Himalayan Adventures - Above Treeline

The morning of our departure from Upper Pisang, we made an early start, choosing not to have breakfast at our guesthouse. The guesthouse owner had warned us that without a guide, we would run into the same problem that we had in the Pisang area with accommodation. Guides have the advantage of being able to call ahead to reserve rooms for their clients. Thus began a crucial game of strategy to secure shelter for the night.

Our goal that day was to reach Manang, a large town, for a couple extra acclimatization days. There are two routes to Manang, an upper trail which would add an extra three hours to our hike and a lower trail. While doing my research related to the Annapurna Circuit, I discovered that the upper route to Manang would offer some of the best views of the entire circuit. It was cloudy that morning and we discussed whether it would be worth it to take the upper route should the clouds linger for the remainder of the day. In the end, we took the upper route. If the clouds lifted, we thought, we would be in for a treat!



As we set out for Manang, it looked like our early start wasn't so early after all. Taking the upper route from Upper Pisang, we could already see droves of hikers heading out on the lower route. They would reach Manang in no time. Even on the upper route, we were being overtaken by large groups of European tourists carrying small day packs. The rest of their luggage would be taken to Manang by porters via the lower route. I couldn't believe how large some of these groups were. We even met a group of 16 Dutch hikers! Surely their guides had already secured them rooms in Manang. It looked like we might have some trouble that night.



The trail from Upper Pisang to Ghyaru started gradually, giving us a view of the meandering valley below, but then quickly climbed through a long series of switchbacks that felt like it would never end. However, the clouds did lift as we had hoped and sure enough, the view was magnificent! No words or photographs can do justice to the beauty that we saw that day. As the peaks of Pisang Mountain and the Annapurnas were revealed by the parting clouds, I thought, this is what heaven must look like. On this day, we also left the forests behind, climbing higher above treeline into rocky, arid terrain. On this day too, I felt the effects of altitude hamper my breath and strength.

It is amazing what happens to your body in thin air. I had experienced shortness of breath in our earlier days, but not like this day. Even the tightness of the chest strap of my backpack made an enormous difference. I felt as if I had smoked an entire pack of Marlborough Reds before embarking on a monstrous climb. We overtook other hikers and they overtook us as we stopped for breaks. Tony softly encouraged me up when I felt like I couldn't go any further and sometimes reprimanded me for my occasional lack of hiking etiquette (i.e. stopping in the middle of the path while people directly behind tried to get past), but it was hard to think of others as I struggled up the mountain.



Finally, we reached a beautiful Tibetan Gompa in the town of Ghyaru at 3730m (12,237ft), the highest point we would reach that day. A large group of trekkers had also gathered there to rest and take photographs. We ran into our lovely Bavarian friend Charlie, smiling widely as always as he puffed on a cigarette.



Above treeline, the landscape, villages and people looked dramatically different. Unprotected houses made out of stone lined narrow alleyways of medieval looking villages. Without protection from the sun and wind, the villagers were much darker, with leathery skin weathered by the harsh elements. I imagined that most of the villagers were not as old as their aged bodies looked, but they were friendly nonetheless, with big, toothless smiles as they greeted us with "Namaste."



We decided not to eat in Ghyaru as there were way too many tourists and continued instead to the next town, Ngawal. We passed by Tibetan memorials, prayer wheels and inscribed tablets even more beautiful than those we had seen earlier in our hike. By now, the land looked almost desert like - brown, dry, sandy and dusty. As the wind beat down on us, we became almost completely covered in dust. At this point, I had also been asked about a dozen times whether I was Nepali and been stared at curiously by at least fifty guides and porters. I didn't mind too much since I think that Nepali people are gorgeous and the curious stares were still respectful.

It was already late afternoon by the time we reached Ngawal and knowing that the large crowds ahead of us were headed to Manang, we decided once again not to stop and eat. We still had a couple of biscuits and chocolates left to graze on. I had conversed with a guide earlier in the day that mentioned an alternate path that we could take directly to Bhraga, which would shorten the hike slightly. After examining our map, Tony confirmed that we could do it. We wouldn't have to enter the town of Humde to get to Bhraga. From Ngawal, the trail would decent steeply down past the Humde airport, which consisted of one of the shortest runways I've even seen, used only for emergencies. From there, it was a straight, level walk to Bhraga. Unfortunately, no other towns lay between the two and we still hadn't had a full breakfast or lunch. Hunger and exhaustion also brought the onset of altitude sickness. Tony's headache was getting worse and Jimmy's ankle continued to throb. Our group was in rough shape.

About an hour and a half from Bhraga, we found a small tea shop serving soft drinks and spring rolls. We took a break and discussed our plan for the night. From conversations we had along the way with other hikers, it looked like the large groups were headed for Manang while the small, independent groups of hikers were choosing to stay in Bhraga instead. We decided that one of us would have to go quickly ahead and secure a room in Bhraga. Strong-headed as he was, Jimmy decided that he would go despite his swollen ankle.



After a leisurely break, Tony, Helen and I finally mustered up the will to lift our heavy backpacks and meet Jimmy in Bhraga. We passed meadows of Yaks, which are kind of like furry bulls, the main animal life in these parts of the mountains. A half hour before Bhraga, we ran into the Polish trio that we had met in Upper Pisang in a small town that was not marked on our map. There was a single guesthouse in that town and they had decided to stay there for the night because they heard that Bhraga and Manang were busy. Silently, we crossed our fingers and prayed that Jimmy had succeeded in finding us a couple of rooms.



With little daylight left, we walked silently to Bhraga. There was no energy left in us even for speech. Tony didn't look good. He would have to take Diamox that evening. Helen still bounced around with positive spirit, but her exhaustion was also evident in her hunched over back. As for me, I felt the weight of my body and bag in my feet, trying to stay hopeful that I would soon be able to untie my shoelaces and recline fully in the warmth of my sleeping bag. When we arrived in Bhraga, Jimmy met us with a big smile on his face. You made it guys, he said, and we have a place to stay! We entered our room and collapsed on the bed. The day was finally over.

The Route:
Upper Pisang (3310m/10,859ft)
Ghyaru (3730m/12,237ft)
Ngawal (3680m/12,073ft)
Humde (3330m/10,925ft)
Bhraga (3450m/11,318ft)