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Hike to Annapurna Basecamp, Nepal

By February 25, 2014June 21st, 2019No Comments

This trip now was a while ago, but I hadn’t gotten around to actually share our itinerary and hiking experience through the Himalayan mountains.

We set off from Pokhara on the morning of September 24th (oh dear, I am far far behind on this one) and returned ten days later.

Within those ten days we took 110.604 steps (according to Nike Fuelband), walked 54.1 miles and spend a total of 86.44 hours hiking. So much for the statistics. But we had kept ourselves well-informed from Climb Gear Hub the most effortless ways of surviving through the hike.

Day 1 took us from Pokhara into the first steps of Himalayan mountain. We had lunch in Dhampus and ended up spending the night at Tolka – this day we totaled 19.115 steps and 9.5 miles. Mostly steep uphill while it was still subtropically hot.

On day 2 we then continued via New Bridge for lunch to Jhino. Not only did we take 15.328 steps that day and covered 7.5 miles, we also got to have a bath in the local hotsprings. Day 3 then marked my thirty-first birthday, and what better way to spend it than taking 17.506 steps, eating lunch in Bamboo and sleeping at Dovan.

My birthday cake was made of apple slices and bananas and it got me perfectly well over the 8.6 miles we covered that day.

The next day then took us to Deuvrali for lunch and onwards via a total of 6.5 miles and 13.323 steps to Machhapuchhre Base Camp, where we decided to spend the night. The initial tropical weather had turned into miserable ice cold rain at this stage and even though Annapurna basecamp was only another short hike away, we decided to call it a day. This day was a tough one and naps were taken consistently at every opportunity that arose.

On the 5th day, we then waited for the rain to clear up a but, thus deciding to definitely miss out on a potentially pretty sunrise (thankfully, there then really wasn’t one.. clouds were all that was to be seen) and set off to reach Annapurna Basecamp at mid-day. We took our luggage along just in case – if it had been nice, we would have spent the night there. As it was, the weather was still cloudy and cold so we then returned to Machhapuchhre Base Camp for a quick lunch and then hiked onwards to Dobhan for a total of 22.525 steps that day and 11 miles.

Day 6 then took us further downhill to Chomrung, where we arrived at lunchtime and then also stayed. This day we managed to take 14.043 steps and cover 6.9 miles.

On the following day we then bundled up in rain gear and arrived in Chuile for lunch and a bit of a dry off and then slept at Tadapani where we arrived after 14.384 steps and 7.0 miles. On the 8th day we once again had lunch at Deuvrali and then slept in Ghorepani where we totaled 12.807 steps and 6.3 miles – entirely soaked and covered in leeches, but in high spirits. Day 9 then lead us through Tikhedhunga to Birethanti, this was to be the biggest day yet with a total of 23.844 steps and 11.7 miles.

All downhill and finished off with some semi-cold golden liquid. We celebrated our success accordingly and the next day we then returned to Pokhara.

The main impressions from a flora and fauna perspective that remain are a lot of bamboo forest, rhododendron forest, marihuana trees, wild peonies, leeches, more leeches and wild snapdragons. While hiking through these mountains the song that constantly played in my head was Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s a Jungle out There”.

We consumed 4 things on a daily basis and in big quantities – prices depend on altitude:
Dal Bhat (300 Rupees to 560 Rupees)
Egg Vegetable Fried Rice (240)
Beer (360 to 650)
Masala Tea (60 per cup)

It was an amazing route and we will surely be back for me. Mount Everest Base Camp is up next, as soon as I can muster up a three week holiday!

See the entire Nepal picture set and check out the articles on Kathmandu and Pokhara as well as my packing list.

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