Annapurna Circuit Pt 2: Thorung La Pass to Nayapul

After the ‘high’ of the Pass we had to continue the long descent of 1656m to Muktinath, another 5 hours  of walking.  We couldn’t decide which was physically worse – the assault on our cardio-vascular system on the ascent or the assault on our joints on the descent.  The landscape changes substantially now that we were on the dry side of the mountains in the Mustang district.

Muktinath is still quite high (3730m) and its dusty main street offers some spectacular view of the mountains we just walked through.

On leaving Muktinath we got a great view of Dhaulagiri (8172m, the 7^th highest mountain).

We dawdled along towards Kagbeni, muscles too sore to push any great pace.  Outside the village of Khingar, where we stopped for our mid-morning cup of chai, we saw a travelling Sadhu, talking intently to some young men.

Kagbeni was a pretty and fascinating town that I wish we had had more time to explore.  It is nestled in the lush valley of the Kali Ganduki River with views up to the Tibetian plateau in the Mustang region of Nepal.  It is an ancient town with old building which we thought were ruins of a fort but turned out to be homes and stables.  Around one corner in this ancient part of the town we came across a surprising relief on a stone wall, we assume it was a Hindu fertility god?

Kagbeni

Day 13 continue down the Kali Ganduki along the stony river bed or dusty road and into the howling winds that whip up the valley.  Eileen was hoping to find some Ammonite fossils in the rocks.  The round black stones are everywhere and some contain fossils of sea animals, thus proving that the Himalayas were at one time under the sea.  

 

 

We continued on to Jomson, the other launching point on the circuit for the short term trekkers.  It is a dusty, frontier sort of town, without much charm.

Jomson main street

The next day walking we wished we had walked a bit further the previous day and continued on to the village of Marpha, a charming place, so clean, tidy and friendly with white washed buildings.

Marpha main street

Despite the lovely views on the wide open valley and stark hillsides, the walking with the wind and dust and traffic on the roads was not pleasant so by Day 15, after spending the night in Tukuche, a close second in charm to Marpha, we decided to take a bus 31km to Tatopani where the road gives way to the trekking path again.

Tutucke

The 3 hour bus ride was an adventure in itself.  We were squished into the back seat, bouncing around over bumpy, narrow winding mountain roads with sheer cliffs dropping down into the river valley.  As usual it is best not to look.  I came away with quite a few bruises from the ride.

In Tatopani we were back into the subtropics and shorts and T-shirts.  But we were going up again – 600m to Sikha on Day 16 then another 935m to Ghorepani on Day 17.  Ghorepani is the launching place for the short Poon Hill trek.  Although it had nice restaurants (for the mountain area) and looked an interesting place we decided to start our descent to Banthanti.  This was to be a next to last day trekking and turned out to be the most pleasant yet.  The walk was not too demanding – a gentle down hill through the most magnificent Rhododendron forest.  These Rhododendron are not the little bushes we plant in our suburban gardens but huge trees with knarled twisted branches covered in hanging moss, lichens and orchids.  Many were covered in flower buds but we only saw a tree or two with the odd flower.  It must be spectacular when the trees are in full bloom.  

Our last day’s walk was through lush forest over the ever present stone steps and the mountain peaks receding further away.

So after 18 days on the circuit we covered 160km walking, climbed 6166m, highest point the Thorong La Pass at 5416m or 17,764ft, and descended 6056m.  We were tired but feeling pretty proud.  Not bad for two old farts!