In 1988 I went to Nepal for the first time, travelling by bus from Delhi to Kathmandu. Although the trip took almost 2 days, and the bus was remarkably uncomfortable, it was one of the most spectacular journeys I have ever taken, and a most remarkable experience.
And then I trekked the Annapurna circuit, still considered by many to be one of the 10 classic treks of the world. It took 24 days to complete, and from the time we left Ghorka, until the day we walked down into Pokhara, we were travelling entirely on footpaths and saw no vehicles of any description.
Part of the walk is now over a new road, and whilst this is surely welcome to the inhabitants of the region, I suspect that it takes away a little of the magic of the trek.
Village near Manang (posibly Mungji), on the Marsyandi River, close to the Annapurnas. In many ways, a typical Nepalese mountain village, it is built on man-made terraces, up steeply sloping mountainside, to avoid using any of the precious farmland available in the valley.
View from Poon Hill. Poon Hill lies a little to the west of Ghorapani on the river Ghora (pani being water), west of the Annapurnas. Sunrise there consequently occurs behind the Annapurna peaks, including the spectacular Machhapuchhare, or ‘fishtail’ peaks. That said, this shot was taken towards the west, looking across the Kali Gandaki valley.
This is dawn, though. Machhapuchhare and its double peak are shown clearly on the left.
Mountains and glacial lake from the village of Manang.
Lower down, the land is heavily terraced, fertile land being at such a premium that every available bit is used. These rice paddies are near the village of Chepe Ghat, on the Marsayandi River.
Chorten. Chortens, or stupas as they are also commonly known, usually contain relics of saints or priests. The original stupas held relics of the Buddha, such as at the Temple of the Tooth, at Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Mountains near the village of Muktinath. In the rain-shadow, here, the landscape is that of a high altitude desert.
Mani stones on the Annapurna trail. Mani stones may be carved, painted or both, and serve a similar function to prayer flags, in that they either have a prayer or mantra carved on them (typically ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ – from which the name ‘Mani Stone’ comes from – meaning ‘Hail to the jewel in the heart of the lotus’ i.e. The Buddha) or they may have a picture of the Buddha himself. Although they may be encountered singly or in small numbers by shrines or at Gompas, at times they make up huge walls containing many hundreds of stones, some of which may have been there for hundreds of years. These walls, like shrines or any other Buddhist relics encountered here, are passed on the left.
Houses at Manang.
The Upper reaches of the Marsayandi, looking down to Manang.
Snowed in below Thorung La. Not an unusual occurrence. Thorung La is at 5415m (17,700ft). We arrived at our campsite early afternoon with the ground clear of snow and the sun out. This was the scene a couple of hours later, delaying our crossing the pass (‘La’ is Tibetan for ‘Pass’) by 24 hours.
Crossing Thorung La. On the day we crossed the pass, we left camp just after 4 in the morning, and were down the other side by late afternoon.
Looking west (and down!) from Thorung La). On this side of the pass there is far less precipitation and the land is noticeably drier. This is looking towards Muktinath.
You are such an adventurer! Love this, amazing 😀
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Thanks, Lucy. It still feels like my favourite!
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Spectacular landscape, Mick. Your photos capture another world.
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Thanks, Diana. That could also be even more accurate than you realise – close to 30 years have passed since I was there, and some of those scenes will have changed hugely.
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Will you go back someday?
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I’ve been back to Nepal several times, but not the Annapurna Circuit. Now there is a road along part of it, I rather fear being disappointed. If I do another trek in Nepal, I think it will be elsewhere.
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Good point. Sometimes a second visit is disappointing because the first was so memorable.
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Flipping through your pictures…
I envy you Mick! love the pristine landscape In a stark contrast to the mass trek tourism that we see now!
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I think it is a lot busier around the circuit, now, yes. I think it is one of those places I would be well advised not to revisit – as I said to Diana on this thread.
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Noted Mick! thanks for the input! Himalayas are vast and its best to stay away from the popular places.
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Yes, there will always be plenty more to visit.
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🙂
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Beautiful photos! You are fortunate to have been through the Mustang region before last year’ earthquake. Memories to treasure for sure.
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That’s very true. I have friends who have been there since, and the devastation is very sad.
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That’s what I was afraid of. Hopefully with the recent distribution of funds by the government, things will improve. Tell all your friends to return to Nepal – it really is safe! Last aftershock I felt there was last December.
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I’d go today if I could. And one friend is out there now – they need the visitors, badly.
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Wonderful photographs to complement your memories Mick.
Hugs
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Thanks, David. And hugs back.
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Mick, what an amazing adventure – your stunning photos and description bring us into another world. Every photograph is fascinating, I love the houses, the paddy fields as well as the dramatic Himalayas. Thank you so much for sharing.
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You’re welcome, Annika, and thanks for the comment.
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Wow, what an adventure! I’m impressed with all the obvious discomfort you endured in order to have a truly memorable experience. Those tents look cold. Those vistas look breathtaking.
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There wasn’t any alternative then, Monica. Lodges were few and far between, and the best you got at most of them were floorboards in a communal and incredibly smoky area. tents were the best choice, if more than a little chilly at times!
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What a wonderful adventure, Mick, and fabulous photos (though some made me shiver with the cold). Thanks for sharing.
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You’re welcome, Donna. It was more than worth all the cold!
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I don’t envy you the bus ride at the start, 2 days is a long time on one of these buses. The photos are beautiful as always. I’ve heard that this circuit is, or was, more spectacular and cleaner than the Everest one.
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It was very uncomfortable, I must say. But strangely, even whilst I was on the bus, I was delighting in the whole experience. Often, these things are only enjoyable in retrospect, and you tend to gloss over or forget the discomfort, but I was aware of both the discomfort, but also that it was an incredible experience that I wouldn’t have missed for all the world.
And yes, the Annapurna Circuit knocked spots off of the Everest one, although this was almost 30 years ago!
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Your memory and photographs are amazing.
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Thank you. They are imprinted on my memory!
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I have read this a couple of times. The photographs are stunning. What a wonderful memory for you? I loved the one of you trekking in the snow. Great memories, I bet? I mentioned before that I wanted to go overland, but I think its too late now. Not only politically but also age wise. I should have done it at 18, instead, I got married! 😦
I so envy you the wonderful things you have experienced/ Life’s rich tapestry, and all that! you are a lucky man ( as an aside, I am off to a Fund raiser on Friday for people in Nepal. They are hoping to raise enough to continue building a new school )
Great post. Thank you
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Thanks, Jackie. They are good memories, yes. I once fancied going overland to India, but it never happened. Partly lack of money, partly never really having the courage to take that step, and then getting married. But even the overland journey from Delhi to Kathmandu was impressive, which just goes to show that you can have adventures without having to find the most extreme ones possible. And it’s never too late to do that, of course. I still fancy chucking a few clothes in a rucksack and heading off.
And I hope the Fundraiser goes well – huge numbers of people in Nepal are still struggling to get by after the earthquakes.
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Impressive countryside. I can see why it sticks in your memory.
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It is pretty amazing, Dave. That trip was without doubt the best one I’ve ever done.
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It looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the photos as I have never been there
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You’re welcome, Christy. It’s certainly worth the visit if you have the opportunity.
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Wow. Thanks for a view of a world I’ll probably never see. Fantastic. What an adventure to have experienced.
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You’re welcome, Tric. But never say never…
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Beautiful photos! My boss is originally from Nepal. I’ll have to show her the photos.
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It’s a small world!
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As usual, another very good post from You, my Dear Mick! Thanks to You, have taken a mini trip to those areas, ‘BACK IN TIME’ too, and, Chuckle, Without any discomfort! Haha! Kudos and Regards. 🙂
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Thanks, Swami. Hope you had your seat belt done up!
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Haha! Thank You again for that, my Dear Mick. Yeah, had both my seat belt and my parachute attented to, by no less a person that our Village Cobbler! Haha. And You know Indian Cobblers! 🙂
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In which case, I’m certain that everything would have been in order!
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Hahahahaha and HoHoHoHo! 🙂
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That must have been an incredible trip! Thanks for sharing the experience through your post. I doubt that I will ever make it to that part of the world (although you never know…), so I really enjoy reading about the experiences of people who have. Your travels are impressive!
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Thanks, Ann. As you say, you never know. It is definitely worth it if you do!
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Wow. That must have been an amazing trip.
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It was indeed. Thanks for visiting.
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You’re very welcome!
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How exquisite! Beautiful…The experience must have been wonderful as well! Thanks for sharing Mick!
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A pleasure, Divya. It was most wonderful!
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What an incredible journey! I envy you.
Any spiritual awakening moment or moments during those 24 days?
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Nothing that I really remember, or nothing over and above the feelings I get any time I travel to mountains or visit gompas. Those experiences came more on subsequent trips.
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wow..awesome..thanks for shared the photos
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Thank you, and thanks for visiting.
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It looks wonderful, although I’ll bet it was quite a testing trip too. A 24-day trek is not something to be attempted lightly.
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It was definitely the best walk I’ve ever been on! And yes, quite strenuous at times. Certainly worth the effort, though.
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Wow! This must have been an incredible trip/adventure. The photos speak volumes. There’s this salt that my mother used to buy years back called Annapurna salt, I wonder if it’s from this place?
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Annapurna salt…I’ve never heard of it, and I’m not aware of any salt deposits in the area, but who knows? Hang on, I’ll Google it…a-ha. Annapurna is a brand, belonging to Unilever Hindustan, and it is a salt with added iodine.
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I see. Thanks to Google 🙂
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Yay for Google!
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Thorung La is beautiful! I wonder if my lungs can sustain me on a tour. The photos are lovely, Mick. xo
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It is beautiful, but quite a serious endeavour. If you get the chance, though, it’s well worth it.
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Wow,what an adventure.Thanks so much for sharing it with us…
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You’re welcome, Vicky. It was a leave I took when I was in Oman – that was a good year!
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