A bumpy slow ride took me to Pokhara about 200km west of Kathmandu. Pokhara is known as the second tourist city of Nepal - however it is tiny compared to Kathmandu. Most people come here to trek - the Annapurna trekking area is only a short bus ride from the town
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| The terraced hillsides on the way up the trail... |
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| The route up to ABC - Annapurna Base Camp |
The scenery was not quite as spectacular as Everest - you start off at about 1000m above sea level and it takes a couple of days hiking to get into the mountains proper.
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| The terraces are still ploughed by oxen... |
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| The peaks come into view... |
The area was extremely quiet compared to normal - a lot of trekkers had headed out of Nepal because of the earthquake and also there had been a lot of rain - it felt like I had the mountains to myself.
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| Ominous sign on the trail.... |
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| A glimpse through the clouds... |
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| Beautiful Annapurna Valley |
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| Langur monkey on the trail |
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| Tea House - with obligatory stunning view... |
However the downside was that local business was affected - some of the teahouses I was staying in had not seen trekkers for 4 or 5 days
Like all treks in Nepal this one was not without it's risks - the Annapurna region is well known for avalanche risk 40 trekkers having lost their lives last October.
Like all treks in Nepal this one was not without it's risks - the Annapurna region is well known for avalanche risk 40 trekkers having lost their lives last October.
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| Old avalanche covering the trail |
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| Another old avalanche on the valley floor |
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| Memorial to a Korean climber although I can't agree with the opinion on the plaque - I would say if there's a 1% possibility turn back... |
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| Memorial to famous Ukrainian climber Anatoly Boukreev who survived an Everest disaster only to die on Annapurna the next year... |
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| Prayer flags at Annapurna Base Camp |
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| At the top of the Annapurna Valley |
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| Annapurna early morning |
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| The Annapurna range from Poon Hill |
With not many fellow trekkers to stop and chat to it was all about the walking and I completed the trek in half the time it suggested in the Lonely Planet!
Once a bible for travelers it's reputation is much diminished these days - sites like TripAdvisor are much better for searching accommodation and restaurants but it is still useful for basic trip planning - of course no need to cram thick guides into your backpack anymore - ebooks have stopped all that nonsense !!
At the end of the trek I got the bus back into Pokhara - the last few days here have been the laziest of my trip since I arrived in Bali - lazing around drinking beer, reading books and shopping for souvenirs...just like a normal tourist! :-)
