travel journal: annapurna circuit - part 3

Day 9 – Ledar to High Camp

When I emerged from my room early that morning, all I could think of was crossing the pass. Although it was still freezing, at least it has stopped snowing. The whole place was covered with snow and there were icicles hanging from the roof of the guesthouse. The sky was grey. I checked the time and thought that it was probably just very early. The snow Buddha built by the Israeli boys was still standing. Er, sitting is the proper way to describe it.

I noticed one of the peaks to the west being illuminated by the sun. There was our glimmer of hope. Moments later, the sky finally turned blue. And while I was having coffee, I kept staring at it. It was as if the sky would suddenly be engulfed by dark, heavy snow clouds once I took my eyes off it. But the weather remained favourable. So it was time to go up to Phedi.

Ngyaw. The snow buddha. And some light from the sun.

Along the way, we came across the German couple whom Becca and I kept bumping into during the first few days. I was glad to see them again. But they were already going down because one of them was having an altitude sickness. I didn’t expect it because they seemed really fit and always got ahead of me on the trail. But they were still feeling positive and said they would just come back in October. I wish them good luck. Later on, we met more people going down. They told us that the way to the pass was covered with very thick snow and it was just impossible to cross.

We still continued going up. Because who knows, maybe the next day all the snow would be gone and we could happily go up and over Thorung La. Of course, that is only possible in my dreams. I guess we just stopped worrying about what would happen next and instead focused on achieving our goal for that day. And enjoy what we had in the now. And I did because I finally saw a yak. And more yaks. They were actually funny because they seemed to not move at all. We even doubted it they were real. And then a herd of Himalayan deer crossed the trail we were taking. They were so close to us but didn't seem to mind that we were there and wasn't in a hurry to climb the slope . If only a snow leopard had come.

While resting and having lunch in Phedi, one guy talked about hiring local guides to make a trail for us from High Camp to Muktinath since the snow was really deep. Perfect. We had a chance to make it.

While some trekkers stayed at Phedi, our group went up to High Camp in the afternoon. The ascent was very exhausting. It was probably the only part of the trek which is continuously climbing. I don't remember descending (which is actually better) nor any flat area. And it was very steep. The weather was very good when we started climbing. Halfway through, the sky darkened and snow started to fall. And it didn't stop until we went to bed.

(Side note: Worst toilet ever - High Camp. Not enough water. They'll probably just freeze. But still. And everything, I mean everything freezes fast. Oh well.)

Day 10 - High Camp - Thorung La - Muktinath

At 4850m, High Camp is the second highest place where I had spent the night. (Huayna Potosi high camp in Bolivia at 5000++m is the highest, though I wasn't able to get some sleep there.) And although I expected a sleepless night, I was surprisingly well-rested. It probably is also the coldest because when I woke up, I found the water in my Nalgene bottles freezing. I should have put them inside my sleeping bag.

Although we have agreed on the previous night that we would be hiring local guides to make a trail for us, there was still no assurance to it because it would still depend on the weather. And because it didn't stop snowing in the evening, the condition could be worse than the previous day. So when I went to the kitchen to get some water, I wasn't sure if people were getting ready to go up or down. Thankfully, the guides were already making their way to the pass. We had to pay them 30,000 Rupees (about 300 dollars) to do that. Fair enough.

Our group was the last to leave High Camp. I was a little anxious at first because I knew it would be a long day (9 hours of walking according to the guidebook) and I was not so sure if I could walk fast enough. But the good thing was that people were telling the truth when they said that the way to the pass isn't really steep. So aside from difficulty of breathing and the possibility of acquiring altitude sickness, climbing to Thorung La was not as difficult as I expected it to be. We were possibly going on a good pace because after an hour or so, we already caught up and passed the others who went ahead of us.

The cat made it.

Going up to the pass is supposed to take about three to four hours. Though I really had no idea how long it took us. I knew there will be several false passes, where one could only see blue skies before him. I didn't count them but there are supposed to be 14. 14 false hopes. But the climb was enjoyable and the one time when I was already tired and hoped that the flat area I was seeing was the actual pass, it was. Lucky me. We had our obligatory photo with the marker congratulating us for making it. I had my celebratory Goya chocolate which was as hard as a rock.

What goes up must come down. And apparently, going down was much difficult. The guides managed to make a very good trail going up and I was able to keep my feet dry up to the pass despite the very thick snow. But on the way down, it wasn't possible. With snow cover that was more than 1 meter thick and a very steep slope, we had a hard time. We kept on slipping and falling on our butts. At first it was annoying. But after several falls, I just laughed at it. Especially when the snow somehow made their way in my pants. I was just glad it was snow to catch my butt and not bare rocks.

Solitude.

After a few hours of knee-breaking descent, we stopped in a small area for a late lunch. It didn't seem like a village and I only noticed about 4 or 5 guesthouses. I found myself walking solo from there to Muktinath. Along the way, I realized how I really love being alone. I didn't have to think if I was going too fast or too slow. And it was very quiet. All I could hear was the sound my boots made as they crushed the snow beneath with every step I took. I was left with just my thoughts. (Although of course, I do also enjoy having some company.) 

So how did it feel making it to Thorung La? Of course it was exhilarating. And I admit it was a proud moment for me. I started the journey having doubts that I could even make it to Manang. And I had this plan of maybe hiring a porter along the way when I couldn't carry my backpack anymore. But I made it. Our group made it. Looking back though, it probably isn't the best moment I had in the trek. Doing the Annapurna Circuit trek isn't all about crossing the pass after all. It was more about not giving up despite the pain and discomfort because every single day was actually a challenge. It was about those little moments that came unexpectedly. And the unforgettable people. Well, it still IS one of the best moments.