Trekking the Annapurna Track part 2. by Steven, Nepal and Tibet

On the first day we hiked from Yak Kharka to Throng Pedi. We hiked for about 3 hours and climbed roughly 400 meters to an elevation of about 4400 meters in Throng Pedi. The hike was pretty mild but the elevation made it much harder. When we arrived we ate lunch and hung out in the tea house for a couple hours. In the afternoon we did a acclimatization hike and climbed up the steepest and most difficult part of the pass. We climbed about 500 meters in less than an hour. At the top the views were amazing and since there was snow we had a fun snowball fight at the top. When we got back down we hung out in the tea house for the rest of the day, ate dinner and went to bed early.

The 2nd day was by far the hardest and most eventful day of the trek. Today was the day of the pass. We had to wake up at 3 am to eat breakfast and start hiking at 4 am. We hiked up the section we did yesterday in headlamps and with no sunlight. After that we hiked another few hours until we reached the pass around 9am with an elevation of 5416 meters. The views on the way up were incredible especially with the sunrise and when we were at the top it was clear so you could see for miles. After we reached the top we hiked down for just as long and went all the way down to to Muktinah at an elevation of 3716 meters. On the way down we stopped for lunch around 2 and arrived at Muktinah around 4 pm. Once we arrived everyone was exhausted from the pass so we spent the rest of the day resting and relaxing. Luckily the place we stayed in Muktinah was one of the nicest tea houses we stayed in so everyone enjoyed toilet seats and some decent WiFi.

The 3rd day was a much more mild day. We hiked for about 3 hours to Kagbeni where we stayed and ate lunch. After lunch we had free time to explore the town, relax, and do whatever. In town there was a funny little restaurant called “YacDonalds” that had good WiFi and pretty good food so some of the other group members and I went there for most of the afternoon.

The 4th day was once again a pretty mild day. We hiked for 2-3 hours to Jomsom where we ate lunch. In Jomsom everyone who was sick was able to visit the doctor and there was an ATM to take out money. After lunch we hiked another hour to a town called Marpha where we stayed the night.

The 5th day we hiked from Marpha to Tukuche for lunch and then to Larjung. The hike was about 6 miles and lasted about 4 hours. In Larjung we had lots of time to relax and some of the group members were happy to watch The Jungle Book.

The 6th day we hiked from Larjung to Kalopani for lunch and then to Ghasa after lunch. Today’s hike was about 8 miles and lasted about 5 hours. Today we got to see Annapurna I and the views were amazing. Upon arrival in Ghasa everyone was happy to stop, however the tea house was not so nice. We stayed in an attic with frequent power outages and a few furry friends.

The 7th day was our final day trekking. We hiked from Ghasa to Tatopani which was our final destination for the trek. We hiked for about 4 hours consecutively all the way to Tatopani. After 2 weeks of trekking and a long hike everyone was super exhausted and happy to arrive in Tatopani. We ate lunch upon arrival and enjoyed sitting outside. After lunch myself and some of the group went to the hot springs nearby. They were super relaxing but not as good as the hot springs in Chame. Afterwards everyone had free time until dinner so most people relaxed in the tea house. Dinner was exciting because everyone was able to order off the menu for the first time in a while. Afterwards, because of the Tihar festival happening in Nepal, there was gambling going on so much of the group participated in the festivities (just about everyone lost).

The final day we woke up pretty early so we could catch a bus from Tatopani to Pokhara. This bus ride was by far the most uncomfortable and bumpy bus ride of the trip. It lasted about 5 hours and when we arrived everyone was happy to get off the bus and be in Pokhara. Since the trek was now over this meant that our guides Saroj and Dawa would be leaving us. However, before they left they took us out to lunch at a sports bar nearby. The food was very good and some members of the group were pleasantly surprised to watch the rugby World Cup semifinals. After lunch we said our goodbyes to Saroj and Dawa and then we all had some free time for the rest of the day. Devin and Caleb gave us money for our meals in Pokhara so everyone did their own thing for dinner. Overall, the Annapurna circuit trek as a whole was an amazing experience and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to experience it.