The Annapurna Circuit Day 6 - Upper Pisang to Manang

Upper Pisang to Manang

SUMMIT SNICKERS | JUMBLE GEOLOGY | DEHYDRATION | YAK SELFIE | CREAM CAKE

• 25th October 2018
• 9 miles / 14.5km
• 8 Hours 20 Mins
• Starting Elevation 3250m
• Finish Elevation 3520m
• Average Temperature 23C (Low 16C - High 27C)
• Average Heart Rate 113bpm (Max 156bpm)

Have I mentioned Tibetan bread yet? Well in case I haven’t I will reiterate that Tibetan Bread is the king of breakfasts on the circuit, nothing else fills you up quite so well as you tackle the mornings of ‘Nepali flat’ walking. Breakfast consumed we packed up and weaved our way through the narrow paths of Upper Pisang before the trail opened up ahead of us towards Ghyaru.

There is a choice from Pisang to take the high route (via Ghyaru) or the low route following the road. The choice depends if you want to get in a practice ascent climbing to over 3700m before dropping down to Manang or stick to the gradual climb to Manang. We had decided quite early on the high route would help give our bodies a chance to test our acclimatisation to the altitude. It would also test our minds a little with an insight into what the uphill struggle of pass day might be like.

We had been talking about the climb the previous evening, and so at first there was a sense of nervous anticipation, but it soon dissipated with each breath of the fresh morning air and the distraction of morning light hitting the giants of the Annapurna range.

Day 6 is split into two halves by the climb to Ghyaru.

Our gentle stroll through scattered pine trees and the cool morning air was abruptly ended by the sight of the zig-zagging path which rose some 400m to our right, its final destination hidden. It was time to join the chain of hikers slowly making their way up the narrow dust trail. The steep climbs on the circuit bring groups of hikers together. It seems no matter if you set off a little earlier or later each day at some point on the slow plod uphill you will overlap or be overlapped by some familiar faces. My tendency to stop every few minutes to take photos (and catch my breath) means I’m particularly likely to see the same faces plenty of times. The momentum from the constant chain of hikers helps nudge you onward. Finding a rhythm that allows you to keep going for as long as possible becomes a mini-obsession. I became acutely aware of the creaking sound my backpack would make with each sequence of steps and this became a metronome I could concentrate on to keep moving.

Reaching Ghyaru after 45 minutes of relentless uphill we joined the crowd in dropping our packs to the floor and taking a seat to enjoy our reward, yes another stunning view of the Annapurna Range. At this point I felt great, the endorphin hit that comes after exercise added to the appreciation of where we were I was on a high. I suppose the sugar from my summit Snickers also helped.

THE VALLEY OF JUMBLED ROCKS

We lingered in Ghyaru for around 45 minutes and gradually familiar groups of trekkers came and went, all heading towards Manang. It was still only just after 9 am and our plan for the day was flexible, we would either stay in Bhakra or try and push on Manang. So we were again in no rush and now we were high in the valley the views across to the Annapurna range had revealed a new perspective. It felt like we were almost level with the snow line and the harsh faces of the mountains became more pronounced. I stopped often to photograph the textures on the other side of the valley where snow fought rock and patterns the likes of which I hadn’t seen before grabbed my attention.

We stopped after another hour or so at a tiny teahouse, I was still awestruck by the mountains opposite as I chewed on a rather crunchy pain au chocolat. Above my head hung on the teahouse walls was a Yak’s head, a sign we were entering Yak land. The next village we would reach would be Ngawal where we would most likely stop for lunch and see how much further we’d go on that day. The standout memory from this part of the trek and the rest of the day was the geology that surrounded us. It feels too simplistic to say it was unlike anything I have ever seen before, but it really was. [Here I wish my geological knowledge would allow me to describe the scenes in more detail.] In each direction you looked there seemed to be a completely different form of rock, rising to different heights and different angles. The individual formations seemed familiar, towers that reminded me of places in Spain, or the sandy colours of the American west but it was the assembly of such variety all in one place that seemed remarkable. Laid bare, we were getting a glimpse into the jumble of geology that was being slowly pushed up from below the surface. The landscape felt alive, a sense of movement you don’t get in the landscapes at home where the hills are rounded by time. In some ways, it reminded me that we really were walking amongst the chaos of a changing landscape where the continent of India continues forcing its way northwards.

GOING DOWNHILL

Reaching Ngawal and catching up with Ryan & Andrew it was still quite early in the day and we decided to continue on without a lunch stop here, mindful that the trail was busy here and arriving as early as possible would offer more accommodation options. Unfortunately for me, the day went downhill, both literally as we now descended back to the valley floor but also physically as I developed a headache and brief spells of nausea. At this point, I was spending most of my time hiking a couple of minutes behind Ryan & Andrew as I stopped often to take photos.

We were now back walking among the sparse pine trees but they offered little shade. At some sections, there were multiple choices of paths that weaved through the woods and it became a little disorienting until the view of the path ahead opened up again. Eventually, we came across a single tea house tucked into the woods and stopped for the classic veg noodles lunch. At this point, I realised I was probably dehydrated more so than suffering from altitude so the break and a chance to take on plenty of liquids helped improve my physical and mental condition.

We were now over 5 hours into the day’s walking and after the earlier effort of the climb and despite the benefits of a lunch stop I still found it slow going. The path seemed much quieter now, the long day dispersing the chain of trekkers and with many deciding to stop in Ngawal. We reached Bhakra around 3 pm, it was quiet here also and so we decided to continue on to Manang only 30mins ahead. We were going to rest in Manang for a couple of days anyway so another few minutes would mean we could hopefully unpack and relax there.

As we moved through Bhakra a yak wandered in front of a Buddhist gompa, below houses nestled into rock towers that looked like the pipes of an organ. A memorable Himalayan scene.

YAK LAND

The final approach to Manang wasn’t far and the main attraction for me was again the Yak’s that wandered around the paths. I was completed unaware as to their temperament but I assumed with them being allowed to wander along the busy trail I could probably stop to take a few photos without causing them too much aggravation. We were now down again at river level in an amphitheatre of giant peaks on all sides. The sun was quickly falling in the sky, not far from being consumed by the Annapurna massif and already casting shadows on the landscape.

I lingered in these plains outside Manang for as long as possible, had some fun getting a Yak selfie before joining Ryan & Andrew in wandering the streets of the town in search of accommodation.

As I walked through the uneven streets of Manang Andrew was stood on the roof of a guesthouse being shown the rooftop toilet and signalling it was a no/last resort for that accommodation. Manang is always busy at this time of year as many people stop over a few days to acclimatise then accommodation is in demand. We only had one option, the North Pole Hotel. I’m reluctant to complain about any accommodation in a place such as this, but I can say there are plenty of better options in Manang.

MANANG

Bags dropped it was time to sit and enjoy a pot of tea at the Nilgiri Guesthouse mostly being enticed in by the cunningly placed cakes in the window. Chocolate & cream cake never tasted so good.

I had planned to head back out to the edge of Manang to take more photos in the last light of the day, however, the sun fell much quicker than I expected. As darkness came we headed back to our guesthouse for a cosy night playing cards and eating dal bhat. We just caught a glimpse of the sunset illuminating Annapurna III through the window. Not quite a colourful as a couple of nights before but still a beautiful moment.