OK... the last section of our hike was also the most crowded as we decided to head up to the Annapurna Sanctuary... most folks got off trail about here and went and got massages in Pokhara... but we decided to be ambitious and check out Annapurna Base Camp. This is a popular alternative to doing to Annapurna Circuit if you are short on time. Although this section is nice, and it was a good add-on, it wasn't as nice as the Circuit. Definitely more culture on the Circuit as the towns you pass through can be 100s of years old... while many of the villages (i.e. more than 2 guesthouses...) on the Sanctuary have been created out of demand from the hikers in the past few years.
This section of the trail is officially the deepest gorge in the world... you can only see the lower portions... but I'm sure it's be a great view from a plane.
"Home is the place you go where, when you go there, they have to take you in..."
... indeedy
There was some up and down on this section... so you'll have to get ready for more hills and cold nights.
Kim in front of Annapurna.
Macchapuchre... or Fish Tail peak showing it's namesake. Macchapuchre is a sacred mountain and no one is allowed to climb it.
Cute Nepali babies...
This is Annapurna Base Camp. It's freezing up here, and there aren't really any side hikes to do... but there is a great view and a volleyball court.
Here's Annatoli, our favorite stray dog of the trip. He followed us on and off for 3 days. We never fed him anything, just protected him from some of the porters who indulge in a game called "let's peg every stray dog with the biggest rock I can find..." AND... unlike the stray dogs in Central America where 90% were vicious, these dogs were friendly... All of them.
Sean giving his homage at a Chorten raised for famed Kazakh mountain climber Annatoli Boukareev, whose career was ended by an avalanche on Annapurna.
At Annapurna Base Camp... it's cold... and for a "heater" they just cranked up one of their spare stoves and put it under the table. It sounded like a jet... but did the trick.
Sunrise on Annapurna... the first 8000 meter peak to be summitted... climbed by Maurice Herzog and his team.
See.... cold. Not sure if anyone slept in the tent outside... but it was cold under 4 blankets.
Another thing about the Sanctuary is that the hike is mostly an in and out hike, so you know exactly what is coming on the way down... which isn't that big of a deal, but everyone likes doing loops better...
Sunrise over Macchapuchre (Fishtail) peak
The way back down was less exciting, so I'll end here.
These guys must be happy that they're almost done... after 3 weeks on the trail of carrying 50+ lbs on their necks... we were too to indulge in Pokhara.
OK! And we're "mostly" done with Nepal now...
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1 comment:
cool... i read anatoli bukreev's book that he wrote (with a ghost writer) as a response to krakauer's into thin air (he was also on that expedition). great adventure, guys!
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