I was still having trouble bringing myself to leave Pokhara so I signed up for a 3-day/2-night rafting trip through Paddle Nepal/Ultimate Descents. I chose a trip on one of Nepal’s holiest rivers, the Kali Gandaki. It offered class III and IV rapids, so I knew it’d be exciting without scaring the hell out of me. I’d been rafting twice before in West Virginia (remember Michele?) and Costa Rica, however both had been day trips. Taking a 3-day trip meant one full day on the river without bus rides.

The group consisted of 13 customers and 5 guides. There was a guide for each of the two rafts, the oar boat (which carried the heavy equipment), and two safety kayaks. Amongst the customers, the USA was represented well with 5 people. Australia offered 3 people, Holland and England 2 people each, and Canada 1 person.

We were on the bus for about 2.5 hours the first day. We unloaded it by the river, and lunch was prepared. Once on the water, we almost immediately had to get off the rafts as they were pulled through a class V rapid that recently overturned a raft, causing one fatality. After passing on “Little Brother” we hit our biggest rapid of the trip, class IV “Big Brother.” All I can remember was watching the left side of my raft head straight toward a giant boulder. We bounced off of it safely and only had another hour or so on the river before we arrived at our campsite for the night.

I paired up with Richard from Australia, and we shared a tent which was good because I can’t remember the last time I had to set one up. He was one of the first people I’d met in Nepal who had done a more remote camping trek (not one of the big 3 - Annapurna Circuit, Sanctuary, and Everest Base Camp). He had also summited a 7,000 meter peak in South America!

In the evening, we all got to know one and other. Everyone was drinking beer and rum punch except me, as I had decided to take a few nights off. The guides had us playing silly games, and a good time was had by all. The stars were out and it felt great to sleep in a tent by the river.

The next morning we were up by 7am, eating by 8am, and on the river by 9am. We hit our second biggest rapid of the trip within the first 10 minutes (a class III). I was disappointed to learn there would be no more of that size (partly due to the low water level this time of year). All the same, I was in the front of the raft for most of day two so I was soaked regularly.

On the second night, we skipped the games and spent the time after dinner talking to one and other around a campfire. The stars were out again, and our guides even helped a groom and best man to cross the river as they were late for their own wedding (we could see and hear the party up on a nearby ridge).

Our third day was especially quiet. The first 30 minutes had small rapids (class II+), followed by about two hours (9 km) of near still water (due to our approach of a dam). The lack of rapids allowed for a few water fights between our boats, and another group of rafters, as well as a chance to guide the rafts. All along the trip we passed dead bodies buried under stones along the sides of the river. On the last day we literally passed a cremation in progress, a sight I am sure to see up close and personal once I reach Varanasi, India.

We helped carry the gear up to our awaiting bus, ate lunch, and hit the road for the 5-hour bus ride back to Pokhara. It was a ride full of hairpin turns along mountain cliffs, yet I felt fairly comfortable the whole way. In the evening, we went to dinner with our guides at The Love Shack, and followed it up with drinks at The Busy Bee.

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I allowed myself a few days to recover from the trek, despite having felt far more sore the day after a dodgeball tournament then tramping around in the mountains. I gave up my Super Deluxe room at the Snowland Hotel ($25/night, complete with balcony overlooking the lake), for a more affordable room with bath at the Yeti Guest House ($6/night).

Pokhara, Nepal is a mecca for paragliders and I’d noticed them on a daily basis since arriving. It cost $95 USD for a 30-minute flight over the valley. I signed up for a morning group, though by the time we had taken the 30-minute jeep ride up Sarangkot mountain, clouds had descended over most of the peaks behind us. Instead, we had breathtaking views of the green valley, Lake Phewa, and the city.

After reaching the pinnacle of physical fright in my life with the canyon swing in Queenstown, paragliding seemed like a walk in the park. All the pilots were of different nationalities. I was paired with a French guy. We made a little small talk, as did all the pairs, however we were soon just sitting around watching everyone take off before us. Last to launch, I received the bare minimum of instructions, and was soon running down the edge of the mountain until we took flight.

Himalayan eagles soared around us as we caught the thermals up and made swooping turns to the left and right going down. It took a few minutes to feel comfortable in the seated position, with nothing below you but the terraced farmland. At least with skydiving you know you’re going straight down. Paragliding is all about staying aloft. I can’t imagine a sensation closer to flying then being up there with the birds. It was fantastic.

Everyone is encouraged to take photos, so when I managed to get my camera out and start taking some, I lost track of shifting my weight with the pilot to help with the turns. He made a sarcastic remark about me not helping him out much so I apologized (given my life was in his hands) and put the camera away.

As we prepared to land I received the simple instructions for what to do - stand up and start running. And it was as easy as it sounds.

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Never…Ending…Peace…And…Love

Perspectives from a first-time trekker in the Himalaya of Nepal.

The Scenery

Hopefully the photos I’ve posted speak volumes about the scenery. Words hardly do it justice so I’m not going to try too hard. Green forest valleys gave way to snow-covered mountains of the highest caliber. Waking each morning to new and stunning views of the mountains with perfect blue skies in the background hardly felt real. It took me days to realize I was in the midst of such an experience. Beautiful rhododendron flowers paint the sides of mountains in red and pink. Forests seem magical…rivers powerful…stone steps never ending. The smallest of flowers growing between the stone steps were as beautiful as the larger-than-life mountain views. Watching the sun rise over the Annapurna range from Poon Hill was akin to walking into St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City for the first time - a spiritual, awe-inspiring experience for even the non-spiritual among us.

The People

The locals were warm and friendly, which continues to be a reason I enjoy spending time in Nepal. Gela was an all-star trekking partner who indulged my desire to take silly photos all the time.  The other trekkers met along the way were also cool. Our guide, Mohan, worked out well. At any given time he was a masseuse, singer, dancer, magician, mathematician, comedian, and doctor. Our porter, Nima, worked hard, kept a watchful eye on me when I needed it, and made the experience extra fun (especially toward the end when he’d enter the dining room after a few drinks).

Lessons Learned

• Western companies and tour groups are not the way to go. Who wants to walk in such majestic places with a giant crowd of people no doubt talking to one and other all the time. Support Nepali travel agencies, guides and porters. It’s cheaper and gives you a closer cultural connection.
• It’s as easy to hire a guide and/or porter for a trek in Nepal as it is to go skydiving in New Zealand. And there’s no paperwork to sign!
• Be clear about the goals of your trek when hiring a guide. If you want to be able to take your time, then stress that reaching base camp is not critical.
• On the popular routes (Sanctuary, Circuit, Everest) guides and porters are not necessary. Take a book or a map, however the maps and trails are so obvious it’d be hard to get lost. If traveling during the high seasons, there are plenty of other trekkers to meet in advance or along the way, and guides are always around for you to ask questions (how far is it to X, what do you think the weather will be like today, etc.).
• Prepare for all weather conditions. Ask “what happens if I get caught in the rain my first day?” At the same time, don’t feel the need to bring an entire waterproof outfit, as you can usually do your walking in the mornings before it rains, and dry your wet clothes (or laundry) by the guest house stoves or heaters each night.
• Layering is VERY important. I wore 1-4 layers at any given point in the day/night. It would be blisteringly hot under the sun at times, and freezing cold in the evenings.
• Invest in an authentic sleeping bag, and know how it performs in varying degrees of cold. I’d rather be too warm then too cold. Gela was comfortable in her friend’s real North Face -7 degree Celsius sleeping bag the whole time, even above 4,000 meters at ABC. My fake -5 degree bag sucked balls and I had to depend on guest house blankets and extra clothes (not a good feeling)

• Take your time. Walk slow, watch your steps - up and down. Use a walking stick for added support and balance.
• Greet the locals with “namaste.”
• Drink water and eat snacks (chocolate, granola, etc) at your rest stops. Drink and eat more than you think you need.
• Drink herbal teas and warm water.
• If you feel worried about the remoteness, the steepness of trails, the weather, the altitude, RELAX and try to stay in the moment, focusing on the scenery and people around you.
• Breathe evenly and deeply.
• Find food you like and eat a lot of it (stay consistent, trekking isn’t the time to experiment).
• Establish an eating routine - eat the same meals each day (porridge w/apple for breakfast, pizza/noodles for lunch, dal bhat for dinner).
• Adding sugar to tea, water and food is a good way to consume extra calories and gain quick energy.

Trekker Nationalities (met along the way)

1. German
2. Austrian
3. Dutch
4. English
5. Swiss
6. Estonian
7. French
8. Italian
9. Irish
10. Czech
11. American
12. Polish
13. Malaysian
14. South Korean
15. Israeli
16. Canadian
17. Thai
18. Japanese

Truly Final Thoughts:

The difficulty of trekking in Nepal will depend on the person, route, time allowed, season, etc. Having practically no outdoor experience myself, I found the first few days challenging - mentally and physically. Yes, I tend to worry a bit in life, yet there’s no getting around the fact that you quickly realize how much work it takes to travel 1…2…3 days into the mountains, let alone the logistics and effort of trying to get back out if you injure yourself, or mentally lose it. Despite having hired a guide, I quickly found you really need to look out for yourself first and foremost.

Still, on those days when I was waiting for Gela, I started to miss the routine of getting up early and hitting the trails. We never stretched our legs before setting off - we just started walking. After a few days, your body seems to adapt. There were as many trekkers in their 40’s and 50’s as there were in their 20’s and 30’s. Despite all my concerns around Altitude Sickness, I never reached the heights where it became a major concern. Still, at certain heights I was acutely aware of the extra effort and breathing it took to do seemingly easy things like going up and down a flight of stairs. Usually I was fine after a night’s sleep though. Guess I’ll save my Diamox for the next mountain adventure.

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I’m on the rocky road, Heading down off the mountain slope, And as my steps echo louder than before. Another day is done, Say goodbye to the setting sun, See what I found, turn back to the ground just like before. And hey hey hey, hey hey hey (hey!), Hey beautiful day.

When the night feels my song, I’ll be home, I’ll be home.

Into the undergrowth, Twist and turn on a lonely road, In the twilight the day turns to night and I’m alone. And when the light has left, I’m not sure of my every step, I’ll follow the wind that pushes me west back to my bed. — Bedouin Soundclash

Friday, April 11, 2008

5:56 pm - Pokhara - Elev. 827 meters

In the morning, we ate and were off by 7:30am. We had a short descent, a few river crossings, and a lot of flat ground over three hours to Nayapul.

We had a bowl of noodles at a small restaurant around 10:30am, and caught a bus back to Pokhara. When the bus pulled up, it was packed. I was about to ask about a taxi when Gela’s eyes lit up, as she realized we had the opportunity to ride on the roof. Before I knew it, our crew had climbed the back ladder in preparation for the two hour ride.

Initially, we had almost the whole roof to ourselves, however as the bus made it’s way down the mountain, more and more locals jumped on for the ride. At our peak, I counted 18 people on the rooftop, let alone those sitting and standing inside the bus. The views were breathtaking - clearly we had the best seats, though not the most comfortable. The guy collecting money from new passengers worse a Brittney Spears t-shirt, and mine as well have been a Hollywood stunt man by the way he casually climbed around the outside of the moving bus.

Upon arrival back in Pokhara, Gela and I took some time to unwind, say goodbye to Mohan and Nima, return our rented equipment, and adjust to civilization again. Only a few hours after saying goodbye, we ran into Mohan and Nima again, inviting them out to dinner and drinks with us. The next day I said goodbye to Gela who was heading back home to Holland.

Estimated Distance = who cares…we did it!

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Well I started out down a dirty road. Started out all alone. And the sun went down, as I cross the hill. And the town lit up, the world got still. I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings. Coming down is the hardest thing. — Tom Petty

Thursday, April 10, 2008

4:07 pm - Hile - Elev. 1,430 meters

The 45-minute walk, 300-meter climb up Poon Hill (3,193 meters / 10,500 feet) was a bit tiring however I was motivated by the view so I made some speedy spurts along the way. Once on top, we saw a good sized crowd of people preparing to take photos. And we were doing the same thing. The sun slowly crept up over the mountains in the east, casting rays from below the mountains. It was quite a spectacle.

We could see all the big mountains like Annapurna South, Macchapucchre, Hiun Chuli, and ones I hadn’t seen yet - Annapurna I (8,091 meters/ 11th highest peak in world) and the mighty Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters / 7th highest peak in world). Dhaulagiri was easier to film as the sun was farther away. We took lots of photos and returned to the guest house for breakfast.

We departed for Hile which was a day of descents - first through a bit more of the rhododendron forest, then after lunch, 3,280 wide stone steps in the sweltering hot sun. It was murder on our knees, and we all felt tired by the time we reached Hile.

Thankfully we had the guest house to ourself. It was on a farm with fantastic views of the terraces and valley.

We all ate Dal Bhat (rice and lentils) for dinner, and I drank an Everest (beer). We danced for awhile which was fun and silly. Gela and I spoke for awhile before turning the lights out. I really enjoyed it.

Back to the steps. I was cursing them. Hot…manure filled…endless stone stairs. The devil’s work. *expletive*

We did pass a robust patch of marijuana though.

Estimated Distance = 12km

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At first flash of eden, we race down to the sea. Standing there on freedom’s shore. Waiting for the sun. Can you feel it now that spring has come. And it’s time to live in the scattered sun. Waiting for the sun. Waiting…

…This is the strangest life I’ve ever known. — The Doors

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

3:20 pm - Ghorepani - Elev. 2,860 meters

In the morning, the view was foggy. We left Tadapani at 8am. I felt full of energy, while Gela had tape on her blistered feet and an Ace bandage around one knee. She felt and looked quite tired. It reminded me that I made the right decision, however it’s still hard to let go of my chance to reach ABC. I guess it’s not the end of the world.

As we walked to Deurali, we passed through gorgeous rhododendron forests with pink and white flowers. The forest felt magical - almost like “Lord of the Rings.” After we descended the valley, we walked up along a stream past some cute goats and dogs.

We ate lunch in Deurali at an elevation of 3,000 meters! And we continued upward to about 3,200 meters at the top of the Deurali Pass (which was basically a forest along a mountain ridge). We stopped at a clearing and could see the lookout tower on Poon Hill on the mountain across from us.

We walked down to Ghorepani, reaching the “big” village just before it rained. The guest house is one of many, and the hall on the second floor is padded to ease the burden of blisters and walking after long treks. I took a lot of photos again, and will need to either delete some or be more judicious the last two days and nights.

The corn bread is really good. I bought Gela a small bracelet to help lift her spirits. I’ll miss being able to spend time with her. She is always smiling and laughing.

The Evening

We had another nice night at Ghorepani, though we knocked off around 9pm as we had to wake at 4:45am to ascend Poon Hill for sunrise.

Estimated Distance = 6km

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And if life is going by too fast…it’s time for you to slow down…time for you to make it last…before you trip and slip…and you will miss this happy little stepping stone just before eternal bliss. — Pennywise

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

4:28 pm - Tadapani - Elev. 2,630 meters

Around 5:45pm yesterday, Nima spotted Mohan and Gela coming down the hill to Chomrong. They looked very weary after the 11-hour walk down from Machhupuchhre Base Camp (MBC).

We were reunited after three days and got caught up. After dinner, I retired to bed around 8:30pm. I slept well. It was nice to share a room again.

In the morning, Gela and I talked further about our respective experiences and took our time eating and packing. We left 30 minutes late at 8:30am.

The walk to Tadapani meant descending a valley to our west, down to a river, and then climbing up another mountain through terraces of barely and the rhododendron forest. We reached Tadapani around 2pm, and as of yet, no rain. Nima thinks it’ll just be a cold and cloudy night. In the morning, we walk to Ghorepani, before a sunrise at Poon Hill and our last night at Hile.

The Evening

I was very tired for the first few hours before dinner however it felt good to be at a table full of people. We ate and talked with a pair of Israeli trekkers, and a Canadian. Nima got drunk off the local liquor though we didn’t see him actually drink it. Around 8:30pm, Mohan and another guide/porter started to sing Nepali songs for us. It was a very nice moment. Gela and I knocked off around 10pm. I slept well, only waking once or twice for a short time.

Estimated distance = 8 km

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Got no deeds to do, No promises to keep.  I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.  Let the morning time drop all it’s petals on me.  Life, I love you.  All is groovy.  — Simon & Garfunkel

Monday, April 7, 2008

12:33 pm - Chomrong - Elev. 2,155 meters

I slept pretty well last night, though I think I had gas. Once I knocked off, I only awoke once due to a slight chill. Guessing asleep at 11am, up at 5:30am. The sky was clear blue, with the sun slowly rising in the east, illuminating Annapurna South, Hiun Chuli, Annapurna III, and Machhapuchhre.

After another breakfast of apple porridge, Nima and I headed down the mountain to the hot springs by the river below Jhinu danda which I skipped on the way up. It was relaxing with just the sound of the roaring river, and a sliver of Annapurna South to the north. We had the pool to ourself for 45 minutes.

The walk back up to Chomrong was tough. I took many breaks and went slow….slow. We basically climbed about 2,000 vertical feet in 1-1.5 hours. I’ve got a similar altitude to cover tomorrow over 5-6 hours. Gela is due back around 4-5pm I think. Hope she’s good.

Estimated distance = 4 km

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