Trekking Notes in the Annapurna

Trekking Notes: Ghorepani Poon Hill

Trekking is similar to backpacking but a little bit different. Guest houses are available all along the trail. These houses provide shelter and food. Below are my trail notes from this past week. I will be writing more soon about our experiences and conversations on the trail!

Day 1: We took a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the second city in Nepal. Most backpackers travel to Pokhara to begin trekking. We stayed in a hostel named Golden Holiday. There was a hot shower and the rooms were very clean. The bus ride to Pokhara was about 8 hours with traffic. The road was bumpy, but it was definitely a scenic drive.

Day 2: After breakfast, we took a van to Nayupul. The van ride was incredibly scenic but bumpy (common theme here). The elevation gain was also very intense. We could see clouds right next to us. We started the trek and passed Birethanti. We meandered along a river and slowly went up in elevation. It began to pour for several hours. We continued hiking through the rain until we reached Tikhedhunga. We stayed at a guest house. You basically have a bed and that's it. There are toilets outside and a communal place to eat. The guest houses along the trail are very inexpensive and provide all that you truly need for the night. (Hike time: 4 to 4.5 hours)

Day 3: Due to the rain, our things did not dry very well. We attached clothing to our packs to dry while we hiked, which worked fairly well. After leaving Tikhedhunga, we ascended step after step after step. We hiked for about 3 hours before lunch at Banthanti. We started the second three hour section. But unfortunately, it started to pour for a few hours. We hiked through a forest area and leeches were a major issue! This was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. They are so disgusting! I had many on my shoes, two on my ankles, and one that bit my left ankle! We had salt bags that we used to peel them off of our shoes and skin. We then finally arrived at Ghorepani. (Hike time: 6 to 6.5 hours)

Day 4: Before breakfast, we took about a 2 hour round trip hike to the top of Poon Hill (I believe the elevation is at least 3000 meters). The clouds moved and we were able to see Annapurna and the surrounding mountains. It was absolutely astounding. The trail to Poon Hill was a side hike so we walled back to our guest house. We hiked towards Tarapani, but it started to rain. All throughout the day, we battled drizzling and rain. We decided to skip lunch so we actually hiked 5 hours nonstop! And we finally had a shower to clean ourselves after a few days. (Hike time: 2 hours to poon hill, 5 hours)

Day 5: In Tadapani, we had a short time of fellowship with everyone since it was Saturday. We left Tadapani and hiked for about 3 hours. The leeches were not as bad today and it was mostly downhill. It did start to rain the last hour of our hike. We arrived at Ghandruk and had a late lunch. We are nearing the end of our trek, but I think I have just hit my groove. We also had some fellowship and Bible study together at the guest house. (Hike time: 3 hours).

Day 6: We walked around Ghandruk to enjoy the mountains around us. After breakfast, we hiked about 1 hour to Kimche. Instead of trekking maybe 5 or 6 more hours to Nayapul, we took a jeep to Pokhara. This jeep ride was absurd. I feared for my life several times. At one point, we crossed a waterfall that had waist-deep water. We are staying overnight in Pokhara and will be heading back to Kathmandu tomorrow morning.

~Chris