February - March 1999 

Annapurna Region.  Our Annapurna trek began with a flight to Pokhara on a reasonably scary twin engine aircraft. The seating arrangements were hilarious. All Nepalis sat on the left side of the plane, and all western tourists sat on the right (mountain) side of the plane. From the aircraft, we couldn't see a thing until we ascended above the smog line of the Kathmandu valley. Thereafter, we could immediately see the most incredible mountain panorama, including Dorje Lakpa, Shisha Pagma and the Langtang Himal. Flying westward, we passed over the Ganesh Himal and the Manaslu massif, before beginning our descent into Pokhara with the Annapurna massif towering directly overhead. This was to be our destination.

 

Note:  clicking on any photograph will present a larger version.
	Naya Pul.  We were met at the "airport" (nothing more than two rooms and a makeshift tower, really) by our trusty representatives from Tiger Tops. They loaded us into a van and immediately drove us up a scary mountain road to a trailhead at Naya Pul ("New Bridge"). Our first day was to take us a short distance to the "town" of Tikhedunga, which would allow us to conserve our energy for the dreaded uphill to Ulleri and the Ghorepani pass.  After a moment of packing our bags and outfitting our porters, we headed across the bridge at Naya Pul (photo and began our much anticipated trek. Not only did our porters carry about ten times the weight we did, but they did so in "flip-flop" sandals while taking infrequent breaks (for cigarettes, no less!). Also, these guys stood about 5'2 at best and could not have weighed more than 120 pounds. They quickly earned our respect and admiration for their incredibly hard work.
	Annapurna South.  We woke early on day two to "take the tea," as it is known here, and promptly hit the trail. Almost immediately after Tikhedunga, we hit "the stairs." It is said that there are over 3,700 stairs from Tikehdunga up to Ulleri. I lost count after almost hurling on number 75.  In all honesty, its really not that bad (easy to say when a porter is hauling your 60 pound gear duffel on flip-flops); it's similar to a one-way hike of Half Dome from the Yosemite Valley floor. About halfway up, we caught our first view of a real Himalayan mountain. We stopped to rest with a picture perfect framed view of Annapurna South (photo), when as if on cue, a *huge* ice, rock and snow avalanche came crashing down the face we were looking at. You can sort of see the residual avalanche cloud in the center of the photo.  Click on it to see a larger version.
	Banthanti.  We continued up the stairs to Ulleri, eventually reaching it. We were dismayed to discover that the stairs do not end at Ulleri. We stopped at a small trailside "trekkers' lodge" in Banthanti (photo), where we ate lunch and rested our weary legs. From there, we plodded ever upward towards the Ghorepani pass, passing mule and horse trains along the Pokhara-Jomsom-Tibet trade route. The stairs eventually ended, leading to a semi-steep trail through gorgeous blooming rhododendron forests.
	Dhauligiri.  We finally reached windy Ghorepani, where we had to present our trekking permits to the local authorities. After the checkpoint, we trudged up the last few vertical feet to the Deurali ("pass"), where our eyes feasted on a panorama of Dhauligiri (an 8000er), the Kali Gandaki valley and the many peaks of the Annapurna massif. We could trace the path of the Kali Gandaki northward towards Jomsom, Mustang and, eventually, Tibet. The view of Dhauligiri was incredible (photo).
	Poon Hill and the Fishtail Peak.  We woke early the next day to climb Poon Hill, a high ridge above the Ghorepani pass sitting at around 10,000 feet.  Rich was feeling a bit queasy but struggled up the mountain nevertheless. We were rewarded with a fantastic panorama of the mountains, plus views southward over the foothills to the Terai plains and down into India. Also, we had ascended high enough to get a great perspective on Macchapuchare, the fish tail peak that dominates the skyline above Pokhara. This shot of the fish tail was taken at sunrise looking northeast. We could also see the Manaslu massif (another 8000er) jutting up beyond the lines of Macchapuchare. A very rewarding climb.
	Rich with Prayer Flags. Taking a rest atop Poon Hill, with Hiunchuli (left) and Macchapuchare (right) looming above.

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