Annapurna Sanctuary Trek – The Descent

In 2013, MK and I trekked in Nepal’s Himalayas, spending time both pre- and post-trek in Kathmandu and Pokhara. This is part 7 of a 8 part series on our experiences. Please use this site’s search function to read other parts of this series.

We left the guest house at our normal early hour. We had two and a half days to get down to Nayapul where a car would be waiting to take us back to Pokhara and our eventual flight to Kathmandu.

Our destination for the first day of our descent was going to be Sinuwa, but we convinced Ram to push on to Chhomrong, one of the villages we stayed at on our way up earlier in the week. 

Our motive was to make some miles (or should I say, kilometers) as well as to get to a place that has WiFi so that I can post our reports to those back home.

We stayed at the same guest house as last time. The owner remembered us, asked how our ABC trek was, and otherwise showered us with attention for the rest of the evening as well in the morning while having breakfast. 

While descending, MK and I commented on the rough trail that was difficult to negotiate. It was the same trail she hiked up while very sick the other day. I was amazed at what she accomplished. It was tough going in its own rights; but to do so while also being sick was superhuman.  

We also talked about the special people we have met. There were Canadians we had as roommates the previous night. They were gracious as well as helpful in giving me the Tylenol that cured my ankle woes. There were the Dutch ladies (we never exchanged names) we met early on in the trek. We would often breakfast together. They took a shorter trek than us. We ended up parting ways about midway through the trek. I was smitten with them. I found them to be lovely, just lovely. 

There were the young Indian men from Melbourne, Australia we would share meals and trail talk throughout the trek. There were some other Canadians, names we never knew, that we would also share the trail with as we would catch up to them from time to time. 

And then, of course, were our favorites, the Irish family, Howard, Mary, and their grown daughter, Allison. The nicest people you could ever meet. We would frequently share meal times with them. Mary, the self-described walking pharmacist, had all sorts of medicines she gave MK to help cure her sicknesses. 

Down the trail we went. The various porters continued to amaze us. There were the porters, like SuZen, who hauled trekker's gear. There were others, many more in fact, who hauled goods and supplies up and down the trail. Their loads would average between 50 and 75 pounds. Some would carry soda, cans of Pringles and Ramen noodles, leafy type vegetables, beer, various juices, and candy bars. Others would carry heavier loads, including full canisters of propane, like the ones we use in the States to fuel our backyard grills. Only in this case, the recipients of these canisters use them to fuel the hot showers and kitchen stoves at the guest houses and lodges. Another carried a 9 to 10 year old boy. He appeared to be able-bodied. Maybe he was just another lazy kid, asking a relative to carry him up the steep trail instead of having to walk it.

One porter was carrying all of this and more. Ram asked the weight of his load. "65 kilos," he grunted, as he ground his way up the trail. That equates to about 140 to 150 pounds!! Jayzus!

We learned that the porters get 15 to 20 rupees  per kilo depending on the distance they need to haul their load. In the case of the guy hauling the big one, he was earning $12 for his effort. 

Little kids would linger near the trail. "Chocolate? Candy?," they would plead. At first, it was cute and a novelty, and we would gladly give them some sweets from our backpacks. After awhile, it instead became an annoyance. "Give me money", they would boldly ask after we said no to their request for candy. We were convinced the first English words these kids learned were chocolate, candy, and give me money; probably in that order. 

Moving down the trail, we approached elevations similar to Denver, Colorado. Although we were very tired, the altitude made breathing much easier. The trek had been very physically demanding. We both would end up losing five percent of our body weight. MK was still feeling ill and detoured into the woods or village toilets frequently.

She slipped on a rock and landed on her back. Thankfully, she had on her backpack to cushion her fall. Otherwise she could have bruised, or worse, broken her tailbone. She did gash up the palm of her hand though. Ram was to the rescue, grabbing leaves off a nearby plant that had some medicinal value. He squeezed out the juices onto the wound to stem any infection. 

A rough jeep trail terminated at the next village we entered into. It is from here that trekkers have the option of ending their trek, foregoing the half day left of walking, and instead be taken by jeep back in town. The group of Chinese that had been keeping pace with us throughout the day chose this option. They loaded up into several of the jeeps and took off down the bumpy road, waving and smiling at us while they passed.

Our last night on the trail was at a lodge in Sayul Bazar. The four of us were the only guests. The lady who runs the place was a large woman with Tibetan features. In fact, at most of the places we have stayed, large Tibetan women run the show. All of the help, including the men, defer to her and go to her for permission on everything. Want a beer? Need to go talk to the Tibetan. Need change from your 1000 rupee note? Hold on, need to find the Tibetan woman. 

Given the scarcity of guests, the Tibetan lady at our last night's spot had some free time and sat to visit with us. In broken English, she said she liked us in that we were very quiet and not demanding. Unlike others, she said. She pantomimed a person barking out orders and being loud.  

The views of the snow capped peaks we were once up and adjacent to were now becoming more and more distant. We were now at elevations in the 2000 to 3000 foot range. At this elevation, there is a lot of jungle-like growth. Monkeys were playing in the trees and on nearby rock escarpments. There must be only a few places in the world where you are standing in a hot, humid jungle while at the same time being able to view snow capped peaks. 

We were now nearing the end. Gone were the quiet and remote portions of our trail. We were now walking through the villages at the end of our trek. A Nepali festival was coming up soon. Villagers were slaughtering goats and water buffalo for the feasts to be held later. People were standing amongst blood, entrails, and severed heads while chopping through bones and cuts of meat. 

Our car was waiting for us at Nayapul at the very same spot it had left us back 11 days ago. The sensation of being in a fast moving motorized vehicle was welcomed after our long days on the trail.

At our Pokhara hotel (the same one we were in a week and a half ago), we said our goodbyes to SuZen.  Along with a generous (hopefully) tip, I gave him a hearty handshake while MK gave him a warm embrace. Off he went; into our lives one day, gone forever the next

A video of our descent can be seen at the following link: