Himalayan Adventures - Breaking the 2000m Mark

After an early breakfast in Dharapani, Jimmy, Helen, Tony and I gathered in the small room that Tony and I had slept in and I led a 20 minute yoga sequence to prepare us for another long day of hiking. On our way out of Dharapani, we registered at the Annapurna Conservation office where we were also treated to our first major view of the Annapurna mountain range. Today we would be breaking the 2000m mark, making our way into the bigger mountains.

We stopped by a safe drinking water station to fill up our water bottles. Along the Annapurna Circuit, several towns have set up safe drinking water stations where trekkers can fill up for Rp. 50 (less than a dollar) per liter. The stations were established as part of a New Zealand project to help villages make some money while minimizing the amount of plastic waste on the mountain. Plastic bottled water is still available, but at ridiculously high prices and are also not an environmentally friendly option. Where safe drinking water stations are not available, most trekkers fill up at public taps and treat the water with iodine or chlorine.



We started slowly, stopping often to take pictures. Jimmy had also sprained his ankle the day before when he ran back to Chamche to recover his money bag, which was thankfully still under the mattress where he had left it. Unfortunately, the rocky terrain the day before left us with another injured group member (the other being Helen with gigantic blisters on both feet). An hour after we started, we reached Bagarchap at an altitude of 2160m (7086ft), way past the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States and heading towards heights familiar to the Rocky Mountains (Western United States) and the European Alps. Here, we ran into Waltraud and Bernhard again, taking a break amongst the roaming chicken. They joined us for a good part of the hike that day.

At around noon, the trail crossed a river that was bathed in sunlight. We took a break on the river bank, enjoying the bag of chocolates that Helen brought with her. I have to hand it to the girl. She didn't have proper hiking shoes, medicine or a sleeping bag warm enough for high-attitude temperatures, but she had a huge bag of chocolates that powered us until the end of our journey in the Himalayas. Thanks Helen!!!!!



After the break at the river, the trail climbed steeply to the town of Danaqyu at 2200m (7217ft). From Danaqyu the trail split into two, giving hikers the option of taking a lower route (shorter and more gradual ascent) or an upper route (steeper, but with better views). We opted for the upper route through the town of Thanchowk at 2570m (8431ft). The trail left the river and ascended into a long series of switchbacks with a lot of donkey traffic. Caravans of donkeys carrying heavy packages slowed our progress as we had to step aside for them often.



The air became cooler and even short breaks required me to put on a fleece and windbreaker, but we were rewarded with magnificent views. As we climbed higher that day, the snow covered mountains came into full view, getting larger and becoming a permanent part of the surrounding landscape. Despite exhaustion, we wore large smiles on our faces. My heart lifted every time I stopped to admire the miracle before me.



Shortly after reaching the outskirts of Thanchowk, Waltraud and Bernhard realized that they still had a long way to go before reaching Chame, the next major town, so after exchanging e-mail addresses, they bid us goodbye. Most hikers choose to stay in larger villages with more amenities. So far, we had been following Wikitravel's advice to stay in smaller, quieter towns, which was working really well for us. Our destination that day would be Koto, a small village an hour before Chame. Having the luxury of a little more time and shorter distance to cover, we decided to stop in Thanchowk for lunch. We all ordered dhal bhat, which had gone up significantly in price, and a large pot of masala chai. When the pot arrived at the table, it was large enough to serve 10 people twice. Ugh, that's a lot of masala chai even if you love the damn thing. It was so hard to gauge serving sizes since they varied so much from restaurant to restaurant. We ate inside that afternoon. Being closer to the big mountains, the sun would disappear earlier behind the mammoth peaks. We finished our lunch quickly and eagerly began walking to warm up.



Between Thanchowk and Koto, we entered a forest thick with pine and fir. It was so peaceful. We didn't run into anyone else for the remainder of the hike that day. As the sun began to set, the mountains became illuminated with its last rays. We were walking west through an alpine forest so quiet that you could hear the trees whispering. Behind us Mount Manaslu, standing at 8162m (26,781ft), burnt a fiery orange from the setting sun while in front of us Annapurna II, with a height of 7937m (26,040ft), glowed whiter as the full moon came into view.

We stayed at Hotel Petunia at the end of town for free (the guesthouse owner said we could stay free of charge as long as we ate at her restaurant), where I gave up a hot shower despite the steam pouring out of the bathroom where my three trekking mates had enjoyed solar-heated water. After my experience the night before, I didn't want to get anywhere near water, plus the poor drainage in the bathroom left about an inch of soapy water that I didn't feel like stepping into.

That night, when the sun's rays had disappeared and the full moon was overhead, I felt like we were in a magical land. With the light of the full moon shining on Annapurna II, the planets twinkling above and no electricity in the village, I was really, truly happy.


The route:
Dharapani (1900m/6234ft)
Bagarchap (2160m/7086ft)
Danaqyu (2200m/7217ft)
Thanchowk (2570m/8431ft)
Koto (2640m/8661ft)