Annapurna Circuit, Part 1.

Tuesday 4th June 2013.

The preparation details for this trip will be similar to the ones posted in my other blog. As before I found myself  at a bus station in Pokhara at 6.10am with lots of Nepalese and a handful of westerners. Some are obviously going trekking and others are just moving on. My rucksack goes up on the roof with all the others and I watch while it gets positioned and tied down. I don't like to have anything on the outside of the bag when it gets transported but today there is a new pair of cheap flip-flops and an umbrella. Alas the umbrella doesn't make the whole journey and I suspect it never left the bus station. I bought another one in Besisahar and it did prove useful in keeping direct sun and some rain off. I got talking to Jeremy and Tara on the bus and Aidan and Michael at the T.I.M.S. office and we all seemed to have the same agenda. From the very unattractive Besisahar we took a 'share jeep' up to Syange. You can see how excited I am below, still waiting to leave about four hours after buying the ticket. The tickets keep getting sold until they have more than enough people to cram into a jeep. 

After numerous stops so that people can get on or off, goods added or taken off  we finally reach Syange and take rooms in the lodge below. The cost was only 100Rp and the hot shower was free! Further on the trail we started to get free rooms, as long as you ate there. Similar to my EBC trek this is a quiet time and there were very few trekkers around. 

Wednesday 5th June 2013.

Very shortly after leaving the next morning the valley opens up dramatically. On the top left of the picture below you can see the road which is being built the whole way around the Annapurna range. Many people feel that this alters the whole feel of the trek and it does shorten it. Sometimes you have no choice but to use the road which was a downside for me. There were very few occasions where I chose the road over the trail.

The main trail is marked red and white with side trails coloured blue and white.

Of course when I say road it is compacted rock and dirt.

We cross the river at Chamje for a lovely section with goats, black faced macaques and bamboo. 

Here the road has been blasted out around this massive spire.

While on our side of the valley...... 

We arrive at the flat basin just before the town of Tal where we have lunch. 

After two hours more in the afternoon we stop at Dharapani.

Thursday 6th June 2013.

Due to different pace I end up walking by myself today and just took in the sights while filling my ears with music. 

I stood and contemplated the section below for a few minutes. Do I take my boots off and wade the safe section or remain shod and jump the rocks just in front of the start of the second very steep waterfall? I jumped of course!!

The rest of the day provided more lovely sights......