The Annapurna Circuit Day 4 - Dharapani to Chame

Dharapani to Chame

LICHEN | AUTUMN | PANCAKES | KANYE | ROCKFALL | RAIN

• 23rd October 2018
• 8.8 Miles
• 5 Hours 30 Mins Walking + 1 Hour for Lunch
• Starting Elevation 1914m
• Finish Elevation 2700m
• Average Temperature 22.6C (Low 18C - High 26C)
• Average Heart Rate 112bpm (Max 161bpm, reaching over 150bpm around 7 times)

Our fourth day on the circuit revealed some of the most interesting surroundings on the whole trek. Leaving behind the warm lush lowlands we experienced the changes in vegetation and landscape as we continued to climb upwards. Finally, I had enjoyed a good night's sleep and the start of the day boded well. Clear skies and bursts of warm light illuminate the peaks visible from our guesthouse. After another banana porridge breakfast, we settled the bill and took a few steps back to the village and the main road.

Groups of trekkers were already making their way up the road, some of them now familiar and mixed in with the odd passing jeep and groups of porters. We followed the road for an hour or so making a gradual climb as the sun rose into the valley. It was slow going as I often stopped and turned around to take in the light creating beautiful silhouettes behind us.

We soon reached signposts for Manang marking footpaths that headed into the woods. We weren’t really sure about the best option here, but we were keen to get off the road where possible. It seemed like most of the porters were following the path through the woods and they must know best so we followed.

It turned out to be one of the best sections of the whole trek. The woodland was coloured in the beautiful shades of early autumn colours. It reminded me of the Scottish woodland near Glen Affric but with a much higher density of trees, more lichen and of course it was much warmer. It was a steep climb by this point, and the shade of the trees was welcome to keep the air a little cooler. It was a section of the walk I didn’t want to end and we took our time to enjoy the surroundings. Eventually, the mountains started to appear again as the path emerged above the tree line. The trees reached out and formed silhouettes against the distant mountains. A textural view that seemed to mirror the gift shop book covers where the mountains loom over the outlines of trees. I took some time to try and find compositions through the trees before we walked on into Tanhchok as I felt this was one of the most photogenic parts of the route.

Timang sprawled out in a clearing on either side of the road and we emerged to meet trekkers and jeeps who had taken the road. We had only been on the trail for a couple of hours but as we had made good time decided to have a brunch stop and enjoy the view. The view from the roof of the Prasanna Hotel and Lodge was something special. Looking back across the trees the scale of the woodland rising and falling along mountain valleys came into view. Down the valley, a view of Manaslu at over 8000m dominated everything around us. The perfect setting to enjoy some pancakes and chai tea in the sun.

Sad to leave the relaxing surroundings and mountain view behind it was time to move on up the trail. Walking through the village it was still tempting to keep glancing back at Manaslu as each time the clouds moved the light shifted and the mountain revealed something new.

The path took us through the outskirts of the village through crop fields past wooden barns and even over a wooden stile, a familiar sight on a UK walk but I think the only stile we encountered on the Annapurna. As we passed through small villages there was the familiar sight of colourful gardens and the locals out tending to them. For the most part, we were now walking in the open above the tree line, occasionally dropping down to cross a bridge before climbing up again into the open. At our feet, a small dog had joined us leading the way along the trail. Above us, the blue started to fade from the sky as light clouds piled up between the mountains.

We arrived at Koto in the early afternoon and queued up at the checkpoint to have our permits checked and logged. There was a hive of activity here with plenty of trekkers and locals going about their business before moving on towards Chame. Shortly after Koto we had to cross a short section of the trail at risk of rockfall. I watched as the hillside lose stones a few inches in size came alive every now and again. There was no pattern, no shaking of the earth or noise just the occasional stones hurtling across the path. I made sure to get across this section as quickly as possible.

The rest of the afternoon went quickly, Ryan professed his admiration and love for Kanye West, proclaiming him a misunderstood genius. This sparked some lively debate to pass the time as we walked back on the dusty road and into Chame.

We reached Chame in the early afternoon so had plenty of time to try and find the best guesthouse offering and maybe try out the hot pools. We tried a couple of guesthouses that had been recommended to us but they were already full so in the end, we made a full loop of Chame before booking into the Hotel New Shangri-La and sitting down for lunch.

The usual noodle soup was served with tea and a few packs of Oreos. The clouds that had been building up now decided to shed their load with a heavy shower of rain rattling the tin roof of the dining room. From our cosy seats, we watched trekkers arrive in the village completed soaked through and were thankful for our timing today.

The sunset on this evening was one of the most spectacular memories from the whole trek. The storm cleared just before sunset and as I glanced out of my bedroom window the mountains were glowing in shades of pink and orange. Rushing to the next room I shouted to Ryan to come and watch the sunset which was the most dramatic of the whole trek. It lasted for a few minutes before fading away. Time to layer up and head back to the dining room for dinner and a cold but comfortable evening.