I have just left Sadhana yoga retreat where I spent 3 nights. It was the perfect place to start my stay in Pokhara.
I had a real life Nepalese mammy cooking the most delicious food every single day.
Everything was made from scratch and everyday was something new. Here are some of the meals we had! I don’t have pictures of many but it was probably the best food I have ever tasted!
The retreat consisted of yoga, meditation, steam and mud baths, nose cleansing yoga (this was a new one for me) and plenty of time to relax.
The house was incredible as were the views from it….
From Marpha, we took another bus to Tatopani, another village in Nepal. This journey was one of the craziest so far. After counting, there were 18 extra people standing on the bus. The door was unable to close and the aisle of the bus was full of local produce that was to be sold in Pokhara.
Most of the journey was also on the edge of a cliff! At one stop, there were a group of police officers walking towards the bus. Naively, I thought they were coming to inspect – but no, they too got onboard the already jam packed bus! We made it though!
It was lovely to have a rest day in Tatopani with no hiking. Especially as there were natural hot springs where I spent most of the evening. The water was so hot, which was an incredible treat for everybody! I didn’t take a photo there but robbed this from google. It wasn’t that busy when I was there but there were some familiar faces that I had met along the way so it was a lovely evening all around!
The next morning, we took off reasonably early to head for Ghorepani. What I didn’t realise until this point, was that today we would walk just under 16km with an elevation of over 1,600m! So this day was unexpectedly difficult as it was the highest elevation in any one day, and also the whole day involved climbing steps! It was very warm though which made it easier than walking at the higher altitudes. The scenery along the route today was also beautiful.
About 6 hours later, we arrived in Ghorepani in desperate need of a shower!
The hard work was almost done at this point as all that was left was one last early morning (5am) hike up to Poon Hill for sunrise before a last 8km hike downhill to Ulleri where we got a jeep back to Pokhara to begin the relaxing side of this trip! Before bed through, there was time for one last Dahl Bhat!
Poon Hill Sunrise
8km later, plus a jeep and the trek is officially done!
An incredible experience and delighted to have made it to Pokhara safe and sound.
I have a few days catching up to do on this, but I have finished the trek safe and sound and am currently living the high life in Pokhara. Here’s a recap of how the trek ended…
After crossing the pass and spending the night in Muktinath, it was time to begin the final stretch, which begin with a walk towards a small town called Kagbeni. On the way, I passed by some lovely villages.
Stop 1: Jharkot
My guide knew the area quite well and so was able to bring me to see some traditional homes in the village. Many of the people here live in the upper part of their houses, while housing their animals underneath.
Stop 2: Khinga
Despite being a tiny village, the place was in full swing so I was able to talk to some very friendly locals who were happy to tell me about their everyday business. How cute is this lady!
I bought these gloves and thought it was cool to have a picture of where they came from!
Apple slices everywhere! While walking past many houses, I saw apple slices hanging just like these. Locals in this area grow apple trees in their gardens and after harvesting, they slice and dry the apples before selling them in bags like crisps at local stalls.
Buckwheat
Some other photos from the village…
Stop 3: Kagbeni
In Kagbeni, I finally tried some Yak cheese (and a cinnamon roll).
From here, I took a bus to Marpha. You can keep walking, but at this point most of the route is on road. It’s very dusty and very quiet. So I decided to skip a section and take the bus. A smooth journey was had as you would expect!!
Stop 4: Marpha
The cutest part of my day was when a child from the place I was staying tonight put on a concert for me using traditional instruments and singing traditional songs.
That’s enough for one post! Another one coming up very shortly 🙂
I won’t lie, there have been a few ropey days where I questioned why I decided to do this trek in the first place! However, as I write this, I am gradually getting back to warmer temperatures- so no more frozen water bottles!
Naturally, it got gradually colder the higher up we got. However, sleeping in ‘High Camp’, the last spot before going over the pass, was definitely the worst – reaching lows of -13! This was also the first night that we had to share rooms as there was only one place to stay at ‘High Camp’, and it was definitely over capacity! The toilet was also outside!
Each night extra layers were needed – in fact my bag was pretty much empty when I was sleeping the past few nights!
There was a great buzz in the tea house the past few nights as everyone eagerly anticipated what was to come! We woke at 4am, and left before 5am to start trekking over Thorong la Pass. There was no wifi for a few days as we were so high up, but I have checked the weather now for Thorong la pass at the time we went, and it says -19 degrees! Finger burning stuff!
The walk up was difficult, mainly because of breathing at this altitude. There was an elevation increase of 566m and a decrease of 1,616m today, totalling 15 kilometres. We had all our belongings with us, so this was the first time hiking this high with bagpacks. You had to walk relatively slowly to keep your heart rate low, but also fast enough to keep warm (ish).
We reached the pass without any trouble, experiencing a beautiful sunrise on the way. At the top, there was a tea house which sits at around 5,000m. Myself and a friend stopped for hot chocolate and a snickers which totalled 1000 rupees (€7.40), which is extortionate for here, but I would have paid double as getting a hot drink at that point was priceless!
Tea house at the top
And just like that, it was time to descend! On the way down the descent was steep and the snow was thick, so I was wearing crampons on my shoes to help my grip in the snow.
After crossing the pass, we left the Annapurna mountain region and are now heading towards the Mustang region. Here are some snaps of the views on the way down.
As you can see, its getting warmer already! And that’s very welcomed! We arrived in Muktinath safe and sound and even stayed in a hotel! So hot water was also very appreciated!
Overall, absolutely delighted to have made it across the pass without getting sick or injured! It was definitely a challenge, but another one ticked off the list 🙂
Today we had an early start (4:30 wake up!) and left for Tilicho lake before 6:00. We hiked 10km (up and back) and reached an altitude of 4919m. It was -6 when we started so all the layers were needed! How it started…
View from the top!
The ascent was difficult as it was quite steep! It was so cold at the top, so you couldn’t really hang around up there! But the view was worth it.
The biggest perk of the day was being able to make the trek without a bagpack as we were coming back down to the same place. After a quick bite to eat, we headed back for Sri kharka (where I got the momo’s yesterday) as that’s where we spent the night.
This was the second hardest day of the trek, so thankfully I made it up and down in one piece! 🤞🏻
Having spent 2 nights in Manang to acclimatise, today we set off for Tilicho Base Camp, sitting at 4,150m. This is where we will stay ahead of climbing up to Tilicho lake, which is the highest lake in the world- 4,919m. So far so good on the altitude sickness front!
A talk was provided to everyone in Manang to inform us of what to expect if we are developing altitude sickness. The only cure is to get down! So fingers crossed I escape that!
The trail today included some suspension bridges, waterfalls and also the first encounter of snow!
The most difficult part of today however, was crossing a landslide for 2 hours. The path was narrow and you also had to keep a look out for stones falling from above! Thankfully, I got through without any casualties and before it got too windy!
Along the way we stopped for lunch in Sri Kharka, where I tried ‘Momo’ (dumplings) for the first time. They were tasty, but I haven’t tried them since! 🙂
You can really feel the cold now and I am very happy for my down jacket which I purchased in Kathmandu before I came! I’m starting to see the same faces again and again now, making the trek more sociable, which is great. I now have friends to eat with and it helps pass the evenings in the tea houses also!
Every evening, at around 5:30pm, each tea house lights a fire in the dining room. They have a set amount of wood to use each night and once that’s gone – the heat is gone (usually around 8 o clock). People start to gather round the fire from 4 o clock or even before just to ensure they will get some heat into their bones before bed!
I realise now that I don’t have any more pictures from today! It’s getting colder, so I am less motivated to remove my gloves for a picture!!
Last night was so cold! Minus 6 when I was going to bed! I added even more layers than the night before, including a hat and gloves! I survived though 🙂
During the day, it’s hot enough to trek in a T-shirt. It’s just the sharp change in the evening/morning that’s taking some getting used to!
Today I trekked to Manang, where I will stay for 2 nights to acclimatise (compulsory). This means there will be no trekking tomorrow, instead I will get to explore the area and take a rest.
Todays trek was 7.5 hours with an hour stop in the middle for lunch. Along the route we stopped at a viewpoint where a local was selling some homemade apple pie to anyone that passed – of course I tried it!
We walked for 22 kilometres in total today. The first 45 minutes were very tough as it was completely uphill, but the views at the top were incredible which made it worth it (once I could breathe properly again!!) We are now at an altitude of 3540m.
Also, I seem to be staying in the Four Seasons for the next 2 nights!
Me in my pyjamas! The evenings are getting so cold, especially in the bedrooms, so last night I had a sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag, blanket, 2 tops, a coat, and fleece bottoms when going to bed! I can confirm though, I was not cold when I was sleeping!
This mornings view…
Me and some cows all ready for a 16km hike…
The sunrise this morning was beautiful in Koto, I didn’t get a picture but I did get a few snaps of the village before we left.
The hike today was beautiful- tougher than expected at times! We walked for 5.5 hours and reached 3300m altitude.
Near the start of the journey we stopped at Bhratang Apple Farm, the second biggest Apple farm in Asia. Here we got some fresh apple juice and apple muffins that were still warm they were so fresh! (Not as good as Auntie Anne’s obviously but the nearest thing to home baked goods I have seen yet!)
The trail today was a mix of ‘roads’, walking through trees, over rivers and some climbing.
Just before we reached our destination for the day for stopped to take a drink and take in another great view!
I am currently in Upper Pisang. Tonight’s room! Looks cute, apart from not holding in any heat!!
After a well earned rest, we took a climb up to a new monastery that has been built in the area. Here is a view from the top!
Time for dinner and bed now before another day of trekking tomorrow!
Having conversed with my guide, we decided to take a jeep today instead of trekking, meaning that I gain a few days at the other end of the trek to reach Annapurna Base Camp. Meet Saroj, my guide, and my jeep for today.
The jeep took 5.5 hours to drive 65km, which gives an idea of the roads we were on! There was some dodgy overtaking at times also!
Here is a video from the start of the journey, now multiply that by 1000 to when we were scaling the edge of a mountain for majority of the time! The driver also blessed himself when crossing every bridge which was rather unsettling! But we arrived safe and sound 👍🏻
The views along the way were incredible though. I tried to take pictures but the ride was too bumpy. Here are some of what I was able to capture.
We stopped for lunch at Dense Fall, an incredible waterfall in a small town on the way. There were many waterfalls, but this one was really beautiful!
The perfect place for a coffee also!
Now I have arrived in Koto, which is 2600m high and definitely feels colder! The tea house is very cute and the view is also pretty good!
I managed to write this on my phone, so a sooner than expected post coming up!
I left Kathmandu at 7am this morning and took a 7 hour bus to Besisahar. Despite being rocky along the way, it wasn’t half as bad as I had expected! We stopped once for a toilet (squat) break. I didn’t realise the luxury I was living in before now!! I also didn’t realise the bus that was fully occupied when we left, could fit another 5 people in along the way!
My bus for the next 7 hours
Along the road, we past many villages and towns (although hard to differentiate which was which) and also saw many people out harvesting rice. I took a few snaps and videos of the journey. There were even a few tractors on route!!
A video or two of the bumpy ride…
Needless to say, I was delighted when we finally arrived at Besisahar! My first tea house wasn’t so bad either. However, I was told to lap up the luxurious toilet (no toilet paper but I was pre-warned) and hot shower as I believe these will be few and far between on route.
Emma's Travel Blog 