Annapurna Himalaya Trek: Kathmandu to the Annapurna Massif

Welcome to a Story Series: Annapurna Part 2. Over the last few months, I have been learning about story craft from ScriptStuff. Mike is an award-winning scriptwriter who tailored the sessions towards a travel blog to teach me the basics of storytelling. I decided to rewrite my Annapurna Himalaya Trek Journals using my new skills in a 7-part series posted on the Bookshelf. The original Annapurna Circuit post was an ultimate guide to the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Then I expanded into 3 more detailed entries about my experience (Annapurna Circuit, Thorong La Pass and Poon Hill). This Story will take us from Kathmandu to the start of the Annapurna Circuit. The first 2 days of the Annapurna Himalaya Trek are described as the journey towards Thorong La began on foot.

Part 2 – Kathmandu to Chame

Chapter 1- Kathmandu

Finally, I was in Nepal, yet the travel to the Annapurna Circuit was only halfway. The first day was set to be a full day of travel from Kathmandu along dusty, bumpy and slow roads to the Annapurna Massif. Only then, the Annapurna Himalaya Teahouse trek could properly begin, heading up towards Chame at over 2600m altitude. To start with, an 8-hour bus journey and then a Jeep ride just to arrive at our first tea house at Syange.

After a mismatched breakfast and re-packing my backpack, Dawa welcomed me bright and early. We survived another hectic taxi journey from the hotel to the even more chaotic bus terminal. Immediately, taxi drivers surrounded me trying to persuade me to take a lift and grab my bags. This was not the start to my trek that I had expected. I worried about my safety and losing my kit. Dawa fought off the surrounding vultures and secured me a VIP seat on the back row of an air-conditioned bus. Surprisingly, my backpack was loaded onto the roof and it was apparently safe. At the time, I wasn’t convinced, but what other option was there but to accept the situation and try to get comfortable.

Chapter 2- Bus Journey to Syange

The bus crawled through the rush hour traffic and out of the city. Dawa and I had plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. His English was good enough to hold a conversation, which eased my worries. There wouldn’t be hours of trekking in awkward silence. He explained the trek itinerary and what to expect as we tackled the famous Annapurna Himalaya Trek. This sounded even better than everything I had read about. The journey paused regularly with stops for cargo deliveries. It turned out that the drivers would haul supplies on the roof, next to luggage, to earn extra money. Already on the first morning of my expedition, I had been given a taste of just how poor Nepal was and the difference in wealth from the West.

Lunch time offered my first taste of the famed Dal Bhat, which is a Nepalese staple. It consists of dal soup, vegetable curry, rice and popadoms, with unlimited refills! The nourishing dish would quickly become a favourite and fuel for the strenuous trekking. Back on the bus, the hours passed by slowly as I daydreamed. Suddenly, a backdrop of white snow-capped mountains appeared in the distance. I was struck in awe by the magnitude of the Himalayas and I was excited to trek through them. At this moment, I realised all the preparation and hours of planning were worth it. However, reality came back with a stupid lesson. Never leave anything easy to steal! We departed the bus, and I noticed my new carabiner missing from my Backpack. I felt gutted that on Day 1, I had lost it. It immediately put me on the defensive. I felt vulnerable, thousands of miles from home and knowing no one… who was I to trust?

Chapter 3- Jeep Off-Roading

Lucky for me, Dawa was so genuine and tried to ask the driver and others if they had seen it, but no luck. I sipped a black tea while we waited for the Off-roading Jeep, shared with another group of trekkers. The vehicle threw us around as we traversed over the gravel track and river beds. The driver stopped at several impressive waterfalls, where we stopped for photos of the valley and sights. An easy way for a solo traveller to meet people is to offer to take photos. And this was how I met Charlotte, Karoline and Rents, 3 young Dutch girls also starting the Annapurna Circuit. I spent the first night in the Annapurna range in a colourful teahouse where the girls invited me for dinner (a.k.a Dal Bhat) and cards. We traded travel stories which only fuelled my desire to explore worldwide and for more adventures.

Chapter 4 – Trekking Day 1

The next day, the trek began with a long, gruelling day planned; however, I was raring to get the backpack on and hit the trail. Unsure of how effective the training and weight savings measures would prove, we started off up the steep track into the jungle. Yet despite the 1000m of ascent to come, I was buoyant that I was undertaking a new challenge. Dawa explained to me the fascinating history of Sherpas and Gurkhas, two of Nepal’s most famed ethnic groups. As we approached the small settlements, the colourful Buddhist prayer flags swayed in the mountain breeze, and the Buddhist prayer wheels spun as we passed on the left-hand side (very important). We trekked up the valley as Dawa recited his favourite treks as a guide; giving me inspiration to tackle the Manaslu and Everest trekking passes.

The gravel road carved the mountainside passing by epic waterfalls. Some trekking itineraries started higher up the valley which meant there were often trucks passing by carrying groups. Despite my natural interest in the mountains, I was more curious about Tibetan Buddhism in the region. The influence of this wonderful religion would later resonate deeper, but for now, they were merely seeds being planted. Later in the afternoon, we arrived at the teahouse for the night where I was hoping for a warm shower to freshen up. I was in luck being the 1st trekker to arrive, I managed to shower before the hot water ran out. On Day 2, the accumulated tiredness from flying, the bus journey and the first day of trekking was apparent. The pack load seemed heavier than expected, with the feeling of a soldier marching into an unknown land.

Chapter 5- Manaslu

The first real test awaited us at the end of the morning. A steep vertical climb up several hundred metres with the altitude well above 2000m. Add on the hot humid conditions in the trees, it was going to be a tough challenge with the heavy backpacks on. Before the climb properly began, we passed the village and noticed more groups of trekkers, guides and porters. It was busier than Day 1 which was a reminder this Annapurna Himalaya Trek was rather popular! This also meant more people to attempt to overtake on narrow and inclined paths. Dawa kept a steady and fast tempo as we quickly gained elevation. The majority of trekkers were in larger groups with a lead guide and often had porters carrying the larger backpacks whilst the trekkers carried much lighter day packs. The more I saw this, I was glad I chose to be more independent by carrying my own equipment and powered myself up the challenging terrain.

Despite being new to backpacking, we overtook many other groups as we powered up the climb. It was becoming clear that Dawa and I were a good team. The physical effort rewarded us with one of the best lunch spots. And my first chance to see a mystic 8000-meter mountain, Manaslu. The 14 Mountains with summits over 8000m hold a special place amongst legends so I was stunned by the presence Manaslu had over the other peaks. The sun shone down on the café roof as I soaked up the landscape and rays. A brief chance to rest, refuel and continue my travel journal. I could have stayed all afternoon, but we had many more miles until Chame.

Chapter 6- Arriving in Chame

My conditioning was improving hour by hour and Dawa was impressed with our pace. The balance was between hiking pace, free time in the teahouses and good altitude acclimatisation. We caught glimpses of forbidden Tibet when we had our permits checked. There is a great lure of the restricted country, which has a strong Buddhist culture and presence around Annapurna. At the checkpoint, I briefly met a solo traveller wearing old leather boots and an army style pack. He had no guide or porters. He was free and self reliant to make his way along the Circuit. One day I wanted to attempt a solo trek to have that same freedom and flexibility.

We arrived at the teahouse in Chame, which had the widest variety of shops, accommodation so far on the Circuit. There was a vibrant atmosphere as the trekkers and locals mingled in the streets. The accommodation was the most colourful wooden chalets with views of Manaslu in the distance. Dawa and I were bound together and had a fun afternoon looking at shops and drinking chai tea. As I was keen to replace my stolen Carabiner, Dawa advised me to buy crampons for the higher altitudes and snow. Was it really going to be that treacherous at Thorong La Pass? I bit the bullet, given how incredibly cheap the country was and squeezed them into my backpack, even more weight to carry.

Chapter 7 – Teahouse

Back at the teahouse, I was feeling tired and dirty after 2 days on the dusty trails. All I was hoping for was a quick shower to freshen up before some food. The 20°C warmth of the day had disappeared now the sun had left the valley. I ran outside to the showers and turned them on, got ready, and dipped my hands into the glacial waters. I hoped the hot water would come soon, but it never came. Should I attempt an uncomfortable cold shower or wait another day? I stuck my head under and immediately regretted my decision. I jumped out and looked for my microfibre towel. In my haste to shower, I had left it in the chalet. A rookie trekking error, so I paid the price of being frozen and wet. Even wearing my warm layers and down jacket, I was cold to the core….

I badly needed hot food and chai tea to thaw my insides. After I sat down for dinner, a young English couple called Harry & Amelia introduced themselves. I recognised the accent, and it turned out they were from the same area of London as me! We talked over Dal Bhat about travel plans and home. Despite the teahouse having internet, we preferred to sit by the warm stove and exchange stories with our guides for hours. It felt familiar to sit with friends chatting by a fire, like my teenage years. We said goodnight, then retreated to our chalets under the stars. The chalets were definitely stylish over practical, as there was no insulation. Inside was nudging below freezing, and it felt as cold as outside. This made me even more grateful for my 4-season sleeping bag to get a good night’s sleep.

Afterword

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Annapurna Himalaya Trek, which continues the journey from Chame to Manang on the Circuit! Please comment if you are enjoying the series, and keep an eye out for tips and hidden links between the posts.