Nepal Trekking: Finally On The Trail (Part III)

Just when I thought I was getting adjusted to the jetlag after being in Nepal for four days, I woke up at 3am and then again at 4:30am.  Maybe I was just excited to finally start a 4-day trek that had already seen delays from bad weather and food poisoning.  My hope was that the morning would come and the sun would show itself - fortunately, I wasn't disappointed.

After a quick breakfast, we packed our bags and loaded up the van for a 90-minute drive over a mountain ridge and into the next valley to the small town of Nayapul, where we planned to start our adventure into the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA).  As we drove north away from our hotel and out of the town of Pokhara, a beautiful vista of mountains stood out in the morning sun and our spirits quickly rose.  The plan for the day was to hike about 6-7 hours up the valley, gaining in elevation until we reached the village of Ulleri, about halfway to our destination.

We reached Nayapul about 9:30am and it felt great to stretch out my legs and feel the weight of my backpack as we started hiking through the streets of Nayapul, muddy from several days of rain.  Our guide, Ricci, checked our permits in at the entrance of the ACA and we then crossed a small bridge to the trail up into the valley.  For several hours we hiked in the morning sun as the weather warmed up into the 60's.  We took a break for some lunch at about noon, but were eager to get back on the trail.

After crossing a long metal suspension bridge across a river (those always remind me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), we looked up and realized the remaining two hours of hiking for the day meant having to get up approximately 3,200 rocky steps to Ulleri.  The trail was pretty good and we dug in with our trekking poles, passing other hikers, pony trains (carrying goods up and down the valley) and small villages along the way.  We took a couple of short breaks, but I felt good and was enjoying the peaceful setting.

At 3:30pm, we reached Ulleri and the teahouse where we planned to spend the night.  Our room was rustic, but the wooden bed frame was firm with a thin mattress, and we had an attached bathroom with a squat-style toilet and a creatively-plumbed shower.  I unpacked my sleeping bag, took a couple of Motrin and met one of my fellow hikers for some black tea and crackers while our buddy took a nap.  Ricci and our porters drank tea and played cards.

Overall, it was a great day of hiking with beautiful weather.  We gained about 1,000 meters of elevation (3,300 feet) from Nayapul and planned to gain another 700-800 meters the next day to the high point of the 4-day hike, where we would see an amazing stretch of Himalaya peaks, including two of the world's highest - Annapurna (also arguably the most dangerous for mountain climbers) and Dhaulagiri. It got chilly as the sun set on the valley while we ate dinner.  We were in bed by 8pm, tired but looking forward to another great day.

Next up:  The author and his hiking buddies reach the village of Ghorepani and get an incredible view of the snowy Himalayas.