Trails and Treasures

There are routes to the sanctuary other than through Ghorepani, but most trekkers come this way for the view from nearby Poon Hill (10,476′) at sunrise.  It takes about an hour to make the ascent of 1500′; we left just before six.  I’d guess that 100+ trekkers made the pilgrimage that day.  It was crowded.

Poon Hill

Unfortunately, it was too cloudy and hazy for great pictures, but here are the best of the lot.

Machhapuchhare just before sunrise

Dhaulagiri at sunrise

Sunrise from Poon Hill

Annapurna South and Machhapuchhare at sunrise from Poon Hill

On the way back to the lodge for breakfast, I spied a tall tree with yellow flowers–the only one I saw.

After breakfast, we began the descent in earnest.  From Ghorepani to Ulleria involved a descent of over 2200 feet.

The steps outside the hotel

The steps through town

The Medical Outpost & The steps at the edge of town

More steps

There were, of course, more rhododendrons, but I also happened upon some orchids.

Orchids

As we followed a stream, there were waterfalls large and small.

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We encountered a pack train of mules laden with food supplies for the lodges.

Would you like chicken for dinner?

Check-out the path, more steps

The driver wore crocs!

Many of the men from these villages serve in Gurkha regiments of the British Army overseas.

I really have to concentrate on my feet going down hill, so I don’t see much of my surroundings unless I stop.  That coupled with the haze and low-hanging clouds which obscured the mountain peaks meant I took no mountain pictures the entire day after leaving the top of Poon Hill.

We stopped in Banthanti (7,546′) for lunch around 11:30. 

My porter in Banthanti

It took less than an hour to reach Ulleri (6791′).  As this was our stopping point, I had lots of time to take pictures.

Sawing wood

Thatch-roofed building

How do you like the steps to the woodpile?

I stayed at the Mira or Meera Guest House.

Mira Guesthouse, Ulleri

The terrace of the Mira Guesthouse in Ulleri

The Mira's dining room

The Mira's nasturtiums

The Mira's toilet

I had a great corner room here that would have provided fantastic views if it hadn’t been engulfed in clouds.  It also had a bathroom, a most interesting one.

The shower

The toilet

From my window I could look down at the activity at the spigot.

An interesting way to scrub your clothes

There's no spectacular morning light on Annapurna South from Chomrong

But we finally can see the fishtail of Macchapuchhare

Today’s hike in brief:

Chomrong (7,119′) down to Chomro Khola (6,200′) and then up to Dovan (8,550′), estimated time 6-7 hrs.

Partial sketch map of Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

Part 1: Descend from Chomrong to river and up to Sinuwa

Today's path from Chomrong to Sinuwa, Bamboo and Dovan

Since the Kalpana Guest House was in the upper town, we began hiking by descending the long stone staircase to the Chomro Khola, which we crossed on a suspension bridge. 

Bridge over the Chomro Khola below Chomrong

And then we, of course, had to go back up the side of the mountain to Sinuwa, which had just a few of lodges.  One trekking guide called it a “stiff climb,”  an understatement.  But at least it was early in the morning.

Chhomrung after about 1/2 hour of ascent

Chomrong after 3/4 hr of ascent

I think the Kapana was the one with the green roof near the top

 At the Hilltop Lodge in Sinuwa I inhaled a Power Bar around 9:30 when we stopped for tea and wished I had another in my pack.

One last look back to where we've been; you can just make out Jhina Danda as a few specs on the lower ridge

Next is Bamboo and then Dovan

The ACAP’s Annapurna Sanctuary Special Management Zone begins at Sinuwa.  From here on, no wood fires are allowed, so all lodges must cook with kerosene or gas.  Lodges also are restricted to six or seven bedrooms in designated locations.  According to the trekking guide, about half of the lodges from Sinuwa upwards are owned by Chomrong villagers. 

Even so, we’re not in the wilderness.

Modern technology is never far away

but there's still only one way to carry stuff

I still don't know what these are

At this point the stone steps disappeared (for the most part, but not totally), and the trail narrowed.  On the ridge, the path through the forest was rocky with lots of tree roots.  Just like home on the AT!  We crossed a stream and passed the ruins of an ACAP post (Khuldigar or Khurdi Ghar, 7,800’) before starting steeply downhill to a damp bamboo forest and a collection of lodges called Bamboo, where we stopped for lunch at 12:30 at the Bamboo Guesthouse.

Bamboo forest

 The guidebook allows 4 to 4 ¾ hrs for the trip.  I did it in 5 (including the stop in Sinuwa), but I was exhausted and dehydrated.  (It’s hard to break your rhythm to stop and drink.  I did have Gatorade powder along, so most of the time I was drinking Gatorade.)   My first order of business was to drink a coke while I waited for  a plate of spaghetti and some French fries.  I finished with an apple. 

This was the only time I ended up sitting with Americans.  Most of the people I met at the guesthouses were from other places: France, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, and Great Britain, to name a few.  On the trail I saw a group of Japanese for several days, but they were camping, probably because they were a group.

From Bamboo the trail climbed steadily, crossing the Bamboo Khola and several other streams leading to the Modi Khola before reaching Dovan (8,331’) at 2:45p.

We were back in the rhododendron forest

Rhododendron alongside a waterfall

The Hotel Tip-Top had hot showers, and since it was sunny when we arrived, we all did some laundry.

Hotel Tip-Top at Dovan

Laundry with a view

There was a waterfall to help you sleep, not that I needed it.

Waterfall at the Tip-Top

And there were flowers everywhere you looked.