Trekking in the New Year

27-31 December 2010

Walking up the 3,000+ steps from Tikedhunga to Ghorepani a strangely familiar and uncommonly wonderful smell fills the air. Where is that coming from and what is it? After a few moments we soon realized that the understory of the evergreen oak forest is dotted with blooming Daphne shrubs. Both Rachel and I, consider this beautiful, winter-blooming genus one of our favorites. Trudging uphill we stopped over and over to breathe deeply and enjoy one of nature's most sublime aromas.

The trail starts from Nayapul, approximately 1.5 hours by Taxi from Pokhara and ascends relentlessly over the course of three days. We loaded our backpacks with sleeping bags, down jackets and warm clothing (it is winter here in Nepal too) and started out with an easy stroll along the Modi River. After a brief stop at a teahouse for lunch we reached the small picturesque town of Tikedhunga. From Tikedhunga the trail turns sharply skyward, a seemingly never-ending stone staircase consisting of somewhere between 3000 and 4000 (yikes!) stairs. Over the course of the first two days of the trek the trail gains nearly 6000 feet in elevation.

On night one we stopped in the small town of Ulleri, perched on a steep hillside with beautiful views of the massive mountains, Annapurna South and Hiunchuli (we had to work a lot harder for views like this on our Everest trek). From Ulleri, on day 2, we continued uphill past numerous waterfalls, breathing deeply and inhaling the beautiful scent of blooming Daphnes, arriving at Ghorepani (9200 feet) early in the afternoon. The views from Ghorepani and the adjacent Poon Hill are simply breathtaking. In a mountainous country where grand views verge on becoming common, the view from Poon Hill is special. Spanning from right to left Dhalaugiri (the world's 7th highest mountain), Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhare (aka Fishtail Mountain), and countless other peaks are all visible. From the top of Poon Hill at sundown the very tip of Annapurna I (the world's 10th highest peak) burns in golden light.

From Ghorepani, on day three, the trail climbs steeply over 1300 feet to Deorali Pass. From there, a grand 360 degree view encompasses dozens of high Himalayan peaks and distant views of Nepal's southern plains (known as the Terai) extending toward the Indian border. After a long descent along raging streams and waterfalls draped with icicles in shady sections, the trail ascends sharply to Tadapani. As we settled into the Magnificent Lodge, perched on a hill above the town, we watched as the evening light softened on yet another, even more grand panorama of mountains. From Tadapani, views of Annapurna South and Fishtail Mountain (truly one of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen) are unobstructed. The glorious orange alpenglow that graced these mountains that evening will forever be burned in our minds.

After a long cold night and majestic sunrise in Tadapani we descended through dense moss-draped oak and conifer forest to the picturesque town of Ghandruk. Along the way we watched as a large band of Himalayan langur monkeys crashed and bounded through the canopy. We settled into the splendid Gurung Cottage, and much to our delight were served a steaming pot of fresh roasted French press coffee (a nice change of pace from the trekkers diet of Nescafe). We went to bed to clear, starry skies, but were awoken on New Years Eve to dense clouds and mist. Huddling for warmth in bed, stirred by a commotion, we rushed outside to witness a large avalanche plummet down the face of Annapurna South. Fearing an unfavorable change in the weather we packed our bags and began the long descent back to the trailhead. We hailed a waiting taxi and made it to Pokhara just as the rain began to fall.

After a couple of days of rest we are ready to hit the road and complete our final week of travel in Nepal. After a brief stop in town of Bandipur we will head out on a wildlife safari in Chitwan National Park. Leopards, tigers, and sloth bears, oh my!