Friday 21st
September 2012
ABC to Dobhan
(Dovan)
Looking down on Annapurna Base Camp.
Fish Tail in the background.
5.30am start to
catch the sun lighting up the Annapurna Range. A stunning morning – not a cloud
in the sky. ABC camp is in a natural amphitheatre
surrounded by the famous peaks ( Annapurna 1, Annapurna 3, Annapurna South,
Gangapurna, Hiunchuli and Machapuchare). We were blessed to have such a
beautiful morning to see these wonderful mountains.
Closer look at the glacier
towards the bottom right of the above photo
New sign carried uup from Deurali yesterday
After
breakfast we started our descent. No fogs on the Annapurna meadows. The walk back
through the pass was in brilliant sunshine. On such a beautiful morning how
could it be anything else but a great walk down, however, slippery in parts
because of the downhill slopes and loose gravel.
Feast your eyes on that! So special!
Today was a
long trek. We started at 7.30am and got into Dobhan, just before 4pm and the
obligatory afternoon downpour. It was a wise decision to stop. Original
intentions were to make it to Bamboo this afternoon but thirty seconds after we
looked at the dark storm clouds and decided to pull the pin the rains came tumbling down. We have both arrived
exhausted – we covered some distance today!
I had been dreading the stretch just after Deurali, the narrow ledge with the drop at the side, a demon I had to cross. My imagination can run away with itself sometimes I feel. As mentioned earlier, the track is continually being worked on. Over the last few days the path had been made wider and the gradient seemed less. It was with a huge whoop, whoop that I conquered it! One demon remains, tomorrow after Bamboo.
Our lodge in
Dobhan has brand new bathroom facilities and a freshly-painted rooms. It is the
best lodge we have stayed at during our trek. I highly recommend it.
Saturday 22nd
September 2012
Dobhan to
Chhomrong
Another beautiful
morning! An early start and on our way, going down. That would be Nepali going
down – the general direction is down but there are a lot of ups in the going
down! Morning ginger and lemon tea was at Bamboo at the Buddha Guesthouse where
we stayed on the way up. I had left an important item, my soap box, in the
bathroom and luckily it was still sitting where I had left it. Our beautiful
Bali soap had seen a bit of use. Hope it was enjoyed!
Bamboo in sunshine!
A group of local porters on their way through.
From Bamboo
up to Sinuwa for lunch. Enjoyed doing this walk today through the forests in the
sunshine instead of rain. Met my last demon south of Bamboo! The water was not
cascading over the slippery rocks today so the degree of difficulty was reduced.
They were still wet and slimy. Some stepping stones had been strategically
placed in the patch so I may not have been the only casualty. Last demon down!
No mishap!
Last demon stretch!
Without the cascading water
and the addition of a few stones to anchor yourself on the demon was not such a horror!
Going up!
More going up!
From Sinuwa
it is down, down to the river below Chhomrong. The guesthouse is high on the
hill above the village of Chhomrong – from the river to the guesthouse, 2098
steps. Thankfully they were the last steps of the day. No rain this afternoon –
well not really, just a light shower as we were climbing to the guesthouse.
Only the second day that we have been without afternoon rain. The fog and
clouds are still rolling through so there will still be rain higher up.
Heading down from Sinuwa and back into village life.
At the bottom about to cross, then?
UP, UP, UP!
We have
had some beautiful views of the mountains between the clouds. Looking forward
to tomorrow morning when hopefully we will have a clear sky and stunning views.
Late afternoon sunshine
on the Annapurnas.
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