thailand afterwards to visit his mum. It seems like we have plenty of common interests and get along really well. Anna is sweet and seems like a classic Berliner, she's into techno, studied psychology and is going to India afterwards for a one month yoga course.

At lunch, somehow the topic of ecstasy came up, with Sam saying how he hadn't tried it but was curious, so I dived into my spiel attempting to explain what it's like and how it's generally safe if you're responsible and worth trying; it isn't confronting and doesn't really make you feel like you're losing control of yourself like people might imagine. I also inevitably ended up talking about psychedelics and the profound effects they can have and new perspectives they can provide, I think I managed to pique his curiosity.

We continued on to Bagarchhap (2050m), where we contemplated pushing on to the next village to stay. I wasn't really fussed but suggested we see what the other group was planning to do, I liked them and enjoyed having extra companions for the adventure. Soon they arrived and we decided to stay there. I talked more to Ryan about various things including doofs (turns out he works at Rainbow serpent at the entrance gate), hiking and mushrooms (I appreciated an Instagram post of his of some mushroom portraits, very similar to one I had just made myself). He's a very sweet and sensible guy but knows how to party. Anna led a group yoga session, then we ate dinner and played cards together before retiring.

Day 4

Sam, Anna, Sophia and myself started the day with some yoga and meditation, which Mandep observed with amusement; he's very nimble and flexible himself, probably a yoga master. Eventually we set off, the trail soon entering beautiful lush forest with mosses and ferns, as well as some mushrooms to photograph.

I chatted to Ryan some more, including about advancements in technology allowing us to decouple the human race's increasing prosperity and development from the environmental impact we have (inspired by the Sam Harris podcast with Andrew McAffe I listened to the day before). I talked to Sophia properly for the first time, she's really lovely. She's just finished studying medicine in Utrecht and treating herself to a vacation before facing the real world.

I also listened to a Joe Rogan podcast with Joseph Ledoux, talking about people's subconscious actions and how the higher level conscious part of us often creates narratives to explain or justify actions that were a result of subconscious processes. He wanted to investigate emotion as a driver of subconscious actions or behavior, tracing basic instinctive, subconscious responses to danger in organisms back to the root of all life. They also discussed split brain experiments as a way to explore the highly complex and ambiguous topic. One example was communicating a task or action to one hemisphere, which the patient would then perform, then the other hemisphere (responsible for verbal communication for example) would scramble to come up with a justification to rationalize why they performed that action.

We had a tea break in Timang, and it really started to feel like we were among the mountains, with slopes and peaks in just about every direction. It was the nicest day of walking so far.

Further up the trail we came across a broken down Jeep getting some roadside repairs, its rear wheels were removed and a group of men were working on the dismantled drive shaft. It's amazing how resourceful the locals are, they really make do with what they have.

Eventually we arrived at Chame (2710m), and basically booked out the entire "Hotel New Karma" guesthouse with our group. It had nice beds, a western toilet and nice indoor dining area with fireplace. We had lunch then headed to the nearby hot springs which was a super welcome relaxation session. The pools became uncomfortably hot at times, until the cold water hoses were turned on for a while to cool them down.

Then we had dinner (a soup-like veg curry, it's always hit or miss), played some cards and hit the sack. It was starting to get noticeably colder at night, I went to bed with 2 layers on top as well as my freshly purchased beanie.

Day 5

In the morning the sky was the clearest it had been so far, so after breakfast and getting ready, Ben and I headed along the trail for a while to get a view of the Annapurna II peak. It was completely visible and intensely illuminated by the morning sun, super impressive. After taking some photos we went back to the main path to wait for the others, but after some time they didn't arrive and we realised they had skipped past us.

We headed on at a decent pace to catch up, but didn't find them until the apple farm at Brahtang (2850m). There we all indulged in apple pie, apple donuts and coffee. Continuing the walk, alternating between road and hiking trail, I was in a constant euphoric state due to the perfect weather and spectacular surroundings, combined with the uplifting melodies of a 6 hour trance mix Jess sent me. Immediately after Brahtang there was an impressive steeply sloping ridge of smooth flat barren rock, which curved around like a colossal stone amphitheater. We were also treated to near constant views of Annapurna II and other snow capped peaks towards the southeast.

The hike to Upper Pisang (3300m) was really enjoyable and not challenging. As we ascended, the green, dense forest gave way to a more barren, rocky landscape dominated by sparse pine trees and hardy shrubs. I chatted some more to Ryan, this time mostly about music and the nightlife in Melbourne and Berlin, as well as techy, futuristic stuff.

We had lunch at a restaurant in Upper Pisang which had a rooftop balcony with spectacular views in all directions, but it soon became uncomfortably windy so we ate inside. A tiny local kid was playing with some other travelers which was very cute. Because we were doing well for time, we went ahead with the plan of going to Ghyaru (3730m) instead of Lower Pisang, so that we could do the elevated hiking trail instead of road to Manang. This involved a 50 minute challenging steep climb that tested my endurance but was rewarding to overcome.

Suman found us a nice guesthouse to fill with our sizable party, and we were soon all gathered in the dining room to play some cards. Mandep joined in and was in high spirits, making his moves with elaborate flourishes and grooving along to Nepalese music, much to everyone's enjoyment. It was a really precious moment, the whole group, including Suman and Mandep, having fun, laughing and being happy together after a tiring day.

After dinner, I went to investigate the kitchen, and found S&M sitting around the cooking fire for warmth, along with the resident lady cooking food and serving Mandep some of the local rice wine, heated on the hotplate. Mandep told me how it warms your body all the way to your fingers and helps the locals cope with the extreme cold. He said he was feeling good and happy, because he liked being up in the mountains, away from the stress of the city, his parents and children. Although I felt somewhat guilty for burdening him with my clothes pack, and for the relatively meager compensation he probably receives for the hard work, I was also grateful to be providing him with an opportunity to do something he genuinely loved as a job. He said that when Sam and I are safe and happy, he is also happy, and when we clear the pass with no problems he will feel really good and happy for us. He is very experienced and such a sweetheart and would make a great guide, only his limited English speaking and writing ability is stopping him from taking the course and getting certified, which is a shame. He and Suman make a really cute duo.

Suman said he's very grateful of our hiking group and really likes me and Sam and is having a great time, it was really nice to hear and I concur. I asked how he felt about us forming a larger group with the other guys, since he's effectively had to look after more people, and he said it wasn't a problem as long as we were happy. They're all lovely people which he seems to get on well with and hopefully enjoys the extra social interactions and fun that arises and hasn't shown any signs of being annoyed by it, but I wanted to make sure. I think both him and Mandep do like it when it's just the four of us hanging out as well though, a more manageable and tighter crew. He said he hoped we would be more than just guide and client but friends, but I think we all felt that was already the case.

It was a really special time sitting with those two in that rudimentary kitchen, with both of them being so caring, earnest and open-hearted, catching more of a glimpse into their lives, and feeling like I was making some genuine connections.

After they'd finished their meals we joined the others back in the dining room and continued the card game. Mandep was even more animated than before and everyone was in high spirits.

Before bed, Ben and I attempted some astrophotography of the milky way above the mountain peaks. It was cool to have someone to share the interest and nerd out with.

Day 6

We woke up to the spectacular sight of Annapurna III illuminated in the sunrise light, against a backdrop of clear blue sky. We ate breakfast accompanied by a cute local dog who Ben befriended, then began the relatively easy descending trek to Manang (3600m). The trail was up high along the mountain ridge, giving great views of the valley and various mountain peaks beyond. At one point we came across a pair of eagles gliding in spirals, starting below us and gradually rising far above. The landscape became more barren, with eroded earthy slopes textured by the sharp shadows of their numerous ridges.

On the way we stopped at a small village for a drink break, we tried the local seabuck thorn juice, which was really tasty and refreshing. There were also a few cannabis plants being cultivated here which was amusing. I walked with Mandep for a while and he did his best to talk about his knowledge of the mountains, how we all need to use maps but he has it laid out in his mind from first hand experience. At the end of the season he wants to start English lessons so he can eventually become a guide.

For lunch in Brega (Bhakra) I had probably the best Dal Bhat of the trip so far, enhanced by the stunning views from the restaurant balcony. We also walked through a paddock of yaks to visit the monastery there. Manang was just a bit further down the trail and we managed to all fit into the Hotel Yak which Suman had reserved for Sam and I. We did some shopping and had afternoon tea in a bakery, which brought an unexpected luxury of good coffee and cakes.

That night at the dinner table the group discussed plans of making the climb to the nearby ice lake the next day. I noticed Suman appeared visibly stressed, so after dinner I asked him about it. He wasn't comfortable with making the 1000m ascent in a day, since it wasn't part of our itinerary and he would be liable if we did it and anything went wrong. I didn't want to go against his advice and cause him any distress so we talked with Sam and agreed to just go to the lookout point halfway up to the lake.

Day 7

In the morning we had breakfast then set off back to Brega to begin the ascent to the view point and ice lake. As we got higher, more mountains revealed themselves until the entire horizon was a continuous ridge of white snowy peaks, producing a stunning panoramic vista.

We continued up to a tea house at 4200m, on the way coming across a lone white horse heading downwards but seemed rather lost. After some snacks and a rest, Ryan, Sophia, Alex and Guilain continued upwards to the ice lake, while the rest of us headed back down to Brega, escorted by a friendly small black dog. I had the good Dal Bhat at the restaurant there again, then we played some Scrabble. Just as we finished and were departing, the others returned from their extended journey.

We headed back to Manang, went for another indulgent session at the bakery, then back to the hotel to freshen up and relax. That night we continued the tradition of card games, and Ryan and I exchanged various questionable lifestyle-related memes. He showed me some photos from the day and his past hike of EBC, he has a really good eye for composition. We were also treated to a stunning sunset vista of intensely illuminated clouds looming over the snow-streaked mountain tops.

Day 8

Today the group split up; Ben, Alex and Guilain headed to lake Tilicho, while the rest of us set off for Ledar (4200m). We were blessed with a 4th day in a row of perfect weather, not a cloud in sight. Suman said it's the best conditions he's ever seen. On the way we came across partially frozen streams and cool ice formations growing along strands of grass. The walk was quite leisurely and we arrived in Leder in time for lunch. After eating and relaxing for a while we went on an exploratory adventure following the nearby stream up towards the mountains for a while.

That night it was nice and cozy in the dining cabin, with many groups of travelers playing cards, enjoying the warmth of a fire heater and the melody of an acoustic guitar. It was a very wholesome vibe, a small pocket of liveliness, light and warmth amidst the expansive, barren mountainous landscape and harsh cold outside. The stars were bright in the sky and before bed I managed to take a decent long exposure shot of the milky way coming up over a mountain silhouette.

Day 9

The weather was again perfect and we set off for the relatively easy walk to Phedi base camp (4550m). The altitude was beginning to take its toll on our aerobic capacity but there wasn't much climbing involved and it was a short trek. On the way we came across a small lake which we tried throwing stones into, and a waterfall with cool ice stalactite formations. The landscape was becoming more barren, even small shrubs were now a rarity. It was wonderful to be able to walk at a comfortable pace and appreciate the stunning scenery.

Our guesthouse (Thorong Phedi) had a large dining room with heating, we occupied a big table in the far corner to hang out, play cards and eat. I was DJ for music ranging from old singalong classics to chill progressive stuff. It was a lot of fun and everyone was in good spirits, it was really nice to be able to lounge around and chill out for most of the day. We retired for an early night in preparation for the pass ascent early next morning, but not before I had another crack at some astro-photography.

Day 10

We got up at the god-forsaken hour of 3am with the aim to clear the Thorong La pass before the winds picked up. It was still completely dark with stars shining bright in the sky. We had a quick breakfast then begrudgingly set off. It was incredibly cold and our pace was sluggish, anything more than a slow shuffle and you'd be out of breath, needing to pant heavily to stay oxygenated. We and the other hikers resembled a horde of zombies slowly zigzagging up the rocky slope. I stopped a few times to get some long exposure shots of the crescent moon which had just risen above the mountain range behind us.

We reached the high camp (4900m) just as the sky was beginning to lighten with morning light, but stars were still visible. I managed to get a few decent shots capturing this transition. By now the nearby landscape was nothing but dirt and rocks, with some remains of old powdery snow scattered about, completely devoid of vegetation. As the sky brightened the jagged silhouettes of the horizon revealed themselves as snow capped peaks.

It was almost frustrating how I couldn't walk faster than a waddle without being out of breath, and something about the harsh conditions or big down jacket I was wearing in conjunction with my backpack caused my upper back to get sore. Soon the sun revealed itself and I partially unzipped my jacket and fleece to let my core cool down and make breathing deeply easier. The landscape revealed by the sunlight looked like something from another planet, completely dominated by the contrasting colours and textures of rock and ice.

Finally, at 8:15am, we made it to the top of the pass, marked by a sign, a wall of colorful Nepalese flags and a teahouse. We celebrated with hugs, chocolates and photos, and enjoyed a well deserved rest. However, when you're no longer moving the uncomfortable cold begins to set in, so soon we were back on the track, starting the 1800m descent to Muktinath (3600m). As we got lower and the day heated up, I shed the down jacket layer and could breathe comfortably, allowing me to enjoy the spectacular scenery we were presented with.

We were descending a kind of steep gully, with interestingly textured rocky ridges faces on each side, and large barren mountains looming in the distance beyond a valley which was home to some villages, including Muktinath and another where we stopped for lunch. This vista presented numerous scenes fit for impressive desktop backgrounds.

At lunch I tried the seabuck thorn and rhubarb mix juice which was delicious, and bought a 500ml bottle of seabuck thorn juice syrup. Turns out Muktinath is a very holy place in Nepal, and as we approached we passed the largest arrangement of colorful Bhuddist flags I've seen, forming a giant web covering the face of a ridge.

Our hotel "Town House" looked modern and luxurious in comparison to what we'd become used to, but we soon discovered that electricity was out for the entire town. We enjoyed a much needed hot shower, went down the street to Reggae Freedom cafe for some surprising good tiramisu, then all the boys walked up to the giant Bhudda statue for a good view of sunset over the distant mountains. It set right in the valley of two peaks, creating a cool effect of a wedge of sun rays shaped by the two ridges.

I hung around to record a timelapse, which ended up not very impressive, then walked back alone through the main street. It was lined with market-style tourist stands, selling souvenirs, fossils collected from the local riverbed, and clothing such as scarves, beanies and gloves, often with a loom set up nearby to show that they're locally hand-made.

Day 11

The previous day we had decided that we wanted save a day by hiring a Jeep directly to Tatopani (1100m), instead of hiking to Jomsom then taking a bus from there. We set off at 7:30, initially the road was sealed and impressively smooth, but it soon deteriorated into the bumpy, chaotic surface we had come to expect. It mostly ran along the side of the valley, elevated precariously above the riverbed by a deteriorating foundation of loose rock and dirt, which looked like it would be swiftly eroded away by the slightest amount of flooding. Even now the river was flowing strong with turbulent murky water simply from the ice melting in the sunny weather, I can only imagine what it would be like in the rainy season, since this channel would be collecting water from an incredibly large area. Trying to maintain the limited infrastructure in the area must be a constant battle with the forces of nature.

We arrived at Tatopani by lunchtime, checked in to Dhaulagiri Lodge, which had nice cabin-style rooms and an outdoor dining area amongst a lush garden which included goats and chickens. The greenery, sounds of cicadas, warmth and activity was such a stark contrast to the barren, cold, lifeless landscapes we had grown used to. We ate, indulged in the nearby hot springs, quickly explored the small town, had a yoga session on the lawn, then gathered in the dining room for the traditional routine of cards and dinner.

Day 12

Today was the long steady climb to Ghurupani (2875m) for views from Poon Hill the next morning. It was hot and tiring but nice to be surrounded by greenery and passing through small villages and lush forest. Many gardens featured a crop of weed plants and I took a small sample to try out later. There was some kind of strange black fly or bug thing that was everywhere, flying around slowly and covering the footpath, turning to face the sun with their wings. There were lots of interesting things for me to photograph, such as spiders,mushrooms, flowers, waterfalls and general jungle scenery.

It was a long day but we finally arrived at Ghurupani, where we had an early night in preparation for the hike up to Poon Hill for the sunrise in the morning.

Day 13

We got up while it was still dark and joined the procession of people making the ascent to Poon Hill. We were lucky and treated to an almost ideal cloud cover, with the viewpoint being above a lower sea of clouds but others higher up behind the distant mountains, acting as a canvas for the colours of sunrise to paint on. As amber light started to creep over the horizon I set up my phone in the branches of a bush to capture a time-lapse. It turned out really well, dramatically animating the sea of clouds flowing and folding under itself, but unfortunately I stopped it just as the sunrise was reaching its peak because I wanted to make sure I had a good still image. Luckily I did manage to snap a good one, with the spectacularly sky split in half by the vibrant rays of the morning sun, half cool and half warm.

After the colours subsided we headed back down for breakfast then set off on the long downward trek to Nayapul. It wasn't strenuous so I was free to appreciate the lush surroundings and kept falling behind the group because I stopped to take photos of mushrooms, spiders, flowers and anything else of interest. I was extremely content having my own exploitative adventure enhanced by my favourite melodic and progressive tunes.

As we got lower, villages became more regular and the path was busier with people doing the short Poon Hill trek. By now it really felt like we had left the mountains behind and were returning to 'civilization' (by Nepali standards). It was sad to feel it coming to an end because it had been such a fulfilling, simple but rewarding lifestyle, with nothing to do but walk, appreciate the scenery, other people and their lives, and have so much time away from normal busy life to reflect and connect.

The lovely group of people I'd met had become my mountain family, and it was sad to think about disbanding and heading our separate ways (however we continued to hang out and travel together for a while afterwards, and will no doubt cross paths again in the future).

The whole experience was incredibly fulfilling and something that I will treasure forever. I'm already looking forward to when I return one day, there's plenty more mountains to explore!