Amy McCulloch's Blog, page 3
November 25, 2017
Annapurna Circuit, days 4-6, aka the path of most resistance
Day 4: Chame-Lower Pisang
I can’t believe how insanely lucky I’ve been with the weather. Every day has been crystal clear blue skies and bright sunshine. They say that blue skies appear even more blue with altitude, and that definitely seems to be my experience.
This day was much more gentle than previous. We wanted to gain altitude slowly and I had already beaten our schedule by a day - there was no real benefit to me to go around the circuit any quicker, so better to take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
The walk meandered slowly up through a pine forest (and past another gushing waterfall) before we came upon a rather unexpected sight: a giant apple tree plantation, and probably the most “modern” set-up I’ve come across so far. The apples grown here aren’t native to Nepal (they’re an Italian variety, apparently), but they were delicious and sweet. The teahouse looked more like an Alpine chalet, and they were doing a roaring trade in everything related to apples: apple tea, apple muffins, apple pie... the list went on. It was also the first teahouse with western toilets, a bar and sofas around a big stone fireplace - again, more reminiscent of a ski lodge than the threadbare Nepalese accommodations I’d come to expect. Maybe a sign of what’s to come as more people visit - though I guess part of the appeal of this route is the rustic charm!
After having our fill of apple-related products, it was a relatively short walk to Lower Pisang, where the view was dominated by a giant, sloping rock wall to our right. Soon, the monastery of Upper Pisang came into view, its golden stupa glinting in the bright sunlight. We walked up to the monastery in the afternoon, marvelling at the glorious painted ceiling and saturated colours of the temple walls. The monks lit candles and chanted as we sat quietly in the shadows around the outer perimeter of the main monastery room. It was incredibly peaceful, and one of the joys of the trek has definitely been learning more about Buddhist culture.
My teahouse room for the night has a private bathroom - joy! - and since I was the only guest, the lovely owner made me my very own apple pie (as if I hadn’t consumed enough apples today). I watched as she rolled out the dough, filled it and fried it - it was more like a big apple samosa than a pie, loaded with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and all around one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had so far on the trek. It’s not nicknamed the “Apple pie circuit” for nothing.
Day 5: Lower Pisang-Manang
It’s election time in Nepal, and that means lots of locals are returning to their home districts in order to cast their votes. This area is predominantly Maoist/Communist, and we’ve passed by several large (but thankfully non-violent) rallies. Unfortunately it means that the road to Manang that we are walking along is busier than usual with jeeps and motorbikes, making this a very dusty trek into the centre of town. Thankfully this is the last we will see of motorized vehicles as the path beyond Manang is for people, yaks and donkeys only.
The walk into Manang is stunning, and the closest we’ve come to the Annapurna range. Annapurna II, III & IV, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak dominate the skyline to the left, and on the right, several abandoned monasteries cast spooky shadows on the hillside. Manang itself is the busiest little town we’ve come across, since most of the trekkers take a rest day here. There are movie theatres (!) showing Everest, Into Thin Air and Slumdog Millionaire on repeat, cafes serving “real” Lavazza coffee and restaurants dishing up sizzling yak steaks and burgers. (I still am too chicken to try anything except dhal bat or vegetarian dishes). It’s so busy with locals returning home from Kathmandu for the election that the first few hotels we try are full - thankfully, Gyan scores me a nice private room with bathroom on the third floor of the Yak Hotel and I get settled in nicely. Unfortunately, the promise of a hot shower was not fulfilled - instead, I braved an icy cold one and washed some of my dusty clothes at the same time.
I also met up with some of the people I’d met earlier on and lost track of on the trail - the young Canadian siblings I shared an uncomfortable bus journey with from Kathmandu to Besisahar, a British couple, one of whom worked briefly for HarperVoyager - small world! - and an American ER doctor who’s powering around the circuit in double-quick time. Everyone (and especially me) looked a little more trail-weary now, faces pink with sun and wind exposure, muscles sore, wary of the next few high altitude days to come. It was early to bed for me though, as I’d made the executive decision (against the best attempts at discouragement by Gyan and Madi) to trek to the Ice Lakes (4640m) the next day, a good kilometre-and-a-bit above Manang (3450m). It’s apparently great for acclimatisation and spectacular views, but it’s potentially a long old slog. Still I felt good about my legs and lungs so wanted to go for it...
On my way back to the room, I checked out the clothes that I’d hung out on the line to dry. They were all completely frozen and my towel made an awkward cracking sound with ice as I shook it. Oh well - I could only hope they’d thaw out in the next day’s sunshine!
Day 6: Manang Rest Day - Ice Lake Hike
Don’t you feel that so far this Himalayan adventure has been lacking in Actual Peril and High Danger? Well, apparently, so did the universe. The day started well enough - up bright and early, I emptied my daypack of anything except what was absolutely necessary (which meant it was filled with water and kitkats) and met Gyan and Madi for our hike to the ice lakes. We had to backtrack our steps to Braga village, where we began our climb up past one of the atmospheric abandoned monasteries. The way was steep almost immediately, some of it slick with ice, and we had to move “pistare, pistare” (slowly, slowly) along tight switchbacks that zig-zagged their way up the hillside.
Going up, I found, was not such a problem - yes, my muscles were working hard but generally I felt quite safe and we took plenty of breaks for water and to stop and stare at the, frankly, incredible views. There was plenty of motivation to keep me going. The only thing I couldn’t do was look down at my watch. Knowing that the hike up was going to take at least 3 1/2 - probably more like 4 - hours, I didn’t want to be too aware of how much more uphill we had to go. Better to just keep believing the lakes were around the next bend (they weren’t).
Still, those views I’d been promised? They were beyond breathtaking as we climbed higher and even more peaks appeared. Even the very top of the notorious Annapurna I eventually became visible, and the giant Manaslu, that I thought we’d left behind, showed his face again. Condors soared above our heads, so close sometimes we could hear the rush of their flight, the downdraft buffeting our foreheads. We stopped for a snack of (you guessed it) more apples before giving it a final push to the top.
Elation! We made it! High fives all around, and we took a few photos mucking around on the surface of the completely frozen lake. The lake itself isn’t that exciting, certainly not the dramatic climax such intense effort to reach it deserved, but we pretended it was amazing to make ourselves feel better. There were a few more groups of hikers up there, all having made the intrepid effort to acclimatise in the most challenging way possible; there was a good sense of camaraderie. We ate our packed lunch of boiled eggs and (now-frozen) chapati, before deciding to begin the trek back down - it was definitely far too cold to be sitting around without moving, well below freezing (the temperature in Manang was about -12C that day). We passed a second lake (I’d say more ice pond) and a small group of yaks, as we legged it back down the hill.
I was hoping that the way down would be a lot faster, but it wasn’t to be. We made it about halfway without too much incident, except that I find downhill is always much harder on the knees and a headache was slowly but surely creeping into my temples - although whether that was from the altitude, sun exposure or exertion I wasn’t so sure. Regardless, we were entering hour 5 of our day out, the boiled egg I’d eaten at the top wasn’t sitting all that well, and I wanted to be back down at lower altitude and in my nice warm sleeping bag ASAP. We passed by a few people who were still making their way up - including one French girl who was in tears at the prospect of continuing; I felt her pain.
Now, what follows is a situation where ironically, had I NOT been with a guide, things might have gone smoother. I would have followed the signs down religiously, whereas Gyan and Madi - keen to avoid going down the slick, steep and icy slopes we’d climbed up - decided to follow a different trail (which I would’ve argued was more of a gap in the brush than a trail, but they’re the professionals). Well - things went RAPIDLY downhill (in all senses of the word) from there, as we picked our way down a “trail” that was nothing more than loose dirt, sand, scree and a few low-lying, spiky af thorn bushes. I quickly abandoned my poles, clinging instead to the least prickly parts of the thorn bushes, or to Madi’s outstretched arm, as we scrambled for footing on the loose ground that wouldn’t send us tumbling down the slope - while Gyan scouted ahead for a route back to the main pathway. The only good thing was that the extreme levels of concentration it was taking to make sure I didn’t fall was keeping my headache at bay. At last - finally! - we saw the main path. But it involved crossing a wide patch of scree that was the steepest yet - and there were no thornbushes to cling to, nor could Madi stop in the middle to help me across. He crossed over tentatively, and with difficulty, clearly deciding it wasn’t worth the risk. He and Gyan debated over my head whether we should turn back or find another way... but the path was so close (and I was pretty annoyed at them for leading me so astray in the first place) that I decided to go for it and strode my way across the perilous slope with as much confidence as I could muster. (Altitude clearly affecting my judgment there too). I think it was worth it just for the look of pure surprise on Madi’s face!
But, after my brief moment of triumph, my headache was back at full blast, along with nausea and just general fatigue, and we were still a good two hours away from when I could legitimately stop moving, the village still looking terribly small and far away beneath us. Even the main pathway down was only as wide as a single boot, so I couldn’t afford to lapse in concentration either (also, I knew that most accidents happen close to the finish line, and I didn’t want to add a sprained ankle to my woes). Gosh, I sound really self-pitying now! But I think the altitude was really getting to me. Even the relatively flat path back from the village to Manang felt interminable, but there was no other option but to walk under my own steam. Later, when I was speaking to some of the other trekkers, I think I could have easily acclimatised with a short 2-3hr round trip hike to a nice monastery as opposed to my 7.5hr journey! But I only had myself to blame as I was the one who had insisted on the ice lakes.
Still, at least I felt I had earned the respect of my guide and porter. When we finally reached the Yak Hotel again, Madi turned around and gave me a big double high-five. “You’re a real trekker now!” he said. And with that gratifying thought in my head, I climbed up to my room, crawled into my sleeping bag, and slept like the dead.
(It was 3pm.)
[image error]
I can’t believe how insanely lucky I’ve been with the weather. Every day has been crystal clear blue skies and bright sunshine. They say that blue skies appear even more blue with altitude, and that definitely seems to be my experience.
This day was much more gentle than previous. We wanted to gain altitude slowly and I had already beaten our schedule by a day - there was no real benefit to me to go around the circuit any quicker, so better to take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
The walk meandered slowly up through a pine forest (and past another gushing waterfall) before we came upon a rather unexpected sight: a giant apple tree plantation, and probably the most “modern” set-up I’ve come across so far. The apples grown here aren’t native to Nepal (they’re an Italian variety, apparently), but they were delicious and sweet. The teahouse looked more like an Alpine chalet, and they were doing a roaring trade in everything related to apples: apple tea, apple muffins, apple pie... the list went on. It was also the first teahouse with western toilets, a bar and sofas around a big stone fireplace - again, more reminiscent of a ski lodge than the threadbare Nepalese accommodations I’d come to expect. Maybe a sign of what’s to come as more people visit - though I guess part of the appeal of this route is the rustic charm!
After having our fill of apple-related products, it was a relatively short walk to Lower Pisang, where the view was dominated by a giant, sloping rock wall to our right. Soon, the monastery of Upper Pisang came into view, its golden stupa glinting in the bright sunlight. We walked up to the monastery in the afternoon, marvelling at the glorious painted ceiling and saturated colours of the temple walls. The monks lit candles and chanted as we sat quietly in the shadows around the outer perimeter of the main monastery room. It was incredibly peaceful, and one of the joys of the trek has definitely been learning more about Buddhist culture.
My teahouse room for the night has a private bathroom - joy! - and since I was the only guest, the lovely owner made me my very own apple pie (as if I hadn’t consumed enough apples today). I watched as she rolled out the dough, filled it and fried it - it was more like a big apple samosa than a pie, loaded with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and all around one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had so far on the trek. It’s not nicknamed the “Apple pie circuit” for nothing.
Day 5: Lower Pisang-Manang
It’s election time in Nepal, and that means lots of locals are returning to their home districts in order to cast their votes. This area is predominantly Maoist/Communist, and we’ve passed by several large (but thankfully non-violent) rallies. Unfortunately it means that the road to Manang that we are walking along is busier than usual with jeeps and motorbikes, making this a very dusty trek into the centre of town. Thankfully this is the last we will see of motorized vehicles as the path beyond Manang is for people, yaks and donkeys only.
The walk into Manang is stunning, and the closest we’ve come to the Annapurna range. Annapurna II, III & IV, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak dominate the skyline to the left, and on the right, several abandoned monasteries cast spooky shadows on the hillside. Manang itself is the busiest little town we’ve come across, since most of the trekkers take a rest day here. There are movie theatres (!) showing Everest, Into Thin Air and Slumdog Millionaire on repeat, cafes serving “real” Lavazza coffee and restaurants dishing up sizzling yak steaks and burgers. (I still am too chicken to try anything except dhal bat or vegetarian dishes). It’s so busy with locals returning home from Kathmandu for the election that the first few hotels we try are full - thankfully, Gyan scores me a nice private room with bathroom on the third floor of the Yak Hotel and I get settled in nicely. Unfortunately, the promise of a hot shower was not fulfilled - instead, I braved an icy cold one and washed some of my dusty clothes at the same time.
I also met up with some of the people I’d met earlier on and lost track of on the trail - the young Canadian siblings I shared an uncomfortable bus journey with from Kathmandu to Besisahar, a British couple, one of whom worked briefly for HarperVoyager - small world! - and an American ER doctor who’s powering around the circuit in double-quick time. Everyone (and especially me) looked a little more trail-weary now, faces pink with sun and wind exposure, muscles sore, wary of the next few high altitude days to come. It was early to bed for me though, as I’d made the executive decision (against the best attempts at discouragement by Gyan and Madi) to trek to the Ice Lakes (4640m) the next day, a good kilometre-and-a-bit above Manang (3450m). It’s apparently great for acclimatisation and spectacular views, but it’s potentially a long old slog. Still I felt good about my legs and lungs so wanted to go for it...
On my way back to the room, I checked out the clothes that I’d hung out on the line to dry. They were all completely frozen and my towel made an awkward cracking sound with ice as I shook it. Oh well - I could only hope they’d thaw out in the next day’s sunshine!
Day 6: Manang Rest Day - Ice Lake Hike
Don’t you feel that so far this Himalayan adventure has been lacking in Actual Peril and High Danger? Well, apparently, so did the universe. The day started well enough - up bright and early, I emptied my daypack of anything except what was absolutely necessary (which meant it was filled with water and kitkats) and met Gyan and Madi for our hike to the ice lakes. We had to backtrack our steps to Braga village, where we began our climb up past one of the atmospheric abandoned monasteries. The way was steep almost immediately, some of it slick with ice, and we had to move “pistare, pistare” (slowly, slowly) along tight switchbacks that zig-zagged their way up the hillside.
Going up, I found, was not such a problem - yes, my muscles were working hard but generally I felt quite safe and we took plenty of breaks for water and to stop and stare at the, frankly, incredible views. There was plenty of motivation to keep me going. The only thing I couldn’t do was look down at my watch. Knowing that the hike up was going to take at least 3 1/2 - probably more like 4 - hours, I didn’t want to be too aware of how much more uphill we had to go. Better to just keep believing the lakes were around the next bend (they weren’t).
Still, those views I’d been promised? They were beyond breathtaking as we climbed higher and even more peaks appeared. Even the very top of the notorious Annapurna I eventually became visible, and the giant Manaslu, that I thought we’d left behind, showed his face again. Condors soared above our heads, so close sometimes we could hear the rush of their flight, the downdraft buffeting our foreheads. We stopped for a snack of (you guessed it) more apples before giving it a final push to the top.
Elation! We made it! High fives all around, and we took a few photos mucking around on the surface of the completely frozen lake. The lake itself isn’t that exciting, certainly not the dramatic climax such intense effort to reach it deserved, but we pretended it was amazing to make ourselves feel better. There were a few more groups of hikers up there, all having made the intrepid effort to acclimatise in the most challenging way possible; there was a good sense of camaraderie. We ate our packed lunch of boiled eggs and (now-frozen) chapati, before deciding to begin the trek back down - it was definitely far too cold to be sitting around without moving, well below freezing (the temperature in Manang was about -12C that day). We passed a second lake (I’d say more ice pond) and a small group of yaks, as we legged it back down the hill.
I was hoping that the way down would be a lot faster, but it wasn’t to be. We made it about halfway without too much incident, except that I find downhill is always much harder on the knees and a headache was slowly but surely creeping into my temples - although whether that was from the altitude, sun exposure or exertion I wasn’t so sure. Regardless, we were entering hour 5 of our day out, the boiled egg I’d eaten at the top wasn’t sitting all that well, and I wanted to be back down at lower altitude and in my nice warm sleeping bag ASAP. We passed by a few people who were still making their way up - including one French girl who was in tears at the prospect of continuing; I felt her pain.
Now, what follows is a situation where ironically, had I NOT been with a guide, things might have gone smoother. I would have followed the signs down religiously, whereas Gyan and Madi - keen to avoid going down the slick, steep and icy slopes we’d climbed up - decided to follow a different trail (which I would’ve argued was more of a gap in the brush than a trail, but they’re the professionals). Well - things went RAPIDLY downhill (in all senses of the word) from there, as we picked our way down a “trail” that was nothing more than loose dirt, sand, scree and a few low-lying, spiky af thorn bushes. I quickly abandoned my poles, clinging instead to the least prickly parts of the thorn bushes, or to Madi’s outstretched arm, as we scrambled for footing on the loose ground that wouldn’t send us tumbling down the slope - while Gyan scouted ahead for a route back to the main pathway. The only good thing was that the extreme levels of concentration it was taking to make sure I didn’t fall was keeping my headache at bay. At last - finally! - we saw the main path. But it involved crossing a wide patch of scree that was the steepest yet - and there were no thornbushes to cling to, nor could Madi stop in the middle to help me across. He crossed over tentatively, and with difficulty, clearly deciding it wasn’t worth the risk. He and Gyan debated over my head whether we should turn back or find another way... but the path was so close (and I was pretty annoyed at them for leading me so astray in the first place) that I decided to go for it and strode my way across the perilous slope with as much confidence as I could muster. (Altitude clearly affecting my judgment there too). I think it was worth it just for the look of pure surprise on Madi’s face!
But, after my brief moment of triumph, my headache was back at full blast, along with nausea and just general fatigue, and we were still a good two hours away from when I could legitimately stop moving, the village still looking terribly small and far away beneath us. Even the main pathway down was only as wide as a single boot, so I couldn’t afford to lapse in concentration either (also, I knew that most accidents happen close to the finish line, and I didn’t want to add a sprained ankle to my woes). Gosh, I sound really self-pitying now! But I think the altitude was really getting to me. Even the relatively flat path back from the village to Manang felt interminable, but there was no other option but to walk under my own steam. Later, when I was speaking to some of the other trekkers, I think I could have easily acclimatised with a short 2-3hr round trip hike to a nice monastery as opposed to my 7.5hr journey! But I only had myself to blame as I was the one who had insisted on the ice lakes.
Still, at least I felt I had earned the respect of my guide and porter. When we finally reached the Yak Hotel again, Madi turned around and gave me a big double high-five. “You’re a real trekker now!” he said. And with that gratifying thought in my head, I climbed up to my room, crawled into my sleeping bag, and slept like the dead.
(It was 3pm.)
[image error]
November 21, 2017
Annapurna Circuit, days 1-3
While I have been writing a blog for this trip, Wordpress has been playing up so I haven’t been able to post anything - despite the fact that there has been surprisingly ample (and free! and fast!) WiFi coverage at the teahouses throughout the trek. Who knew? Not what I was expecting, especially after the hassles of getting online in South America, which felt far less remote than this. But I have finally managed to get the post up - if not as picture heavy as it might be! If you’re interested in pictures, I suggest heading over to my Instagram, where I have been updating my “Instagram story” a lot more regularly with photos.
Day 1: Ngadi-Jagat
This was my first proper trekking day after a night in Kathmandu and two bumpy, seemingly interminable bus journeys to reach the start. After banana pancakes and coffee, we (my guide Gyan, porter Madi and I) set off on the trail at 8am. The sun was shining, the sky a perfect blue, and I was feeling good! The trail followed the banks of the Marsyangdi River, a roiling, rapids-riven turquoise tongue of water interrupted in this early stage of the trek by a big hydroelectric power station and dam. The trail cut through thick jungle vegetation and past terraced rice paddies, and, as the sun rose, so did the temperature. You sort of have to pack for all weather on this trek, but in my “lightest” gear of cutaway trousers and T-shirt, I was still sweltering. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before we finished a climb of a few hundred steps leading up to the gorgeous village of Bahundanda, with a tree in the centre draped in Buddhist prayer flags - a colourful maypole. Here, we took a short water break in the shade and watched as the square quickly filled up with other trekkers. Still, the trail isn’t nearly as busy as I had expected, and for the most part I am walking entirely on my own (Gyan and Madi aside).
After Bahundanda, the trail grew even more thick with jungle, and I crossed the first of many suspension bridges across the river. No big mountains were yet in view, but the valley walls loomed large all around us, and the occasional waterfall burst from the sides as if the gorge had sprung a leak. The sun continued to beat down, but surprisingly I felt lighter than air - maybe it was the realisation that I was finally here, in Nepal, after months of not travelling, or the proliferation of bright blue and orange butterflies that flit across the trail at my feet, or the fact that the very trail itself glittered with mica as if I was walking on stars, (or maybe just because eating too much dhal bat makes you a bit batty) - at any rate, the Annapurna Circuit was certainly proving itself to me to be worthy of its classification as the “world’s most beautiful trek”. And I hadn’t even seen a big mountain yet.
Day 2: Jagat-Danaque
When I was reading about this trek, I was prepared for a lot of natural beauty but I didn’t expect to fall in love with the little villages along the way. The tea houses are painted in bright pinks, blues and greens, mostly advertising the same style of accommodation - clean rooms, hot showers, good food and free WiFi (some of these claims truer than others). Some of the villages jut out of the valley walls, dangling precariously over the river, connected to the trail by dodgy-looking (but well maintained) suspension bridges - often with a stunning waterfall (or two) in the backdrop. Being the unabashed nerd that I am, one thought dominated this section of the trek: I felt like I was walking through a Nepalese Rivendell. With the glacial blue river below and high granite walls above, it seemed a place too ethereal for humans; it must instead be the realm of elves.
From the riverside village of Tal, we crossed over into the Manang District - a predominantly Buddhist region of Nepal, and the home of the big mountains I’d been searching for. It didn’t disappoint. Manaslu, the world’s 8th tallest mountain at 8,416m, dominated the view for most of the afternoon - and when we reached our stopping point for the night, Danaque, I caught my first glimpse of Annapurna II. Exciting. I also had my first hot shower of the trip - unfortunately “hot” in this case meant a scorching gas shower that climbed up past 65C before I had to turn it off in pain. Be careful what you wish for, and all that, but worth it to wash off the dust of the day. The evening rounded off with a Manaslu sunset, watching as the peak turned a burnished gold before disappearing into the dark, and a filling dinner of dhal bat (naturally) in the fire-warmed dining hall. Dhal bat is the local Nepalese dish consisting of rice, potato curry, vegetables, lentil soup and a sort of poppadom. I was informed by Gyan that not only was this the best fuel for a long trek but also was guaranteed to be fresh (unlike the pasta/pizza/momo dishes on offer), made with ingredients grown locally, provided the least opportunity for contracting stomach issues and - best of all - was totally unlimited. They will fill up the rice/curry/veg/lentils portion of your plate as needed until you are utterly stuffed. (Is four refills too many? Asking for a friend...)
Bed time was late by trekking standards - 9pm at least! - but every night so far I’d collapsed into bed utterly exhausted. I did creep out at 2am to look at the stars though, and I was met with an almost overwhelming sight: as vast a glittering sky as I’ve ever seen! And there, too, was the enormous Manaslu, blocking out a portion of the sky with its bulk and its peak wearing the stars like a crown.
Day 3: Danaque-Chame
Brrr... it’s so much colder now, a little higher in altitude (still only about 2200m or so - less than half as high as we will end up), and we have well and truly left the jungle behind for pine forests and groves of apple trees. Today was a rapid climb up to Timang and the best view I have seen so far - sipping tea from the roof of a hotel with the Manaslu range in the far distance, eagles soaring overhead, it was a jaw-droppingly beautiful sight.
But we had to keep moving! Thankfully after the climb and tea break, the rest of today’s walk was fairly flat, and I was lulled into a weird meditative state of one foot in front of the other - until we rounded the corner of the trail and straight ahead of us was Annapurna II. Even though it’s not as tall as Manaslu, it’s much closer to the trail and so looks way more impressive. Puffs of snow lifted off the top as if the peak were smoking - or, more likely, as a result of ferocious winds up there - and I definitely felt a shiver of awe travel down my spine.
Annapurna II stayed in view right the way to our stop in Chame for lunch, and our teahouse for the night. This was a shorter walking day (about 4 hours as opposed to 6/7 that we’d done previous), to give time to rest and acclimatise to the altitude. Chame is a much busier town, so I browsed the shops and bought a much needed cosy yak-wool hat and visited some of the Buddhist sites, including a long series of prayer bells and a huge prayer wheel taller than me. Now it’s time for more dhal bat, to read another book (I’ve read a book a day so far - this is what happens when I stop writing!) and to prepare for the higher altitude treks to come...
[caption width="1920" id="attachment_2933" align="alignnone"]
Annapurna II view as we headed into Chame[/caption]
Day 1: Ngadi-Jagat
This was my first proper trekking day after a night in Kathmandu and two bumpy, seemingly interminable bus journeys to reach the start. After banana pancakes and coffee, we (my guide Gyan, porter Madi and I) set off on the trail at 8am. The sun was shining, the sky a perfect blue, and I was feeling good! The trail followed the banks of the Marsyangdi River, a roiling, rapids-riven turquoise tongue of water interrupted in this early stage of the trek by a big hydroelectric power station and dam. The trail cut through thick jungle vegetation and past terraced rice paddies, and, as the sun rose, so did the temperature. You sort of have to pack for all weather on this trek, but in my “lightest” gear of cutaway trousers and T-shirt, I was still sweltering. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before we finished a climb of a few hundred steps leading up to the gorgeous village of Bahundanda, with a tree in the centre draped in Buddhist prayer flags - a colourful maypole. Here, we took a short water break in the shade and watched as the square quickly filled up with other trekkers. Still, the trail isn’t nearly as busy as I had expected, and for the most part I am walking entirely on my own (Gyan and Madi aside).
After Bahundanda, the trail grew even more thick with jungle, and I crossed the first of many suspension bridges across the river. No big mountains were yet in view, but the valley walls loomed large all around us, and the occasional waterfall burst from the sides as if the gorge had sprung a leak. The sun continued to beat down, but surprisingly I felt lighter than air - maybe it was the realisation that I was finally here, in Nepal, after months of not travelling, or the proliferation of bright blue and orange butterflies that flit across the trail at my feet, or the fact that the very trail itself glittered with mica as if I was walking on stars, (or maybe just because eating too much dhal bat makes you a bit batty) - at any rate, the Annapurna Circuit was certainly proving itself to me to be worthy of its classification as the “world’s most beautiful trek”. And I hadn’t even seen a big mountain yet.
Day 2: Jagat-Danaque
When I was reading about this trek, I was prepared for a lot of natural beauty but I didn’t expect to fall in love with the little villages along the way. The tea houses are painted in bright pinks, blues and greens, mostly advertising the same style of accommodation - clean rooms, hot showers, good food and free WiFi (some of these claims truer than others). Some of the villages jut out of the valley walls, dangling precariously over the river, connected to the trail by dodgy-looking (but well maintained) suspension bridges - often with a stunning waterfall (or two) in the backdrop. Being the unabashed nerd that I am, one thought dominated this section of the trek: I felt like I was walking through a Nepalese Rivendell. With the glacial blue river below and high granite walls above, it seemed a place too ethereal for humans; it must instead be the realm of elves.
From the riverside village of Tal, we crossed over into the Manang District - a predominantly Buddhist region of Nepal, and the home of the big mountains I’d been searching for. It didn’t disappoint. Manaslu, the world’s 8th tallest mountain at 8,416m, dominated the view for most of the afternoon - and when we reached our stopping point for the night, Danaque, I caught my first glimpse of Annapurna II. Exciting. I also had my first hot shower of the trip - unfortunately “hot” in this case meant a scorching gas shower that climbed up past 65C before I had to turn it off in pain. Be careful what you wish for, and all that, but worth it to wash off the dust of the day. The evening rounded off with a Manaslu sunset, watching as the peak turned a burnished gold before disappearing into the dark, and a filling dinner of dhal bat (naturally) in the fire-warmed dining hall. Dhal bat is the local Nepalese dish consisting of rice, potato curry, vegetables, lentil soup and a sort of poppadom. I was informed by Gyan that not only was this the best fuel for a long trek but also was guaranteed to be fresh (unlike the pasta/pizza/momo dishes on offer), made with ingredients grown locally, provided the least opportunity for contracting stomach issues and - best of all - was totally unlimited. They will fill up the rice/curry/veg/lentils portion of your plate as needed until you are utterly stuffed. (Is four refills too many? Asking for a friend...)
Bed time was late by trekking standards - 9pm at least! - but every night so far I’d collapsed into bed utterly exhausted. I did creep out at 2am to look at the stars though, and I was met with an almost overwhelming sight: as vast a glittering sky as I’ve ever seen! And there, too, was the enormous Manaslu, blocking out a portion of the sky with its bulk and its peak wearing the stars like a crown.
Day 3: Danaque-Chame
Brrr... it’s so much colder now, a little higher in altitude (still only about 2200m or so - less than half as high as we will end up), and we have well and truly left the jungle behind for pine forests and groves of apple trees. Today was a rapid climb up to Timang and the best view I have seen so far - sipping tea from the roof of a hotel with the Manaslu range in the far distance, eagles soaring overhead, it was a jaw-droppingly beautiful sight.
But we had to keep moving! Thankfully after the climb and tea break, the rest of today’s walk was fairly flat, and I was lulled into a weird meditative state of one foot in front of the other - until we rounded the corner of the trail and straight ahead of us was Annapurna II. Even though it’s not as tall as Manaslu, it’s much closer to the trail and so looks way more impressive. Puffs of snow lifted off the top as if the peak were smoking - or, more likely, as a result of ferocious winds up there - and I definitely felt a shiver of awe travel down my spine.
Annapurna II stayed in view right the way to our stop in Chame for lunch, and our teahouse for the night. This was a shorter walking day (about 4 hours as opposed to 6/7 that we’d done previous), to give time to rest and acclimatise to the altitude. Chame is a much busier town, so I browsed the shops and bought a much needed cosy yak-wool hat and visited some of the Buddhist sites, including a long series of prayer bells and a huge prayer wheel taller than me. Now it’s time for more dhal bat, to read another book (I’ve read a book a day so far - this is what happens when I stop writing!) and to prepare for the higher altitude treks to come...
[caption width="1920" id="attachment_2933" align="alignnone"]
Annapurna II view as we headed into Chame[/caption]
July 6, 2017
The Start of Me and You review for the Zoella & Friends book club
My official Zoella & Friends review for The Start of Me & You by Emery Lord is now LIVE on the WH Smith website! It's the focus fortnight for this book, so I would *love* to hear your thoughts. Have you read it? What do you think of Paige and her plan for happiness? Is Emery Lord now your favourite contemporary YA author? (Spoiler alert: she is mine!)
Feel free to leave me a comment here on the blog, over on the Youtube video, or on Twitter, and don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel for more review videos, book discussions and writing advice to come!
Feel free to leave me a comment here on the blog, over on the Youtube video, or on Twitter, and don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel for more review videos, book discussions and writing advice to come!
July 4, 2017
I’m publishing a new YA series!
Like Sam Kemi tumbling from a mountaintop, I'm being snowed under by an avalanche of news at the moment! But today I get to announce something I have been working on for quite some time now... an entirely *new* series!!
The details were out in The Bookseller today: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/alward-signs-new-series-ss-set-near-future-582116
It doesn't yet have a title, but here are FIVE things I can let you know about the new book:
1) It's going to shine the spotlight on girls in STEM fields: specifically my smart, inventive, teen engineer heroine Lacey and her super coder best friend.
2) Lacey's robotic smart pet is called Jinx (thanks to the robot at the Edinburgh National Museum for spelling out his name - see above)
3) It's set in a near-future Toronto (aka one of my favourite cities in the world)
4) If you loved The Potion Diaries, you are going to love this!
5) You'll have to wait until 2018 to get your hands on it!
The details were out in The Bookseller today: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/alward-signs-new-series-ss-set-near-future-582116
It doesn't yet have a title, but here are FIVE things I can let you know about the new book:
1) It's going to shine the spotlight on girls in STEM fields: specifically my smart, inventive, teen engineer heroine Lacey and her super coder best friend.
2) Lacey's robotic smart pet is called Jinx (thanks to the robot at the Edinburgh National Museum for spelling out his name - see above)
3) It's set in a near-future Toronto (aka one of my favourite cities in the world)
4) If you loved The Potion Diaries, you are going to love this!
5) You'll have to wait until 2018 to get your hands on it!
June 29, 2017
Zoella & Friends book club, exclusive to WH Smiths!
Hello everyone - big news...
I'm super excited to announce that I'm going to be part of the Zoella & Friends book club, exclusive to WH Smith!
I absolutely love my two book choices: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord & The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr. They're both incredibly captivating reads, for totally different reasons - and I'm excited for readers to get stuck in over the summer.
Of course, I'm constantly pushing books on all my friends and family so it's exciting to be able to do that on a much bigger scale - and I know that having The Potion Diaries on the first Zoella Book Club list helped me reach so many new readers. I'm so awed by the work that Zoe has done to boost teen reading in the UK and around the world, and I'm proud to call her my friend - both in terms of the book club and in real life!
Make sure to check out whsmith.co.uk/zoellabookclub/ for reviews and exclusives throughout the summer. And be sure to tweet me @amy_alward with any comments you have about the books - or tag me on instagram @amyalward with your pics!
Happy summer reading!
I'm super excited to announce that I'm going to be part of the Zoella & Friends book club, exclusive to WH Smith!
I absolutely love my two book choices: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord & The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr. They're both incredibly captivating reads, for totally different reasons - and I'm excited for readers to get stuck in over the summer.
Of course, I'm constantly pushing books on all my friends and family so it's exciting to be able to do that on a much bigger scale - and I know that having The Potion Diaries on the first Zoella Book Club list helped me reach so many new readers. I'm so awed by the work that Zoe has done to boost teen reading in the UK and around the world, and I'm proud to call her my friend - both in terms of the book club and in real life!
Make sure to check out whsmith.co.uk/zoellabookclub/ for reviews and exclusives throughout the summer. And be sure to tweet me @amy_alward with any comments you have about the books - or tag me on instagram @amyalward with your pics!
Happy summer reading!
April 21, 2015
Surfing and Whale Watching on Maui
Even with a little over two weeks in Hawaii, we still didn’t have nearly enough time to do everything that we wanted. Far from it! We didn’t even hit the ‘biggies’ like Pearl Harbor on Oahu or Haleakala volcano on Maui. We didn’t even go to a Luau (save for the awesome Starlit Hui at Aulani) nor did we visit the Polynesian Cultural Centre. Just more excuses to go back!
We did squeeze a couple of awesome activities into our jam-packed itinerary however, and I’d consider these pretty essential...
April 16, 2015
Hawaii – possibly the best place in the world to play golf
I know, I know… it’s not exactly a sport for everyone. Golf is a funny game, isn’t it? It’s hardlytheaverage pastime for most 25-30 year olds I know (well, except in L’s work set!)
But in a place like Hawaii, it’s easy to see its appeal.We’ve played some amazing courses that have taken us deep into the heart of the islands, showing us some spectacular scenery we wouldn’t see anywhere else. It’s also been great fun for the six of us to get out and about with a little friendly competition.
Mich...
April 15, 2015
YALC 2015 and The Potion Diaries!
I must interrupt the Hawaii posts for a super important THE POTION DIARIES-related announcement! I am thrilled to be appearing at YALC 2015 at Olympia in London from 17th-19th July 2015. *HAPPY DANCES*
YALC is the hugely successful Young Adult Literature Convention, held at the London Film and Comic Con, which was launched by the awesome Malorie Blackman last year. Like last year, it’s going to offer a mixture of panels, talks, interviews, book signings and workshops – something for everyone...
April 14, 2015
Thar she blows… A day trip to Volcanoes National Park, Big Island, Hawaii
Before tourists came toHawaii for the stunning beaches, there wasthe lure of the volcanos. There aren’t too many places on this planet where you can walk on brand new land and see steam leak from deep inside the earth, but the Volcanoes National Park is one of them. It’s fascinating, it’s terrifying, it’s a great reminder of the wild power of the earth beneath our feet. It’s geography in action. In another word, it’s unmissable…
The smoking Kilauea Summit caldera
Our Hawaii itinerary initiall...
April 12, 2015
Review: Kapalua Villas, Maui
For our wonderful week in Maui, we lived in a two-bedroom villa at Kapalua Villas, on the north-west shore. It was easily one of the most idyllic places I’ve ever stayed, and very spacious. We needed the space. With six full-grown adults and over 15 pieces of luggage (including six sets of golf clubs), we needed all the space we could get!
Panoramic view from our villa
There were two good-sized bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus a sofa bed. The sofa bed ended up being a bit of a debacle, as t...
