The farewell party in Khudi

Khudi: Here we come! It was yet another long day but I am not feeling pain in my thighs anymore. I am not very much tired too. I will be taking bus to Kathmandu tomorrow and rest of the group (now dropped to 7) will head for Shyauli Bazaar and then to Pokhara. Porters and kitchen staffs will be heading to Kathmandu too. So today is the last day in tent. It rained in the evening.

Song and dance in the evening was expected. Folks danced and sang in the dining hall of the hotel, where we were camping in the garden, till 10 PM. The camping ground is surrounded by beautiful flowers that are ready to be picked up for Tihar garlands. Every one of us danced. Like in all other dancing sessions, the colliding of asses by Gyanu and Brooke was the most hilarious moment. And I liked the way Suusan twisted her waist. Even boys like that and they switched to a song that praised the skill of “waist twisting of this sister.”

Inside the tent, Wanda recorded my interview about the trek and I recorded hers. That was quite fun.

Chamje: My thighs are still aching and ah… it was one of the longest days. At the end of the day, I was certainly running and Wanda was closely following me. That happened especially after Tal because we wanted to make it to Chamje today so that it would be easier to walk Khudi tomorrow. I could sense some of the members are not very much happy with this decision. I was fine with anything. I wanted to stop walking probably because I was too tired of walking, may be because I wasn’t finding the Annapurna Trail as attractive as in Nar Phu circuit.

We arrived in Chamje only to face uncertainty about the camping spot. There were still grasses on the corn field where it was almost impossible to camp. Wanda and Gyanu had planned to camp in that field. Then there was a primary school with a small and dusty ground and donkey shits and urine on one side. It was out luck that we were able to secure that space. A group of trekkers who had arrived earlier couldn’t camp on the school ground because their tents didn’t arrive in time. Continue reading →

Koto: Oh boy, my thighs are aching terribly. I can feel the pain and I know why. Yesterday’s descend was quite stressful. But I am determined to walk. I am already feeling like returning home. Work is waiting for me in Kathmandu. Have to write stories about Nar, the memorable traveling kitchen etc.

At about 8 AM we started descending from Nagwal to Pisang. Then the trail up to Koto was very easy.

After spending a challenging week in one of the remotest and highest located villages of the country, we are back in the popular Annapurna circuit trail. People from different countries in varieties of fashion were spotted in the apparently busy route. Hum, I spotted a very beautiful girl, Japanese probably, in Chame. She and her friends were heading toward were we were coming form. Too bad, I couldn’t even say Sayonara as I was inside the ACAP office. She, I don’t know her name, was really beautiful.

Apart from the Japanese girl, the amazing rock called Swargadwari Danda was the major attraction of the day. I talked with Wanda about the possibilities of climbing up to the danda and that was self satisfactory statement for sure.

It’s been several days that I have been virtually out of contact with news and other activities happening in Kathmandu and rest of the world. It felt strange to be away from news for such a long time. I really don’t know what’s happening in Kathmandu, the capital of the country, where I am sure many things must be happening. Life on the trail is isolated and it has its own dimensions. People crack jokes, laugh hilariously and most of the talks are overwhelmingly dominated by the people and things in the rest of the world. We talk about things that we have experienced before, seen previously. Even if we are far from the world, we still talk about those places, people and activities. I like this song, I like that man and I did this that year! Wow! We are living in our past glories and experiences!

This evening in Koto, I heard something, something similar to radio sound. True, that was a news bulletin from a FM station. FM station? Am I hearing properly? Yes. That was Image FM and it was talking about what Nepali Congress leader Arjun Nar Singh KC said about the fate of monarchy. KC said that the fate of monarchy should be decided by the constituent assembly, not by the referendum. Referendum would give opportunity to king to garner some votes. That is why, he said, Nepali Congress was against the referendum. I didn’t want to hear rest of the bulletin. I don’t know why.

By the way, back in Koto also means the completion of a circuit, Nar Phu circuit. Just like any other member of the team, I am also tired but my thigh, did I mention this before, are really feeling bad. Even Matt is apparently tired and he is putting his head over Brooke’s shoulders and Jenn is taking picture of that scene with Brooke’s camera. The porters are tired too. It was not because today was a long day but because yesterday’s uphill and straight 1600 meters downhill in about three hours.

Folks were literally running on the steep trail that began from Kang La and some of them were walking on dangerous and straight short cut paths. That is why they are also feeling pain on their legs. As I am writing these lines, Jenn is giving neck massage to Bijay and Matt to Brooke. “That feels good,” says Brooke. “Oh, that’s great.” Then: “Thank you.” Matt replies: “No problem.”

While his guitar gently smiles! Dinesh Wagle poses with Matt’s guitar at Kang La Pass. Pic by Matt

Nagwal: Today, as I am writing these lines, we are in Nagwal. We arrived here some two hours ago. Main attraction of the day was undoubtedly the 5300 meters high Kang La (bhangyang) pass. We started the trek early in the morning, around 5:30, nearly 1.5 hours ahead of normal schedule. It was obviously cold in the morning and as we headed upward and met encountered the first rays of sun, I replaced the down jacked with wind jacket.

Dinesh Wagle at the top of Kang La Pass Pic by Wanda

Now after crossing over the pass, I tend to forget all the pains and struggles that all of us had to go through. Being at the pass was simply superb. The majestic view of the Annapurna range is indescribable. I must use the word beautiful though that’s not enough. I think the painful and boring process of walking was obviously forgettable. At one point I was utterly disappointed to learn that the pass was still far away. I thought the pass was just behind the hill that I was climbing. No, that wasn’t. It was just a beginning of another uphill. So disappointing I was disappointed twice. I hated the trail. I wasn’t enjoying the scene because my concentration was in the walking. That was when I was barely moving and hardly breathing. I wanted to sleep there. I didn’t want to see upward because the pass was still far away.

But there was something that was pushing me upward all the time. The internal force. The desire to be at the top. Also the fears of possible descend back to Chame via Nar. What if I can’t walk? I might have to go back, all the way to Nar and Meta and Chame. That would be disastrous.

Wanda, Carole, Matt and Dough were already at the top as we approached a small lake just below the pass. Just below? Only for the eyes, it took more than 15 minutes to reach at the top from that point.

The Kang La Pass Show 1: Three women bared it all at the TOP of the pass. Here in the photo, Matt is seen (can you see him?) capturing the image.

As I reached at the top, I started loving the same trail. I was feeling great. Such is the nature of love and hate in such highs. You love the trail that you hated a minute ago. You start enjoying the scenery that you didn’t want to enjoy a minute ago. Now, as I was at the top, I was adding my voice and we were screaming at others who were still trailing behind. That was fun.

There were two other attractions at the pass, thanks to out team members.

First, it was the pair of Gyanu and Matt stripping off for the camera. Facing the Annapurna Range on south-west, the duo threw away their shirts and pulled down pants amidst roaring laughter from trekking members. Then there was a team of Annapurna Angels (Wanda, Jenn and Carol) that exposed their breasts to the brightness coming from the Annapurna range and the camera operated by Matt. Some might say Matt took such a long time to take photo but I would say no! I must have been difficult to shot photo in such a height with mountains all around.

The Kanga La Pass Show 2: Two men bared it all at the top of the pass.

I also tried to capture the scene (well, the scene would include Matt taking picture, not the subjects of his photos) and for that I had to delete an image to make space in my card. Enough with the photo-ups. Now the super steep moraine path that starts right from the Kang La pass and descends down to Nagwal. Down from 5300 meters to 3600 meters, that too in less than two hours! The trail seems so dangerous while walking over it but when you look upward from Nagwal, it doesn’t seem as dangerous. This is the specialty of trails in the highlands. You have to go there to experience the top.

Tonight was the night of farewell. Margriet, Carol and Dough will be leaving for the Annapurna circuit (crossing over the Thorang La) where as rest of the team will climb down to Khudi. Shyam Bhatta, the fabulous cook, made a beautiful cake baked by using two different pots (it was quite challenging, he said). Drinking and dancing were on the card. Gyanu, the sardar, distributed Raskhi to all folks. Boys started singing in the tunes of Madal. The ceremony was beautiful though I could sense that the Rakshi was starting to work more than Gyanu and his team of singers.

Kang La Phedi: After spending most of the day (till afternoon) we headed for Kang La Phedi, a place below the Kang La Pass. In the morning, I talked to some of the Koru thrashers.

While dragging myself up to Kang La Phedi I saw some of the amazing and spectacular scenes in my life. The trail went through the grazing field with a small stream on the left. The mountains were on the both sides of the stream. On the left was the breathtaking Pisang range and it was expanded some where up. On my front was my curiosity (where are you Kang La Pass?) while the enormous Kang Ru peak was standing tall behind me. I was full of such excitements because of being so near to the range. I wondered who the same place would look like at the time of heavy snow.

Our Trek Team in Kang La Phedi

Though the scene was breathtaking, I wasn’t feeling very well. Stomach was grumbling and I was quite anxious at lunch time: should I eat or not? But I knew that if I didn’t eat, I will not have energy to go up. The uphill wasn’t really uphill but I was having difficulties to walk because I wasn’t feeling well. But thanks to those wonderful scenes, I started feeling well. May be that was because of altitude change. We were heading to Phedi that was located at the height of 4,500 meters.

By the way, I must mention it here that I felt so cold last night in Nar that I could hardly sleep. I mean the sleeping bag was working fine but the mattress wasn’t. I was feeling chilling cold on my back. I tried to move this side and that side but the side facing mother Earth would feel damn cold that I hadn’t anticipated. It was -2 degrees in evening and I learned in the morning about the rainfall in night. I tried my best to keep myself warm. That was futile. I put my jacket on the mattress which felt like working but only for a minute. Then I added sweater. That also didn’t help much. I didn’t want to complain to Wanda as there was little she could do. Plus, I was convinced that it was yet another part of my first ever camping experience!

I am seen climbing the Kang La Pass Pic by Jen